Margaret Lovelace

Please note that the Eulogy from Mrs. Lovelace's funeral is below the newspaper obituary: LINDEN, TX Funeral services for Margaret Ann Lovelace, 85, of Linden, will be at 10:30am, Monday, October 18, 2010 at Linden United Methodist Church with Bro. Kevin Young and Joe B. Lovelace officiating. Interment will follow in Linden Cemetery under the direction of Reeder-Davis-Schindler Funeral Home, Inc. in Linden. A visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4pm at the funeral home. Mrs. Lovelace was born September 19, 1925 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Bryan and Thelma Atkinson Scott. She passed away Thursday, October 14, 2010 at her home. She was office manager for Lovelace and Dowd Law Firm in Linden, Sunday School director for Linden United Methodist Church, a member of the Linden Garden Club, and was named Citizen of the Year by the Linden Chamber of Commerce. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Joe Wells Lovelace of Linden; a son and daughter-in-law, Joe B. and Renee Lovelace of Dripping Springs, Texas; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Elaine and Gary Howell of Dallas, Carol Ann Lovelace of Linden, and Stephanie Lovelace and Sergio Torres of Dallas; two sisters, Mary Ethel Mueller of San Jose, California, and Thelma Jean Horton of Holcomb, Mississippi; 8 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and numerous other family members and a host of friends. Memorials may be made to Linden United Methodist Church. EULOGY In Celebration of the Life Of Margaret Scott Lovelace First United Methodist Church Linden, Texas October 18, 2010 This is not to be a sad service but a time for the joyful remembrance of the life of Margaret Scott Lovelace. Thank you, Paula and Richard, for the love songs selected by my father to represent that time when a nation of young men and women were uprooted from their homes and thrown into a world at war. Dad and mom met in that time, 1944, in Pensacola Florida. They were accidentally introduced by Dr. Gruelick (Dads Navy Dentist) who invited him home for supper at the house where he rented out a room. When Dad arrived and saw mom and her two Aunts, he told Dr. Gruelick he didnt live in a rental he lived in a harem. My mother was 19, very adventuresome, having left her small town in Mississippi to stay with her Aunts to enjoy the times that offered dances every evening with handsome navy aviators at the Officers Club. Mom, who had never met my father, was ready to be taken, as usual, to dance. But this aviator showed up in his kakis not his whites - which was a dead give away that he was clueless how to dance, which he still is to this day. As much as my Mom loved to dance she never held it against him that he didnt. When my dad shipped out to the Pacific my Mom followed him from Florida to California on a troop train. Never would I allow my 18 year old daughter alone on Amtrak much less a train full of young men heading off to war. But those were different times. Mom and Dad married in July, 1945 and, as you know, just celebrated there 65th wedding anniversary in July. Dad was flying wounded from the Pacific to Hawaii and then on to San Francisco. He was aware that he would have a 3 day leave and sent word by one of his friends to Mom that she should get the marriage license and arrange for an official to conduct the ceremony. Afterwards, they began to look for a room in the city. The USO was the place to go but the hostess said there were no rooms in the city or Oakland. When Mom and Dad explained they had only 3 days for a Honeymoon she said you come home to stay with me. Yes, those were different times. Times when couples bonded and produced marriages that lasted for life. My dad was born in Queen City, raised in Linden - except for the war and Baylor Law School, he knew he would always return to Cass County. Mom was a native of rural Mississippi and likely felt my Dad was just going to put her in a house outside the city limits to keep her down on the farm. As my Dad likes to tell it after they moved here from Waco they quickly had 3 kids before they figured out what was causing it. But, Mom, being strong willed and determined, was not about to be a kept woman. With 3 kids on her hip by 1952 she continued her education by driving Hwy 59 from Linden to Texarkana ultimately graduating with a secretarial degree from Texarkana College. Early in the 60s she moved into Dads law practice and until the date he retired in 1995 we all know her name should have been first in the sign that said The Lovelace Law Firm. She kept books, prepared documents, scheduled appointments and gave out advice especially to young ladies who arrived at their appointments too scantly clad to see her son. Her motto was on a sign prominently displayed in her office, Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way. Mom was a rule setter and she expected those rules to be obeyed. When growing up it was OK to take our car to the Dairy Queen to visit our friends but she wanted us home once Mr. Sheffield turned off the lights and closed. One Sunday night Elaine and I broke that curfew. We were in the lot with a bunch of other kids including what back then would be called Lindens thugs. Mom showed up, drove through the lot, blew her horn, circled her finger like Ward Bond in the air and everyone scattered. Mom loved Linden and I like to think she helped move it in the right direction along with many others. She was chair of the committee that raised money, selected and erected our first Christmas lights that decorated the courthouse square. In a letter she sent to out to her committee under her signature she put the initials HWIC. A member came back and asked her what that stood for? She said Head Woman in Charge. And when Johnny Thompsons mail truck came through and tore them down. She went to Atlanta and collected from Mr. Thompson what was needed to put them back up eliminating any doubt that she was the HWIC. My mom loved L-K football. She was a great supporter when I played and very passionate in the stands. I can still hear her hollering out to me on the field. I witnessed her passion one Friday night in the stands after I graduated. It was a rival game between Atlanta/L-K. We won in the last few seconds. Linden fans went wild but my dad wasnt showing enough emotion for Mom so she grabbed his hat and threw it like a Frisbee out onto the field. Dad and Mom would disagree occasionally and the arguments usually were settled in her favor. I remember she wanted a swimming pool. Dad said he wouldnt agree. He went to Austin on his annual trip with his friends to the State Basketball Tournament and when he came back there was a hole for the swimming pool in the back yard. Afterwards, if anyone said anything to Dad about his pool, Mom would quickly correct them by saying, Thats my pool. Mom loved family. Every Sunday after Church for several years she cooked dinner for Uncle Jeep, Aunt Sis, Donna, Corley, Bryan and me. Home cooking with lots of clean up. As much food as you would see at Bryces Cafeteria. And, she never turned down the request of a grandchild if the food they wanted had been overlooked. I never really thanked her enough for that. And, Stephanie you remember how she would leave Linden after work on Friday, drive 6 hours to San Marcos to spend the weekend with you and then come back on Sunday night for work Monday morning showing absolutely no weariness. Margaret Scott Lovelace will always be remembered as a beautiful woman. At the visitation on Sunday, I appreciated the comments from her peers that she always appeared in public impeccably dressed, hair stylish, with perfectly matched nails and jewelry. The family wants you to know that we have arranged for Moms wardrobe to be donated to a shelter for women who are entering the workforce. A fitting tribute to the memory of a woman who climbed to the top of that ladder. I want to recognize Moms sisters who came from California and Mississippi. They were very close and we appreciate the effort they made to be here. She was a loving sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great citizen of Linden. For the family, I want to thank the community for all the love, care and support you have given to my mom and dad over the years of her suffering. I want to recognize Dad, Carol Ann and Moms caregivers, and thank you for your sacrifice to stay with her keeping her in dignity as you experienced her death as her mind died but her body remained behind. There is a sense of relief, here and now, that no one should feel ashamed of, for we know she has gone to a better place.