Mary Frances Going
of Kerrville, TX
April 15, 1925 - December 25, 2023
- Obituary
- Guestbook
Mary Frances Going passed away in Kerrville on Christmas 2023, the day of her Lord and Savior's birth, at age 98. She was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Camilla Faye Irvine Going and Harry Philson Going. Along with her beloved sister, Mavis Faye Going, she attended St. George's Episcopal Church and was educated in the Port Arthur school system, graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in May 1942.
She received a stenographic diploma from Port Arthur Business College, which is now part of Lamar University. After working for five years as a legal secretary for Port Arthur Abstract Co., she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in music and earned both bachelor's and master's degrees.
At the University of Texas, Mary Frances was elected to Mu Phi Epsilon, an honorary music society; the Sidney Lanier Literary Society; and Pi Lambda Theta, an honorary education society. Upon graduation, she was presented with the Curtain Club Key for outstanding work with that organization.
After five years of teaching, she was elected to Delta Kappa Gamma for excellence in teaching. She taught music in the Austin public schools for seven years and then was accepted to teach in the overseas Department of Defense Schools. She taught music to children of U. S. military personnel in Orleans, France, and in Mannheim and Worms, Germany, for 28 years.
While teaching overseas, Mary Frances traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa. She also developed a keen interest in volksmarching and hiked throughout France and Germany with friends. She wrote about her favorite walks and compiled those reminiscences into a book, The Joy of Volksmarching.
Upon retirement in 1990, she made her home in Colorado Springs, Colo., and continued to teach private piano lessons for 20 years. She also resided in Orange, Texas, before moving to Kerrville to be closer to family.
Mary Frances will be dearly missed by her cousins, Robert McCullough (Shelley) of Camp Verde, Texas; Daniel Rentfro (Anne) of Brownsville, Texas; Lindsay Irwin of Brownsville, Texas; Allison McCullough of Lafayette, La.; Maureen McCullough of Lafayette, La.; Dr. Martha McCullough Giddings of Valdosta, Ga.; and by her loving friends Don and Lisa Brackett of Meridianville, Ala.; Diane and Ben Justice of Orange, Texas; Judy and George Eychner of Kerrville, Texas; and Melinda Wasson of Kerrville, Texas.
The family would like to thank Brookdale Assisted Living, New Haven Memory Care, Peterson Hospice and Anita Aguirre and her Helping Hands of the Heart agency for their attentive care of Mary Frances during the past two years. In addition, the family would like to give special thanks to Lucy Hernandez for being Mary Frances' compassionate caregiver and loving companion over the last year.
Interment will be in Beaumont, Texas.
She received a stenographic diploma from Port Arthur Business College, which is now part of Lamar University. After working for five years as a legal secretary for Port Arthur Abstract Co., she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in music and earned both bachelor's and master's degrees.
At the University of Texas, Mary Frances was elected to Mu Phi Epsilon, an honorary music society; the Sidney Lanier Literary Society; and Pi Lambda Theta, an honorary education society. Upon graduation, she was presented with the Curtain Club Key for outstanding work with that organization.
After five years of teaching, she was elected to Delta Kappa Gamma for excellence in teaching. She taught music in the Austin public schools for seven years and then was accepted to teach in the overseas Department of Defense Schools. She taught music to children of U. S. military personnel in Orleans, France, and in Mannheim and Worms, Germany, for 28 years.
While teaching overseas, Mary Frances traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa. She also developed a keen interest in volksmarching and hiked throughout France and Germany with friends. She wrote about her favorite walks and compiled those reminiscences into a book, The Joy of Volksmarching.
Upon retirement in 1990, she made her home in Colorado Springs, Colo., and continued to teach private piano lessons for 20 years. She also resided in Orange, Texas, before moving to Kerrville to be closer to family.
Mary Frances will be dearly missed by her cousins, Robert McCullough (Shelley) of Camp Verde, Texas; Daniel Rentfro (Anne) of Brownsville, Texas; Lindsay Irwin of Brownsville, Texas; Allison McCullough of Lafayette, La.; Maureen McCullough of Lafayette, La.; Dr. Martha McCullough Giddings of Valdosta, Ga.; and by her loving friends Don and Lisa Brackett of Meridianville, Ala.; Diane and Ben Justice of Orange, Texas; Judy and George Eychner of Kerrville, Texas; and Melinda Wasson of Kerrville, Texas.
The family would like to thank Brookdale Assisted Living, New Haven Memory Care, Peterson Hospice and Anita Aguirre and her Helping Hands of the Heart agency for their attentive care of Mary Frances during the past two years. In addition, the family would like to give special thanks to Lucy Hernandez for being Mary Frances' compassionate caregiver and loving companion over the last year.
Interment will be in Beaumont, Texas.