Pearl Messina Cascio, 91, of Beaumont died Saturday, April 9, 2011 at Jefferson Nursing and Rehab. Born in Opelousas, Louisiana on April 10, 1919, to Sam and Frances Messina; she was a resident of Beaumont for sixty-nine years.
She was the owner/operator of Longhorn Cleaners, and she was lovingly known in the community as “The Cookie Lady.” You could bet if she was coming to your grocery store, bank, or doctor’s office, she had a bag of cookies for you! She never forgot a birthday, always making your favorite pie or cake with chocolate icing and pecans. She even made hundreds of Italian cookies for family weddings! Maw Maw, as she was known, will be greatly missed.
Her love of baking and her Sicilian background attributed to her selfless giving of time, talent, and treasure to the Catholic Italian tradition of the St. Joseph Altar. She began this service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in the 1950’s and then in the home of Beatrice Farnie.
Survivors include her brother, Charley Messina and his wife Annette; sisters-in-law, Elva and Annie Cascio; daughters, Katherine Rinando and her husband Vincent and Frances Kaiser and her husband Jim; son, Joseph Lee Cascio, Sr. and his wife Vicki; grandchildren, Rose Telez, Paula and Kevin Driskill, Jimmy and Jenny Kaiser, Vince and Amy Rinando, Jr., Joey Cascio, Jr., David and Sara Kaiser, Tony Cascio, Christopher and Jennifer Rinando, and Bobby Summers; fifteen great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and numerous Godchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lee Cascio; three brothers; three sisters; and her lifelong friend, Beatrice Farnie.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A gathering of her family and friends will be Monday, April 11, 2011, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., at Broussard’s.
Many thanks go to the caregivers at Jefferson Nursing and Rehab for their dedicated time, kindness and love to their “Pearly”.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in her name to St. Anne Catholic School’s Pre Kindergarten Program, 375 N. 11th Street, Beaumont, Texas 77702.
