Willie Kate McMullen McDonald

Willie Kate McMullen McDonald, of Orange, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 98.
Kate was born in Jackson, Alabama on December 29, 1908, to William Agee McMullen and Minnie Lee Presnell McMullen. She was raised in Jackson, marrying her sweetheart Jesse McDonald in Jackson on July 24, 1927. They lived in Jackson until 1934, when they moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, then to Orange in 1936.
She was preceded in death by her parents; by Jesse, her loving husband of nearly 66 years; by daughters, Agnes Margarete McDonald and Minnie Katherine McDonald Calkins; by son-in-law, Glenn A. Calkins; by grandson, Phillip McDonald Calkins; and by all of her six siblings.
She is survived by one son, William J. McDonald and his wife Brenda of Houston; by four grandchildren, W. Stanton McDonald and his wife Kelly of Austin, Jessica McDonald of Houston, Allyson Calkins Eckman and husband Richard, Barbara Calkins Ruiz and husband Jay, all of Baton Rouge; and by seven great grandchildren Stanton and Hunter McDonald of Austin, Rachael Feigley, Richard Feigley and wife Karla, Brant and Evan Ruiz, all of Baton Rouge; and by Glenn Calkins; and by one great great granddaughter, Kaylyn Pomeroy of Baton Rouge. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Kate was a resident of Orange for over seventy years, and during those years, was a faithful and active member of the First Baptist Church of Orange. She spent many hours participating, teaching and leading in the Sunday School, the WMU and Ladies Circle, and in other activities, but especially the worship services and the Church Library, where she delighted in reading and telling Bible stories to the children .
Willie Kate was an active member and officer in the Garden Division of the Women?s Club of Orange. She rarely missed entering the annual Floral Arrangement competition, often taking home blue ribbons for her artistic entries. She truly had a ?green thumb.? She could break a cutting off of a shrub, stick it in the ground and it would grow. She was happiest when working in her home, garden and yard.
Kate was a member of the Jefferson Davis Chapter 1637, United Daughters of the Confederacy UDC, and a member of the Lady Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution DAR, both of Houston.
The family will receive friends for visitation in the chapel of Claybar Funeral Home in Orange, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2007, followed by the funeral service at 2:30 p.m. Officiating will be Reverend Barry Bradley, pastor of First Baptist Church
Interment will be in Orange Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Orange.
For those wishing so, in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Library Fund of the First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1453, Orange, Texas 77631.
Condolences may be left for the family at www.claybarfuneralhome.com .