Essie Nadine Schroeder

Essie Nadine Schroeder passed away Sunday, May 24, 2015 at the age of 89 in Pleasanton, Texas.

Nadine was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on November 30, 1925 to Lloyd and Estella Tucker and was the fifth of six children. At the age of 17 while visiting her married sister, Lillian Estes in Mercedes, Texas, Nadine met Jack Pershing Parker in the summer of 1943, and then they married that September. They soon started a family, having two boys and one girl and lived in the Rio Grande Valley and later Crystal City, Texas. After only 8 years of marriage a health condition caused Jack’s death in 1951. Nadine worked in local retail stores to raise her three small children until she acquired a position in Mercedes with Southwestern Bell Telephone Co./AT&T. In later years she transferred to Austin, Texas where she retired in 1980.

Prior to her retirement Nadine married Albert T. Schroeder in Taylor, Texas and they lived there 28 years until Albert’s death in 2008. Nadine moved to her daughter and son-in-law’s home in Pleasanton, Texas in early 2009.

Nadine was raised during the depression years and learned to conserve and to work hard. As a young girl, she learned many jobs in their home, even picking cotton in their fields. She learned well from her mother the arts of cooking and sewing. She was her happiest in the kitchen cooking big meals or baking cinnamon rolls, breads, or her families’ favorite cakes and pies. She was always willing to bake a cake for an ill friend or special occasion.

Her sewing talents allowed her in the early years to make clothes for herself and her children as well as doing furniture upholstery. She was creative in making all types of crafts and received blue ribbons in local craft shows with her dolls and pillows. She took joy in giving her crafts as gifts to her family and friends.

Nadine loved her family and enjoyed having big family gatherings. She had a good sense of humor, loved to make others laugh and play jokes. She enjoyed attending the local dances, local supper clubs and traveling. Nadine had a love and tender heart for cats. She would take in stray cats and feed them even if they were wild. She just couldn’t stand to see them go hungry.

During the years Nadine lived in Taylor she was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

She is preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, three brothers and two sisters.

She is survived by her two sons, Eddie Parker and daughter-in-law Shirley of Bishop, Texas and Daniel Parker of Arlington, Texas; daughter, Carlene Feemster and son-in-law Kenneth of Pleasanton, Texas; one sister-in-law, Darlene Parker of Rapid City, South Dakota; five granddaughters, Deborah Lord and husband Keith of Sugarland, Texas, Melanie Williams and husband Jeffery of Euless, Texas, Emily Repp and husband David of Kyle, Texas; Cynthia DeShan and husband David of Midland, Texas, Diana Gaddy and husband Marcus of Pooler, Georgia; one grandson, Steven Parker and wife Vanessa of Friendswood, Texas; 12 great-grandchildren, Jenna Parker, Mackenzie Parker, Paige Parker, Caroline Lord, Christopher Lord, Logan Repp, Lilly Repp, Eric DeShan and wife Shelley, Catherine DeShan and husband Josh, Rebecca DeShan, Kyle Gaddy, Kelsey Gaddy; four great-great-grandchildren, Kate DeShan, Levi DeShan, Emma DeShan, Clara DeShan; several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Friday, May 29, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 30, 2015 at the Providence Funeral Home Chapel in Taylor, Texas with Dr. David DeShan officiating. Burial will follow at the Taylor City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial donations may be made in Nadine’s memory to Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org or to the Charity of your choice.

Sincere thanks and love to Julie’s Care Home, Jourdanton, TX for their exceptional loving care they gave our mother. The management and staff cared for her with love and respect. We also extend our thanks to the entire Cima Hospice Staff for the excellent specialized service they provided during mom’s last weeks. And to all our family and friends for your love and support during these many years, we say, thank you and we love you all!

You are invited to share your words of comfort in an online tribute at www.Providencefuneralhome.com in Essie Nadine Schroeder’s memory.