Thelma Yentzen

1931 - 2020

Thelma Yentzen, 89, of Mexia passed away Friday, November 20, 2020 at Skilled Care Mexia. She was born to Louis and Winnie Thelma Yentzen on October 2, 1931 in Houston.

She spent her early life in Beaumont with her mother and father. At the age of 6, her mother placed her in Faith Home Orphanage in Houston because her father was severely injured on the job in the Beaumont oil fields, and no longer able to support them.

In and out of Faith Home, Thelma was later abandoned on the street in San Antonio by her mother and her new husband. Thelma was then taken to Mexia State School in 1947 where she lived until age 32. At that time she was discharged to work as a live-in companion and care-giver to many ailing and elderly in their homes in Mexia and Teague. She loved all the people she took care of, and they loved her too.

Thelma was a sweet sister, a true friend, and a loving wife. She was a Christian and belonged to the Primitive Baptist Church of Pt. Enterprise, and later Northcrest Church of Mexia.

Thelma loved cats! She wore many cat and kitten shirts given to her by friends over the years. She had several large furry toy cats, her favorites. They gave her much comfort in her final days as she held them tightly to her.

She is survived by her husband of 11 years, John Warden Stanford. The 2 of them lived together at Skilled Care of Mexia and were like love-birds. They were married on Valentine’s Day 2009 at the Mexia Nursing Home before a large crowd of friends and family. She is also survived by sisters, Frances Caramella and son, Christopher both of Portland, OR and Marie Mitchell of Katy, TX; cousin, Martha Stewart of Greenville, TX; friends, Rudy and Ruth Kennedy of Pt. Enterprise, the 4 Thornton sisters, Janice Fisher, B.J. Mayeur, Carloyn Henry and Betty Lou Tand, originally from Pt. Enterprise, Valerie Hathaway of Mexia, Mary Jane Buise of Mena, AR., Glenda and Jay Gatlin of Bossier City, LA, Dorothy Abbott of Houston and many others.

This year was not easy for Thelma, no outside visitors could come to be with her during the COVID pandemic. Only the nurses at skilled Care Mexia were with her at her death.

The family would like to thank the staff of Skilled Care Mexia for all their loving care for Thelma.

Visitation with the family will be held from 8:00am until 9:30am Friday, November 27, 2020 at Corley-Porter Funeral Home. Graveside services will follow at 10:00am at Pt. Enterprise Cemetery with Pastor Daryl Inman officiating.

An online guestbook is available at www.corleyporterfuneralhome.com and selecting the Thelma Yentzen obituary.

T’was no surprise that evening when God was calling your name. In life we loved you dearly; in death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you; you didn’t go alone. Part of us went with you the day God called you home. Our family chain is broken and nothing seems the same But as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.