Mary Ellen Gones , November 02, 1935 — January 01, 2019

Mary’s Obituary Mary Ellen Smith Gones, 83, passed away Tuesday, January 1, 2019, at Hemphill Care Center. Mary was born in Port Arthur, Texas on November 2, 1935 to Arthur Gilbert (Bert) Smith and Elizabeth Leah Murphy Smith. She studied nursing at Baylor University and married Donald Gene Martin in 1957.

As an Air Force pilot’s wife, she moved frequently. When they were stationed in Japan in 1961, First Lieutenant Martin was killed when his jet crashed. Mary returned home to Port Arthur with their two young children, Donald and Nita.

Back in Port Arthur, she worked for the school district as a school nurse and later as a teacher in vocational nursing for both Port Arthur and then Port Neches-Groves Independent School Districts. Mary was an active member of First Baptist Church, Port Arthur, for many years. She was an active member of the adult choir, a member of the Woman’s Missionary Union, and for a number of years helped in the children’s ministry for Lay Renewal Weekends for Southern Baptist churches in the southeast Texas region.

In 1985 she married Frank Charles Gones. They began building a home on Toledo Bend and moved there in 1995. Soon after the move to Hemphill, Mary helped establish the vocational health education program at Hemphill High School.

She would run this new program until March 2000 when she suffered a series of strokes. Mary and Frank enjoyed summer trips together and traveled as far as Colorado and Alaska during long summer trips. She was a member of First Baptist Church, Hemphill.

Mary is survived by her husband, Frank Charles Gones of Hemphill, Texas; siblings Faye Ann Crowell (husband Jim) of Carrollton, GA, and Wiley Preston David Smith (wife Carol) of Casa Grande, AZ; her children, Donald D. Martin (wife Robin) of Richmond, VA, and Nita Ricke (husband Steve) of Springdale, AR. Other survivors include Frank’s daughters, Darlyne Ward of Mansfield, TX, and Ellen Godwin, of Port Arthur, TX, ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at Starr Funeral Home, 510 Starr Street, Hemphill, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, January 10, 2019 at First Baptist Church, Hemphill, Texas with burial to follow in Hemphill Cemetery under the direction of Starr Funeral Home. Online condolences and book signing can be made at starrfuneralhome.com.

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