Edna Earle Estes passed away peacefully at home on Friday, May 26. She was born to John James and Blanche Cook in Troup, TX on April 10, 1934 and was the youngest child in a family of four older brothers.
Her family moved to Port Arthur, Texas and ultimately to Nederland where she graduated in the class of 1952. She married Ernest Matthew (Ding Dong) Bell with whom she had two children, Kevin and Sherry, who were both raised in Nederland.
Edna Earle mentored many young girls by being a group leader for the Jolly Bluebirds, Camp Fire and Junior High Campfire Girls. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Nederland.
After Ding Dong’s death, she later married Elvin Gene Estes from Austin, TX and moved to Austin.
She and Elvin were sweethearts and best friends and were a model couple for many others. They worked side by side as they chose the land, designed, hand-picked wood and other materials (e.g. heart pine from an old schoolhouse) and built their dream home with their own hands over a period of seven years. Friends, family members and adopted family have spent many relaxed, loving, and fun hours in their home. Their doors were always open.
Edna Earle was a very loving and accepting mother. With everyone, she was understanding, always there to listen, seldom judged, did not offer advice unless asked and was extremely forgiving. Her approach to life was like the plaque on the walls of her homes --- “There ain’t nothing that’s going to come up to day that me and the good Lord can’t handle.”
She was preceded in death by her husband, Elvin, her mother and father and her brothers and sisters in law including Richard Allen (Pete) and Vivian Cook, James Leroy (Roy) and Sally Cook, Leslie Ray (Buddy) and Wanda Cook and Bobby Jo and Pat Cook.
She is survived by her children and step children, Sherry Bell of Austin; Kevin Bell and his wife Kim of Lafayette; Elvin Estes and his wife, Teri, of Austin; and Mark Czina of Katy, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Jayne and Rebecca Halford, Cody Estes, and Ashton Combs all of Austin and Matt Bell of New Orleans as well as twelve nieces and nephews and their families to whom she was either Auntie, Nonk, Aunt Edna Earle or Auntie Pud. She loved and was proud of them all.
A gathering of Mrs. Estes' family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at Broussard's, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. Her funeral service will be 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at Broussard's, Nederland, with her interment following at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, Port Neches.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her name to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, Florida 32256.
