Mary Ethel “Mickie” Crawford Rigby (96), of Austin, Texas, went home to be with the Lord on October 11, 2019. She was born in Marathon, Texas, November 13, 1922, to her parents Pete and Marjorie Crawford. She was the oldest of four children. She was proud to be the daughter of a Texas Ranger. Her childhood was spent in Alpine, Marfa, and some summers in Castolon when her father was stationed there. All her life, when she saw pictures of Big Bend and/or the Davis Mountains, she would simply respond 'home.' She graduated high school in Marfa and attended Sul Ross College while working to help support her recently widowed mother who was still raising three younger siblings. She later lived in El Paso, Texas, where she met her future husband, Russell M. Rigby (Rusty) who she married on October 8, 1946. They were married 32 years until his death in 1978. Most of those years they lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, but the last 3 years they resided in Austin, Texas.
She worked all her life and always enjoyed it. Her jobs included The Chamber of Commerce in Alpine, the FBI in El Paso, the City of Corpus Christi, the Better Business Bureau, and the PPG Federal Credit Union, all in Corpus Christi, and the State Board of Insurance, Austin, which she retired from in 1987. After retirement she was self-employed for many years, working mostly for personal friends.
A member of Hyde Park Baptist Church since 1976, she was a woman of extraordinary faith who was always serving at church as well as helping people in general. And countless times throughout her life she embraced and comforted those who lost a child, as she had. Her favorite scripture was 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 " Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! 4 He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God."
Her outlook was always positive, her spirit ever grateful, and she often said "I take my happiness with me wherever I go."
She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell M Rigby, Sr.; 5 year old son Ted Vernon Rigby, brother David B. Crawford, and her parents Pete and Marjorie Crawford.
She is survived by her sons, Charles A. Rigby and Russell Martin Rigby, Jr. (Marty), daughter Susan Rigby Cook (Donnie); grandchildren Becky Peck (Mark), Chance Rigby, Matt Cook (Shelly), Bethany Cook Waters (Tim), HeatherMarie Gonzalez, Dabney Rigby (Matthew), Naiman Rigby (Brigette), and Lexy Stamper; great-grandchildren Irene Ozen Richardson (Logan), Cetin Ozen, Ethan Cook, Serah Cook, Judah Cook, Hannah Waters, Faith Waters, Bekah Waters, DaiseyMarie Arguelles, Toby Berger, and Aislin Berge; great-great grandchild Amelia (Millie) Richardson; siblings Lois Boyles and Lee Crawford (Mary Jo); sister-in-law Justina Crawford; and several beloved nieces and nephews.
On October 15, 2019, she was laid to rest beside her husband Rusty and son Teddy in Sarco Cemetery in Goliad County.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at Cook-Walden Funeral Home at 6100 N. Lamar, Austin, Texas 78752, on Monday, October 21 at 2:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, financial and/or blood donations can be made to: We Are Blood - Central Texas Blood Bank at 4300 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78756 or weareblood.org
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