Shirley Ruth Overton

Shirley Ruth Overton 

1938-2019        

Shirley Ruth Overton, age 80, left this life on January 6, 2019. She was born in Legonier, LA on September 9, 1938 to Edgar Lee Jackson Sr. and Mary Meyers Jackson.

A soft-spoken, sweet woman, Shirley was as gentle as a lamb. Loved by everyone that met her, she never met a stranger and was a lot of fun to be around. While waitressing in a breakfast café, her beautiful spirit was recognized by a young man named Larry. Although it took him a few tries to get the right phone number from her, once he did, they would start a relationship that you only hear about in fairy tales. Marrying on May 5, 1959, Larry and Shirley loved like two high school kids; during their many years together, they often could be found dancing in the kitchen, flirting and holding hands and Larry calling Shirley, “Lovey”, “Goose” and “Sweetheart”, while she called him “Honey” and for dinner. Shirley’s life was devoted to her family; fishing trips with Larry and the kids, her special effort to make the holidays so memorable or antique shopping with her daughter, Rachel, to further her doll collection, every moment that Shirley could spend with her family was a treasure to her and a chance to make memories. Her best friends were her sisters and daughters. Though Larry was a homebody, he always supported their many shenanigans: traveling, shopping, playing bingo, etc. Saying no to her children was foreign to Shirley’s vocabulary; she would sooner go without for herself before allowing her children to be in need, leading to a long-time, successful career with Jefferson County Credit Union, where she was affectionately known as “Mama Shirley”. She gave her children love and life lessons: from her ability to knock her pecan pies out of the park, a mantle that her son, Jody, has now taken up for family gatherings; teaching Penny to cook her from-scratch gumbo; and passing on her eternally kind, gracious nature. Her grandchildren were an important part of her life. Many hours were spent with her late son, Brandon, who would never mind taking her to play the slot machines. Whether she was known as “Nanny” or “Mama Shirley”, her selfless and constant way of expressing her love will be remembered by those she leaves behind.

Left to honor her memory are her daughters, Penny McDill and husband, Dan, of Houston, TX and Rachel Overton of Lumberton, TX; son, Jody Overton and wife, Sharon, of Kountze, TX; brother, Jerry Jackson and wife, Brenda Jackson, of Clinton, LA; sisters, Louise Moreau of Marksville, LA and Betty Cazelot of Simmesport, LA; daughter-in-law, Barbara Overton; grandchildren, Derek Harper, Chris Vidrine, Hannah McDill, Sarah McDill, Holli Vidrine, Garrett Overton, Nathaniel McDill, Thomas McDill, Amelia McDill, Mandi Overton, B.J. Overton, Ryan Russum, Holly Flanagan and Lorie Sanders; great-grandchildren, C.J. Vidrine, Wyatt Harper, Devan Walker, Dylan Walker, Brie Flanagan, James Flanagan and Clay Flanagan; great-great-grandchildren, Declan Ener; and many nieces and nephews that adored her.

Shirley is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Larry Overton; son, Brandon Overton; and brother, Edgar Lanier Jackson Jr.

Visitation with family and friends will be 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, January 12, 2019, at Lumberton Family Funeral Home, 766 S. Main St. Lumberton, TX. Shirley’s life honoring service will follow at 5:00 p.m. also at the funeral home, with Pastor Keith Herrin officiating.

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