The official cause of death for Mary Duggar, the beloved mother of Jim Bob Duggar and grandmother to TLC’s supersized Duggar clan, has been revealed. People Magazine reported that Mary died by accidental drowning.
She died on Sunday, June 9, at the age of 78-years-old. The Counting On star passed after slipping in a swimming pool, said Washington County Coroner Roger W. Morris to People Magazine on June 12.
Members of the extended Duggar clan posted their devastation of the passing of Mary Duggar on social media late Sunday evening into both Monday and Tuesday. None of the posts indicated the cause of death.
Radar Online reported that a 911 call led medics to Mary’s home in Springdale, Arkansas. It was not reported if it was the Duggar home that the call came from or Mary’s home. Mary had lived with her son, his wife Michelle, and their children for a period of time before and after the death of her husband, Jimmy Lee Duggar, in 2009. It appears that Mary had her own home near the Duggar clan, who own an expanse of property in Arkansas and several homes in the area.
The Radar report claims Mary Duggar has a pool at her home but did not confirm if that was where the accidental drowning took place. The call noted that “possible drowning” had occurred. Radar reported that the call came in at 4:37 p.m.
The Duggar Family Facebook Page posted that the family was sad to share the news that Grandma Duggar had passed away on June 9. In the post, they noted Mary’s long marriage to J.L. (Jimmy Lee) Duggar, who preceded her in death.
Jill Duggar Dillard, Anna Duggar, Jana Duggar, Jessa Duggar Seewald, and Amy Duggar Dillon were just several of the family members who posted their heartbreaking sentiments about the loss of their beloved grandmother.
Jessa Duggar’s post was particularly heartfelt. The reality star remarked how Mary would introduce herself as grandma to everyone she met and that was how she was known by both strangers and friends.
“Each one of us was made to feel valued and loved by Grandma. She was our biggest cheerleader, coming to every music recital, birthday party, and graduation celebration— and with 21 grandkids and 13 great-grandkids, that was quite a feat!” said Jessa Duggar in a Facebook post.
Jana Duggar revealed to fans of the family on her official Instagram page that she last saw her grandmother when she drove her to church that fateful Sunday. She remarked “on her last morning spent here on earth I drove Grandma to church where she worshiped her Savior. Later that afternoon, she went to meet Him face to face! I’d say that’s probably how she would’ve chosen to finish out the day if she got to pick.”
Mary Duggar is survived by 21 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. The Duggar family appears in Counting On, which airs on TLC.
