Mary Deal

Mary Louise Deal, age 72, was born in Birmingham, Alabama on November 20, 1930. She passed away peacefully on September 9, 2003 at her home for the past nine years, Kruse Memorial Lutheran Village in Brenham, Texas. She was surrounded and comforted by her husband of 50 years and her four children. While Alzheimer s disease took her memory quickly in the early 1990 s, she retained her grace, warm smile and southern charm to the end. Mary Louise graduated from Phillips High School in Birmingham in 1949 and from the University of Alabama with a Home Economics degree in 1954. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Louise and Roy Cooper, and her brother-in-law, Joel Cummings. She is survived by her husband, Ernest Deal, of Austin, her four children and their spouses: Terry Ragland and Scott of Dallas; Sarah Frankenfeld and Ken of Austin; Matt Deal and Kimberly of Houston; and Jennifer Rogers and Joseph of Atlanta, Georgia. She also leaves nine, soon to be ten, loving grandchildren: Matt and Kate Ragland; Kevin, Kyle and Caroline Frankenfeld; Madison, Cooper and Crafton Deal; and Mary Louise Rogers. She is also survived by her sister, Cordelia Cummings, of Brenham; brother-in-law, William Deal of Dallas; and sister-in-law, Mary Murad, of Ruston, Louisiana. Throughout her forty years in Houston, Mary Louise raised her family, supported her husband, worked at her children s schools and served in countless capacities civic, charitable, church, wherever she was needed. A partial list of her activities include Chairman of American Field Service at Kinkaid School, Chairman of Kinkaid Field Day, Chairman of Kinkaid Book Fair, and Chairman of Kappa Kappa Gamma Mother s Club. She was an early organizer of the Ronald McDonald House-Houston, member of the Assistance League and Blue Birds Circle at Methodist Hospital. A private funeral for family and Kruse Village employees, past and present, will be held at Brenham Presbyterian Church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 12, 2003, followed by burial at Prairie Lea Cemetery, Brenham. Please join our family for a memorial service, celebrating Mary Louise s life, at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2003. Reverend David Murad, Mary Louise s nephew and a minister of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, will officiate both services. Pallbearers are Joe Bailey, Lew Brown, Dunbar Chambers, Mike Muse, Will Penland, Frank Putman, Lee Stein, Steve Stevens, Carlton Wilde and Bill Wilde. Honorary pallbearers are her sons-in-law, Scott Ragland, Ken Frankenfeld and Joseph Rogers, and family members Bill Crook and Jerry Montgomery. Our family is deeply grateful to the wonderful caregivers at Kruse Village, particularly Ms. Thelma Carter, who provided loving care each day for the past nine years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mary Louise s name to your local chapter of the Alzheimer s Association or the charity of your choice. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 W. Main St., in Brenham.