The first of seven children, Mary Lou McIver Storm was born at Trickham in Coleman County, Texas to Bernice and May McIver on January 4, 1923. She and her siblings worked with their parents to run the family farm, and Mary Lou primarily worked in the kitchen, which established her life-long love of cooking and organizing a family. She and her siblings attended various rural schools, but Mary Lou graduated from Brookesmith High School in 1939 as the valedictorian. Upon receiving a scholarship, she attended Texas Tech University from 1939-1941, studying homemaking and education, and earned a temporary teaching certificate.
Her very first job after college was a teaching position in Glen Cove, a rural, one-room school. During wartime, Mary Lou worked in Camp Bowie, Houston, and Brownwood as secretary and bookkeeper, and returned to related employment when children were grown. She believed in life-long learning, thus she trained herself to type while teaching, and across the years she added classes for stenography (Houston Business College), bookkeeping (LaSalle University of Chicago, correspondence course), Income Tax preparation (Texas state board of public accounting), Computerized bookkeeping (Central Texas Commercial College)–she did this well into her eighties.
Mary Lou McIver married Melvin Storm in 1945, after the war. This led to a twenty year period of limited work outside the home and led to extensive teaching and learning with children and grandchildren, as well as volunteer service to her children’s schools and community programs. She provided leadership across many facets of Central Methodist Church, the Brown County Sheriff Posse-ettes, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. In addition, she was recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation for Service to the Chamber of Commerce, and also participated in the Schubert Music Club.
Mary Lou and Melvin Storm created a family life they found fulfilling, generally involving their children, grandchildren, or something they both wanted to do. They held high expectations of each other and created a rich family environment where individual needs were important, but could not overwhelm the collective good of the family unit.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, all her younger siblings, husband Melvin Storm, and daughter Beverly Lou Storm.
She is survived by sons Stephen Storm and wife Bebe of Lake Brownwood; Loy Storm and wife Tricia of Coleman County; and daughters Judy Storm Bowers of Monroe, Louisiana; Betty Storm Alvey and husband Ron of Irving; Ann Storm Swanson of Southlake; and eighteen grandchildren: Mathew Storm, Melissa Storm O’Keefe, Mark Storm, Marcia Storm Kumar, Margaret Storm McCullers, Emily Storm Klosiewicz, Meri Storm Burtman, Megan Storm Guaqueta, Mallory Storm, Elizabeth Bowers Manderville, Beverly Bowers Escuder, Ashley Storm Ruleman, Jake Storm, Hunter Storm, Claire Storm, Debi Alvey Gonzalez, August Swanson, Ethan Swanson, as well as 28 great grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by all. Heartfelt thanks from the family go to Joy Bible, Earmie Jamison, Phyllis Lynn and the entire staff of The Chatfield Assisted Living center for their unselfish devotion and assistance to Mary Lou.
Visitation is from 6:00-8:00 pm on Friday, August 9, 2019 at Davis Morris Funeral Home.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at Central Methodist Church. Her six grandsons will serve as Pallbearers and the burial will follow at Eastlawn Memorial Park.