Marie Lee King

Marie Lee King, age 92, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, October 25, 2007. She was born on June 27, 1915, in the Watterson Community, Bastrop County, Texas, the daughter of Charles Clinton Lee and Susie Hendrix Lee. On March 1, 1940, she married Ben Ewing King, and he preceded her in death on December 10, 1966. Marie served as official court reporter for Judge Mace Thurman in the 147th District Court of Travis County from 1965 until her retirement at the end of 1980. She was an active member of St. David’s Episcopal Church and participated in many of its activities through the years, including intercessory prayer, Betty Gilmer Guild, Monday Morning Bible Class, and Order of St. Luke the Physician. From the time of her retirement, she worked as a volunteer at St. David’s Next to New Shop. Always a woman of strong conviction, she relied on her faith in God to see her through all circumstances in life. She raised a child while husband, Ben, a Captain in the Army Reserves went on active duty in 1940. He was ordered to Corregidor, Philippine Islands soon thereafter. He had been on duty there a few months when the war began and became a POW when Corregidor fell. He was a prisoner for over 3 years. Through this experience, Marie authored a book, The Rock, to share with others how her faith in God helped her persevere through such a challenging period. Marie was much beloved in her longtime Turnabout Lane neighborhood, where she lived for more than three decades beginning in l967. She was the ramrod in getting an island in the culdesac at the end of Turnabout Lane made into a city park. Her dogged persistence in trying to get the city to provide water to the park, so the plants she and other neighbors put there could live, eventually bore fruit in 1970. In 1995, her neighbors surprised her by placing a bench with a plaque naming the tiny park the Marie King Circle. She leaves a large family; Gail and Larry Lerche of Austin; Richard and Donna King of Houston; Robert and Francys King of Houston; grandchildren, Kim Kieschnick and her husband, Glen of Austin; Traci Dube and her husband, Duane of Austin; Greg King and his wife, Angela of Waco; Captain Ben King, USMC and his wife, Kara of Mansfield, Texas; Alexandra Bozovsky and her husband, Brian of Houston; Ramon Jacoby and his wife, Jenny of Houston and Christian Jacoby and his wife, Amy of Houston; great grandchildren, Chris Kieschnick, Matthew Dube, Wesley King, Brannon King, Tierney King, Randy Wilburn, Ava Bozovsky, Lenae Jacoby, Kayla Jacoby and Isabelle Jacoby; sisters, Alma Zarnow, Lemma Wilhelm and Hazel Kirk of Bastrop, Texas. Nancy K. Barr and husband Bob, and her children, Bayard Crawley and Hannah, Dan, Sophia and Laura Chan were an important part of her extended family. Marie was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister, Irene Conner and 3 brothers, Ernest Lee, Ray Lee and Charles Lee. The family would like to thank the staff of Buckner Villas for their love and concern during the time she lived there. We also thank the Odyssey Hospice Team for the care they provided Marie during the last leg of her journey. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 26, 2007 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 27, 2007 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Chapel, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas with Mrs. Jane Dryden Louis, M.A.R. officiating and The Reverend Ronald Smith assisting. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. David’s Episcopal Church, 304 E 7th St, Austin, Texas 78701 or the charity of your choice. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com