Laura Markl

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 3, 2016 at 10 am at the Ballard Funeral Home Chapel for Laura Lee Markl who passed away Monday, May 30, 2016 at home.

Laura, better known as Lolly, was born May 23, 1925 to Lee and Lulu White in Farmington, New Mexico. When Lolly was a child her family moved to Alpine, Texas. Upon graduating from the Alpine High School, Lolly attended Texas Women's University, graduating in 1945 with a degree in sociology.

Lolly became a social worker at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX. Shortly thereafter she moved to El Paso, TX to be employed with Texas Social Services. On a bus trip she met the love of her life, Jim Markl. After a long distance courtship Jim and Lolly were married on August 31,1947. They settled in Jim's hometown of Roswell, NM where they raised their family.

While raising her three children, Lolly taught kindergarten at Trinity Methodist Church and later worked as a social worker for the state of New Mexico. Lolly also volunteered as a Sunday School teacher and Vacation Bible School leader for the United Methodist Church. She served as president of the Assistance League and president of PEO. She also headed up the local soup kitchen for United Methodist Church at St. Peters Catholic Church. She attended Community Bible Study and was a member of a women's prayer group for years.

Lolly loved life, loved to entertain, loved to sing at any given time and had the gift of hospitality and creating fun wherever she went. Missionaries, foreign students, cadets, long distance family members and all her children's friends were welcomed in her home. She was creative, artistic, a member of numerous garden clubs and love to play bridge. She joined many walking clubs and even with her short legs could out walk almost anyone.

Lolly was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Markl, after 68 years of marriage, by her sister Cotter Edwards, her brother William White and her grandson Byron Cook.

Her legacy extends far and wide. Surviving Lolly is her daughter Jan Brown of Roswell, her son Steve and daughter in law Debbie Markl of Bella Vista, AR and her daughter Amy Herrick and son in law Jim of Thornton, CO. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Lolly's cremains will be placed next to her husband's in the First United Methodist Church Columbarium.

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