Arline Lange Shockey, 81, of Beaumont went to her heavenly home on January 1, 2008 and will be celebrating and spending the New Year, as well as eternity with her Lord and Heavenly Father.
Memorial Services held for the family and friends will be Saturday morning, January 5th at 10am at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Nederland, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Carl and Matilda Lange, as well as her brother Edison Carl Lange. She graduated from Holland High School in Holland, Texas, and attended both the University of Texas and Texas Woman’s University. While she was married to Major Blaine Shockey, USAF, and stationed at Randolph Air Force Base San Antonio in the late 1950’s, she worked as a Civil Service Administrative Assistant and held a high security clearance. She graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont and worked as a Licensed Vocational Nurse and had retired from Mid-Jefferson County Hospital in Nederland. Arline was a devote Lutheran and was an active member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Nederland for over 40 years. She was the loving mother of seven children and enjoyed spending time with all of them and would talk about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to anyone who would listen. She spoke German fluently and was very proud of her German-Texas heritage. She was interviewed in March 2007 at the University of Texas for a book to be published about German-Texas culture. She was extremely proud of her first grandson, Captain Charles (Chas) David Usé, who has been serving his country in the Army since his graduation from Texas A&M in 2003, and is currently with the 4th Infantry Division on his second tour in Iraq. She also loved watching her granddaughter Lauren grow up playing soccer, and was very proud of Lauren’s academic achievement and her soccer scholarship at the University of North Texas.
She is survived by her sons, Carl Shockey and his wife Mary Ann of Plano, TX, Steven Shockey and his wife Denna of Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Her daughters; Melissa Lavespere and husband Jim, of Nederland, Becky Usé and husband Chuck of Flower Mound, TX, Cheryl Wendling and husband Michael of League City, Pam Shockey-Kaplani and husband Jim of Missouri City, TX, Lisa Nault and husband Mike of Grapevine, TX; thirteen grandchildren, Captain Charles Usé and his wife, Captain Hope McClesky Usé, Kelli Lynn Usé, James Lavespere, Megan Lavespere, Jeremy Lavespere and wife Tiffany, Lauren Shockey, Victor Barrett Pittman, Matthew Darrell Pittman, Taylor Gibson, Olivia Arline Nault, Allie Nault and two great-grandchildren, which include Timothy James "T.J." Lavespere, and a second great-grandchild, who is expected in April 2008 by Charles and Hope Usé. She is also survived by a step-daughter Janet Cain and her husband Edward and their children Carol and Scott, as well as a host of other nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Arline was an avid Astros fan and loved to have a beer and watch them play ball at Minute Maid Park. Arline worked as a nurse for over 25 years and three of her daughters, Melissa, Becky and Lisa are also nurses. Arline had a very quick wit and a wicked sense of humor, and as a nurse, she probably would have said that she didn’t die; she just had a “Celestial Discharge.” She will be missed by all and her granddaughter Alaina will especially miss Grandma taking her to shop for books at Barnes and Noble.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Holy Cross Lutheran Church Memorial Fund.
