RUTH JEANEANE (REED) PRICHARD
Ruth Jeaneane (Reed) Prichard of Donie passed away on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Ascension Providence Hospital in Waco, following a brief illness, at age 87.
A graveside service was held at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, on the family’s land. Parking will be available and transportation by hayride to the grave space and attendees are invited to bring an ATV/ UTV. Visitation will follow services at the family’s home.
Jeaneane was born March 3, 1935, in Teague to Hollie and Ruth (Slaughter) Reed. She grew up on the family farm, working alongside her brothers, in the Fair Oaks community,where she attended school.
Jeaneane and Roland Arthur Prichard fell in love when he came home from his military service. They eloped and were married at the home of the Justice of the Peace in Groesbeck and went to live on the coast where he was working.
Roland always told her he would move her back to Limestone County, and they did move back, buying land near family. Roland passed away when their kids were in their early teens, and Jeaneane stood strong in her faith and overcame the obstacles of becoming a single mom at the age of 33.
After being widowed, Jeaneane opened and ran the Personville store for many years, starting with the old one, and she later built a store. Once she retired from the store, she became “Granny,” keeping six grandchildren and also babysitting Daron Stone. Once the grandchildren became grown, she was overjoyed to hear each time when a new great-grandchild was on the way.
She had a caregiver’s heart, who took care of her parents and her brothers as well as her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she was a Christian.
Jeaneane thoroughly enjoyed being the ringleader of all the activities she participated in with the kids. She said she lived four childhoods: first, her childhood; second, raising her children; third, the time with the grandchildren; and finally the great-grandchildren. She never raised her voice or got mad at any of her grand- or great-grandchildren. She was always laughing and having fun.
Some of those wonderful memories include: Granny taking them swimming at Lake Limestone (even though she could not swim, she was in the water with them in her life jacket); going to the city pool in Groesbeck and the library for summer reading programs; the kids running behind her old pickup and jumping in and out; riding in the pickup while she was driving up and down the steep hills on her farm fast enough to give them butterflies in their stomachs; trips to climb and explore the creek; long walks down the road; sleep-overs with all six kids at the same time (when she had them so tired from the day’s fun they really did go to sleep); taking them to Vacation Bible School; eating “Big Foot” pizzas at the Pizza Hut in Mexia and junk food at the Snack Shack. During trips to Wal-Mart, they helped with the shopping she did for herself and her brothers. Also, she was a very good cook.
Granny played hide-andseek with them; taught them all to garden and had them shelling peas and snapping green beans; and watched their favorite TV shows and her huge collection of Disney movies with them, as well as her own favorite show (Gunsmoke). Later when her great-grandchildren were little, she bought a golf cart to keep up with them and taught all of them how to drive it before they could see over the steering wheel.
And even later, she would find ways to play with them and keep them entertained from her chair. She was blessed to have her family close all her life. She told her family (before the time it was needed) how she wanted them to bury her – on the hill on their land – and she said ”since she came into this world on a wagon, she wanted to leave this world on a wagon.” And the family is proud to be honoring her wishes.
Jeaneane was preceded in death by her parents, Hollie and Ruth Reed; her brothers Don Wayne Reed and John Hollie Reed; her husband, Roland Arthur Prichard; and her son, Roland Duane “Pee-Wee” Prichard.
She is survived by her two daughters and their families: Margaret Jeaneane Towers of Donie and her children Mychal and husband Shane Masters of Donie and Travis “T.C.” and wife Lara Towers of College Station; and Elizabeth and husband Leo McGilvray of Donie and their daughters Stephanie and husband Scott Bell of McKinney and Shelli Knutson of Dallas. Pee-Wee’s children are: Josh and wife Kim Prichard of Bryan; and Juston and wife Britney Prichard of Thornton. From the six grandchildren, she has 13 great-grandchildren – Mychal’s: Braelyn, Kara, and Rhett Masters; T.C.’s: Kimber and Paige Towers; Stephanie’s: Scott Bell Jr., Sydney Bell, Sara Bell, and Sophie Bell; Shelli’s: Olivia Knutson and Gianna Knutson; and Jutson’s: Dillon Prichard and Maddie Prichard.
Visit www.groesbeckfuneralhome.com to leave messages of condolence on the guestbook.