Mom was born on August 22, 1929, in a primitive tenant farmer’s house, in Bexar County, Texas. During the depression, the family moved to her maternal grandparents’ farm near Nixon, Texas. She mentioned that one year, they made a total of $26. In recent years, her great-grandchildren loved hearing about her early school days. The school was a one-room schoolhouse. Her “ride” was a buggy pulled by an old sway-backed horse!
When she was ten, her family moved to San Antonio. Although her parents did not attend church, her Aunt Myrtle Hart Downum stopped by for a visit one day -- and changed our family for generations. Aunt Myrtle led my mother to Christ that day. Mom was fourteen. Over the next few years, Aunt Myrtle invited Mom out to their farm on weekends, then brought her to church on Sundays. In time, she began to take part in the church’s youth activities. God’s plan was on schedule.
In church one day, Mom’s cousin pointed at someone and said, “Hey Marjorie, there’s a soldier boy over here you might want to meet.” Sgt. Robert Warren Newhouse was from Hollow Rock, Tennessee. It was truly love at first sight.
Mom said that they planned for Dad to finish his college degree before they had a family, but God had other plans. As she put it, “Bing, bing, bing:” Warren, 1949, Leslie, 1950, and Bill, 1951. Dad never did get to finish the education he wanted, but if the doors were open at Hot Wells Baptist Church, he and Mom had their boys there.
Mom once remarked, “If we had had a family on our schedule, we would have missed Linda.” Linda was in the youth department at Hot Wells. Leslie and Linda were married in 1972.
God has been faithful from generation to generation. Mom’s home-going will be celebrated by three sons, a daughter-in-law, three granddaughters, five great-granddaughters and two great-grandsons.
Rather than sending flowers, Mom requested that donations be sent to Samaritan’s Purse.
Marjorie Jones Newhouse was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Newhouse; her parents, Virgil and Mary Jones; and her brother, Raymond Jones.
She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Cheryl Jones.She also is survived by her three sons, Robert Warren, William Ray (Bill), Leslie Stephen, and by her daughter-in-law, Linda Newhouse.
The three granddaughters and their families are:
Nancy Sorrell, her husband, Matt, and their four children, Anna, Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Benjamin;
Shannon Laich, her husband, Dustin, and their three children, Summer, Alyssa, and Andrew;
Amy Harkleroad, and her husband, Luke.
The Graveside Service will be at 1:00 pm, Saturday, August 25th.
Sunset Memorial Park, 1701 Austin Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78218.
