Gwendolyn Pope

Oh behalf of Marcel and myself, we send heartfelt prayers to the Pope family. Mrs. Pope was always a delight. I enjoyed her humor, her caring and her welcoming spirit. She always made me feel as if I were a part of her family. I will miss her, as I am sure so many will. However, I am glad to know that Gwen is at her new home in Heaven where she can be with those she loved who went before her.
We send our love to Sharon and John with gratitude for introducing us to this remarkable lady.

There was no family reunion in Powderly, Texas without Gwendolyn Mignon Brothers Pope. She brought a wonderful smile and a wonderful time to share with all who came. She was sometimes modest and sometimes outgoing. Playing 42 dominoes with her was a genuine treat. Putting her together with her mother Martha Jane Maddox Brothers and her siblings, Birmah, Duane, Thomas, Buddy (Bennie Royce), Emma Lois, Barbara Ann and Sharon was a show of it’s own. They had so many good memories together having grown up in one of the worst economic times in the history of the United States. During her childhood her family moved as share croppers from one farm to another in the Powderly area of Lamar County, Texas trying to find just the right place to lay down roots and farm for themselves where they could keep all the food they had grown for their own family. She learned how to prepare the bounty of vegetables from a growing season in order that her family of nine brothers and sisters would have food for the cold winter months of Northeast Texas.
She was the last of the World War II brides in the Brothers family. Along with her sisters Birmah and Dorothy Jean they had hand picked their boy friends from the thousands of soldiers training at Camp Maxey just yards from their home. She slept at night with the sound of cannon and gun fire as the troops trained for World War II. Like all young girls she yearned to get away from the farm and start a family of her own and on the way to church one day she found a soldier standing guard at one of the gates to the camp who would become her husband, John William Pope. They would later move to his home in Georgia and have four children: Gladys Mignon, John William Jr., Lois Ann and Shirley Jean. Though she did not serve in any capacity for the war effort she was still a part of “The Greatest Generation” of Americans.
In 1964 tragedy stuck the Brothers family with the death of her sister Dorothy Jean Rajac. Dorothy had three small children: Patricia Ann, age 9, Roy David, 5, and Billy Joe, age 2. John insisted that he and Gwen adopt them as their own and they did, raising them until they also were ready to go out on there own. For this Gwen earned an extra special set of wings for her eternal glory.
Now we mourn for her loss, but her pain is over for all eternity. She is reunited with her daughter Gladys who preceded her in death in 1999 and all her brothers and sisters who have gone on to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. No doubt she sits at a card table playing 42 as we celebrate her many decades of love and life. For her children, know that the times with you that were hard are all forgiven and all she will remember are the good times she had with you as her close and wonderful family.
I loved you Gwen, with all my heart and soul and will greatly miss you. May God bless your family.

There are so many beautiful things about Gwen I can write but I would be on this site all day writing so the one thing I most lover her for is for adopting my sister Patricia Rajac Pope Miller, my brothers David Rajac Pope, and Billy Rajac Pope. When our parents died I was consumed with fear that these three little ones would go to an orphanage, having been in one myself for 3 or 4 days I knew this was not the fate they deserved and just in time as my parents were being buried I found out Gwen was going to adopt my sister and two brothers and tears of happiness flowed. How many people would do that when she already gave birth to four biological children. She is one special lady and I will miss her dearly. I love you Gwen and I know you are up there doing all the things Ronny Brothers said you are doing.

Prayers and deep heart felt love to Shirley and all the families. So sorry for your loss.