Lumea Mary Marshall Brady of El Paso, Texas died on November 12, 2019 surrounded by her family after a short illness with cancer.  Her last words were about her two precious sons and how much she loved them.  She said, “I love my boys with all my heart and soul.  You are everything to me.”  She further asked them to” take care of my grandchildren and stay close with my sisters”.  She knew that her legacy will live on in them, their children, and her sisters.

Lumea was born in Orange, Texas on February 15, 1948 to James Soloman Marshall and Barbara Wingate Marshall.  She was the oldest of four daughters, who remained close with their families their entire lives.

Lumea graduated from St Mary Catholic High School in Orange, Texas after twelve years of education in a close-knit community.   She excelled at cheerleading, baseball, shorthand, typing and choir.  She was the Football Sweetheart in 1966, her senior year.   Lumea was a beautiful blue-eyed, blonde hair young lady and received many awards including being named “Miss Sixteen of Beaumont” in a Sixteen magazine contest for “Miss 16 of America.”  She was also crowned Duchess in the Neches River Festival.

At age 18, she was chosen from 80 contestants as one of 15 finalists to represent the Sabine Area in the “Dino’s Miss Texas Darling Contest” in 1966.  This was to promote the comedy-western movie, “Texas Across the River,” starring Dean Martin.  She won a three-day, expense paid trip to meet various actors including those starring in the movie, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Lumea was educated at the University of Southern Louisiana majoring in art as well as the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico majoring in history and art.  While at the College of Santa Fe, during her sophomore year, she was named the 1970 homecoming queen by popular vote of the student body. She graduated from McMahon Court Reporting College in Houston, Texas in 1978.  She became an elite court reporter with the County of El Paso for over twenty years.  She followed in her mother’s profession who was a court reporter in Beaumont and El Paso, Texas for over forty years.

After college and starting her profession, Lumea concentrated on raising her two sons, Carey and Shannon.  As she put it, “My boys are everything to me.”  Lumea would make adventures with them by combining her past and family with travels to various places, including trips back to Orange to see her parents.  They kept descriptive binders with pictures and notes of their travels including several summers to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  One special trip was to St Martinville, Louisiana, a city where her maternal grandmother had her childhood beginnings.

During Lumea’s life, she was fortunate enough to make a trip to Rome for the Jubilee 2000 blessings from the Pope.  She made the trip with her mom, her mom’s sister, Aunt Mabel, her cousins Maureen Lawrence Shupp and Michael Lawrence, and 10 other relatives.  Even though it required two wheel chairs and lots of effort, it did not slow the group.  They were on a mission for a memory with their moms.  It was a glorious ten-day devotional and adventure culminating in a private audience meeting with the Pope.

Lumea and her sisters learned a special devotion to God and the Catholic Church from their mom, but especially their grandmother, Lumea Bonin Wingate.  While sick, their grandmother lived with the Marshall girls in their home for several years.  She taught them the daily devotion of the Rosary along with the Mysteries of the Rosary.  After school, their cousin, Maureen, would join them which created a special bond with these five girls with their grandmother. Their grandmother taught them that we are all given the “gift of life” and how to be joyful having a full life rather than being sad about things that cannot be changed.

Lumea had to deal with rheumatoid arthritis for decades.  But, she did not let it hold her back.  She never complained about her illness which a lot of people noticed even though she struggled with the arthritis in her hands and feet.  Upon meeting someone, Lumea complimented them on small things in life.  Even while at her sickest, we could hear Lumea’s tiny voice saying, “Thank you” and “God Bless You.”

Lumea had a smile that touched anyone whom she met.  She maintained a charming yet unspoilt and fresh approach to life. She continued her devotion to God through her work with the Catholic Church by singing at masses for decades.  She had a beautiful voice enhanced by years of voice lessons.  It was obvious her passion was music.  Once she retired from the courthouse, she devoted her time to singing at weddings and funerals.  She had the voice of an angel. The Marshall girls and Maureen made sure their moms, who were sisters, were buried with pink ballerina slippers so they can dance in Heaven.  Following this tradition, Lumea will have her pink ballerina slippers as well as her rosary.  We have now lost 8 of our original 51 first-cousins.

She is preceded in death by her parents, James and Barbara Wingate Marshall, and her grandmother and namesake, Lumea Bonin Wingate, her grandfather, Claude Lewis Wingate, and her paternal grandparents, Lawrence and Grace Marshall.

Those left to cherish her memory are her two sons, Carey M. Brady and his wife, Kym, of Buda, Texas, and Shannon M. Brady and his wife, Michelle, of Las Vegas, Nevada; her three sisters, Melanie Marshall Cox and Jade Marshall Gough (husband, Phil) of Overland Park, Kansas; and, her sister, Jennifer Marshall Trahan (husband, Alto) of El Paso, Texas; her “other sister” and the fifth daughter, first-cousin, Maureen Lawrence Shupp (husband Mike) of Orange; six grandchildren, Zacharia Brady, Lilly Brady, and Poppy Brady of Las Vergas, and Olivia Brady, Jade Brady, and Chloe Brady of Buda, Texas, her godchildren, Morgan and Michael Shupp, and a large family of 19 nieces and nephews as well as 41 grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

All members of Lumea’s family wish to express their gratitude to Lumea’s sister, Jennifer Marshall Trahan, for her months of caring for Lumea especially with all the trips to the doctors and tending to her.  We also want to thank her niece, Mary Trahan Pizana, for her tenderness and care of her Aunt Lumea.  The doctors and nurses at Provident Sierra Hospital in El Paso gave Lumea wonderful care for which we thank them.

Visitation will be at 5 to 6 p.m., a Rosary at 6 p.m., and a eulogy at 7 p.m. at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, Texas on Friday, November 22, 2019.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 23, 2019, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Orange.  This is the church in which Lumea grew up where she was baptized, made her First Communion, and her Confirmation. Officiating will be the Rev. Joseph Daleo, pastor of St. Mary Church.  Burial will follow in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery where Lumea will be laid to rest near her mom and dad and grandparents.

Serving as pallbearers will be Alto Trahan, Phil Gough, Mike Shupp, Michael Shupp, Timothy Cook, Jimmie Cook, Al Wingate, and Eddie Garcia. Honorary pallbearers will be Michael Lance Lawrence and Morgan Shupp.