Texas has lost a member of its historical family. Mary Edna McKallip Crawford passed away on Saturday, April 21, 2007 after
a long, full life. Born on October 28, 1917, Mary Edna was the great, great granddaughter of Susanna Dickinson, the only survivor of the Alamo. She was raised by her father and grandmother in Houston, where she attended the Kinkaid School and San Jacinto High School. Later, she also attended Wellesley College and the Rice Institute.
On April 17, 1936, Mary Edna married Walter Joshua Crawford. The couple settled in Beaumont, where she lived until her death. In Beaumont, she was an active member of the Magnolia Garden Club, the Junior League, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and the Symphony of Southeast Texas. She was a lifetime supporter of the Texas Ornithological Society, with whom she founded the Mary Edna Bird Sanctuary in Bolivar, Texas. She served on the board of St. Stephen’s School in Austin, supported the Audubon Society and was a member of the Colorado Chautauqua Association and the Colonial Dames of America.
Mary Edna had a great love for the outdoors. She was an avid tennis player, golfer, hiker and fisher. She, her husband and her beloved friends enjoyed these activities around the world. Likewise, she had a passion for birds and flowers, which she admired everywhere, particularly in Texas and Colorado, where she spent almost every summer at Chautauqua.
Mary Edna is survived by her three children, Walter J. Crawford, Mary Wolff and Alice Thomas; her brother, Curtis McKallip; seven grandchildren; four great grandchildren; many friends and a profound love for the State of Texas.
Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church with a graveside service at 3:00 p.m. at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. A gathering of family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m. in The Cloister Room of St. Mark’s until time of service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to charity of your choice.
The family would like for everyone to join them for a reception at the home of Mary and David Wolff beginning at 4:00 p.m.
