Mary Fred Malone

Mary Fred Malone is the third of the four Malone children. She is almost three years older than Beany. The first book, "Meet the Malones," is really about her, but Lenora Mattingly Weber decided going forward to switch to the younger Beany.

Quotes taken from the Image Cascade Publishing page:

". . . the most notable thing about Mary Fred Malone was her exuberance, her sparkle, her 'get-up-and-git,' as Mrs No-complaint Adams (the housekeeper) put it. Whenever Mary Fred came into a room she brought a quickening lift. Girls always said 'Mary Fred, you've got to come to the party. It's never so partyish without you.' " "Mary Fred wasn't as lovely as Elizabeth. Her hair missed that golden glint and was just a thick mop of curly brown hair. Her eyes weren't violet blue, but just blue eyes that twinkled with good humor, flashed with temper." ". . . Mary Fred wasn't as capable, as soberly dependable, as Beany. She was impulsive and generous, vehement and loyal. " 'Old bubble-and-bounce Mary Fred,' "Johnny always called her." Mary Fred has the fortitude to withstand most any situation and is often the "ear" to which Beany can vent her frustrations. As an older sister, Mary Fred is not always sympathetic and occasionally advises (sometimes scoldingly) Beany (or "Beaver" as she is known to call her) to do the opposite of her proposed plan. Mary Fred can also be the most sympathetic and encouraging of the Malones as Beany struggles to achieve her goals. Mary Fred is, perhaps, best known for her love of horses. Throughout the series, Mary Fred owns Mr. Chips, Miss Goldie and Sir Echo and has numerous struggles which involve the ownership of these horses. An accomplished horsewoman, Mary Fred frequently participates in horse shows, typically bringing home a first place ribbon. Beyond her involvement with horses, Mary Fred's greatest legacy is her meat loaf. Johnny and Mary Fred have numerous tiffs regarding Mary Fred's frequent preparation of meat loaf leading to the moment that Johnny says, "When I get married, I'm going to put in the bride's wedding vows: 'I promise to love, honor, and obey, and never let a meat loaf darken the oven.'" =====