Barbara Nell Pope Lane

Barbara Nell Pope McKinny Lane died peacefully in her sleep at home on Saturday, August 29, 2020. She was vibrant until the end. Her passing was shocking to family and friends, but God’s timing is His own, and His plans are not ours – as He called Barbara “Home.” We will miss her for all our days on this earth. Yet, those who follow Barbara’s Lord and Master anticipate and yearn for the Day of our reuniting. As such, we “do not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14).”

Barbara Nell was born on June 17, 1937 to Willie Jackson Pope and Beulah Naurene Parker Pope in Georgetown, Texas. She grew up in Georgetown and graduated from Georgetown High School in 1955. She started working at the soda fountain of Cunningham Drug Store at the age of 13 and was so short they had to put a box on the floor for her to stand on to reach the counter. She worked there all through high school and when her parents moved to Taft, Texas her senior year of high school she stayed in Georgetown and lived with the Cunninghams to finish high school in Georgetown. She played basketball and always wished they let women play full-court back then. Barbara was the head cheerleader and “Football Sweetheart” her senior year of high school. After graduating, she moved to Taft and met Stanley McKinny who became the love of her life. They married at the age of 19 and raised three children and also a niece, Terry Lynn. Barbara and Stanley loved life and loved the Lord. They were longtime members of First Baptist Church of Taft where Barbara taught Sunday School, Girl’s in Action, and Vacation Bible School. Later they moved to Lake Corpus Christi and became members of Lakeview Baptist Church. Barbara was deeply devoted to Christ and regularly shared His love – through word and deed – with all she met. Her personal testimony of devotion to Jesus is marked by her life-long commitment to His church through weekly church participation, communal and personal prayer, hospitality, and the daily study of the Scriptures. Barbara’s personality was particularly marked by her rare combination of an unwavering will and selfless, affectionate love for others.

She worked at the bank in Taft for a few years until she became a mom and then stayed home to raise her kids. As the kids got older, she became a substitute teacher and then a teacher’s aide at Petty Elementary, then for Mrs. Velma Poenisch’s class. Finally, she served as the librarian at Taft Jr. High School. She loved teaching and working with the kids at the school. Her goal with each child she encountered was to make them love learning and she challenged each one to be honest, to work hard, and to be the best they could be and not let anything hold them back.

Barbara and Stanley had a wonderful marriage of 43 years until Stanley passed away in 2000. Barbara was heartbroken and devastated. In a couple of years, she met a wonderful man who became her second husband and soulmate. She married Daryl Lane in 2004 and they have been happy ever since. Daryl filled the void in her heart left by Stanley’s death and made her so happy again. They had fun together and worked hard on the place at the lake to keep it nice for family reunions and holidays. They spent many hours traveling around to grandkids’ ball games, band concerts, awards ceremonies, and graduations. They hardly ever missed one. They even made it to one grandson’s graduation in Banquete and another’s in Portland on the same night. They were just that dedicated to their grandkids. Barbara and Daryl are still very involved in Lakeview Baptist Church as she has always been such a faithful servant of Christ.

Barbara is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Stanley McKinny, her parents, three brothers, James Willie Po

pe, Gerald Lee Pope, and David Wayne Pope, one sister, Betty Joyce Pope Dutcher, her niece/daughter Terry Lynn Dutcher, and one grandson, Caleb Jordan McKinny.

Left to cherish her memory, her husband, Daryl O. Lane; her sister Margie Pope (Berl) Couch; her daughter Gwynell (Van) Westervelt of Bluntzer, Texas; her son Charles Stanley (Leslie) McKinny of Corpus Christi, Texas; her son Gary Gene (Sunny) McKinny of Taft, Texas; son Allen (Becky) Lane of Conroe, Texas; son Kerry (Cathy) Lane of Corpus Christi; Texas; daughter Dana Lane of Mont Belvieu, Texas; son Richard (Jacque) Lane of Heath, Texas; grandchildren Shannon (Jason) Rubrecht, Rebecca (Ryan) Schumann, Richard McKinny, Chris (Mindy) McKinny, Joshua (Jennifer) McKinny, Nathan (Kim) Westervelt, Shayne (Hannah) Westervelt, Luke Westervelt, Kaleb (Jennifer) Lane, Casey Lane, Keri Lane, Sarah Lane, Tanner Lane, Taylor Lane, Jake Lane, Emma Lane, Matthew Bridges, PFC Madison McGehee, 11 great-grand children and numerous nieces and nephews who adore her.

Services celebrating Barbara’s life well-lived begin with a visitation at Dobie Funeral Home, 121 N. Duval St, Mathis, Texas, 78368, on Friday, September 4, from 6:00-9:00 pm and continue with the funeral on Saturday, September 5, 2020, at 11:00 am, at Dobie Funeral Home, with lunch to follow at Lakeview Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Graveside service will be at 4:00 pm that same day at Palms Memorial Gardens, Portland, Texas. Plan to meet there a little before 4:00 pm to be ready for the service. The service will be officiated by Bro Ed Gentry, pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church.

Pallbearers will be Christopher McKinny, Joshua McKinny, Nathan Westervelt, Shayne Westervelt, Luke Westervelt, Richard McKinny, Jason Rubrecht, and Ryan Schuman.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Jerry Knauth, James Dutcher, Larry Dutcher, Russell Langbein, Kerry Lane, Alan Lane, Richard Lane, and Matthew Bridges.

In lieu of flowers, Barbara would love for you to donate to Lakeview Baptist Church, 132 Mathis Acres Rd, Mathis, Texas, 78368, or a Crisis Pregnancy Center.