Mary K. Shell - Family Tragedies

Family Tragedies

Tragedy struck in 1979, when her younger son Tim, at twenty-six, who had fallen into a life of alcohol and despair, died of a drug overdose.

Thereafter, Shell decided to run for mayor after three-term incumbent Donald M. Hart announced that he would not seek reelection. The odds were so against Shell that it was said only Joe Shell actually believed that his wife could prevail against four male candidates. She went on to win the nonpartisan runoff election against Sheriff Charles Dodge, who had led in the first round of balloting by only twenty-five votes. Although many campaigns stop their intense efforts on election eve, Shell persisted through election day; her grass roots volunteers walked door to door until the polls closed on election night.

Early in the term, a second tragedy occurred when daughter Meredith died at the age of twenty-two of cardiac arrest caused by medications. And Dick Hosking died thereafter.