Mary Anne Green

Mary Anne Allen Green, 95, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.  Mary was born June 19, 1927, on the Allen Ranch in Runnels County to pioneer ranchers Rufus and Frances Wood Allen.

Having attended primary school at Barnett and Old Runnels, she graduated from Ballinger High School in 1944 and earned credentials as a registered nurse from the John Sealy Hospital School of Nursing in Galveston in 1947. At the time, Mary Anne was the youngest graduate of that nursing school, having left Ballinger on a bus for Galveston shortly after her high school graduation at age 16. It was in Galveston that she met the love of her life, John Edward Green, Jr. They were married at the home of Mary Anne’s parents at 509 Tenth Street in Ballinger on September 14, 1947, but enjoyed returning to Galveston for visits and class reunions throughout their 63 years of marriage.

To this union were born five children who fondly remember their mother standing at the kitchen counter at their home on 401 Fifth Street in Ballinger cooking dinner every night throughout the years of her marriage and child-rearing, stirring some fine cuisine at the stove, and waiting for the kids and her husband to come home. It was also in this kitchen that she served breakfast every single morning of her married life.  John would enter the kitchen, often smelling of ether and still wearing his white lab coat, and would take Mary Anne in his arms and twirl her around the kitchen humming some big band tune.

Upon John’s graduation from medical school, he and Mary Anne moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he completed his surgical internship at Pearce County Hospital, and while waiting for his military orders from the United States Air Force, they moved to Meridian, Texas, Santa Anna, and finally Mary Anne’s hometown, Ballinger. She stayed with their two young children while John was sent to the Far East. During the last year of his military service, Mary Anne and the children had an adventurous trip on a huge ship and lived there with him on the island of Guam for a year. Mary Anne had left Ballinger in an un-airconditioned car with two babies and had driven from there to San Diego, California to board this ship. Her father teased her that she could drive a car, change diapers, and nurse babies all at the same time.  She herself boasted of having at least once driven herself to the hospital when labor interfered with her busy schedule.

After his discharge from the military, John and Mary Anne settled in Ballinger, where John opened his office over the old Pearce-Bailey Drug Store. He later affiliated with Dr. Charles F. Bailey and Dr. Oren H. Chandler in the old Ballinger Hospital. During these years, Mary Anne often worked either in the hospital, Dr. Green’s office, or doing private duty nursing. She also worked at the State Hospital in Austin. John and Mary Anne later purchased the old Ballinger Hospital and eventually built the Ballinger Clinic, which today houses the beautiful newly-remolded Ballinger Memorial Hospital Fitness Center.

After their third child was born, Mary Anne became a stay-at-home mother and proudly attended all her children’s school functions and delighted in their many accomplishments. She was most proud of their Sunday School perfect attendance pins and school awards, instilling in her children her own self-discipline, punctuality, motivation, and drive.  As a child of the Great Depression and proud member of “The Greatest Generation”, Mary Anne imparted to her children her own ultra-conservative views.  She knew the value of hard work, sacrifice, and saving what she lived and believed.

Her children also fondly remember some of her motherly advice: ‘ If everyone else wants to jump off a cliff, I guess you want to, also.” They also remember their mother as never coming to the breakfast table without her lipstick on and her hair combed, and they were sure that was the secret to the success of their parents’ long marriage.

Mary Anne was adventurous by nature and loved to travel and spend time at “the ranch.” She was a long-time member of the First Methodist Church, having been honored with a Life Membership designation from the Methodist Women. She was the treasurer for the Friendship Sunday School Class for many years, chairman of the Sunshine Circle of the Methodist Women, served as a kindergarten teacher at the Methodist mission church in the 1960s and 1970s and served the American Cancer Society and Runnels County Medical Auxiliary for many years.  She was recently honored for her long service at the Texas Medical Association Alliance meeting in Austin.

Affectionally called Big Mama by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Mary Anne enjoyed having her family visit her home in Ballinger. In honor of the 40 ^th wedding anniversary of John and Mary Anne in 1987, their children began the annual Green Family Reunion at Casa Bonita Resort near Hunt, Texas, gathering consecutively near the original reunion site for 63 years on or around their parents’ anniversary.

Mary Anne is survived by her two sons, Dr. John Green, III and wife Dr. Marybeth Green of San Antonio, and Perry Allen Green of San Angelo; three daughters, Dr. Jan Haney of San Antonio, Peggy Dankworth and husband Mike Dankworth of Ballinger, and Julie Rojas and husband Dr. Peter Rojas of Victoria; grandchildren Bradley Haney and wife Jessica of San Antonio, Amanda Fiveash Behnken and her husband Steven of San Antonio, Catheryne Green Hasley and her husband Jeff of League City, Meagan Green of Austin, Dr. Kristin Rojas and husband Jorge Madden of Miami Beach, Florida, Hilary Rojas of Pensacola, Florida, Travis Edward Green and wife Elizabeth of Uvalde,  Andrea Rojas Gomez and husband Chris of Houston, and Damian Rojas of Houston.  Great-grandchildren include Brittney, Aiden, and Emerson Haney and Eli and Elizabeth Ann Behnken all of San Antonio, Trevor and Trent Green of Houston, and Aaron, Aria, and Alison Green of Uvalde, Daniel and Nathan Hasley of League City, and Xavier and Victor Gomez and Addia Rojas all of Houston.  Mary Anne is also survived by her brother Rufus Allen, Jr. of Richardson, her sister-in-law Linda Curtis of San Angelo, special nieces Linda Blackwell and daughter Nancy of Ballinger and Kelle Green and daughter Chloe and son Max of San Angelo, nephews Steve Allen and Dr. Greg Allen and wife Katherine of Austin, and niece Marla Allen of Austin.

Mary Anne was preceded in death by her husband, John E. Green, Jr., MD, parents, sister and brother-in-law Pat and Clark Koller, grandson Brian Allen Haney, and sister-in-law Jane Jernigan Allen.

Pallbearers include Gordon Hays, Jim Woodruff, Mark Halfmann, Greg Schwertner, TG Rose, Bob Harris, and Patrick Duarte.

Mary Anne’s funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at the First Methodist Church in Ballinger, Texas with Gary Booth officiating.

Mary Anne will be laid to rest at the Old Runnels Cemetery in the land that she so loved among the people she held so dear.

Proverbs 31:10-12, 75, 27-29 “Who can find a virtuous woman?  For her price is far above rubies.  The heart of her husband trusts in her so that he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and tasks for her maidens.  She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.  Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”