Obituary of Marie Adkisson

Services for Marie Adkisson, 98, of Abernathy, TX, will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, October 30, 2021 at the Abernathy United Church with Rev. Janet Edwards officiating. Family will gather to receive friends Friday October 29, 2021 from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm at Abell Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Abernathy Cemetery under the direction of Abell Funeral Home & Flower Shop of Abernathy. Cecil Marie Hall was born on a farm near Coalgate, Oklahoma on February 28, 1923, and passed away on October 6, 2021. She was predeceased by her husband, Gid Adkisson Jr., and a son, Andrew Wayne, and grandson, Mark Ortega. She is survived by five children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. The children are Gid Adkisson III and wife Vickie, Dr. Tom Adkisson and wife Claire, Annette Ortega and husband Frank, Suzanne Pointer and husband Jack, Linda Cohea. Marie grew up on a farm near Quitaque, and married Gid Adkisson, Jr., a Texas A&M alumni in 1943. They were married not long before Gid shipped out to Europe in the summer of 1944. After he returned from the war, they moved in with his parents near Abernathy, and took over the family farm where Gid had been raised. As the years went by, living the farm life she had always known, married to a man with whom she shared deep love and respect, raising six energetic children, she began to branch out and become more and more visible in the community. Everybody loved Marie. She had an infectious personality and everybody seemed to have a little better day after a “visit with Marie.” She became very well known for her cooking skills. She began cooking large lunches for the monthly Lions Club meetings in town, the result being that membership and attendance more than doubled within a few months. She cooked for them for twenty-four years. The family was quite self sufficient food-wise, largely because she developed her gardening skills. There was the house garden and the one-acre field garden. The family ate fresh vegetables at every meal during the summer, and canned vegetables during the winter. Friends were always welcome to come out and pick all the vegetables they wanted. When Gid’s resume extended to that of being a school teacher and eventually principal and then superintendent, Marie became the secretary for the high school principal, a job she held for sixteen years. Many former students have mentioned to the family over the years how much impact she had on their lives, just by being the upbeat, encouraging and likable person that she was. Some have wondered if both Gid and Marie had a work persona that they displayed in public. There was no persona. Though certainly subject to human frailties they were both the real deal, all day, every day. She enjoyed being with friends at study club and and especially bridge club, where she developed deep and long-lasting friendships. As the children left the nest, she and Gid opened their home to several exchange students. She was also a lifetime member of the Methodist Church. As a tribute to her standing in the community, in 2020, she was the Grand Marshal in the Abernathy July 4 parade, which she enjoyed immensely. So, at the age of 98, Marie expressed many, many times her gratitude for having been granted such a wonderful life. Her cup was full, and she was ready to go to her heavenly reward. Thanks to her long-time care giver and friend, Paul, to whom the family owes an incredible debt of gratitude, she was able to enjoy her last years on the farm. She was the one and only, gone, but forever in our hearts. Goodbye Mom. We will see you on the other side.