Mary Joyce Lauderdale

Mary Joyce Lauderdale, of Kosse, passed away in Round Rock, TX on March 23, 2025, at age 80.
Visitation will be held at Groesbeck Funeral Home, beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 11. Memorial services will begin in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel at 11 a.m. with Chester Springfield of Lott officiating.
Mary Joyce was born in Rosebud on July 4, 1944, the only child of Anton Arthur Patzke and Johnnie Mae (Elliott) Patzke. She grew up in Rosebud and lost her father who died when she was a teenager. She grew up helping the family pick cotton and tomatoes.  Her numerous cousins were very important to her, and she also loved her dogs and cats as a child. From growing up in a home with few toys, she developed a life-long love with books and reading.  She grew up in the Baptist faith.
Mary Joyce attended Rosebud-Lott High School, where she enjoyed “close-knit” friendships, and graduated in the Class of 1963. After graduation, she attended Durham Business School in Waco. She worked at the Marlin National Bank and other banks in Marlin, where the friends she made were very important to her.
Mary Joyce was united in marriage with John Wesley Lauderdale of Kosse on July 4, 1969, keeping the one day each year to celebrate the holiday as well as her birthday and anniversary.   They made their home in Kosse, where he was a cattle rancher, and she enjoyed raising sheep at her home. She continued to work on and off at Marlin banks until she retired. 
While raising her daughter Rani, she was also a caregiver for her mother. She had a great love of books and loved watching British mysteries on TV.  Another thing Mary was passionate about was the Dallas Stars Hockey, both attending games in person and watching on TV. 
It was from one of her books that she chose Rani as her daughter’s name, and it was from books she developed her love for travel and learning about different cultures. She took Rani on many travels when she was a child, including Hawaii when she was 6 years old. She took several trips to Europe, and also enjoyed Canada, the Oregon coast, and the mountains in Colorado, as well as other places. She enjoyed going to casinos and playing the slot machines; and dogs and many cats were part of her life all her life.  She did have to slow down the past ten years with her mobility and her eye-sight.
Mary Joyce was preceded in death by her parents and numerous aunts and uncles.
She is survived by her husband, John Wesley Lauderdale of Kosse; daughter and son-in-law, Rani and Michael Wheal of Kosse; grandson, Wesley Wheal and granddaughter, Maggie Wheal of Kosse; special cousin, Debra Crosby and husband Larry of Lumberton; and nieces and nephews: Charlotte Berry of Kosse, Bubba and Glenda Stone of Kosse, Charlene and George Richter of Waco, Cathy and Larry Songer of Leonard, Donna and Ron Arnold of Donie, and Jim Bob and Nikki Cronk of Kosse. 
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Laras House or The Kittery in Mexia to honor the memory of Mary Joyce.