Mabel Grandma Mabel Irene Lovell Vestring

Mabel Irene Lovell Vestring, 90, of Odessa passed away peacefully on the 28th day of March, 2012, at Hospice House of Odessa, surrounded by her loving family.

Mabel Irene Lovell was born on May 4, 1921, at her grandmother’s home in Leeco, Kentucky. She lived there until she was about 5, and then the family moved to Magna City, Kansas where she started school. A couple of years later the family moved to Bloomington, Kansas, where they lived until she was about 7 years old, later moving to Atlanta, Kansas where she lived until her college days.

Mabel attended college in Emporia for three semesters after which she transferred to Kansas State University, graduating with a B.S. in Home Economics. The college helped her get a job placement in Burns, Kansas, as a teacher. She met her soulmate, Joseph Ambrose Vestring, (nicknamed “Bus,”) in Burns, Kansas, as she was living with his sister while they taught together at the high school in Burns.

Mabel and Bus dated some during his leave from the Navy, and they corresponded frequently during the war. After WWII they were married on June 5, 1947. Mabel taught at a junior high school in Wichita, Kansas for the first part of the school year. She had to quit teaching in December when she learned that she was expecting a baby.

They moved around a lot as Bus began working with Phillips Petroleum Company. They were living back in Burns, Kansas, briefly when a very tiny Susan was born prematurely. Then they lived in Canton (in western Kansas), Edgarton in northeastern Kansas, Cassody (where Tim was born), then another home in Cassody (where Judy was born). They were still living in Cassody when Sharon was born, and shortly thereafter moved to Goldsmith, Texas with Phillips. The family lived in the Texas panhandle, (Olton) for about a year and a half where Susan started first grade.

After moving to Goldsmith, Texas, there were no more moves until after Bus passed away in 1979. All the children grew up in Goldsmith attending elementary school there and then junior high and high school in Odessa. After the loss of her husband, Mabel moved to a home that they owned in Odessa where she lived the rest of her life as she so fervently wanted to do with the help of her dear friends and neighbors Margaret and George Collins and her daughter, Sharon.

Mabel’s teaching career began when Sharon, the youngest, was in fifth grade. Her career included teaching one year at St. Mary’s Catholic School during which she got her elementary certificate, since she previously had certification from Kansas to teach high school home economics. That was a very difficult year for her—teaching, attending classes, and raising four children!

Following the year at St. Mary’s, Mabel was a long-term substitute for almost a year in Goldsmith, Texas followed by 12 years of teaching second grade there. She loved teaching at Goldsmith Elementary, where the parents were very involved and the students were fun to teach. She loved having her class perform plays, and Bus always got “volunteered” to build the sets. Mabel took a year off time from teaching when Bus was ill and the following year she did not work. From 1980 until 1986 she taught reading recovery at Zavala Elementary where she retired.

After retirement Mabel was very busy watching her great-grandchildren after school, volunteering with Catholic Charities, and later working at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton’s Catholic Church with a “senior” volunteer group where she enjoyed many arts and crafts projects which were sold at the fall festival making money for the church. In her later years, she loved watching old movies and staying in touch with loved ones with phone visits.

Mabel grew up in the Methodist Church, but as a young adult she felt called to the Catholic faith. Later, she met Bus who was raised in a Catholic family. Their children were blessed to be raised in a very religious, faithful family. Mabel volunteered as a religion teacher as the children grew up and later as well.

Mabel spent her life serving others as a loving and precious mother, a caring teacher, a volunteer, and a wonderful friend to many. She had a very big heart and was the most generous and thoughtful person many people knew. Any time anyone in the family needed someone to be with them after childbirth or surgery or needed financial help, “Grandma Mabel” always tried to be there for them. She will be greatly missed by her near and extended family as well as many friends.

Mabel is preceded in death by her parents Virgie and Laudie Lovell; her husband Joseph Ambrose “Bus” Vestring; her brother Randall Lovell and sister-in-law Martha; brother-in-law Phil Armatas; and brother-in-law, David Kennedy.

Survivors include her sister Margaret Kennedy of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Carolyn Armatas of

Charlottesville, Virginia; brother-in-law, Hurshal Boyd of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; sister-in-law Janet Crist and husband Gene, of Panama City, Florida; daughter, Susan Elizabeth Clark and husband Palmer Clark of Tyler, Texas; son Timothy Joseph Vestring and wife Cheryl of Canon City, Colorado; daughter Judith Ann Davis and husband, Don of Spring City, Pennsylvania; daughter Sharon Gay Massey of Odessa, Texas; grandchildren Betsy Gay and husband Jason Gay; Amy Turner and husband Sean of Lewisville, Texas; Daniel Vestring of Lubbock, Texas; Sarah Miller and husband Landon of Odessa; Jenny Holdeman and her husband Chad of Anamoose, North Dakota; Taylor, Katie, and MacKenzie Vestring of Canon City, Colorado; Megan Davis of Castle Rock, Colorado; Byron Davis of Lawrence, Kansas; and Monique Waddingham and husband Corbett of Richardson, Texas; Josh Davis and wife Jackie of Castle Rock, Colorado; Kelly Hall and husband, Jason, of Eagle Mountain, Utah; as well as great-grandchildren Madeline, Marissa and Andrew Gay of Kingwood, Texas; Chelsea Brewer of Austin, Texas; and Casey Brewer of San Marcos, Texas; Tyler Holdeman of Anamoose, North Dakota; Jake Davis of Castle Rock, CO, Garion, Kayla and Brynn Hall of Eagle Mountain, Utah, Nate and Haiden Miller of Odessa, Texas; many nieces and nephews, as well as dear friends in Odessa.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Hubbard Kelley Funeral Home. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church on Monday, April 2, 2012 at 11 a.m.

Available online at www.HubbardKellyFuneralHome.Com.