Euna Lee Pierce

Euna Lee Pierce

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Euna Lee Bishop Howell Pierce at age 101. She crossed over peacefully September 11, 2025, at Trinity Care Center in Round Rock where she had been living since February of 2023. She was born Nov 6, 1923, in Grady, Arkansas in the back of the general store owned by her grandmother Bertha Chance Matthews Asman "Big Mama" and her step grandfather "Grandaddy Asman". Her parents were Vera Matthews Bishop and Jerry Bishop. They all lived in the back of the general store.

When the depression started, the family moved to Gould, Arkansas to operate a gas station. When Mother was 7 her brother Jerry was born in Gould. As the economic conditions worsened, the family moved to the Matthews family farmhouse outside of Tillar, Arkansas. There was no indoor plumbing. They later moved into town when her dad received a check from the government for his service during WW1. When Mother was 14 her brother James Dwight was born in the house in Tillar. Because of her age at the time of Jerry's and Dwight's birth, she was a surrogate mother to both. It broke her heart that she outlived both. Everyone in the family called her "Tutta" as that is what her brother Jerry called her as a youngster. She later became "Granny" to Steven and Greg her only grandchildren and Stanley her only great grandchild.

Mother graduated as the valedictorian of her class at Tillar High School in 1940. She attended Central College for Women in Conway, Arkansas for one year as a music major. She played the piano. She then attended business school to become a secretary. She worked for the U. S. Engineers in Little Rock and then the IRS.

In 1942 she transferred to the IRS office in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where her parents and brothers had moved. That is where she met Laurence Lawton Howell who was visiting his parents. His stepfather worked with Mom and asked her if she would mind meeting Daddy as he did not know anyone in Pine Bluff. They fell in love and were married on October 6, 1946. They lived in Searcy, Hot Springs, and then Little Rock, Arkansas where their first child Richard was born in 1947. They then moved to Dallas, Texas where their second child Cindy was born in 1952. Irving became their home in late 1953 when they purchased their first house.

In 1963 the family moved to Temple, Texas when Laurence took a job with Cloud Construction Co. as their cost estimator.

She was widowed in 1965 when Laurence died with a heart attack at the age of 46. She met Stanley Joe Pierce in 1966 who also had lost a spouse. They were married on October 1, 1966. She was blessed with two happy marriages. Mom always said, "I was married to two good men." We agree.

She worked steadily all her life, first as a secretary and then as a stay-at-home mom until she was widowed. She then worked as a part time secretary for the First United Methodist Church and then full time at Reagan Elementary in Temple. She did the books for Stanley's wrecking yard business. When Stanley sold his business, they managed Stuckey Stores in Seguin, Texas and then Benton, Arkansas.

After Stuckey's, Mom and Stanley managed a hardware store in Little Rock, Ark that they owned with Mom's two brothers. After they sold the business, Mom worked at a uniform shop.

She and Stanley moved to Round Rock in 1992 to be closer to family. They both started working at Walmart for their "retirement jobs." Stanley worked there until he passed in April 1997. Mom went to work for SAS Shoe store in 1994 and worked there for 17 years, quitting when she was 88 years young.

Mom was fiercely independent and in great health for most of her life. Her appendix ruptured in 1983, and the infection was so severe that the surgeon told us she would not survive. She proved him wrong. She continued with good health until a vertebra in her spine collapsed in April 2015. After that time, she could no longer drive or care for herself completely as before. Part time caregivers came to her apartment and eventually she moved in with her son Richard and her daughter-in-law Eileen in Round Rock in December of 2017. Living there was good for her. She resided with them until April of 2021 when she moved to the assisted living home at the Rose in Round Rock. After an illness hospitalized for a week in February of 2023, she moved to a nursing home where she remained until she passed. She never got back in her walker. A wheelchair became her mode of mobility. Her mind remained sharp to the end of her days on earth.

She was a happy person who had a practical outlook. If she had an opinion, you were most likely to hear it. Her pies and her chicken and dumplings were the best. She loved candy and sweets. She was always ready for football season and rooted for the Cowboys. After living here, she became a Longhorn fan as she followed college football too. She was knowledgeable about the game and could talk about football with anyone. She played basketball in high school even though she was only 5 feet tall. Mom loved to travel. She always said her middle name was "Go". When our young family didn't have enough money for hotel vacations, Mom took in after school children at home to save money for a camper/trailer. We travelled to California that first year in 1959 camping along the way making our own sandwiches at roadside parks. Many summers were spent camping in Colorado where Daddy would fly fish. She created adventures that we remember fondly. In her later years she and Stanley would take bus tours around the US. After Stanley passed she enjoyed bus trips with her friends to casinos in Oklahoma and Louisiana. She always encouraged us to go, do, and see the world while we could. Mom made friends with ease. She was a talker, but also a good listener. She maintained friendships over distance and time. Since she made it past 101 in years, it was difficult for her to realize she was the last one left. She did make friends at the Rose and at Trinity. She was funny without trying to be funny. Our Aunt Linda describes her as a "pistol". She just made you laugh. She was a character. She loved her family and especially enjoyed her first and only great grandchild Stanley Michael Howell who was born January of 2020. Her family and her Christian faith were the most cherished aspects of her life. She often quoted her dad who stated "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone." That was why she could bounce back from anything with a smile and a brave face. That creed got her through many trials and tribulations. She will be missed, but as a Christian, she is happy to be in Heaven with the Lord. She always said, "The Lord has always taken good care of me."

Survivors include her son Richard Howell and wife Eileen, her daughter Cindy Palla and her husband Marvin. She leaves behind two grandsons, Steven Howell and Gregory Howell, Gregory's wife Miriam and their son Stanley Michael Howell. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Linda Weiderhold Bishop Anderson who was married to James Dwight Bishop. Her surviving nephews and nieces (who called her "Aunt Tutta") include Ronnie Bishop and wife Wei, Cathy Ramey and husband Jason, Amy Bishop and husband Doug, Julie Bishop and husband Daryl. Besides her parents, her two brothers, and her two husbands, another special person that preceded her in death was her sister-in-law Barbra Gene Bishop who was married to Mom's brother Jerry Bishop.

Visitation will be held from 11:00-11:30 am on Friday October 3, 2025 at Beck Funeral Home, 15709 Ranch Rd. 620, with funeral services following at 11:30am. A reception will follow at the funeral home.

According to her wishes, her remains will be buried next to Laurence Lawton Howell in Oak Grove Memorial Gardens in Irving, Texas. Memorials in her honor may be made to Wounded Warrior Project or charity of your choice.