Mary Ann (Welli) Kofford, 84, passed away in her home in Tylertown, MS on Monday, September 22, 2025 after a lengthy battle with illness.

She was born on September 13, 1941 in Pratt, KS, the only child of Michael and Laura (Gilham) Welli. She attended Pratt High School until her Junior year in 1960, when she married Murphy (Willard) Copeland. Together, they had 3 children: Kyla (1961), Kelvin (1962), and Clint (1964).

Mary Ann moved to Minneola, KS in the late 1960s after living in a variety of Southwestern cities and states. She worked a myriad of different jobs, including as a waitress for a diner, where she met Jerry Kofford. They married on December 29, 1972. They resided in Minneola, KS, surrounded by family from both sides, until 1981, farming and raising Kyla, Clint, and Kelvin. Never enjoying the harsh Kansas winters and being fascinated with the South, Jerry and Mary Ann moved to Louisiana in 1981, eventually settling outside of Tylertown, Mississippi. There, while Jerry drove as a long-haul truck driver, Mary Ann helped care for the animals both bought and saved, including a variety of cows, horses, birds, fish, cats, dogs, and one gator.

With a natural affinity for technology, she was an early adopter of chatrooms and eBay to satisfy her love of animals, Elvis, Dwight Yoakam, reading, and indoor gardening. Mary Ann also loved collecting stuffed animals and exploring the South with her grandkids. She had a very tender heart, taking in and caring for any cat and kitten that came her way. She also loved hearing and seeing what her grandkids and great grandkids were up to, especially on Social Media.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Micheal and Laura Welli, and husband, Jerry Kofford (2020). Survivors include her children: Clint Copeland, Tylertown, Kelvin Copeland, Tylertown, and Kyla Trahan, New Orleans; granddaughters, Kristin Copeland-Claas, Manhattan, KS, Tamara (Copeland) Simmons, Ensign, KS, Kasey Copeland, Bucklin, KS, and Kaitlyn (Copeland) Van Hoesen, Wichita, KS; four great grandchildren; brother-in-law, Dale Kofford, Dodge City, KS, and Krystal (Kofford) Santner, Middletown, DE; and nephews, Steven and Bryan Kofford, Minneola, KS.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to your local humane society.