Jaunice (Jean) Burford Hennington, 91, passed away peacefully in Houston, Texas on February 7, 2016. Jean was born in Cleveland County, Arkansas on May 18,1924 to Azzie Barbara Garner Burford and Sam Houston Burford. She graduated from Kingsland High School in 1942, and attended Draughon School of Business in Little Rock, Arkansas. She met the love of her life, Herbert Marshall Hennington, while he was in medical school there. They married in Dallas, Texas on May 8, 1948 at the end of his internship at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas and moved to Beaumont, Texas where Herb began his medical practice.
Jean and Herb enjoyed time spent with family and friends both in Beaumont and at their lake house at Lake Sam Rayburn. Jean was a great cook, seamstress, gardener and hostess. She was known for her legendary seafood and duck gumbo and her award-winning flower arrangements. She once hosted a young Martha Stewart in her home for a luncheon, and one of her flower arrangements was featured in Southern Accents magazine. She was a member of the Junior League of Beaumont where she remained very active as a sustaining member. She served as Zone Chairman and as President of the Magnolia Garden Club. She served as Social Chairman of the Neches River Festival in 1970. Jean was a long time member of Trinity United Methodist Church where she was instrumental in beginning the first preschool there.
Jean counted her family as her greatest blessing. She especially cherished the time she spent with her beloved grandchildren. “Mama II” will always be remembered as “the spunky grandmother” who welcomed all of her children’s and grandchildren’s friends as if they were part of the family. She had fond memories of growing up out in the country and loved returning to Arkansas to visit with her brothers and sisters and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Herbert Hennington, her parents, Azzie Garner Burford and Sam Houston Burford, brothers Houston Burford, Ulyss Burford, Learle Burford, twin Maurice Burford, Hollis Burford and sisters Erma Lou Burford Rogers and Zeta Burford Bratton and her daughter-in-law, Theresa Hebert. Jean is survived by her children, Bonnie Deaton and her husband, David, Marshall Hennington, and Kathy Hennington, her grandchildren, Erin Deaton Moss and her husband, Jeremy, Ashley Deaton Golden and her husband, Evan, Charlotte Hennington and John Hennington, and her great-granddaughters, Allie Moss and Gigi Golden, and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff at Belmont Village, Hunter’s Creek for their devoted care of Jean and Houston Hospice for their support and care. A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 12, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in the Chapel, 11140 Greenbay, Houston, Texas with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, Capital Campaign, P. O. Box 5247, Beaumont, Texas 77726-5247 or to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington Street, Suite 200, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02481 or online at www.curealz.org.
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