Mary O\u2019Neill is her maiden name, but to the people who know her well she\u2019s known as \u201cMemsie\u201d. She was born in the small southwestern town of Wyoming called Sage just outside of Kemmerer, Wyoming.<\/p>\n
Mary met her life partner and husband – Glenn Perkins while he was working in Kemmerer for the railroad. Glenn was born and raised just west of the Wyoming boarder in the small southeastern Idaho town of Montpelier. In Glenn\u2019s words, \u201cI knew the very first time I met her she was special\u2026.and feisty.\u201d Glenn courted Mary in the traditional ways of their era. Working for the railroad was hard on the relationship because Glenn was assigned to work in different towns around the state of Idaho. One such assignment took Glenn to Hailey, Idaho. This assignment was a long term one, so Glenn asked Mary to accompany him to Hailey. While in Hailey, Mary was asked by a local merchant owner if she was interested in working for him in his small store which also sold fuel by way of hand pump. Mary agreed on one condition: Mary stated \u201cI do not want to pump the fuel\u201d. The merchant agreed and so began the days of \u201cMary\u2019s Place\u201d- unbeknownst to the store owner.<\/p>\n
Glenn & MaryThe store was located near Sun Valley, Idaho- a known getaway for the rich and famous Hollywood types now, and back then. The first time a person meets Mary she has a knack of leaving a lifelong impression on you with her with quick wit, sense of humor, and no nonsense approach to things. A person never has to guess what\u2019s on Mary\u2019s mind because she has no problem expressing it, good and bad. The local store had a name, but the longer Mary worked there the official name of the store became an afterthought. Because of Mary\u2019s unique hospitality style, the store became known as \u201cMary\u2019s Place\u201d by all the locals, visitors, and the seasonal rich and famous Hollywood personalities.<\/p>\n