Marguerite Dempsey

Marguerite Dempsey
March 11, 1920 – January 5, 2018

Marguerite Dempsey, 97, passed away Friday, January 5, 2018 in Glen Rose. Service: 2 p.m. Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at Vine Life Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, 1389 Hwy 144 South in Glen Rose. Interment: Post Oak Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 08, 2018 at Wiley Funeral Home, Glen Rose.

On March 11, 1920 at Brazos Point, a little bundle of joy was born to William Wesley Rice and Lucille Alberta Pugh Rice – her name was Marguerite Lourene. She had six sisters and six brothers. They grew up in the Hill Creek area of Bosque County.

Marguerite attended Hill Creek School thru the 9th grade, then completed 10th grade at Walnut Springs School. She was a feisty little thing and she knew how to take care of herself. One day while walking to school, an older boy spit on her. This made her fightin’ mad and she told him to wipe it off. He wouldn’t, so she picked up a rock, hit him in the head and knocked him out cold. She just walked on. He never spit on her again.

Several years later, the Rice family was on their way to a Revival in Glen Rose. Marguerite and her sisters were sittin’ in the back of the wagon with their legs dangling off the tail gate when they spied some boys, the Dempsey brothers, walking to the Revival. Marguerite pointed out one ‘specially handsome young man and told her sisters “that’s the man I’m gonna marry”. True to her word, she and George Winston Dempsey married on October 31, 1937.

They lived on a farm in Nemo for 2 years then moved to a dairy farm in Cleburne, and then to the Trimble place outside of Glen Rose. Shortly after they were married, she decided to make chicken and dumplings, a favorite of George’s. After he had eaten a bite or two, she asked “How are they?” He answered “They’re good, but not as good as mama’s.” George had to beg for dumplings after that.

Later, they moved to Fort Worth where George worked at the Quarter Master and Marguerite was one of the original “Rosie the Riveters” at Consolidated. George began work at Consolidated and she stayed home to raise Jerry and Marlin. George was drafted into the Army and spent a year serving in the Aleutian Islands. Marguerite and the boys moved across the street from Grandma “Allie” Dempsey in Glen Rose. When George returned, he went back to work at General Dynamics, working there for 36 years. During that time, they moved to Chalk Mountain where she continued to raise their kids. Marguerite made all of her own clothes and all of the boy’s clothes “… until they wouldn’t wear homemade shirts anymore.” Then, once again, they moved back to the Trimble place which is located near Dinosaur State Park. As was common for people of her generation, it was not unusual to have several others living with their family. She always provided lots of good food, care and a place to sleep, and helped other families in times of illness or death.

She worked in a sewing factory, Lorch Westway, in Cleburne for several years where she sewed zippers into outfits made from the same pattern, same cloth and different tags – Sears and Nieman Marcus. She always made her quota and none of her zippers ever had to be redone. Other employment includes Jameson Nursing Home in the 1960/s, Nursing Assistant at Marks-English Hospital from 1971-1973, Radio Dispatcher for Sheriff Frank Laramore in the old, historic jail from 1973-1980 and then for six years at the new jail on Highway 67. She worked as a cashier at the Brown Bag and Lindas2’s and finished her career by working at Wiley Funeral Home for many years as a funeral assistant and receptionist.

She was presented with the Outstanding Older Texan Award on May 30, 2007. The Glen Rose/Somervell County Chamber of Commerce selected Marguerite as “Mother of the Year” in 1995. She and George had five sons, 16 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 10 great great-grandchildren.
She was always seeing and doing new things and, at age 60, decided to take art lessons. She became quite an accomplished artist. Many of her paintings were donated to Relay for Life auctions and to many school functions to help her grandchildren.

A lover of nature, Marguerite enjoyed flowers and her yard, bluebirds, trees and homegrown tomatoes. She loved to travel and visited every state in the Continental United States except for Washington, Oregon and the Carolinas.

Vine Life Tabernacle was her church home for over 70 years. She had a genuine love for God, her family and friends and Glen Rose.

Marguerite is survived by children, Marlin & wife Ann Dempsey, Larry & wife Paula Dempsey, Gary & wife Debra Dempsey, and Ronald & wife Mary Lou Dempsey, daughter-in-law, Mary Dempsey, 16 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, 10 great great-grandchildren, sisters, Doris Morris, Christine Marsh, and Shirley Kettler, brothers, Orval Rice and Wayne Rice, numerous nieces & nephews, & many friends. She is preceded in death by husband, George Winston Dempsey, parents, William Wesley and Lucille Alberta Pugh Rice, sisters, Jimmie Helen Rice, Ruby Case and Willie Mae Garner, brothers, Gene, Hubert, Crawford and Elbert Rice, 1 great-granddaughter and son, Jerry Dempsey.