By Cara Cowan Watts | Cherokee 411
September 27, 1949 – August 12, 2026
Cherokee, NC
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Mary Jane Craig Letts, 89, passed away on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at Tsali Care Center in Cherokee, NC, after an extended illness.
Mary Jane Craig Letts was born on November 20, 1936, and was the daughter of the late Don and Bertha Craig of Cherokee. She was the devoted wife of Ray Don Letts and the loving mother of Bradley B. Letts. She was an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She was born and raised on the Cherokee Reservation, attended the Cherokee Indian School, and graduated from Cherokee High School in 1955. She earned her B.S. degree in Education from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, in 1959.
Mary Jane was a kindergarten teacher in the Jefferson County School system in Arvada, Colorado, for 18 years. After her career in early childhood education, she returned to Cherokee and accepted the newly established position of Director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service for the Cherokee Reservation. After a successful career as the Cherokee extension agent, she retired from North Carolina State University. During this time, she also owned and operated Craig’s Motel, Qualla Supermarket, and the Ponderosa Steakhouse in Cherokee.
Mary Jane was dedicated to the betterment of the Cherokee Reservation. She helped raise funds for the restoration of the Oconaluftee Island Park and for the construction of the Veterans Park in Cherokee. In 2024, the Cherokee Tribal Council dedicated the northwestern pedestrian bridge at the Oconaluftee Island Park to Mary Jane in honor and recognition of her vision and leadership in the Island Park restoration project. Mary Jane loved working with all the people in the community clubs. Her friends and family will long remember her love for the Cherokee community and the Indian people.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
