Mary Colleen Dowse

Mary Colleen Dowse, Age 85, passed away peacefully and joined her Lord and Savior on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Colleen had been living in Katy, Texas for the past 10 years to be close to her daughter and provided love and care. She leaves behind her daughter Jana Lane Dowse (Katy, Tx), Grandsons Austin Dowse (MS) and Marshall Dowse (FL), Great Grandson Blayne Dowse (MS), Sister- in- Law Bette Tinney Chadick, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Proceeded in death by her parents Herschel and Mary Chadick, Husband Jerry Wayne Dowse Sr., Son Jerry Wayne Dowse Jr., Brother Herschel Chadick, Nieces Lynn Smith and Laurie Lyons, and numerous other relatives.

She came into this world March 8, 1941 in Lakeland, FL. Her parents lived in Miami, FL but her father traveled most of the time, so her mother stayed with her grandparents in Lakeland, FL when she entered the world. Colleen loved living in Miami next door to a family who became her family's best friends. The world was a safer place in those days, and Colleen was able to ride the city bus to and from elementary school and even downtown shopping as she got older. Not something you could safely do today. Colleen's father was from Winnsboro in NE Texas and they moved back there from Miami when Colleen was 10 years old when her father retired. She was always adaptable and loved changes, so she was happy living in the country with horses, cows, dogs, cats, and attending a small-town school. She and her high school sweetheart Jerry eloped and kept it a secret when she was in high school and he was at A&M. Mom wearing dad's high school ring as her wedding ring. They were able to keep a secret until someone in the small town spilled the beans. But despite their youth, it was a great marriage, and they had a wonderful life together for 58 years! Once their marriage was no longer a secret and the fireworks had settled with her father, she went to Texas Women's University, and then later would move with Jerry to Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX. Later they would transition over to Texas A&M in College Station, TX where Jerry could continue to focus on his Chemical Engineering degree. Women were not allowed to attend A&M at that time, so she worked for the Director of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service to provide support while Jerry finished school. The Chemical Engineering Dept. gave Colleen a PHT Degree (Putting Hubby Through). They were extremely poor during those college years and lived in old, converted barracks on campus. She made enough money for living, and Jerry made enough to cover college Tuition. After Graduation they moved to Abilene, Wichita Falls, Kerens, Irving, Tyler, followed by Houston, the champions area in Greenwood Forest subdivision where they would spend the bulk of their time raising their children. Their dreams of children were realized when they adopted first a son then a daughter from Edna Gladney Adoption Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. Later Jerry accepted a job in Jakarta, Indonesia, so they moved across the world for a couple of years for a new adventure. While their Colleen spent her time volunteering at the local Orphanage, and the American Club. While traveling back and forth to Houston having the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Bali, and Hawaii. A couple of years later returning to Houston where Colleen was a stay-at-home mom and later substituting for 5 years at Wunderlich Middle School. She enjoyed that because it was the same school her children attended, and she knew so many of the kids. She was well loved. She would later work for Amoco Production Company as a Sr. Administrative Assistant in the Africa and Middle East Region working for Geologists and Geophysicists, which was so interesting and educational. She always loved our family vacations each year, especially the mountain trips.

Mom and Dad had always dreamed of returning and buying land in Winnsboro, TX their childhood town and to build a ranch home. Jerry designed and oversaw the building, and mom loved watching and helping. Once complete they filled the land with cattle. They later decided that RV traveling was their next adventure, only to realize cows and traveling did not go together. After buying their first motorhome, they hired someone to take care of those darn cows! They lived out there best years traveling through the mountains, including Western and Eastern Canada, especially enjoying Vancouver, Victoria, Banff and then Nova Scotia. All beautiful but their favorites remained Colorado and New England where they went several times, along with National Parks and the East and West coasts. They felt so lucky and blessed to travel with the greatest Winnsboro childhood friends to Ruidoso, NM in the Summer and the Texas Valley and Mexico in the winter.

I choose to think they are together in heaven with others who have gone before them, sitting in lawn chairs having a cocktail laughing and catching up!

Mom and Dad moved to Katy, Texas to be by there daughter 10 years ago where they were lovingly cared for. What a gift that was to truely get to know your parents as an adult, but better yet best friends! Save a place for me at the table!

Funeral service planned for Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 10:00 am at the Beaty Funeral Home Chapel in Winnsboro, TX followed by burial in Lee Cemetery.

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me."