Mary Lou Brown

Mary Louise Ranspot Brown was born January 6, 1919, in Mineral Wells, Texas. She was one of six children born to Judge John Thomas Ranspot, a several term County Judge of Palo Pinto County and Julia Beckworth Ranspot, a schoolteacher in Palo Pinto County. She is preceded in death by one sister, four brothers, two half-sisters, three half-brothers and her beloved husband of 53 years, James Robert Brown.

Mary Lou graduated from Mineral Wells High School and gave the Valedictory address at her graduation commencement ceremony. She won the American Legion Award for outstanding student and a scholarship to college. She was Festival Queen of her hometown in 1940. She attended The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and was the President's Secretary. She was later employed by Brown-Bellows Columbia Construction Company during the construction of the United States Naval Air Base at Corpus Christi, Texas and then Brown Shipbuilding in Houston, Texas during World War II. Following the war, she was employed by the Texas Legislature and later was an administrative secretary with the University of Texas System. In September of 1947, Mary Lou married J. Robert Brown, the love of her life. The couple met in Austin where Robert was working as a night auditor and Mary Lou was a secretary. J. Robert was later appointed by the Governor of Texas as the first Director of the Texas County and District Retirement System.

After marriage, the couple made their home in Austin, Texas where they were blessed with three children; Shelley, Bruce and Rhonda. Mary Louise and Robert were married for 53 years until Robert's death in 1999. She is survived by her three children; Shelley Louise Hill and husband Brian of Dripping Springs, Texas, Bruce Robert Brown and wife Barbara of Spring Branch, Texas and Rhonda Carole Smith and husband Ron of Georgetown, Texas. She is also survived by three grandchildren; Ryan Thomas Lynch and wife Mandy of Austin, Texas, Shannon Diane McCain and husband Dustin of Georgetown, Texas and Jarrod Lee Beard and wife Maria of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mary Lou was blessed with one great-grandson, Andrew Thomas Lynch of Austin, Texas.

Mary Lou was a beautiful, talented and remarkable woman. She was gifted in literature, loved poetry, singing, and music. She was an avid reader with a remarkable memory. She and J. Robert enjoyed dancing and socializing with their many friends in Austin over the years. She loved picnicking, swimming, playing with her grandchildren, reciting poetry and spending time with her close family. She was a member of Austin Baptist Church, the State Officials Ladies Club, dance clubs, garden clubs and bridge clubs. Beyond all, Mary Lou was a devoted, loving and wonderful mother treasured by her three children, grandchildren and all who were blessed to know her.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 16th at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, North Lamar. Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 17, 2011 in the Weed-Corley-Fish Chapel. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park.

Pallbearers will be Bruce Brown, Brian Hill, Ron Smith, Ryan Lynch, Jarrod Beard and Dustin McCain.