Charlene McNeill

Obituary of Charlene McNeill

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Charlene Shaw McNeill, of New Braunfels, Texas, passed away on January 18, 2024, at the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital in New Braunfels, Texas. Charlene was born on August 17, 1950, to Charles Houston Shaw and Lucy Merrow Wylie Shaw in Louisville, Mississippi. The youngest child of a large family, Charlene enjoyed a childhood marked by love of God, family, and country. The Shaw family kitchen was the epicenter of life: sewing, canning, and cooking; laughter and prayers; and daily dinner on the table. Charlene graduated from Louisville High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Belhaven University. On June 10, 1970, Charlene married the love of her life, K. Mills McNeill. Their early married life was enjoyed in Jackson, Mississippi, where Mills completed his studies at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Charlene taught at Jackson Academy. Once Mills’ career in the Army Medical Corps found them moving every several years, Charlene focused her incredible teaching talents on her children, Chris and Lauren, supporting them through moves across three continents and eight states. Charlene was a supportive military spouse, always open to the next adventure and lovingly creating a sense of home no matter where that might be located across the world. She instilled the legacy of God, family and country that hallmarked her own childhood to her children and to her four grandchildren who had the honor of calling her Meme. Charlene spent countless hours over her lifetime volunteering at their family churches and at the children’s schools, and she had a burden and a love for the individuals she and Mills met and the communities in which they lived in Kenya and Uganda. Charlene loved gardening, puzzles, and murder mysteries, and she was almost invincible at Scrabble. Among her many books, her most loved and read was her Bible. Charlene and Mills remained devoted to each other their entire lives and were planning their next adventure together at the time of her unexpected passing. Charlene is survived by her husband of 54 years, Col. K. Mills McNeill, M.D., Ph.D., of New Braunfels, Texas; her son, Christopher Mills McNeill, married to Amanda (Jackson and William) of Dallas, Texas; her daughter Lauren Merrow McNeill Young, married to Dwight (Kate and Anderson) of Hoover, Alabama; and her siblings Samuel Davis Shaw, James Bruce Shaw, and Mrs. Shirley Faye Dawson. Charlene was preceded in death by her father and mother and nine of her twelve siblings: Miss Diane Shaw, Miss Charmie Iree Shaw, Miss Bobbie Dean Shaw, Mrs. Elise Easley, Mrs. Etheleen Shattles, Charles H. Shaw Jr., Thomas Addison Shaw, Clifton Houston “Billy” Shaw, and Paul Gene Shaw. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorials be made in Charlene McNeill’s name to Samaritan’s Purse or to the Southern Baptist Convention Lottie Moon Offering. Visitation will be held Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Natchez Trace Funeral Home with a service at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at the Natchez Trace Memorial Park Cemetery in Madison, Mississippi.
Saturday
27
January

Visitation Day of Service

10:00 am - 11:00 am
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Natchez Trace Funeral Home
759 Highway 51
Madison, Mississippi, United States
601-898-8565
Saturday
27
January

Celebration of Life

11:00 am
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Natchez Trace Funeral Home
759 Highway 51
Madison, Mississippi, United States
601-898-8565
Saturday
27
January

Interment

12:00 pm
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Natchez Trace Memorial Park Cemetery
759 Highway 51
Madison, Mississippi, United States
601-898-8565
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Charlene McNeill

In Loving Memory

Charlene McNeill

1950 - 2024

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