Marion Holt

Elsie Marion Holt (Ware), of Beaumont, TX, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, beloved wife of the late Charles Henry Holt of Orange, TX, married 1970. Marion was born October 1, 1930 in Little Rock, Arkansas, cherished daughter of William C. Ware, Sr. and Elsie Josephine Ware (Isgrig). She attended Little Rock High School, graduated from Hendrix College in 1951, and received her Master’s Degree in History from LSU in 1956. Marion studied abroad in France on a Fulbright grant in 1951, sailing on the SS De Grasse of the French Line from New York. She taught at the Arkansas School for the Blind prior to her appointment at Lamar University-Beaumont in 1960, and retired as Associate Professor of History in 1996.

She is predeceased by her parents, her two brothers, William C. Ware, Jr. and his wife Elizabeth (McDowell) of Little Rock, AR, Kenneth Ware and his wife Mary (McGuyre) of Conway, AR, and her nephew, William C. (Clen) Ware, III of Little Rock, AR. She will be greatly missed by her loving nephews and nieces, Sarah Ware of Little Rock, AR, Martha Ware Kiley and her husband Kevin of Bigelow, AR, Katherine Ware and her husband David Conant of Milton, MA, Paul Ware and his wife Joanna of Birmingham, AL, Charles McDowell Ware and his fiancée Paula Bramlett of North Little Rock, AR, and The Rev. David Ware and his wife Sarah Hoover of Silver Springs, MD. She leaves behind five grand nieces and nephews, Hannah and Jameson Ware, Andrew and Sam Conant, and Helena Ware. She had many special friends, including Marie Morris of Little Rock, AR, Bill and Sandy Griffin, Barbara Bain, and Barbara Alloman, all of Beaumont, TX, Chu and Sopin “Pau” Temcharoen and their sons Maetin of Beaumont, TX and Ben of Houston, TX, and her farm neighbors Paul and Cathy Taylor of Center, TX.

Marion was a kind, compassionate, generous, independent, and cheerful person. She had numerous close, loving friends and students, and helped anyone in need. She enjoyed collecting silver souvenir spoons and vintage glassware during her travels and locally, as she and Charles visited estate sales and antique shops wherever they went. She liked cooking delicious homemade meals, collecting stacks of cookbooks and treasured handwritten recipes from her friends. She gave tickets to the famous St Mark’s Chili Supper & Bazaar to countless people, and dropped off tubs of delicious chili to those who could not attend. She was a great storyteller, telling amusing and thought-provoking stories about her life and her adventures. We will miss those fascinating stories, and her gentle giggle when she laughed at herself.

Marion volunteered with a group to help establish National Preserve status in 1974 for the Big Thicket in Kountze, TX. She was a long-time member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Beaumont, TX, and active member of the East Texas Historical Association and the Texas State Historical Association.

The family is especially grateful to her devoted and loving caregivers during her final illness, Dauris Brooks and Sherry Martin, who provided care, comfort, and friendship, day and night, to the end of her life. We thank them for their kindness to our beloved Marion.

A Celebration of Marion’s Life will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Beaumont, TX at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 7, 2020. The service will be conducted by Father Dean Calcote of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and will be streamed live via Facebook Live for those who cannot attend in person. Please visit the Facebook page for Forest Lawn for more details. There will be seats and attendants at the gravesite. We please ask that you respect social distancing and the use of masks during the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Marion’s memory to The Big Thicket National Preserve, Lamar University or St. Mark’s Memorial Fund.