Lois McConnell

Lois Belle (Burer) McConnell, 92, of Houston, Texas, joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for eternity, Sunday, December 29, 2019. Mrs. McConnell was born December 27, 1927 in Houston, Texas to Walter Conrad and Lois Belle (Taylor) Burer. She grew up in Houston and graduated from Lamar High School. She earned degrees in home economics and education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and received her masters from Prairie View A&M. At SMU, she met the love of her life, James (Jim) McConnell, and they married on July 27, 1949.

Lois loved teaching. She taught second through sixth grade, with third grade always being her favorite. She became regional reading specialist for primary grades and then worked as the district wide specialist for the Houston Independent School District. During this time, she designed, staffed and promoted the Language Art Resource Center that provided over 160 schools with model lessons and materials for low-income campuses. All materials were classroom tested by Lois herself. She retired in 1986 after 29 years. But more than any of this, she always believed her students came first. Many of them have stayed in touch with her throughout the years.

Lois valued the importance of reading. She had a passion for collecting and sharing children’s books and Christmas books, as well as going to the library. She loved reading stories to children, and her reading would ignite that special spark of wonder in the eyes of the children who listened to her.

Over the years, Lois, Jim, and their family frequently enjoyed hiking and picnicking at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, where they admired nature’s beauty and majesty. Over the years, she also traveled to New England for the fall foliage, saw the tulips in Holland, and admired the Texas wildflowers and bluebonnets each spring in and around Cuero.

All that knew her know that she was a great cook with the best, time-tested recipes that were always topped with generous amounts of love.

A servant of the Lord, Mrs. McConnell attended St. Luke’s United Methodist and later Sagemont. She loved to teach, read the Bible, and share the Scriptures with family and friends.

Preceded in death by Jim, her loving husband of 44 years, as well as her parents and beloved cousin Nancy Lee Witcher. She leaves behind her son Jim (Jimmy) McConnell and wife Darleen of Houston; her daughter Kathleen Arendt and husband Tom of Houston; grandsons Walter McConnell of Austin and Matt Arendt of Fort Worth; great-grandson Liam of Austin; cousins Eugene Witcher and John Henry Delaney; nieces Becky Oekerman of Austin and Johanna Oekerman of Corpus Christi; grandniece Margaret Herrera; great grandnieces Becky Sustaita and husband David, Zoe Delgado and Xara Herrera. She is also survived by many dear, beloved friends whom she also considered family.

Visitation will take place on January 11, 2020, from 12PM until the commencement of the funeral service at 1PM, in the chapel of Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079, with the interment to follow at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Brookwood Community, 1752 FM 1489, Brookshire, Texas, 77423, www.brookwoodcommunity.org.