Mary Jane Deuth

Mary Jane Lewis Deuth, 92, of Plainfield, passed away Sunday January 9, 2011 following a long life well lived. Mary Jane was born on August 7, 1918 to Augustus Bradford Lewis and Mary Hill Lewis. Along with her younger sister (Sally Jo Jones), she was raised in Gonzales, TX where her father farmed, ranched and ran a small dairy and a general store. Her mother was a cook, seamstress, homemaker and landlady for their rental properties. Following graduation from high school in Gonzales, she attended what is now named Texas State Women's College in Denton. After one year there, she returned to her home in Gonzales. Shortly thereafter, a stranger knocked on her front door telling her father that he was working in town, was from Illinois, had seen his daughter on the town square and asked permission to meet his daughter. Mary Jane came to the door, met Martin John Deuth and married him on December 22, 1939. Martin's employer, Shell Oil Co., kept Mary Jane and Martin moving from one town and state to another for the next fifteen years. They lived in Texas (several towns at different times), Mississippi (twice), Florida, The Netherlands (Europe), New York, Wyoming and Colorado; all prior to returning to Texas upon Martin's retirement from Shell in 1968. His retirement took them to Nacogdoches where Martin taught geology at Steven F. Austin University. Mary Jane continued her status as an excellent mother, grandmother, homemaker, seamstress, cook, hostess and wife. Finally, in 2001 they moved into an assisted living facility in Nacogdoches; and, then to an assisted living dementia unit in Avon, IN in 2003. Mary Jane and Martin had been married for sixty-six and a half years at the time of his death on May 1, 2006. During those years, Mary Jane gave birth to a son, John, while living in Texas and another son, Allen, while living in Mississippi. Of course, those boys were the apples of her eye and kept her involved in school, sports, Boy Scouts, etc. She and Martin made friends easily (many of whom were other Shell and/or SFA employees). Over the years they kept in touch with those friends and family who lived throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. She was a phenomenal correspondent, writing of events just as though she were sitting with you and talking. She always welcomed family, friends, neighbors, Martin's business associates, etc. into her home and made them feel as if they belonged. She loved animals (especially horses and dogs and was a dog owner almost all her life). In addition to being an avid and eclectic reader, she truly enjoyed PBS for its dramas, musical specials and documentaries. She supported public television and charities for Native American Indians. She was an excellent cook frequently trying new recipes and excelled at sewing and various types of needle work. She was preceded in death by her brother, A.B. Lewis, Jr. "Bud, her parents, her brothers-in-law (John Paul Jones and John Eakle Deuth), her mother-in-law and father-in-law (Ethel Eakle Deuth and John Frederick Deuth) and nephew, Bradford Austin Jones. She is survived by her sons Allen Lewis Deuth and John Bradford Deuth; daughter-in-law Elwanda Johnson Deuth; two grandsons, Kevin Michael Deuth and Derek John Deuth; granddaughter-in-law Angela Sims Deuth; four great grandchildren, Jessica Marie Deuth, Katherine Claire Deuth, Amanda Nicole Deuth and Derek John Deuth, Jr.; and, special friends, Neile Hart and her sons Robert and Brandon Hart. Additional survivors include her sister, Jo Jones (her family of Paula, Tracey, Mary, Brittney, Brandy, John Paul II and John Daniel Whiteside--all residing in or near Gonzales, TX) and her sister-in-law, Barbara Deuth (her family of Linda, Debbie, Janet and Terry all residing in Colorado). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to non-profit organizations that would honor her memory or charities of your choice. A couple of possibilities include your local PBS station or the Southwestern Indian Council, P.O. Box 16777, Mesa, AZ 85211-9963. The immediate family will hold a private celebration of Mary Jane's life. Neither public visitation nor formal memorial services will be held. Arrangements by Hampton-Gentry Funeral Home, Plainfield, IN.