jphil090855Mary Helen Neelley Ware, a force of nature who embraced life with great tenacity and style until its end, died at her home in Fort Worth on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Graveside service: 3 p.m. Friday in Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth. Memorials: Consideration of contributions to the Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, Box 2144, Fort Worth, Texas 76113-2144, honoring Mary Helen’s steadfast friendship with Debbie Brown, of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, 2600 Cullen St., Fort Worth, Texas 76107, is requested.
Mary Helen was born Sept. 22, 1917, in Waco, the eldest daughter of Edwin Dewitt and Willie Brooks Neelley. After attending Waco public primary and secondary schools, she attended Baylor University on full scholarship. Captain of the Baylor forensics debate team, she was named winner of the National Collegiate Debate Championship. Marriage and motherhood followed graduate studies at Northwestern University in Illinois. She and her husband, Drue O.D. Ware, a family physician, settled in 1948 on the west side of Fort Worth to raise their family. During the next 63 years Mary Helen was active and served as an officer in many community organizations, including the Tarrant County Medical Society Auxiliary, the Fort Worth Country Day School Board of Trustees, the Community Council (a predecessor of the United Way) and the Woman’s Club of Fort Worth. The wife, mother and grandmother of medical doctors, much of her adult life was devoted to the comfort and promotion of these men, their careers and education. Articulate, opinionated and strong-willed, she lived life on her own terms in an era when women often did not. Like others of her generation, she was a firm believer in good manners, good posture, red lipstick, high heels, sterling silver, trips to the hair salon and looking spotless at all times. An amazing cook, her angel food cakes were legendary. Her family is especially grateful to her physicians, Dr. James H. Bohnsack, Dr. Thomas Kleuser, Dr. Robert Keller and Dr. David Capper; her caretakers, Bridgette Medford, Lisa Richardson, Debbie Warren and Terry Fitts; and Leland Ekstrom, her devoted friend of 60 years, for their care of Mary Helen.
Survivors: Daughters, Lynne Ware Urbel and husband, David, and Ann Ware Farmer and husband, Phillip; son, Dr. Drue Neelley Ware; grandson, Dr. Russell Ware Farmer and wife, Sarah; great-grandson, Joshua Farmer; sister, Margaret Latimer of Waco; and several nieces and nephews
Burial:
Oakwood Cemetery
Fort Worth
Tarrant County
Texas, USA
Source: Star-Telegram, October 27, 2011
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Originally Created by: jphil090855
Record added: Oct 26, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 79356535
