Jennie May

Jennie Joyce Simons May, of Woodway, Texas, passed from this life to her eternal life, on the morning of May 12, 2019, Mother’s Day. Funeral services will be 1 pm Friday, May 17, at First Baptist Church Hewitt, 301 First St., Hewitt, with Pastors Chris Sammons and Roy Marshall officiating. Burial will follow at Lorena Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 6-8 pm Thursday May 16, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Dr., Waco.
Jennie was known by many names depending on how she knew you. To her family, she was Joyce, to her friends she was Jennie, she was wife to Ray, Mom to Renay, and to her grandson, she was Neena.
She was born July 5, 1940, in Asa, Texas, or as she would say, on the Brazos River Bottom, to Lonzo Luther Simons and Maud Hickox Simons. Jennie was the eldest of four children, and was preceded in death by her parents and “little sister”, Linda Wacill Simons. She was raised in the community of Rosenthal, and attended Lorena Schools, and graduated in 1958.
On February 20, 1960, Jennie married her true love and high school sweetheart, Marshall Ray May, in Lorena, Texas. They recently celebrated 59 years of marriage, and through the years, their love never wavered, and was a testament to a true Christian example of how a marriage should be. Whether it was when they taught young married Sunday school classes, or when they supported each other through the trials of sickness, and good health, they were always together supporting and loving each other. Jennie and Ray were faithful members of Hewitt First Baptist Church for over fifty years.
Jennie retired from McLennan County, where she worked in the Elections office and the Auditors office. She also worked at the church as its financial secretary as well as its church clerk prior to working for the county, and was her brother’s bookkeeper for his automotive business.
She leaves behind to cherish her memory, her husband, Ray; her daughter, Jennie Renay May Gwin; her son-in-law, Roger Gwin; and grandson, Logan Gwin, who was her pride and joy, and his fiancé Lauren Van Ryswyk; Brother’s, Truman Simons of Waco, Texas, Randy Simons (Patricia) of Valley Mills, Texas; Brother-in-law, Jack May (Betty), of Rolla, Missouri; nieces, Jody May Oakes (Gary), Kelly Simons DiCorte (Billy), Rebecca Simons, Adrianna Simons Suaste (Angel); nephews, Jack May (Jeannie) and Jason Simons (Natalie Johnson), as well many extended family members, cousins, and cherished friends. Jennie never met a stranger, and once you knew her, you were family.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to The First Baptist Church of Hewitt Building Fund or CareNet Waco.