Bennie Kay Morrow Carlson

Bennie Kay Morrow Carlson, age 87, passed away on November 19, 2022, in her Edinburg home. She was born September 21, 1935, in Melvin, Texas to Ralph Lynn Morrow & Beulah Baker Morrow. She moved to Edinburg at an early age and attended the Edinburg Public Schools. She graduated from Edinburg High School in 1954 and as a former cheerleader she remained an enthusiastic fan of the Edinburg Bobcats. While employed at Pan American College, Bennie Kay became a charter member of Kappa Delta Sorority and then was active in the Rio Grande Valley Alumnae Association. Earlier she served as an officer in the Rio Grande Valley Panhellenic. She was also a member of the Edinburg Junior and Senior Service Leagues. In 2003 she was honored by the Zonta Club for her Community Service. She served on the Board of the Edinburg Arts Foundation. She was very active in the First Presbyterian Church in Edinburg before its closure. While there she was a Ruling Elder and served in several offices on the Board. Upon its closing she attended the First United Methodist Church in Edinburg. She loved to play bridge, read, & paint. Bennie Kay’s many beautiful paintings will forever serve as reminders of her & her exceptional talent. Bennie Kay also had a passion for the Texas Hill Country, where she & her late husband, Douglas, bought several acres & a home on the Sabinal River in Utopia, Texas. Doug & Bennie Kay, their adult children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, & many friends enjoyed spending time with them there. Bennie Kay spent most of her time in Utopia after she retired from employment. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Vern Douglas Carlson, a son, Alan Douglas Carlson, & her only sibling, a sister, Peggy Lyn Morrow Stephens. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Lynda & Dennis Holbrook of Mission, Texas and her son David Morrow Carlson of Utopia, Texas; six grandchildren: Russon (Emily) Holbrook & Loryn Clark of Sharyland, Denae (Rob) Jenkins of Boerne, Kaylee (Garrett) Edwards of Sharyland, Krystal (Zack) Bartlett of Austin, & Dakota McGowen Carlson of Sharyland. Bennie Kay also has a rich heritage of 15 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two nieces, Toni Vavra Sparks & Sheri Rowland, and one nephew, Kyle Stephens. A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held Saturday, November 26, 10:30 AM, at the First United Methodist Church with Pastor Michelle Vernon officiating. If desired, memorials can be made in her honor to Bennie Kay’s charities of choice: FUMC His Steps Shoe Bank, c/o Edinburg FUMC (3707 W. University, Edinburg, TX 78539), which purchases shoes for indigent school children, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or to charities of your choice. The family would like to publicly thank IMS for providing wonderful home health care & hospice nurses, and Caring Senior Services for also providing great ladies to assist with home care, most especially Maria B. & Fatima. We also thank Kreidler Funeral Home for overseeing the arrangements. A great deal of heartfelt gratitude goes to family friends, neighbors, & relatives who were there for us throughout.

Tributes

Bennie Kay Morrow Carlson

November 19, 2022