Our mom, Valle Sue Marshall Stankus, was born January 22, 1932 in Heidenheimer, Texas, the fifth of eight surviving children of Charles Emmett (Brooks) Marshall and Josephine Pearl Baird. She was a sixth generation Texan who was proud to say that her ancestors were among the state’s early settlers. She attended Bell County schools where she played girls basketball—her team went all the way to the Golden Girls State Tournament, forerunner of today’s state championship—and graduated valedictorian. While working at Fort Hood in 1953, mom married our dad, Lt. William “Bill” Paul Stankus of Battle Creek, Michigan. Over the next twelve years they moved to Michigan and Ohio, returning to Texas in 1965, where they settled first in Dallas and then in Paris. Until she was 40 Mom was employed as a bookkeeper-working all day and then coming home to cook dinner, sew dresses for her daughters and finally squeeze in a few hours with a good book before she’d nod off to sleep sometime after midnight. Following our dad’s death in 1984, mom returned to work-this time for the Paris Public Library, where she was able to indulge her passion for books. Our mom was a talented seamstress, a wonderful cook, and a great lover of books who instilled in us-her children- a love of learning and the written word.

We’ll celebrate her life at the Fry&Gibbs Funeral Home in Paris, TX. on Saturday, January 28, from 3:00 P.M.-5:00P.M. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Paris Public Library 326 S. Main Paris, Texas 75460.

She is survived by her children Valerie King and husband David, Leslie Lyndon and husband Bill Carey, Jeff Stankus and wife Tammy and grandchildren Anne & Olivia Stankus  and Isaac David King. She is also survived by her sister June Dawson of Dallas and by her brother, Ray Marshall of Sioux City, Iowa, and by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family wishes to express heartfelt gratitude to The Home Place for the special care and concern shown to Mrs. Stankus.