Obituary of Mary Edwena Massey

Mary “Edwena” Massey 9/14/1932 to 10/21/2020 Our mom, grandmother, great grandma, and friend went home to be with the Lord on October 21st 2020. This eulogy is a bit late in coming, not because she is inconsequential, but because in our grief amid all that 2020 has thrown at us and the world, we all had difficulty expressing the deep and loving sentiments that we all felt toward our Mary Edwena in this difficult season. Our loved one was born Mary Edwena Winstead on the 14th of September 1932, the second of two daughters born to Dr. Dabney Edgar Winstead and Mabel Jeanette Allsup, a medical doctor and a registered nurse, in Graham, Texas. Her childhood friend Willa Belle fondly remembers the fun she and Edwena had playing pranks on Edwena’s older sister Nanette during their childhood in Graham, Texas. Edwena earned a business and teaching degree from North Texas State University where she met and later married a young physics student, Nolen Gale Massey from Throckmorton County, Texas who had a passion for fishing, God and physics. The young couple ‘tied the knot’ on June 10, 1955 and began a journey together that lasted 62 years. Before saying “I do” Edwena started her career teaching English and business in Kerns and Orange, Texas. Upon marrying Nolen, the newlyweds moved to Arlington,Texas where Nolen took a position as a physics professor at Arlington State College and set up residence in their newly purchased home on ‘Lovers Lane’. The next eleven years brought 5 children into the family as well as every pet imaginable (unless in the mouse family!). Choosing to be a stay-at-home mom while any of her kids were preschool age, days were filled with reading time, as well as swimming, sewing and knitting lessons. In 1969 Nolen and Edwena moved to Mansfield with Sharon, Julia, Marian, Jon, and Sara in tow to give the family a new start in a “small town”. Nolen continued his teaching career at The University of Texas at Arlington and Edwena started a new chapter in her life. Edwena began teaching 1st grade at Mrs. Carter’s Daycare, a small private school in Mansfield, and then moved into a position at Mansfield High School teaching typing, shorthand and bookkeeping. Edwena later advanced to the Assistant Principal position at the high school where she finished out her 19 year teaching career with Mansfield ISD having gone many of those years without missing a single day of school. Amazing as this was, even more amazing was Edwena’s devotion to her children and grandchildren. Edwena was dedicated to her family and attended countless school activities and sporting events for her five very active children over the years and continued to support her 16 grandchildren as they began to invite her to their ceremonies and activities. Moving to Grandview, Texas in 2013, their house became the hub of the cousin and family get-togethers. Edwena was an avid ‘water skier’ in her youth. Edwena loved to read and would often read several books a time and always had stacks of books beside her chair. Edwena loved sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting and quilting. She mastered the iPhone in her 80’s where she kept in touch with everyone and never forgot a birthday! Edwena was an accomplished seamstress sewing her children's clothes and creating dozens of beautiful baby quilts over the years which she donated to Cook Children’s hospital. Edwena faithfully attended Burleson Commons Church of Christ, and we are very grateful to this wonderful community of believers for their support and prayers. Edwena’s faith was a quiet one where she modeled the characteristics of honesty, humility and faith in God daily by her actions more than words. Edwena was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Nolen, her sister Nanette Osborne, and her brother and sister-in-law Bill and Norma Massey. Mary “Edwena” (Grammie) will be greatly missed at our family gatherings which were her favorite. We will all miss her quick wit, her dry sense of humor, her “spunky” personality and her ability to bring her family together. Edwena is survived by 5 children, 16 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren: Sharon Massey and children Ivan and Rebecca Lippens, granddaughter Cora; Julie and Randy Bowers and children Lauren Fitzgerald and her husband Ryan, son Seth Bowers; Marian and Jack Hull and children Haley and James Hull; Jon and Sonya Massey and children Jordy and wife Abbie, grandson Nolen, Jake, Kira, and Travis Massey; Sara Massey and Pat Zajac, children Trevor, Shelby, Jade, Trinity, and Luke and Levi Bontke. We love you and miss you Grammie. Until we meet again. John 14:6