Obituary of Mary Jane Brashear

Mary Jane Brashear, born June 9,1930 to Walter Stanton Ruffner and Mary Vina Ruffner in Lubbock, TX.  Mrs. Brashear died Sunday,  October 28, 2018 at the age of 88 at the Gardens at Columbine in Littleton, Colorado. She had been in residence there for ten months.

Mary Jane and Keith Brashear were married August 5, 1949 in Crosbyton, TX, moving to Hale Center in 1951. Mary Jane and Keith soon became active members of the community. They were members of the First Baptist Church, where Mary Jane taught Sunday School for many years and Keith served as a deacon and treasurer.

In 1957 Mary Jane joined the Pioneer Study Club, which led to her taking a leading role in establishing and managing the Hale Center Public Library. Over the years, she organized countless fund raising activities for the library. She wrote numerous grant proposals that resulted with the library receiving a number of grants including both the prestigious J Frank Dobie Award and the Tucker Foundation Grant, which secured funding for books, shelving and equipment. Through her leadership and effort, the library was able to join the Texas Library System.

Mary Jane and Keith were recognized as community leaders when in 1977 they were honored as Citizens of the Year. In May of 2007, Mary Jane was honored for 50 years of service to the Pioneer Study Club. She remained actively committed to her community through all the years she lived in Hale Center. In recognition of this long-term service to the community, she was honored at the Hale Center Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture Banquet as the 2009 “Citizen Through the Years.”

Mary Jane was predeceased by her husband, Keith Brashear, in 1998. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Robert Brashear and Jan Pople of Ithaca, NY; her daughter and son- in-law Kristi and Rick Sturdivant of Littleton, CO; her grandchildren; Sarah Sturdivant of Los Angeles, CA, Scott and Heather Sturdivant and their son Soren of Littleton, Max Brashear of Ithaca and Kate Brashear of New York City.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday,  November 3, 2018 at 11:00am in the Hale Center Cemetery. The family suggests donations in Mary Jane’s memory be made to the Hale Center Public Library, PO Box 214, Hale Center, TX 79041 or the Hale Center First Baptist Church, PO Box 396, Hale Center, TX 79041.