Madeline Grace Berry

Madeline Grace Berry was born Feb. 4th,1923 to Jefferson Cleveland Nowell and Flora Grace Knowles Nowell near Anson, Texas. Jefferson Cleveland Nowell had married Flora Grace Knowles in 1913, bringing his two young boys, Bynum age 6 and Ernest age 4, to their new mother, affectionately known as "Gracie". The mother of the two boys, Mollie Martin Nowell, had died and left a huge hole in the young Nowell family. Jefferson Cleveland and Flora Grace went on to have 12 children together, making a total of 14 children that were raised in their household. The 12 children were Lucille, Ken, Ailene, Robert, Madeline, Sparky, Bill, Doris, Marie, J. C., Shirley, and Jack. With Madeline’s passing, only Marie now survives the 14 children. Madeline’s oldest siblings grew up in the era of World War I and the Roaring Twenties. Madeline and her younger siblings came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. Their father farmed cotton on dry land in West Texas. They were all caught up in the hurricane of history that was World War II. It was during World War II that Madeline met Clifford William Berry, a young Merchant Marine seaman home on leave from the war, on a Sunday afternoon in late February 1943. They married one week later on Monday afternoon March 1, 1943, a common practice during the war when young lovers knew they could not be confident of a future together. Cliff Berry was fortunate, however, and survived the war, remaining married to Madeline for 50 years until his passing in 1994. When the war finally ended in 1945, Clifford left the Merchant Marines and went to work for Armour & Company at the Armour meat packing plant in Fort Worth, Texas. He would use his knowledge of steam and diesel engines, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, all acquired in the engine rooms of merchant ships delivering fuel and ammunition to the American armed forces during the war. With his knowledge and skills, it would lead to his rise to the level of Plant Engineer with Armour during a career that moved the family from Fort Worth to Baltimore to Omaha to Kansas City to Arlington to Lubbock to Houston. Cliff left Armour in 1967 and joined Missouri Beef Packers as Plant Engineer in their new meat packing plants in Friona and Plainview. He left Missouri Beef Packers in 1976 and he and Madeline moved to Fort Worth where he spent his last working years in the Fort Worth Water Department. Madeline and Cliff had two sons along the way. Clifford Lyndon Berry was born in 1947 in Fort Worth, Texas, and Douglas William Berry was born in 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska. Those two sons gave Madeline three grandchildren. Anne Katherine Marie Berry, daughter of Lynn and Lana Berry, was born in 1976 and was the primary reason for Madeline and Cliff’s departure from Plainview and relocation to Fort Worth to be near their first grandchild. Ross Daniel Berry, son of Lynn and Lana, was born in 1985 in Abilene, and Daniel Douglas Berry, son of Doug and Ellie Berry, was born in 1987 in Corsicana, Texas. Madeline loved her three grandchildren very, very much. She and Cliff were always delighted to care for them, whether it was a day or a weekend or a week. Cliff’s love for his grandchildren could best be described as patient and instructive. Madeline’s love was fierce, and her grandchildren came early to understand that their grandmother was a passionate fan of theirs. Madeline was born into a family of Christians and became a Christian herself as a young woman. Her adult fear of water suggested that she had either been baptized or taught to swim in a stock tank with little or no gentle coaching. Growing up in the time and place where she did, it’s likely that both scenarios were true. Her Christianity was really formed, however, after marrying Cliff, since he had little history of church attendance in his childhood and did not readily identify as a Christian at all. Parenthood, however, pressures young parents to define who they are and how they will raise their children, and Madeline elected to mount a campaign to convert Cliff to Christianity. As a result, her efforts were rewarded with Cliff’s baptism into Christ in Baltimore in 1953. Lynn recalls witnessing that baptism and Madeline’s joy on that occasion. Church thereafter became the centerpiece of the Berry family’s social life. Madeline and Cliff always made many friends in their church homes and the family’s recreation and entertainment always seemed to include a preponderance of Christian friends from their churches in the various cities where they lived. Her last church home was the Westhill Church of Christ in Corsicana. Madeline and Cliff worshipped there until his death in 1994, and then Madeline continued to worship there until she lost her car keys in 2016. Madeline was also strongly attached to her birth family, the Nowells. With 14 siblings, the family gatherings, both regular and frequent, were events where large groups of people came together to honor their aging mother, “Gracie”, and to eat and play together. The gatherings were always noisy and filled with activity. The young played outside while Madeline and her generation played 42, inside and outside, wherever enough tables could be set up to accommodate the many domino players. Loud laughter would sometimes be punctuated with an occasional argument or near fight, reminding everyone present of the power of sibling attachments and rivalries. As the years passed and children grew up and left home, the size of the family gatherings began to slowly shrink while attendance at family funerals became more frequent. As Madeline’s generation began to dwindle more and more, it was often discussed who would survive the others and live to be the last. Now we know that Marie has been selected for that role. Madeline also loved her husband’s family, a collection of Texans named Berry, Himmel, Adair, Franklin, Brock, and McClure, just to name some. Madeline and Cliff’s generation, however, have now all passed away. Subsequent generations, thinning in numbers, are scattered far and wide. Most of them will not even learn of Madeline’s passing until the word finally reaches them though family grapevines shared at dinner tables on Thanksgiving. In addition to her one surviving sister and brother-in-law, Marie and Bobby Bishop of Mansfield, Madeline is survived by her sons and daughters in law, Lynn and Lana Berry of Corsicana, and Doug and Kathy Berry of Corsicana. She has five grandchildren, and they are all married, namely Katie and Tom Frye of Oxnard, CA. Ross and Amanda Berry of Nashville, TN. and Daniel and Jenn Berry of Ft Worth. She has three great grandchildren, namely Jack, Madeline, and Gus Frye of Oxnard, CA. and Liam and Savannah Berry of Ft. Worth. She has nieces and nephews by the dozen. Madeline’s journey to 100 became difficult in her final years as she lost mobility, and her clarity began to wane. A number of caregivers helped the family care for her and they truly prolonged her life. The caregivers who served the family and Madeline the longest were Roslyn Eldridge, Angela Kurney Merida, Joy Johnson, Terri Anderson, Angela Rhynes, and Julia Leann Wade. Hand in Hand Hospice was also in constant attendance to Madeline’s care for the last 18 months of her life, and Bri Wilcoxson, Robin Hoover, Cara Woodin, Amy Overby, and Don Jones will be remembered with affection and gratitude for years to come. Angels at Home also provided care, and the Berry family wants Rose Rash and Barbara Shorten to know how much their efforts meant to us. Madeline lived to be 100, and she outlived almost all of her friends and family. One can only recall the famous Christian hymn “Imagine” and try to visualize her reaction to meeting her Savior face to face. It’s also easy to conceive of the happy reunion with Clifford and her family and friends. Her remaining family members and friends will gather for a graveside memorial where her ashes will be interred next to her husband’s grave at Oakwood Cemetery in Corsicana. The gathering will take place at 6PM on Thursday evening April 13, 2023. Any and all who remember Madeline and desire to join us will be welcome. In lieu of flowers, Madeline supported two Christian organizations that had impacted the lives of the Berry family and blessed many, most of whom the Berrys would never meet, and the Berrys ask that you consider a gift to one of these two entities: Wilderness Trek Christian Camp 1003 Shell Avenue Midland, Texas 79705 Wilderness Trek Christian Camp is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and your donations are tax deductible. Donations can be made by check or by using the “Donate” button on the website “www.wildernesstrek.org”. Zambia Medical Mission P. O. Box 3393 Abilene, Texas 79604-3393 Zambia Medical Mission is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and your donations are tax deductible. Donations can be made by check or by using the “Donate” button on the website. “https://zambiamission.org”.

Madeline Grace Berry

February 4, 1923 - March 18, 2023