Mary L. Mountain

Mary Lucy Burr Mountain of 125 South Main Street, Belfast, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at her home. She was born May 9, 1936, to Alanson Andrew Jackson and Lucy Patterson Burr III. She married James Afton Mountain on August 22, 1953, who predeceased her on December 21, 2023.

Mary attended Belfast Central School and served as Postmaster of Belfast Post Office for many years, retiring in October of 1992, after 25 years. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Belfast.

Mary lived most of her life in Belfast with her husband, Jim, and eight children. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family on their land on Gleason Hill in Belfast. She especially enjoyed hunting. Mary was an avid hunter for many years. She also enjoyed camping, and working the land, cutting wood for her Round Oak wood stove at home.

Mary helped her husband on their family farm for many years. She and Jim raised heifers, grew sweet corn, and they had a large garden each year. They had a corn stand where they sold home grown corn for many years and also sold pumpkins and Christmas trees. Mary also canned her garden vegetables each year, teaching her five daughters and numerous granddaughters to do canning as well.

Mary’s true joy came from spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed cooking with them and teaching them to bake her famous molasses cookies and many other recipes. She enjoyed taking her grandchildren to Gleason Hill to camp and spend time in the woods, telling them stories about her childhood and making memories with them.

Surviving are her eight children, Patricia (Randy) Granger of Cheektowaga, Jimmy (Kathy) Mountain of Liverpool, Cindy (Steve Fox) Preston of Caneadea, Christy (Joe) Zajicek of Wellsville, Michael (Tammy) Mountain of Land O’ Lakes, FL, Theresa (Randy) Ellison of Belfast, Andy (Sueann Groves) Mountain of Angelica, and Liz (Jason) Hamer of Belfast. Also surviving are her 27 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren, her siblings, Grover Stewart Burr of Caneadea, Donald Burr of Wellsville, and Judy (Alan) Mills of Wiscoy and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by two special caregivers, Ria Farley and Lynnie Bartoo who gave both Mary and Jim great care in their final years.

Along with her husband, Mary was predeceased by a grandchild, baby Drew Christopher Mountain, six siblings, Andrew Burr, Burton Burr, Bruce Burr, Elizabeth Burr, Crystal Michel, and Myrtle Koleszar.

Family and friends may gather from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Friday, December 5, 2025 at the Kopler-Williams Funeral Home, 21 N Genesee Street, Fillmore, where the rosary will be recited at 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 11:00 am in St. Patrick’s Church, Belfast. Fr. John Cullen will be the celebrant. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Belfast.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Allegany County.