Marjorie Hewgley

Marjorie (Marge) Juanita Lewis Hewgley, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2015. She was 95 years of age. Marjorie was born to George Carl Lewis and Ella Nonamaker Lewis in their home near Downs, Kansas on June 1, 1919.

She grew up very poor, the daughter of sharecroppers during The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression. By the age of one, her family moved to Oklahoma where they remained for four years before moving on to Texas and then to a truck farm near Decatur, Arkansas. At the time, she considered it a privilege to be permitted to pick beans and strawberries. She loved strawberries and said that she ate more strawberries than she placed in boxes on the first few days of each strawberry season. The three years that she lived on that farm were a very happy time for her. At the age of nine she moved with her family to Siloam Springs, Arkansas where they lived for a year before moving to Paola, Kansas.

Beginning with the 8th grade, she spent her summers in Ponca City, Oklahoma caring for her nephews. It was also during the 8th grade that she became determined to be an English teacher. She attended high school at Paola High School where she formed friendships that she valued highly and lasted for a lifetime. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class in 1936. On the day of her graduation from high school, her father suffered a stroke and died three days later. She was awarded a scholarship by the Ursuline Circle which allowed her to continue her education in 1936 at the College of Paola, a junior college for women. She had the highest scores on both the English and Vocabulary entrance exams given that year to prospective students at 78 colleges and universities in 24 states. In college, she pursued teaching and modern languages.

Beginning in 1938, Marjorie taught elementary school for two years in a one-room school house in Miami County, KS. Her teaching contract with the state of Kansas was for $60 a month for 8 months. After this she moved to Ponca City, OK to attend business school. Upon completion of her business studies, she went to work for Conoco, performing secretarial duties.

She moved to Abilene, TX in 1945 and took a position as the secretary to Paul Ireland, the Scout Executive of the Chisholm Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America. It was there that she met her future husband Dale, when he joined the council staff as a District Executive in December, 1945. For their first date, they went horseback riding. After a brief engagement, they were married on April 26, 1946 in their boss’s living room and honeymooned at a dude ranch near Bandera, TX. Together she and Dale moved to Coleman, TX and her first child, Terry Jean, was soon born in nearby Stamford, TX.

In November, 1949 they moved to Waco, TX for a position her husband took with the Heart O’ Texas Council, BSA. While in Waco, her son Gregory Dale and daughter Sue Ella were born. In addition, she studied at Baylor University to continue her pursuit of languages. In 1953, Waco was devastated by the 11th deadliest tornado in U.S. history. She played a critical role on that day, mobilizing first responders from the Scouting community to provide aid to the severely stricken downtown area of Waco.

Marjorie’s husband took a position as Scout Executive of the Wills Rogers Council in Ponca City, Ok in 1956. In Ponca City, Marjorie was again employed by Conoco with secretarial duties and her son Jeffrey Clyde was born.

In the spring of 1968, Marjorie’s husband took a position with the Sam Houston Area Council in Houston, TX. In Houston, she continued working for Conoco in secretarial positions and later as a Crude Oil Trading Analyst until taking early retirement from Conoco in 1975.

Marjorie moved to Austin, TX in 1975 when her husband took the position of Scout Executive with the Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. For a few years, she ran a typing business in her home, mostly typing thesis and dissertations for graduate and doctoral students at the University of Texas. In addition, she served as the President of the Ro-Anns, a complimentary service organization for spouses of members of the Rotary Club of Austin. In the late 70's, she joined Execucom Systems, a dynamic software startup, providing support to several key executives and leadership to other support staff. In 1980, she was named Execucom's first Employee of the Year.

In June 1984, she retired with her husband to a home they built on Lake LBJ in Horseshoe Bay, Texas where she enjoyed frequent family gatherings and hosted visits from their many friends. During her retirement, they traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Alaska, and Mexico in their RV. They made many treasured friends in the Avion Travelcade Club and were active as both members and officers.

Marjorie was active in the Christian Church Disciples of Christ, serving as a Sunday school teacher in the church in Ponca City. She was a charter member of the Memorial Drive Christian Church in Houston. While in Austin, she was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church. During retirement, she was a longtime member of The Church at Horseshoe Bay.

She was a gracious woman known for her kind and cheerful nature. She was a consummate homemaker and hostess. She had a love for languages and was gifted with words and grammar. She played the organ, knit, and sewed much of her children's clothing and costumes. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother and Sunday school teacher. As a professional Scouter's wife, she provided leadership to the wives of professional Scouters at many regional and national conferences. She was a role model and mentor to many younger women who crossed her path. She loved birds and gardening.

Marjorie is survived by her four children: Terry Jean Onda, Gregory Dale Hewgley, Sue Ella Bain, and Jeffrey Clyde Hewgley. She is also survived by her three grandchildren: Tory Onda, Ryan Bain, and Reanna Bain. She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years Oriz Dale Hewgley, her father George Carl Lewis, mother Ella Nonamaker Lewis, sisters Neva Grace Giezentanner, Mary Ella Farthing, and brothers Merl Carl Lewis, Cloyd Delos Lewis and Judd Stephen Lewis.

The family wishes to express its sincerest gratitude to the staff of Buckner Villas for the kind and loving care they provided to Marjorie.

The family also encourages friends to join in a joyous celebration of Marjorie's life and share their remembrances of Marjorie at a memorial dinner to be held at Saltgrass Steak House, 10614 Research Blvd., Austin, Texas, on Monday February 9, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Private family interment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Azheimer's Association (www.alz.org), Darrell K. Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer's Disease (www.dkrfund.org), or the Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (bsacac.org/memorials.php).