Vivian Maurine Brown Clower passed away peacefully in her home at The Clower Farm in Bleiblerville, Texas on Tuesday, December 18th, 2012. She was surrounded by loving family and friends. Maurine, nicknamed “Sweetheart,” was born on August 2, 1932 in Beaumont, Texas to Maurine and Ellis Brown, where she spent her childhood. After graduating from South Park High School, she attended Stephens College and Finishing School in Missouri and then returned to Beaumont to complete her degree at Lamar Tech. There she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega Southern Belles and met and married the love of her life, the president of his senior class and star football player, Doug Clower.
Being the wife of a now Navy fighter pilot, she moved with their daughter Virginia, known as “Ginny,” often, and in each community she was loved by all and was looked upon as a leader. She had a special gift for making people feel loved and welcomed in her life. On November 19th, 1967, her husband Doug was shot down while flying fighter CAP and was taken prisoner of the Vietnam War for five years. During that time she was the glue that held together her family and the wives of the other POW’s. After Doug, now a highly decorated war hero and recipient of multiple medals of valor, was released, Sweetheart moved with her husband to Houston. There she worked with special needs children in the Spring Branch School District. Upon retirement the couple moved to Bleiblerville, Texas and established The Clower Farm where they lived out the rest of their lives in peace, love and serving others.
Sweetheart was president and a long-time active member of the West End TEEA, and in the 1980’s was the creator of their annual Taster’s Luncheon. She was known to many as a very artistic, creative and graceful Southern Belle as well as an excellent cook and homemaker. She was a long-standing member of the Welcome Lutheran Church near Brenham, Texas and the Eastern Star. As a RAP mentor at the West End Elementary School in Industry, Texas, she continued to reach out to children in need. She was known for doing everything she did well, and was an inspiration to people of all ages. This is especially true in light of enduring the hardship of the recent deaths of her husband, mother and daughter in less than a year’s time.
Sweetheart was preceded in death by her beloved husband Claude Douglas Clower, her parents, Maurine and Ellis Brown of Vidor, Texas, and her daughter, Virginia Dyer of Port Arthur, Texas. She is survived by her two grandsons, Michael Douglas Dyer and his wife Sarah of Alvin, Texas and Joseph Ellis Dyer and Amanda of Alvin, Texas, her sister, Debra Brown Garcia MD and her husband Jesus of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by her five adored great-granddaughters who called her “Darlin”: Caroline Maurine Dyer, Allyson Marie Dyer, Shelby Elizabeth Dyer, Ellisa Marie Dyer and Madison Brooke Dyer as well as many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and their spouses and many adoring friends.
A memorial service for Sweetheart will be held at the Welcome Lutheran Church near Brenham, Texas on Friday, December 21, 2012 at 6 p,m. On December 22, 2012 visitation will be held at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Beaumont at 10 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m..
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to the Welcome Lutheran Church Memorial Fund for Maurine Clower.
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