Martha Jo Dees Nichols

Services for Martha Jo Dees Nichols, 89, of Gladewater, will be 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at the Croley Funeral Home Chapel in Gladewater with Bro. Bailey Harris and Bro. Ellis Hayden officiating. Interment will follow at Gladewater Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 1:00 until service time at the funeral home. Mrs. Nichols passed away Saturday, September 21, 2019, in Gladewater.

Martha Jo Webb was born in 1929 in Houliann, Oklahoma. Early in her life she spent a lot of time with her grandfather and he was a big influence in her life; taking her to the local church that on one Sunday was Baptist and the next was Methodist. This is when Martha Jo accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. In her youth she picked cotton and also took care of her younger brothers and sisters. At the age of 16 while working at a restaurant at the smelter outside of Dumas, Texas when she met E.R. Dees, Jr. who was 26 and had just returned from WWII. They had a whirlwind courtship and were married July 1, 1946.

E.R. and Martha Jo moved to Gladewater in 1950. E.R. was working for General American Oil Co. in the East Texas Oil Fields. In 1952 they started their family and were blessed with twin daughters Peggy and Nancy. Five years later they were blessed with another daughter Elizabeth and then two years later a fourth daughter Norma Jill who was a Christmas baby. Martha Jo was a stay at home mom actively involved in her church, Blue Birds, Campfire Girls and her daughters other activities.

She would later open up The Gift Shop in Gilmer with her sister Linda. Later she moved her shop to Gladewater offering gifts for all occasions and bridal selections. Working alongside her daughter Nancy; Martha Jo was well known for in Gladewater for helping Brides to be with their selections. In later years she helped her daughter Peggy with her business’ in Mt. Pleasant and White Oak.

Martha Jo was a longtime active member of the First Baptist Church in Gladewater. She was involved in G.A.’s and Sunday School with her daughters.

She is survived by her daughters, Peggy Ann Menefee, Nancy Jo Long and husband Edd and Elizabeth Dees McKamy; sister Marian Elizabeth Harris; 4 grandchildren, Jason King, Christopher and Carrie Long, Lachelle and Dustin Tedder, Dallas and Natalie Long; 6 great grandsons, Cody Tedder, Logan Tedder, Corbin Long, Cegan Long, Max Long and Crew Long as well as many other loving family and friends.

Martha is preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters; husband’s Edgar Ralph Dees, Jr. and Jere Newton Nichols; daughter Norma Jill Cureton and son-in-law Leland Max Menefee.