Mildred Irene New passed away on April 5, 2025 in Victoria, TX. She was born at home on June 1, 1932 in Beeville, TX to John Jasper (Jack) Isaacks and Amelia (Mamie) Sivley Isaacks. She came from a very modest upbringing. She had four sisters and two brothers.
Her father (called Daddy Jack by the grandkids) founded Isaacks Glass Company in 1922. They sold and installed glass for all sorts of purposes – vehicles, residential, and businesses. Her mother (called Big Mama by the grandkids) was a homemaker. She made most of the family’s clothes and was an outstanding cook and baker. Big Mama’s grandkids looked forward to getting her homemade quilts and wonderful brown bread as Christmas presents.
They provided much of their food themselves, having a large number of chicken coops (for eggs and meat), cows for milk and beef, pigs, and a large vegetable and fruit garden. Her dad was an avid hunter and fisherman who would often bring home food for their large family. Mildred would talk about how families in the neighborhood would slaughter a cow and share the beef with all the other families in the neighborhood.
Mildred worked at a movie theater selling tickets from age 14 to 16. She graduated from A.C. Jones High School in Beeville at age 16 in 1949. She then enrolled in Draughn Business College in San Antonio. She lived in a boarding house there while attending school, where she received a diploma. Upon graduation she worked as a secretary for the State Welfare Department. At the age of 17, a local bank in Beeville called and asked her to work for them as a bookkeeper.
Mildred met her future husband Jeff W. New in Beeville when he was stationed there at Chase Field Naval Air Station. He had been in the Navy since 1951. He had basic training in California and spent time in Cuba during the Korean War. They were married on January 24, 1953 when she was 20. Their honeymoon was in Austin, TX. She continued to work at the bank in Beeville until they moved to Corpus Christi where Jeff was stationed with the Navy.
Later they moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey until he was discharged from the Navy. They then moved to Bryan, TX in 1955 where Jeff attended Texas A&M. While her husband earned a chemical engineering degree, she worked for the Bryan Rubber Plant for four years in the payroll department. In May of 1959, they moved to Victoria where she joined the Victoria Bank and Trust. She worked there for approximately 38 years until her retirement. She was secretary to the Chairman of the Board of the bank. Prior to her retirement, Victoria Bank and Trust was acquired by Norwest Bank, and eventually merged with Wells Fargo.
Mildred and Jeff had two children – Jeff David New, born in 1956 and Julie New Loo, born in 1966. Jeff has two children and Julie has three children. Mildred loved her five grandchildren dearly and greatly enjoyed spending time with them. Mildred and Jeff were married for 64 years until her husband’s passing in 2017.
Mildred and Jeff spent their free time as a couple traveling to Rockport to visit with Jeff’s brother Joe New and his wife Minnette; take couples' golf outings to places such as Las Vegas and Lake Charles, LA; have barbeques with friends; visit nearby towns with friends when Jeff would play in golf tournaments; and play a lot of bridge with other couples on a weekly basis rotating among their homes.
Mildred was an avid reader and a volunteer for Friends of the Victoria Public Library. She played bridge multiple times a week and would volunteer at First Baptist Church to bake goods for various events. She met every week with her “Lunch Bunch” – friends she worked with from the bank – both during her work years and in retirement. She was an amazing cook and loved to cook and bake for family and friends.
She was a highly intelligent person and very interested in business and the stock market. She watched business news and read extensively about companies and stocks. She bought stocks like Compaq Computer, Walmart, Dell Computer, and Microsoft.
Mildred was a devoted Christian. She read the Bible regularly and always had it near her. She was an active member of First Baptist Church for over 60 years and loved her Sunday school class where she had many close friends.
Mildred is survived by son Jeff D. New of Scottsdale, AZ; and daughter Julie (Michael) Loo of Austin, TX; grandchildren Cameron (Ally) New of Conifer, CO; Brooke (Robby) Reeb of Fort Worth, TX and Austin, Dawson and Reese Loo all of Austin, TX. She has three great-grandchildren, Charlotte Reeb, Robert Reeb IV and Colton New. Mildred is also survived by sister, Patty Collins of Pleasanton, TX; sister-in-law Sarah Isaacks and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was proceeded in death by her husband, Jeff W. New; parents, Jack and Mamie Isaacks; father and mother in-law Jeff and Gussie New; sisters Ruby (Fred) Wrinkle, Esther (Aubry) Wrinkle and Betty (Robert) Beyer; brothers Richard Isaacks (Lonnie), John Isaacks Jr; and brother in-laws Ray Collins, Joe (Minnette) New, Jack (Roger) New, Harry (Edna) New, Donald (Justine) New; and sister in-law Eloise (Jimmy) Tighe.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2025 from 4pm to 6pm at Rosewood Funeral Home at 3304 E Mockingbird Ln, Victoria, TX. The church service will be on Monday, April 14, 2025 from 11am – 12pm at First Baptist Church at 301 N Glass, Victoria, TX with luncheon and social gathering to follow. Pastor Ben Sheeran will be officiating. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery at the corner of Red River and Main Street.
Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Victoria or Bluebonnet Youth Ranch.
