Mary Ruth Hill Dowell - Fansler

Mary Ruth Hill Dowell - Fansler died March 3, 2019 at the age of 87. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock on Wednesday March 6 at the First United Methodist Church of Dumas, TX with Pastor Anthony Inman officiating. Burial will follow at the Lane Memorial Cemetery in Sunray. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock in the evening at the funeral home. Arrangements are entrusted to Morrison Funeral Directors. Mary was born January 2, 1932 to Wilbur and Ruth Hill, near Canyon, TX. She graduated from Canyon High School in 1950, as the Valedictorian of her class. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from West Texas State University. She married Chester Dowell in 1953. After meeting at WT, Chester proposed on their first date, but she didn't say 'yes' for some time later. They had four children, Tracie, Barry, Amy and Jamie. Mary was an elementary school teacher in Lawton, OK, Lubbock, Boys Ranch, Robert Lee and Dumas, TX. She became a school counselor in Dumas and Sunray, TX. She loved teaching and also became a psychology instructor for Amarillo College for 12 years for night classes in Dumas. After 40 years in education, Mary retired, but she always cherished the children she taught and the educators she met and befriended. After retirement, Mary volunteered as a counselor for Safe Place and was a CASA volunteer, the first in District 69, for 15 years. Mary was a member of the United Methodist Church from the age of 8. Mary loved her family, her Methodist family, her coworkers and her students. After 35 years of marriage and four children, Chester preceded her in death in 1988. Mary met and married Don Fansler, of Amarillo, in 2000. Don preceded her in death in 2005. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Tracie and Mark Monroe of Austin, Barry and Ginna Dowell of Rowlett, Amy and Ricky Karr of Olton, and Jamie and Kevin Smith of Amarillo. Grandchildren, Ashley Monroe, Casady Monroe, Keanan Dowell, Danielle Waters, Ches and Austin Kirk, Garrett and Alyssa Payne, and Natalie Smith, step-children Tony and Debbie Fansler of Amarillo, Debbie and Tommy McDougal of Amarillo, and her sister Jean Cavitt of Amarillo; niece, nephews and great grandchildren. She loved every one of them. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family asks that memorials be made to First United Methodist Church of Dumas. PO Box 395, Dumas, TX 79029.