
Mary Casteel
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On May 13th, Marty Casteel lost her long battle with kidney disease and went home to be with our Lord. Yet through it all she never lost her spunky wit, her sparkling brown eyes, or sharp witted remarks. She was a sweetheart who used to sing Walk Through This World With Me to us when we were little, so to honor her for walking through this world with us, we sang it to her on her way out. We called her Lucille Ball because she could always make us laugh no matter what the circumstances. While the younger set affectionately called her Gran Gran or Grandma CB. At 88, her memory was still amazing. She never forgot a birthday, anniversary or prayer request.
She was born Mary Martha Janowiak in Harrah, Oklahoma on January 3, 1931, during the Great Depression, as the oldest of three girls. Life on a farm was tough, but she was even tougher. She was always outgoing, witty and funny. As a teenager, she was the yearbook editor at Harrah High School, worked at the local bank, was the church organist, was the youngest President of Catholic Daughters of America, and was drum majorette for the marching band.
She worked as a bookkeeper for Senator Robert Kerr of Kerr-Mcgee Oil & had to get certified in comptometry (early computer system). Although the classes were difficult, her letters to her future husband indicate that she excelled in all her classes. Marty met Billy Glynne Casteel on a school band trip when they were 12 and 13 years old. He said “You are the cutest and sweetest thing I've ever met, I'm going to marry you someday” and she said “yes". After a bumpy start when Bill was too shy to ask her out, she asked him out on their first date, to a movie. Rumor has it that they watched the show three times, enough for her dad to get worried & start searching, and when both sets of parents got their kid home, neither one could remember any of the plot to the movie. And the rest, as they say, is history. Except for when Senator Kerr had to intervene and play Cupid when Bill’s Army leave and thus the wedding got canceled 3 times. The story went national and the third time instead wound up being the charm. She received press clippings from newspapers from near and far, as far away as the "Washington DC Evening Star". The couple was off to a great start.
Bill was a chemical engineer & Marty a housewife who volunteered in every parish in which they lived. They raised 5 children as they moved around six states together. She volunteered for other worthy organizations such as Youth City, Helping Hand House, Mi Casa, Suicide Prevention hotline, Francis House, Columbian Ladies, and Castaways in Rockport, as well as the local food banks even serving on the board of directors on some.
Marty loved playing cards like Bridge, canasta or any card game and bowling. She taught all the kids & grandkids how to play cards when they were young and to follow rules. Foremost you didn’t cheat, and she played to win. She was a great bowler, she even was the citywide women's bowling champion of Corpus Christi in 1972. Her love of bowling led to many international bowling conventions and competitions in which she placed. She was full of antics and her bowling companions nicknamed her “Mother Superior”. Marty loved to travel and made friends everywhere she went. Pretty remarkable for a lady who didn't speak English until she was 6 years old. She's sang, did barbershop quartet, played the organ, wrote poetry, worked crossword puzzle and loved reading recipes. She loved to socialize. She loved to get involved. She really enjoyed dining out. She loved to spend time with her friends. A lifelong Catholic, she loved her church.
She had a big heart, was very generous, kind and loved her family dearly. She was a loving grandmother and great grandmother. She is survived by four daughters, Lynne (Cleve) Woods of Rockport; Jeane (Bill) Weaver of Lamar, Susie (Wayne) Wylie of Hurst, and Angie (Gene) Casteel of Kent, WA; one son Frankie Casteel of Colorado, six grandchildren; Christopher (Emily), George (Katie), Katie (Ryan), Sarah (Roman), Mary (Jeff) and John, and 6 great grandchildren; Freya & Amy, and Olivia & Avery and Beau & Colby. She was preceded in death her husband, Bill, her parents, Hattie & Frank, and two sisters, Jan Zurbriggen & Bobbye Janowiak.
