May Lanham

May Lanham, of Old Washington, passed away on May 20, 2022, the day after celebrating her 96th birthday.

Visitation with the family will be held from 5pm – 7pm on Monday, May 23 at Memorial Oaks Chapel. Funeral services will be at 10am on Tuesday, May 24, at Frieden’s United Church of Christ in Washington, TX. Pastor Glen Schoeneberg will officiate. Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery.

May Dell Mohr was born in Old Washington on May 19, 1926 to parents Walter and Hilda (Krueger) Mohr. She was the second of seven children. May enjoyed her childhood on the family farm, where she learned the values of hard work and a close-knit family who loved spending time together. These fun days together during her childhood built the foundation for many lifelong relationships with her immediate and extended family. The older May and her loved ones grew, the closer they became, and they treasured all the time they were able to spend together.

May began her education at Brown’s Prairie Schoolhouse, continued at Brenham High School, and completed her formal education by graduating from Rockdale High School. After graduation, May followed the path that many young people did in those days and moved to the “big city” to find work. While in Houston, May worked as a telephone operator for Tidewater Oil Company. While living in Houston, she met her future husband Sam Lanham. They were married November 1, 1948, in Washington state, where Sam was stationed with the US Army. Sam’s long career in the US Army and later as a Corrections Officer meant that the family moved several times over the years. May always provided a warm and loving home for her husband and their children Linda and David.

May was the definition of industrious – she took great care of her husband and children and was an amazing homemaker, she would sew clothing for her kids (including prom dresses and a wedding dress for Linda), baked bread and desserts, kept in close contact with friends and family, volunteered for the Brownies, and more. She was talented at hand crafts and crocheting. In their spare time, Sam and May enjoyed playing card games with friends. May never sat still for very long!

After Sam’s passing in 1983, May returned home to the Brenham area. She took care of her aging parents and relished reconnecting with all her old friends and extended family. May returned to her childhood Church, Frieden’s UCC, and was very active with church activities. She taught Sunday School, attended Women’s Fellowship and Fun Fellowship groups, and almost every other church activity. May was involved with the TEEA, and during election season was a Poll Worker.

May took up quilting and enjoyed her local quilt club. She entered her handcrafts in the Washington County Fair and won numerous ribbons and awards. May looked forward to the Fair every year when she could work at the Country Store. May kept a garden and canned vegetables. She also enjoyed dominoes and she worked hard to win the “Card Shark” award in family card games. May’s mind stayed sharp as she grew older, she never stopped challenging herself to learn new things. May was well versed at family and local history and did quite a bit of genealogy research on her own and Sam’s family trees.

The highlight of May’s life was receiving frequent visits from grandkids and great-grandkids, who called her G-Ma. In recent years, to celebrate her birthday, the family would hold a casserole contest. May enjoyed her role as supervisor and judge, awarding each casserole a ribbon. The family truly enjoyed these special days together with love, laughs, and more food than they could eat.

May enjoyed her independence and always pushed herself to learn more and do more. May lived on her own until just a few months ago when she suffered a stroke. May will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

May is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Sam, and her siblings Lydia Rust, Jack Mohr and Roger Mohr.

Surviving loving family includes: daughter Linda Jurecka (Ron Kellogg), son David Lanham; grandchildren Michael Bacon (Angie), Jim Bacon (Heather), Amy Lanham (Rey), Lisa Hendrix (Chris), Matt Lanham (Veronica), Emily Stewart (Jeff), Jenna Lanham (Emilio); great-grandchildren Jenny Bacon, Zach Bacon, Sam  Bacon, Justin Bacon, Katelynn Frier, Landon Frier, Matthew Lanham, Olive Lanham, Kaden Hendrix, Rylan Hendrix, Dean Stewart, Thad Stewart, Emma Stewart, Rachel Lanham; siblings Dan Mohr, Jerry Mohr, Virginia Layton; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Pallbearers will be grandsons and grandsons-in-law: Mike Bacon, Jim Bacon, Rey Bentencur, Chris Hendrix, Matt Lanham, Jeff Stewart, and Emilio Varela.

If you’d like to make a contribution in memory of May, please consider a donation to Frieden’s UCC Church.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Memorial Oaks Chapel, 1306 West Main, Brenham (979) 836-4564.