Mary Evelyn Keeter's Obituary
As that very special generation of young Americans were paying the dear price of freedom across the world, Mary Evelyn Campbell was born into it on September 5, 1942in Center, Texas. Mary was the second daughter of Emmett and Twila Campbell. On February 21, 2005, at the age of 63, Mary passed through the gates of Heaven to rejoin her parents there and as she had for so long yearned, to look upon the face of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Mary is survived by her husband of forty years, Phillip Keeter of Longview, her daughter Carrie Keeter Terry and husband Tanner of Lewisville, her son Joseph Benjamin Keeter of Hawkins and two grandchildren, Noah Benjamin Terry and Bethany Nichole Terry. She is also survived by her sister Carolyn Campbell Brown and husband Bill of Longview, and a host of beloved nephews, nieces and cousins.
Mary had the good fortune to be born into a Christian home in a small East Texas town in an age of innocence the likes of which may not been seen again. She was surrounded by a large number of extended family in a community of caring neighbors where common good was the fabric of life. Her childhood was rich with friendships, the bonds of which she nurtured and maintained throughout the years and the strength of which sustained her until the end of her life.
Her love of her hometown, Center, and of Shelby County proper never left Mary. One of the many accomplishments in her life and one of which she was especially proud was her production of a colorful historical map of Shelby County. Approximately one thousand limited edition prints of this map were sold, and a good portion of the proceeds were donated by Mary to the Shelby County Historical Society. For so long as these prints hang on the walls of other with ties to Shelby County, Mary will live on, depicted as the little red haired girl on roller skates skating the sidewalks of the Town Square in Center.
Mary graduated from Center High School in 1960 and attended Stephen F. Austin University for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated from UT in 1964 and was a first grade teacher until her daughter Carrie was born. She was married to Phillip on December 18, 1965, and they moved to Longview with their family in 1981 and the family has remained here since that time.
For so long as her health permitted, Mary loved outdoor activities, including tennis, fishing and looking for arrowheads and other archaic artifacts along the river at the family?s ranch in Central Texas. She loved sitting at her window and watching her two favorite squirrels, which she named Merle and Earl, play in her back yard. And she loved to read her Bible; every day and before bedtime every night, without fail.
Mary was a good mother, a good wife and a good friend to all that knew her. She took great delight in her grandchildren when they came into her life. But above all else, Mary was a wonderful testimony to the Christian spirit. She loved the gospel and the promises she found there. She loved to share that gospel and the promises of salvation with her friends, and from her faith came the strength that carried her through the many battles she fought as her health failed. She was a living testimony to all who knew her.
Mary was somewhat ecumenical, being a member of the First United Methodist Church of Longview, attending Winterfield United Methodist Church in recent years and loving perhaps most her time spent in the fellowship of the Precepts Sunday School Class at the First Baptist Church of Longview.
The Keeter family wishes to thank the staff of LifeCare Hospice of Longview, Dr. Bob Sansom, Dr. Dan Polter and staff at Baylor Medical Center and all of the family?s friends and acquaintances who helped make Mary?s journey home an easier one.
A celebration of Mary Keeter?s life will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Longview, Texas at 2:00 p.m. Friday, February 24, 2006 with Reverend Mike Lindstrom officiating and Reverend Jerry Turner assisting. Burial at Rosewood Park under the direction of Rader Funeral Home will follow.
Visitation with the family will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 23, 2006 at Radar Funeral Home. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to LifeCare Hospice of Longview or to either FUMC Longview or Winterfield UMC.
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