Thelma Fox

Mary Thelma Fox passed away during the afternoon of March 4, 2014 in Austin, TX, the city she fondly called her home since 1948. She was 96 years old. Thelma was the daughter of Joe and Martha Hood and the youngest of five children (all of whom are deceased). She was born at home in the Smithwick Community of Burnet County, TX on May 28, 1917. Thelma and Vance Fox married on January 1, 1939. He ensured her comfort in a happy marriage that lasted until his death in 1976. They had three children: Kenneth, who died in 1986, Gerald and Carolyn (both of Austin, TX), a granddaughter, Heather (of Dallas, TX), and a daughter-in-law, Sandra Kay Fox (of Dallas, TX). Thelma took pride in her roles as both mother and housewife, and she bore with dedication and honor the many responsibilities and challenges these entailed.

She took great pleasure in memories of her youth in the Texas Hill Country and loved to hear and tell stories about the old days in the Smithwick Community, the town of Marble Falls, and other familiar environs of Burnet County, TX. She always looked forward to reunions of the Hood and Boultinghouse familes, which represented her father's and her mother's ancestral heritage. She also enjoyed reunions with old classmates at the small, long ago disbanded Smithwick community school and at the Marble Falls High School, where she graduated in 1934. During the years her own children were students at Robert E. Lee Elementary School (Austin), she was very active in meetings and activities of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) and its fund-raising events. In recognition of her many tireless contributions, Thelma was awarded the National PTA's lifetime membership. Thelma was a highly regarded for her cooking skills and baked several "signature" dishes and desserts that were in high demand at church and family gatherings.

Her life was especially dedicated to her Christian faith and endless activities alongside life-long friends and co-members at Austin's Northside Church of Christ (aka, Church of Christ in Hyde Park), where for many years her husband, Vance, served as an elder. Thelma was well-known for her skills at hand-making stuffed toys, Christmas ornaments, and a wide variety of other handicrafts, including visual aids used in teaching children's Bible classes. In the 1950's, at the urging of the Firm Foundation Magazine's publisher, she authored an instructor's "how-to" guide on this subject and taught these principles and techniques at teachers' workshops in Austin and at Abilene Christian University.

Honorary pallbearers are the Elders of the Church of Christ in Hyde Park. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Central Texas Children's Home, 1925 Crane Road, Buda, TX 78610; or, Arms of Hope, 21300 State Highway 16 North, Medina, TX 78055; or your favorite charity.