MaryJane passed away Monday, May 5, 2025, just shy of her 84th birthday. She was born a daughter of the late Earl James Gibson and Blanche Elizabeth Miller Gibson in Morgantown. She was the youngest child of three, with two older brothers; the late Ralph James Gibson and the late Jackie Lee Gibson also born and raised in Morgantown. Her father, Earl, was the oldest of nine children all born in the Preston County area. Her father was a photographer, as was her grandfather, O.Z. Gibson with photograph studios in downtown Morgantown for many years. Her mother, Blanche, was one of four children all born in Preston County. She was a homemaker in her early years, and later worked at Whiteside’s Dept. store in Morgantown. MaryJane’s first ancestor, Thomas Burtus Gibson, who came from Scotland, settled near the Cheat River / Big Sandy area around 1785.
Her childhood was spent helping on her grandparents farm during the summers with her brother Jack and cousins. During that time, her brother Ralph, who was 18 years older than her, was away serving in WWII. MaryJane attended Woodburn Elementary School, Morgantown Junior High, and graduated from Morgantown High School in 1959. After high school she worked at C&P as a telephone operator.
While on a trip with a girlfriend to San Diego she met her husband, Martin Earl Conley of Steubenville, Ohio who was serving in the US Navy. They married in 1964 and had two children; Kimberly Sue, in 1964, and Jeffery Scott, in 1971. They were married for over 16 years while stationed around the US.
MaryJane had over 31+years as a school bus driver, she began her driving career in 1972. When she moved back home to Morgantown in 1976 she began driving for the Monongalia County Board of Education and drove bus until her retirement in 2004. She loved her job, her fellow drivers, and the kids she drove. She eventually found herself driving the children of her past kids that were now adults.
MaryJane always had a love of gardening and kept her flowerbeds looking like works of art. If she wasn’t busy driving bus or tending her gardens, she was probably dragging home a stray or lost animal. From the time she could walk, she always had pets. This was true to the very end, when she was called home on May 5th, her little dog, Sadie Mae, also heard the call and joined her on May 6th (MaryJane’s Birthday) There couldn’t have been a better birthday gift. May God bless and keep you both.
MaryJane is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Sue Conley Claus and son-in-law, Erik Ullrich Claus, of Gilroy, Calif.; her son, Jeffery Scott Conley, of Gilroy, Calif.; two grandson’s; Zachary David Claus, of Bozeman, Mont., and Levi Garrett Conley, of Gilroy, Calif.; two nieces, Sharon Lynn Gibson Dewitt, of Morgantown, and Bobbie Jo (Gibson) Warash, of Morgantown; two nephews, David Lee Gibson, of Waynesboro, Va., and Aaron Lee Gibson, of Rowlesburg; a sister-in-law, Susan Dawn (Brand) Gibson, of Morgantown.
MaryJane will be laid to rest, beside her mother and father at East Oak Grove Cemetery, during a private, family service on August 13th at 11 a.m.
There will be a Celebration of Life for friends and family on Thursday, August 14th from 4:30 to 8:30 at Flour and Feed located at 156 Clay Street in downtown Morgantown near the Wralf District. Refreshments / Food will be served.
