Mary Nance

Mary (Hunter) (Justice) Nance, aka, Ganky, formerly of Kosse and Groesbeck, passed away in Beaumont where she had lived the past two years, on Monday, November 12, 2012, at age 90. Visitation will be Thursday, November 15, 2012, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, November 16, 2012, at the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Brother Richard Williams of the Church of Christ of Groesbeck officiating and assisted by her grandson Steve Todd and Brother Charles Daily. Burial will follow in Faulkenberry Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Edward Kilgore, Steve Todd, Alex Todd, Mike Knox, Doug Smith, and Cody Boswell. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Walsh, Robert Chappell, and Jim Boswell. Mary was born July 30, 1922 to Roy Neal Hunter and Inez (Gorman) Hunter at Kosse, where she grew up. She graduated as Valedictorian of the Class of 1940. Mary married Charles Justice in 1940 and had been married forty-one years when he passed away in 1981. They lived in Beaumont most of their marriage. While living there she worked for her son-in-law in his veterinary clinic and also worked some for Bealls Dept. Store. After Charles retired, they moved to Groesbeck. Mary was employed in Groesbeck by the U. S. Postal Service, where she was a rural mail carrier for fourteen years until she retired in 1986. She was admired by all, family and friends, for her independence and spunk in taking care of herself after she was widowed, driving the rural roads during the worst weather, and fixing her own flats. Her determination and independence continued up through her eighty-ninth year when was still driving to Austin, Lampassas, through Dallas and to Beaumont by herself, and the family didn’t dare tell her she “shouldn’t or couldn’t.” Mary was united in marriage a second time with John Roderick Nance on January 1, 1984. They lived in Groesbeck and were active members of the Church of Christ of Groesbeck. She had been a member of the Church of Christ of Groesbeck nearly forty years, and a member of the Ridgewood Church of Christ in Beaumont at the time of her death. She had the nature of a devoted caregiver, which the family credits with her husband John living to be 90. She was a great cook, and was happy and ready to visit and deliver food to sick friends or in times of need. She always had the extended family at her house for Thanksgiving, and will be remembered for making the best banana pudding for “her boys.” Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Charles Justice in 1981; her brother, Carl Hunter; her daughter, Sue Walsh in 2006; and her husband John Nance in 2009. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law,Charloise “Tiggie” (Justice) Boswell and Jim Boswell of Beaumont; son-in-law, Jim Walsh of Lometa.; daughters by marriage, Marsha (Nance) Chappell and husband Robert of Brenham, and Kathryn (Nance) Kilgore and husband Edward of Lewisville. Ganky also leaves behind seven grandchildren, Steve Todd, Kristy Boswell, Stacy Peden, Cody Boswell, Lisa Kilgore, Alyson Kilgore Shirley, and Nita Sue West; eight great grandchildren, Alex Todd, Alyson Todd Hults, Shelby Evans, Morgan Peden, Ashley Todd Brown, twins Truett Shirley and Ellis Shirley, Madison Peden, and Keith West; and three great-great grandchildren, Dylan Brown, Emilie Brown, and Elena Hults, as well as her sister, Bonnie Spencer of Jamestown, TN.