Mary Jo (Josephine) Green

Mary Josephine Carter Green, 87, of Many, Louisiana entered into eternal rest on April 7, 2022. A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2022, located at Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Many Chapel. Funeral services honoring Mary Jo will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, located at Oak Hill Baptist Church in Many, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be her great nephew, Bro. Rusty Hall. Interment will be held in the church cemetery. Mary Jo was born on October 1, 1934, in Gregg County, Texas to Claude C. Carter and Cumallee Ruth Allen Carter Mitchell. Mary Jo was a very loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a hard-working woman in the home and in the yard, and she served the Lord through her daily living. Mary Jo exemplified the traits of a caregiver to her younger brother and always as needed throughout her mother's life. As a dedicated wife and mother, she always had hot meals every day. Her mornings began with making homemade hot buttered biscuits with chocolate syrup, sugar cane syrup, or homemade jelly. She mastered the art of canning foods which included many different types of beans, peas, vegetables, relishes, pickles, jams, jellies, and fruit syrups. She was a master gardener with all of her flowers and bushes that allowed her great recognition in the community. During her daughter's youth she hosted many get-togethers that included fish, fries, homemade ice creams socials, chili gatherings, crab boils, backyard picnics, backyard tent sleepovers, and Halloween spook houses hanging sheets between the trees in the yard for the neighborhood children and friends. In general, she came up with grand ideas for sharing fun with others. Even in the winter when it snowed we made snow ice cream. She was a woman of many talents. One of the things that brought her joy was teaching Sunday school and arts and crafts during Vacation Bible School at Oak Hill Baptist Church as well as arts and crafts at home with her four daughters. Sewing was one of her many talents as she sewed clothing for her four girls designing their recital wear for singing, Easter dresses, school clothes, pant suits, even elegant evening gowns and wedding dresses. Once her daughters were grown and left home, she found herself as an empty nester with time on her hands and began to take oil painting classes. In a very short time, she progressed to a professional oil painter. Over the years she sold numerous oil paintings. She began to teach painting around the 1980's, teaching a children's class and an adult class once a week. Her adult class continued up until February 2022. The three ladies that were still coming to class called it their therapy classes. Carolyn Rivers had been coming to class for 35 years, Lynda Derr for 20 years, and Tamilyn Ebarb for 19 years. These ladies boosted each other week after week and were more like family than just friends. In remembering our mother making everything very special, she made it such a joy with family outings, traveling, going swimming, fishing, boating, camping, water skiing, crabbing, picnicking, and visiting family and kinfolks. Many lessons were learned from our Bible teaching Christian mother. She was a woman of so many outstanding strengths and loved by so many! Preceding Mary Jo was her husband of 66 years, Billy Ray Green; her parents, Claude C. Carter and Cumallee Ruth Carter Mitchell; granddaughter, Chelsea Deniene Cook; and great-granddaughter, Samantha Lynn Stephens. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Kathleen "Kathy" Green, Francis Lynn Calloway and husband Bobby, Tina Marie Green, and Lisa Diane Green; her brother, Donald Wayne Carter; along with 7 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, friends and other relatives. Honoring Mary Jo as pallbearers will be Christopher W. Miller, Jason W. Miller, Bradley J. Pickett, John Dale "J.D." Stephens, Kelby B. Cook, and Cory Randolph. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Samuel Cole Pickett, Caden Ross Miller, and J.R. Slater. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Sabine Council Art Department.