Mary Lee died May 22, 2018 at Longhorn Village Retirement Community in Austin, TX. She and twin sister Martha were born December 23, 1925 in Houston, TX. The family soon moved to Hornbeck, LA where she grew up and attended school through the first-semester senior year. Then, a brief time in Austin, TX allowed Mary and Martha to graduate from Austin High School in the Class of 1942. While in Austin, Mary met her future husband, Herbert S. Beard, whom she married in 1943. They lived in New Orleans, LA while Herbert was in military service, and then moved to Austin, TX in 1946. Before Herbert died in 1969, they had two sons, Mark Stephen Beard (Waco, TX) and Larry Rheinhardt Beard (Austin, TX). In 1971, mutual friends introduced Mary to Clyde E. Lee. They married May 20, 1972.
Mary was a stay-at-home mom for Steve and Larry throughout their school years in Austin and proudly saw both achieve their Eagle Scout rank. For more than 60 years, she sang in the choir and taught ladies Sunday School classes at Hyde Park Baptist Church. She became a Charter Member of Austin Baptist Church when it was founded in 2008 and continued to sing in the choir and participate in other church activities, including identification of the site upon which the new church campus is being built. In 1959, she was selected "Mrs. Texas" to represent the State of Texas in the 1959 Mrs. America Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She enjoyed many years of service with Christian Women's Club and traveled extensively as a speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of Baylor Parent's League at Baylor University. She participated actively in the Faculty Wives Club and the University Ladies Club at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting some twenty-five years ago, she began guiding a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings for a group of ladies known as the Vineyard Bay Bible Study. The Christian love and support from this group has been truly inspirational in recent days.
Mary's father W.A. McGraw, mother Mary Pink Scoggins McGraw, and brothers William S. McGraw and Noyce McGraw predeceased her. Her twin sister Martha McGraw Chance (Nederland, TX) survives her, as do Martha's children Martha Ann, Ronald, and Wanda. Her son Steve, his wife Alyce, and her granddaughter Stephanie survive her, as do son Larry and grandson Jarrod and his wife Maria. She especially enjoyed visits by Jarrod and Maria's 5-yr old son James (her only great grandchild).
A memorial service celebrating Mary's life will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, May 25th at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Drive, Austin, TX 78760.
The family requests that gifts be made to Austin Baptist Church or a charity of choice.
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
Mary was a stay-at-home mom for Steve and Larry throughout their school years in Austin and proudly saw both achieve their Eagle Scout rank. For more than 60 years, she sang in the choir and taught ladies Sunday School classes at Hyde Park Baptist Church. She became a Charter Member of Austin Baptist Church when it was founded in 2008 and continued to sing in the choir and participate in other church activities, including identification of the site upon which the new church campus is being built. In 1959, she was selected "Mrs. Texas" to represent the State of Texas in the 1959 Mrs. America Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She enjoyed many years of service with Christian Women's Club and traveled extensively as a speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of Baylor Parent's League at Baylor University. She participated actively in the Faculty Wives Club and the University Ladies Club at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting some twenty-five years ago, she began guiding a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings for a group of ladies known as the Vineyard Bay Bible Study. The Christian love and support from this group has been truly inspirational in recent days.
Mary's father W.A. McGraw, mother Mary Pink Scoggins McGraw, and brothers William S. McGraw and Noyce McGraw predeceased her. Her twin sister Martha McGraw Chance (Nederland, TX) survives her, as do Martha's children Martha Ann, Ronald, and Wanda. Her son Steve, his wife Alyce, and her granddaughter Stephanie survive her, as do son Larry and grandson Jarrod and his wife Maria. She especially enjoyed visits by Jarrod and Maria's 5-yr old son James (her only great grandchild).
A memorial service celebrating Mary's life will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, May 25th at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Drive, Austin, TX 78760.
The family requests that gifts be made to Austin Baptist Church or a charity of choice.
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
Mary Lee died May 22, 2018 at Longhorn Village Retirement Community in Austin, TX. She and twin sister Martha were born December 23, 1925 in Houston, TX. The family soon moved to Hornbeck, LA where she grew up and attended school through the first-semester senior year. Then, a brief time in Austin, TX allowed Mary and Martha to graduate from Austin High School in the Class of 1942. While in Austin, Mary met her future husband, Herbert S. Beard, whom she married in 1943. They lived in New Orleans, LA while Herbert was in military service, and then moved to Austin, TX in 1946. Before Herbert died in 1969, they had two sons, Mark Stephen Beard (Waco, TX) and Larry Rheinhardt Beard (Austin, TX). In 1971, mutual friends introduced Mary to Clyde E. Lee. They married May 20, 1972.
Mary was a stay-at-home mom for Steve and Larry throughout their school years in Austin and proudly saw both achieve their Eagle Scout rank. For more than 60 years, she sang in the choir and taught ladies Sunday School classes at Hyde Park Baptist Church. She became a Charter Member of Austin Baptist Church when it was founded in 2008 and continued to sing in the choir and participate in other church activities, including identification of the site upon which the new church campus is being built. In 1959, she was selected "Mrs. Texas" to represent the State of Texas in the 1959 Mrs. America Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She enjoyed many years of service with Christian Women's Club and traveled extensively as a speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of Baylor Parent's League at Baylor University. She participated actively in the Faculty Wives Club and the University Ladies Club at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting some twenty-five years ago, she began guiding a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings for a group of ladies known as the Vineyard Bay Bible Study. The Christian love and support from this group has been truly inspirational in recent days.
Mary's father W.A. McGraw, mother Mary Pink Scoggins McGraw, and brothers William S. McGraw and Noyce McGraw predeceased her. Her twin sister Martha McGraw Chance (Nederland, TX) survives her, as do Martha's children Martha Ann, Ronald, and Wanda. Her son Steve, his wife Alyce, and her granddaughter Stephanie survive her, as do son Larry and grandson Jarrod and his wife Maria. She especially enjoyed visits by Jarrod and Maria's 5-yr old son James (her only great grandchild).
A memorial service celebrating Mary's life will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, May 25th at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Drive, Austin, TX 78760.
The family requests that gifts be made to Austin Baptist Church or a charity of choice.
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
Mary was a stay-at-home mom for Steve and Larry throughout their school years in Austin and proudly saw both achieve their Eagle Scout rank. For more than 60 years, she sang in the choir and taught ladies Sunday School classes at Hyde Park Baptist Church. She became a Charter Member of Austin Baptist Church when it was founded in 2008 and continued to sing in the choir and participate in other church activities, including identification of the site upon which the new church campus is being built. In 1959, she was selected "Mrs. Texas" to represent the State of Texas in the 1959 Mrs. America Pageant in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She enjoyed many years of service with Christian Women's Club and traveled extensively as a speaker. She was instrumental in the founding of Baylor Parent's League at Baylor University. She participated actively in the Faculty Wives Club and the University Ladies Club at The University of Texas at Austin. Starting some twenty-five years ago, she began guiding a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings for a group of ladies known as the Vineyard Bay Bible Study. The Christian love and support from this group has been truly inspirational in recent days.
Mary's father W.A. McGraw, mother Mary Pink Scoggins McGraw, and brothers William S. McGraw and Noyce McGraw predeceased her. Her twin sister Martha McGraw Chance (Nederland, TX) survives her, as do Martha's children Martha Ann, Ronald, and Wanda. Her son Steve, his wife Alyce, and her granddaughter Stephanie survive her, as do son Larry and grandson Jarrod and his wife Maria. She especially enjoyed visits by Jarrod and Maria's 5-yr old son James (her only great grandchild).
A memorial service celebrating Mary's life will be held at 3:00pm on Friday, May 25th at Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Drive, Austin, TX 78760.
The family requests that gifts be made to Austin Baptist Church or a charity of choice.
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
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