To all our friends, your kindness and friendship over the years meant so much to Jeanette. She loved the Conroe community, and since moving here 74 years ago, the relationships she built with all of you brought so much meaning to her life.
Jeanette DeFee was born on November 15, 1918 in Hempstead, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband of forty-seven years, T.J. DeFee; her parents Thomas Oscar Patrick and Rebecca Suzannah Rozier Heath, sisters Marie, Ellen, Frances, Mildred and Evelyn and brothers Thomas, Henry and George. She grew-up in the Houston area, graduated from Pasadena High School in 1935 and received her B.S. Degree from Sam Houston State University in 1939. Her career in education began when she was twenty years old at Elysian Fields, Texas. After her marriage to T.J. DeFee on June 28, 1940 she joined the faculty of the Pasadena ISD and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star #711. In 1948 they moved to Conroe where she taught at Sam Houston Elementary, second grade at Anderson Elementary school and started CISD’s first reading lab at Anderson, finally retiring in 1979.
Jeanette has always enjoyed being involved in her community and led a life of service. She lived by these quotes, “work is love made visible” and “love one another”. She never stopped amazing her family with her love for learning, wisdom and energy…she went to Gold’s Gym three times a week until she was 101 years old! In her early years she was part of the Drum and Bugle corp in high school, and in college the Glee Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon. After moving to Conroe, she was a Girl Scout leader for nine years; president of ACLD, a charter member of Montgomery County Genealogy Society, and a charter member of Library Friends at Central Library.
After retirement, she was president of Delta Kappa Gamma Society for Key Women Teachers and was given the State Rose Award. She was also president of Montgomery County Retired Teachers, president-director of Pan American Round Table, vice president of Library Friends, a volunteer at the library mending damaged books, an active member of Money-Makers Investment Club, a volunteer of Branch 140 Hochheim Prairie Farm Mutual Insurance and a member of the Margaret Montgomery chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution. Jeanette was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church since 1948 where she taught Sunday School, worked with teenagers at summer camps at ChoYeah and Mo Ranch, headed the ladies sewing activities, was a Circle Chairman, President of Women of Church, and awarded a Life Member of Presbyterian Women.
Her passion was working in fashion and had a flare for style. Being a seamstress for her family and assisting many friends brought her pleasure. In 1964 she learned the art of recovering shoes with beautiful fabrics, and after retiring from forty years of teaching, she made more than 3,000 pairs of shoes for weddings and high fashion for people all over the world.
Jeanette was also a world traveler. Her many trips took her all over the United States, Europe, Canada, Central America, South America, China, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
She is survived by three daughters Janie Holloway Weisinger (John Weisinger), Patsy Lawrence (Wayne Lawrence), Elizabeth Blevins; grandchildren Julie Davis (Ben Davis), Lisa Monschke (Michael Monschke), Laura Holloway Walsh (Mike Walsh), Bill Holloway (Suzie Holloway), Susan Holloway Daum (Kurt Daum), Jennifer Lawrence (Wyatt Tole), Kathy Loya (Mark Loya), Shelley Nelson (Andrew Nelson) and Joanna DeFee Thomas (Jonathan Thomas); niece Debby Defee Gerhardt; nephew David Patrick, and many great-grandchildren…Parker, Alexandra, Cate, Morgan, Molly, Pete, Tom, Michael, Duncan, Jane, Grant, Lily, Isabella, Olivia, Carter, Ellen, Graham, Margaret, Catherine, Peter, David, Noah and Grace.
A family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Library Friends of Conroe, www.countylibrary.org; Retired Teachers Scholarship Fund, MCRSP PO Box 936, Conroe, TX 77305 or the Pan American Round Table Scholarship Fund. You are invited to view our webpage and leave written tributes to the family at cashnerconroe.com
