Doris Marie Givens

Doris Marie Hall Givens, age 94, went peacefully into the arms of Jesus Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Providence Village, Waco, Texas. Doris is preceded in death by her husband Albert Givens, parents and her sisters Katherine Harris and Wanda Boyle, brother James Hall, and granddaughter Carissa Givens. Doris is survived by sister Joan Kunkel, daughter Charlotte Wetli and husband Jerry, son Alan and wife Yvette, son Kenneth and wife Kathy, grand-children, great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. A memorial will be held June 26, 1 pm, for Central Texas family and friends at the home of Joan Kunkel, 18100 Schultz Lane; Pflugerville, Texas; 78660; Phone: 512-680-7597. Saturday, July 10, 11 am, memorial for Odessa, Texas family and friends at First Baptist Church, with private graveside service at Loraine, Texas Cemetery 3 pm, next to her beloved Albert. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, she supported for many years, as did her mother. Donate online: www.calfarleys.com or mail to 600 SW 11th Ave., Amarillo, Tx 79101. Visit this website to add photos or memories. https://everloved.com/life-of/doris-givens =============================================================== Doris Givens The third of five children to Ira Henry Hall and Allice West Hall, she received Jesus as her personal savior and was baptized at First Baptist Church of Cross Plains at the age of ten. Nearing the end of World War II, she graduated from Cross Plains High School in 1944, Doris said she never had goals, but knew she wanted to attend college. So in the fall, she enrolled in Hardin Simmons University, Abilene, Texas. After one semester, she returned home to work with her dad at Kimbell Feed Mill. One of Doris’ high school teachers was teaching at Daniel Baker College in Brownwood and encouraged Doris to apply for a scholarship. She received it and headed back to college. She became extremely interested in the Speech and Drama Department and excelled in her area of study. Doris was always adventurous! She loved the theatre. In 1945 she applied for a position as Traveling Director for Empire Productions, based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company contracted with small towns and social organizations to produce ‘Home Talent’ Theatre Plays as a fund-raising project, all during the height of soldiers returning home. At the tender age of 20, she was traveling by train, and moved every two weeks to a new town. Doris produced and directed shows in North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. She would purchase a full-page advertisement in the local newspaper and then sell smaller ads to other businesses, as well as organize the schools, churches, and local dignitaries for actors, as well as the music, costumes, props, etc.… After 18 months of living on the road, she decided to head home. On the way, she stopped at a radio station in Washington, Tennessee and auditioned for a Radio Soap Opera. Even though she did not win the position, she said it was so much fun. Doris had a wide range of experiences in her young life, but in 1947 began to settle down. She accepted a position at Shell Pipeline Corporation in Odessa, Texas as a clerk typist and secretary. She enjoyed the friends she made, “The Golden Girls” as they were later called. Odessa would become home for the next 70 years. She met the love of her life, Albert Drew Givens on a blind date at a bowling alley in Odessa in 1949, and they were married on March 3, 1950. Al was a war veteran and pipeline construction superintendent. They moved numerous times, but Odessa was always home base. Seeing a lot of the country, they traveled to job sites in Canada, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, and all over Texas and New Mexico. Albert passed away at the age of 54 in August 1980. They had a daughter and two sons. Charlotte Gayle Givens, from Al’s previous marriage, Alan Dale Givens in 1955, and Kenneth Ray Givens, in 1959. Once the boys were in elementary school, Doris went back to college, attending Odessa Junior College, then Sul Ross University, and finally Texas Tech University. She graduated from TTU with Honors and earned her Bachelor of Sciences degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy. During those late-in-life college years, she drove to Alpine, Texas 3 days a week for a year with other students to attend Sul Ross University. The following year carpooled to Lubbock 3 times a week, as well as moving there, for one full year to complete her Texas Tech University degree. Doris did learn to set goals and reach them, no matter the cost! For 20 years, Doris loved helping Odessa area students as a Speech Language Pathologist. Retiring at 67, she went on to provide speech therapy for another 17 years as a sub-contractor, for schools in Odessa, Midland, Wink, Loving, Andrews, Kermit, and the West Texas Area Special Education Coop. During her almost 40 years of helping children with their speech, she developed a program for Articulation Disorders called D.A.R.T., Daily Articulation Therapy. Hundreds of children benefited from D.A.R.T., as well as speech professionals who used it in classrooms. In her 70’s, she taught English as a Second Language at Odessa College night school, to recent immigrants from all over the world. She really loved getting to know them, their cultures and heritage. She was given many traditional gifts from those students because of her caring and loving attitude with them. Doris Marie, as she was known by her close friends, was always happy, cheerful, and continually active. Through her 80’s and 90’s she went to the YMCA to swim 4 days a week at 6 am, followed by a 30-minute trip to exercise at Curves. Doris was an active member of Daughters of the American Revolution, Retired Teachers Association, and participated in church activities. Doris was known for driving 6 hours at the drop of a hat to visit loved ones, and typically had a joke to tell, that she had been saving up, just for you. Her love and caring for others was evident, as she would tell each nurse who helped her, ‘Thank you honey, I love you’. More than a few of them came to see her and pray with her, even when they were not working her area. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love 1 Corinthians 13:13

Doris Marie Givens

September 5, 1926 - June 10, 2021