Mary Lee Dearen Jobe, age 88, died August 20, 2010 at her home in La Grange, Texas.
Mary Lee was born in Joy, Texas on January 13, 1922, the second child of Jesse and Ruby Dearen. She graduated valedictorian for Quanah High School and attended Baylor University. She married I. G. Jobe on October 10, 1942. They celebrated 65 years of marriage together. The resided in Texas City for 27 years before moving to La Grange in 1976.
Music was her life and love. She started singing in church with her brothers and sister. She sang with the Pat Neff Trio at Baylor, sang and was very active at First Baptist Church in Texas City, sang with the Mainland Chorus, led the music at the Presbyterian Church in La Grange, sang in the choir at the Second Baptist Church in La Grange, and sang for numerous weddings, funerals, programs, nursing homes and special events.
She is survived by one brother, Dell Dearen and sister-in-law Eileen of Bryan; one sister, Charlene Cornell of Riegelsville, PA; three daughters, Karen Jobe Weedon and Darrell Bearden of Austin, Suzanne Manning of La Grange and Jeannie Patterson and husband Denny of Texas City; one son, Chuck Jobe and wife Connie of Texas City; ten grandchildren, Dana Kerr and husband Kevin of Lubbock, Amy Weedon of Austin, John Manning of Corsicana, Beth Manning of San Antonio, Jason Manning and wife Rachel of Fort Worth, Jamie Manning and Derria Byrd of Madison, Wisconsin, Edi Patterson O’Connor and husband Dan of Hollywood, CA, Joni Patterson Saunders and husband Scotty of Denver, Colorado, Natalie Jobe and Kelly Ketter of Austin, Kristin Kohan and husband Steve of Dickinson, and Bradley Jobe of Texas City; seven great-grandchildren, Ashley Jobe of Austin, Caroline, Camille, Claudia and Connelly Kerr of Lubbock, John Michael Manning of San Antonio and Brooke Kohan of Dickinson; and many nieces and nephews.
Mary Lee was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and a brother, W. B. Dearen of Lufkin.
A family “Celebration of Life” will be held in November before Thanksgiving. This was always a very special family time in her life.
A special thanks to Hospice Brazos Valley for all their loving care the past two years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, La Grange Office, Second Baptist Church in La Grange, or the charity of one’s choice.