Mary Edna Stringer

A memorial service for Mary Edna (Tidwell) Stringer, 61, of Pollok will be held Monday, March 20, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. in the Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home Chapel. Mark Mayberry, Richard Sims and Jim Vaughan will speak. Congregational singing will be led by Mike Stringer. Mary was born February 28, 1945 in Pennington, Texas, to the late Ruby and Frank Tidwell. She passed from this life at a local hospital on Saturday, March 18, 2006 after a long and courageous battle with heart disease. She was retired from the United States Postal Service after 19 years of service, and from the Lufkin State School with six years of service. She was a 1963 graduate of Groveton High School, and attended the University of Houston, Central Texas College and Angelina College. Upon the confession of her faith in Jesus Christ and her obedience to His word, Mary was added to His family when she was a teenager. She remained faithful to Him until the end of her life. At her death, she was a member of the Fourth and Groesbeck Church of Christ in Lufkin. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Revelation 14:13). Mary was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, friend and Christian. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Paul Stringer of Pollok; son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Kathy Stringer of Denton; son, daughter-in-law and grandson, Jason, Samantha and Nathan Stringer of Jonesboro; and daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, Elizabeth, Brad and Kayla Middleton of Henderson. Also surviving her are her brother and sister-in-law, Billy Wayne and Barbara Tidwell of Palestine; her sister and brother-in-law, Frankie and Joe Radford of Tennessee Colony; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charles and Joyce Stringer of Lufkin. She leaves behind a number of other relatives and a host of friends, including her special friends, Steven Nerren and the Barbosa family, all of Pollok.X She was preceded in death by her brothers, Joe (Buck) Tidwell, Jerry Tidwell and Bob Tidwell; and her sister, Margie Pennington.X Honorary pallbearers will be her nephews: Ken Pennington, Jim Baugus, David Tidwell, Don Boydstun, Jody Radford and Derrick Kaudelka, as well as the men of the Fourth and Groesbeck Church of Christ. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Groveton High School Ex-Students' Association Scholarship Fund, Groveton, Texas 75845, Hospice in the Pines, 116 S. Raguet St., Lufkin, Texas 75904 or the American Heart Association, 1125 Judson Rd. #150, Longview, Texas 75601.X Mary's family would like to offer special thanks to Dr. Carlton Lewis and his staff, Dr. Kevin Hudson and his staff, the nurses, technicians and doctors at Lufkin Dialysis Center, the nurses and other employees of Woodland Heights and Memorial Hospitals, and the staff at Hospice in the Pines for the special care you gave her during the last several difficult years. She loved all of you. Mary requested that her body be cremated. A private committal service will be held at a later date. The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until service time Monday afternoon at the funeral home. Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.