Aunt Mary Jane Autrey

 This is the obituary for my Aunt Mary. She was Uncle Dodd's wife. Uncle Dodd and Dad died just weeks apart. Aunt Mary almost made it to 100, also, just like Uncle Dodd. Now there is only my Uncle Mike and Aunt Karen in Virginia left of my Dad's immediate family. And my Mommy, of course. 

Mary Jane Autrey, 99, passed away peacefully at her residence in Texarkana, Texas on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Mary was born to Ernest Lee and Mary Roena Kelley on August 28, 1925, in Texarkana, Texas.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 11:00 am in the chapel at Texarkana Funeral Home 3515 Texas Boulevard with the Reverend Patrick Cannon officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park. A visitation will be held from 10:00 am until service time

Mid January Dates and red birds

 As in a date with hubby, not just that it's a date in mid January....say January 14th. 

I invited Mike to come with me to see Moana 2 at the Theater on Tuesday evening. I don't have Yoga on Tuesday nights any more, so we did this. (That, and we are kind of cheap and ONLY go to the movies on Tuesdays when it costs much less money.) I'd been wanting to see it. It was fun, but I liked the first one better. I think the songs were more memorable in the first. Still, I'm glad we went. 

Second date. Not really a date, but sort of. We spend some time in the Temple together on Wednesday. It was our assigned office shift, but it IS fun to be together on Wednesday mornings. We enjoy that time in the temple. 

So much so that we returned on Saturday. So, third date! Again, mostly it was our assigned shift from trading last Saturday. We stayed an extra bit and did some work for family members who have gone on before us. I think that the Baptism and Confirmation ordinances were done by my granddaughter while they were in Italy! One of the names I was proxy for in the Initiatory ordinance had been done in the Rome, Italy temple-- during the time they were in Italy! Cool. We are keeping it all in the family here...and that's really what it's all about. Mike and I both performed proxy Initiatory ordinances for people on my Dad's side of the family. I sure do appreciate the folks who find names and link them together in families. I wouldn't even know where to start.

Fourth date: early dinner at Applebee's after the temple and checking in with Mom to make sure she was doing okay. She's been feeling a bit icky that morning when I dropped off some supplies to her house. At Our House.😉 No desserts, no sugary drinks, nice food prepared well. Mike had shrimp, I had soup and some chicken won ton tacos.

And it has been so cold! But still no snow.

Last year I found these little red birds on a pick with greenery at JoAnn craft store. They were marked down after Christmas, and I used them this year on my tree. I only bought five at the time. The greenery on the pic added some extra filling to my tree, but you couldn't really see the red birds. They were tucked back at the base of the greenery and sat back in the tree, out of sight. THIS year I was in Jo-Ann's store and bought some more, bringing my total up to 12. It's hard to resist an 80 cent Christmas decoration. Even though I swore I was done collecting stuff and need to get rid of some it! I also saw that cute little Bee-themed hand soap dispenser and had to buy it too. What am I thinking?! I also said I was done buying honey bee decor. But it was so cute!

Anyway, I took the time this week to snip off the bird from its wire and rewire it at the tip top of the greenery. It's nice and sturdy plastic, so I think it will hold. But now, next time when I use these decorations on my Christmas tree, hopefully we will be able to see and admire the birds a little bit more. (There were also some other red bird picks that I bought on sale, too. Only three packets of five little red cardinals...Oops! I just couldn't resist.)

Mom's 90th Birthday, January 11, 2025

 

Donna and Linda doing Kitchen prep.

Angie and Donna Ashwood

L-R Seth Owens, Butch Ashwood, Mike Liebhardt, Eric Liebhardt, David Autrey

Sandi Lance, Suz Sumida, Donna Ashwood

Suz, Sandi, Katie,Tiffany

Don (on scooter) trying to get through the gauntley of Goldy's relatives who were constantly clogging the aisle way between the stairs, elevator and residents' rooms. Robert is right in front of Don, on HIS knee scooter. Robert was about 3 1/2 weeks out of heel surgery; Katie about the same from knee surgery and on crutches.

Alex , Liz Ashwood, Angie Ashwood, Casey Rossman (Kay-cee)

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The Owens family: Seth, Jonathan, Gail, Caroline.

David, Mom, Aunt Tuny

Robert and Janet Autrey's entire family (except for Pontus, Sarah's husband)

And I believe Koa is also missing from the photo. But he was there! somewhere.

Onyx Rackham with his great grandma. Onyx is Amanda's.

Ashwood family with Alex.

Linda & Mike Liebhardt family (less Damian's party of 5)

the Sorensen contingent. Steve Sorensen, Suz, Aunt  Tuny, Sandi.

Mom's smile was wearing out, so she used some different muscles. 

All the first cousins and siblings.

Mom singing "Happy Birthday to Me."

Amanda Autrey Rackham with Aunt Tuny

Steve and Mike chatting. Right in the middle of the hallway! Clear a path, people!! haha

I always have to stand on a chair around my siblings because I'm so short. I also needed to get everyone's attention because we were trying to play a trivia game with facts about Mom's life. It was fun. I think Robert won.

Clear a path, people!

Siblings, cousins, second generation. Caroline, Jonathan Owens; Hayden, Corbin Rossman

David Autrey, Seth Owens

Alex and Liz. I don't know Alex's last name, but he's Liz's boyfriend.

Gail was in charge of name tags. Caroline did games and coloring with littles.

Janet provided a beautiful and big cake from Walmart.

Katie and Casey's family

Two of Mom's friends from Missouri. They drove down from SLC, but came at 2 pm. Mike found them knocking on our front door and had them follow him to Our House. Since the family was cleaning up and leaving, they got to visit privately in her room, quietly. It was SO NOISY at the party!

Lois Price and Paula Richins.

Jessica Autrey, Josh and Scarlette