Mary Jo Dewees Elkins was born to Joe B. and Mary Crowhurst Dewees on October 29, 1924, in Hempstead, Texas, and passed away at her home in Katy, Texas on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at the age of 96 years old. On August 9, 1942, she wed James Kenneth Elkins in Hempstead. They were blessed with three daughters, Marilyn, Elizabeth and Deborah.

She was the oldest child born to parents deeply involved with evangelism work and preaching the gospel throughout southeast Texas. Mary Jo was saved at the early age of five and continued to live out her life pursuing Jesus by serving in her home church teaching Sunday school, at youth camps in the pop stand and in revivals as an altar worker along with her husband, Kenneth.

Mary Jo was an avid quilter and an incredible seamstress, cook and floral designer. She loved fishing, the Astros, the Frio River, Matagorda, and traveling to several countries and states with her husband and friends throughout the years. Mary Jo had impeccable handwriting and she wrote her children and grandchildren monthly letters for years. You might recognize her from her signature red hair and lipstick and her famous teacakes! Mary Jo was a member of the Katy Literary Club, Garden Club, Twentieth Century Club and Christian Neighbors as well as a long-time member of Trinity Faith Church, in Katy.

Her greatest earthly treasures are her family members who fondly called her “Mamoo”. She is survived by her three daughters and sons-in-law, Marilyn and Bill Madsen, Elizabeth “Liz” and Raymond Dollins, and Deborah and Rich Lamkin; eight grandchildren, Polly Dollins Barker and her husband Tim, J.R. “Joey” Dollins, Harris Lamkin, Chris Madsen and his wife Kami, Heather Dollins Metzgar and her husband Jarrod, Joanna Madsen Edinger, Jake Lamkin and his wife Amanda and Ken Madsen; great-grandchildren, Tara Barker Collins, Trey Barker, Cinco Dollins, Carmen Dollins, Braedon Metzgar, Bryson Metzgar, Dean Madsen, Grady Madsen, Ace Edinger, Lulanna Edinger, Jordan Lamkin, Jack Lamkin, Emma Varela, and Chandler Lamkin. She is also survived by her sister Elva Dean Dewees Mathis and her husband Donald of Hempstead and her brother John Wesley Dewees and his wife Carol Faye of Joplin, Missouri; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband James Kenneth Elkins on February 24, 1996; her parents; and three brothers, Parham, Claude and James Dewees.

The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 21, 2021, at the Trinity Faith Church, 5900 10^th Street in Katy, where the funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Tim Barker officiating. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday at Salem Cemetery, 42607 Henson Road, Hempstead, Texas 77445.

Funeral services held under the direction of:

Schmidt Funeral Home
1508 East Avenue
Katy, Texas  77493
(281) 391-2424