Mary Elaine Eames

Mary Elaine Eames was born Mary Elaine Hartwell on December 31, 1942 in New York. She had three siblings—Chester, Linda, and Joseph—and spent the youngest part of her childhood on a farm. Over the course of her life she lived in many places including Chicago and Houston, and eventually settled down for the remainder of her years in San Antonio, TX. Along the way she raised four children of her own, providing for their needs and never giving up on them despite the many hardships she faced throughout her life. She was loving, hard-working, and tenacious. In 1976, she was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses during an assembly held at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Irving, TX. Her faith was a huge part of her life, and would continue to be for all of her days to come. She is survived by her daughters Penny and her husband Jim, Susan and her husband Kevin, and her son Paul and his wife Tarrie, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Linda and her husband Arnie, her brother Joe and his wife Annie, a sister-in-law Kitty, and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her faithful feathered companion, Baby Bird. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Helen Hartwell, her daughter Karen and her brother Chester. Mary loved her gardens, and would often talk happily about her newest group of plants and where she’d be planting them. She spent so many of her mornings sitting on her porch watching the sun rise, enjoying the beauty of her plants all around her and the little hummingbirds hovering around her feeders. To her, each day was truly a gift from Jehovah. Mary also loved hosting her friends and family whenever they would randomly pop in, seemingly all the time. Like her parents’ home, her own home was always open to visitors, and no one was ever a stranger. It was important to her that her home felt like a safe place of refuge to the people she loved. If you needed a shoulder to cry on, or a place to escape to, she would eagerly oblige. Mary will always be remembered for her love for her family and friends. She was an inspiration to all who knew her, and will leave a lasting imprint on every life she has touched. Mary's positive attitude and her faith in Jehovah were her strength. She had a deep, genuine appreciation for life that she maintained even when she suffered greatly. She lived in the present moment, savoring each moment of life one at a time as they came. We could all learn so much from her positive attitude, her mindfulness, her patience, and her faith. Among the many things we’ll forever hold close to our hearts about Mary are the words of wisdom she would often share with us, words we will always remember as “Maryisms.” Here are just a few: The only person you can control is yourself. I like to see rainbows, not black and white. What you’re doing isn’t working. Don’t you want to be happy? Everyone does 10 differently. My trials are my teachers. Each day is a gift from Jehovah. This is not a do-over. I don't worship the god of other peoples' opinions. If you look in life’s mirror and don’t cringe, then you’ve done a good job. Mary is a treasure and will never be forgotten.