Mary Elizabeth Hester

Mary Elizabeth McBroom Hester, known and loved as “Liz,” met Jesus face to face on Saturday, the 20th of April 2019. Liz's last night on this earth was peacefully spent with her husband and family at their home in Houston, Texas, after a hard-fought, eighteen-month battle with cancer.

Liz is survived by her husband, Terry David Hester; son Kenan David Hester; daughter Lauren June Shutter and husband Jordan; daughter Corrie Elaine Mallon and husband Joe; daughter Anna Shea Hester; son Erik Matthew Hester; grandchildren Jake and Matti Shutter, and Liam and Charlie Rae Mallon. Liz also is survived by her brothers, Jackson McBroom, Jr. and wife MaryAnn; Donald (Swede) McBroom; John McBroom and wife Chastity; sister-in-law Diane McBroom; mother-in-law Granny Rae Hester; brother-in-law Ricki Hester and wife Cindy; sister-in-law Lisa Blazek and husband Blake; brother in-law David Hester and wife, Tiffani; along with a host of nieces and nephews who adored Aunt Liz, cousins, grandnieces, and grandnephews from both sides of the family.

She was preceded in death by her children Kelly Elizabeth Hester and Josiah Hester; parents Jackson Tate McBroom, Sr. and Helen June McBroom; brother, Stephen "Steve" Cushing McBroom; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hughes Gilkeson.

Mary Elizabeth was born on the 30th of November 1954, in Roanoke, Virginia. She spent her childhood and early adulthood in Virginia. After completing high school in Richmond, Virginia, Liz attended college in New York and Virginia before moving to Austin, Texas, to study speech pathology. Before completing her college education, she experienced God’s saving grace and it radically transformed her life. Terry married his "really fine lady" on the 22nd of June 1980, in Austin, and they started a family soon after. Liz continued her studies later with Youth With A Mission, and then self-educated in preparation for home schooling. She studied nutrition and diet, essential oil therapy, and continuous bible study.

As a young adult, Liz excelled in classical piano, playing a wide variety of classical music including Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, and much more. Once she gave her life to the Lord, she loved to play artists who influenced her early Christian life such as Keith Green, Kelly Willard, and Douglas Trowbridge. Most recently, Liz wrote and composed songs of worship that she only sang to the Lord.

Liz had such an impact on all she met during her time with us. She will be remembered for her lavish love, overwhelming generosity, incredible hugs, tender kisses, warmth, genuineness, and the twinkle in her beautiful eyes. She loved well! Liz’s favorite roles were as wife, Momma, Nonni and friend. She always said her greatest accomplishment was her five kids, spending much blood, sweat, and tears homeschooling them for twenty-one years.

Liz's days on this earth have always been numbered by the Lord. In her words, her illness "taught her many things, but mostly that God is constant in His faithfulness, love and care” that He lavished upon her. We have the confidence and sure hope of the resurrection and know that Liz is in the presence of the Lord, whom she worshipped and faithfully served these last forty years.

The family has been incredibly blessed by the love, friendship and fervent prayer poured out on their behalf. The grace of God has been very strong, and they are grateful for His goodness to them. Liz had a heart to minister to the unloved, lost, fatherless and hurting ones. She readily shared her love for the Lord, opened her home to innumerable guests, and hosted missionaries, street kids, and world travelers. She also hosted countless bridal and baby showers, parties, and family gatherings. As one friend put it, her home had the “anointing for eating and sleeping!”

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until eight o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 26th of April, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A funeral service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 27th of April, at Hope City West Campus, Pampell Chapel at Houston Christian High School, 2700 West Sam Houston Parkway N in Houston, officiated by Pastor Jason Robinson.

Honored to serve as casket bearers during the service are Kenan Hester, Erik Hester, Jordan Shutter, Joseph Mallon, Matti McBroom and John Caballero.

An interment is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 18th of May, at the family’s ranch in Luling, Texas, followed by a celebration of Liz's life.

If desired, Liz would be honored if you expressed your gratitude for Liz's life by supporting some of the charities/missions organizations that she cared about deeply: El Arca Children's Home in Peru, Love Botswana Outreach in Botswana, and Samaritan's Purse.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7