Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Oehler

Mary Elizabeth Barnes Oehler of Buda, Texas passed into eternal life surrounded by the love and prayers of her family on Tuesday March 14, 2017 at Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Lockhart. Mary Elizabeth (Beth) was born in Grapevine, Texas the daughter of Emmet Frederick Barnes and Abigail Dulaney (Hyde) Barnes on November 8, 1929. Beth grew up in Waelder and Buda, Texas as her parents were school teachers. She graduated from Buda High School in 1946. She began college at 16 years of age at the University of Texas and graduated with a BA in Home Economics in 1950. She was a wonderful seamstress, cook, and loved to entertain her family. She married her college sweetheart, LeRoy T. Oehler, on June 17, 1950 at Buda United Methodist Church. They lived in Austin for one year prior to living in London from 1951-1952 while Roy was a Fulbright Scholar. They returned to the United States and lived in Okemos, Michigan where they raised their family. Although she raised her family in Michigan she remained a Texan at heart. She returned to live intermittently in her beloved childhood home Buda, Texas in 1982 as she cared for her aging father.

As her children left home, Beth began her career as “rancher” taking care of her father’s land in southeast Buda. She thoroughly enjoyed her “cows” and had names for many of them. She delighted in having them follow her pick-up truck as she drove in the fields. Through her years as a rancher she developed a love of the outdoors and all that it offered. Beth was a creative problem solver and had a wonderful sense of humor.

She was pre-deceased by her parents Abbie and Emmet (“Grandad”) Barnes, her older sister Mavis Hollyfield Kelton, and her brother Emmett Frederick Barnes.

She is survived by her loving husband, Roy and only son, Lance both of Buda. Her three daughters; Phyllis (Bruce) Rowland of St. Charles, Illinois, Sharon (Dan) Harpstead of Cheyney, Pennsylvania, and Anne (Greg) Reid of Groton, Massachusetts and their families have made frequent trips to care for and support her as she has grown older. All of her grandchildren have inherited her intense work ethic through their time “working” in Texas during school vacations. Grandchildren include; Laura (Mark) Carroll, Amanda (Sean) Connors, Brett (Amie) Rowland, Breanna (Sean) Walker, Abigail (Geoff) Ebersol, Justin Reid, Charles Reid, Matt Rowland, Spencer Reid, Edward Harpstead, and Sarah Rowland. Other survivors include her sister-in-law, Mary Faye Willms of Lockhart, Texas and four nieces.

The love of nature, open space, and Texas has surely been passed on to her great- grandchildren many of whom have also had the opportunity to visit her here: Lauren, Bradley, Allyson, and Charlotte Connors; Tyler and Connor Carroll; Leah and Jason Walker; Benjamin and Nathanael Ebersol; and Wesley Rowland.