Frances Marie Neill

Frances Marie Powell Neill went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 12, 2020. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 18, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Pastor Terry Graham will be officiating. Visitation will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, February 17 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. Frances was born September 21, 1941, to Helen and Willard Powell in Alice, Texas. Frances and her parents moved to Waco while she was still an infant, thus she always called Waco her hometown. She attended school in Waco at Sanger Avenue and Bell’s Hill Elementary, South Jr. High and graduated from University High School in May 1959. Growing up, Frances enjoyed music and singing in addition to all sports. She sang in several of the University choirs. In her sophomore year, she was a member of the Pep Squad and was a cheerleader for the Trojans during her junior and senior years. On April 19, 1958, she and Robert “Bob” Neill had their first date. That was the first step of the journey of living a full life together. As Bob has often said, ‘if it wasn’t for that first date, there would have been no anniversaries, birthdays etc. to remember.’ Married in 1961, Frances and Bob would have celebrated 59 years of a blessed marriage later this year. Bob described his wife as a dedicated Christian, incredible wife, fabulous mother and friend to anyone in need. After graduating from UHS, Frances’ first job was as a dental assistant to Dr. Lee Helm. Upon leaving Dr. Helm, she was employed by American Income Life Insurance where she learned the skills of a key punch operator. This experience earned her a career position as key punch operator/data processing analyst at Rocketdyne in McGregor, Texas, which subsequently became Hercules before finally becoming Alliant Tech Systems, from which Frances retired after 33 years of continuous service. Among the greatest blessing a couple can enjoy is the birth of their children. Frances and Bob’s first child was Robin Kay Neill and five years later, Terry Wayne Neill was born. She enjoyed accompanying Bob and Terry on many bass fishing trips and often would read the Bible while sitting in a bass boat. She adored her children and prayed for them even as adults. She welcomed their spouses as her own children and enjoyed holiday dinners with everyone around the table. Frances was a big fan of Baylor sports and attended football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball games with her family. One of her biggest honors was being recognized as a Baylor Alumni by Choice in October of 2009. Frances was a member of First Baptist Woodway Church for 28 years where she sang in the choir. She also enjoyed singing in the Baylor Senior choir for several years. She supported the Waco Symphony Orchestra and attended many of their concerts over the years. One of Frances’ early passions was teaching Sunday school for teenage girls. Many of her Saturday afternoons were spent visiting the girls in her Sunday school class. For a number of years, she would take a week’s vacation so that she could assist with Vacation Bible School. For many years after her retirement she volunteered her time as a receptionist in the church office. Frances was a prayer warrior and actively participated in the weekly ladies’ prayer group for many years. She also visited many countries on mission trips, including visits to Ukraine, home to Music Mission Kiev (MMK), a ministry that provides support to orphans and widows. Frances served on the Board of Directors for 11 years and resigned in February 2019 due to health issues. She came to know some of the women on a personal level and invited guests from the Ukraine to stay in her home. Unknown to many was the unwavering support that she provided to her husband, Bob, and his manufacturing career. Oftentimes, one would find Frances visiting the production workers at Materials Transportation Company (MTC) in Temple, Texas. Not only did Frances feel very comfortable in the manufacturing plants, she enjoyed talking to the employees about their work and families. The employees felt her sincerity and personal interest in their work. There were many times that Frances prayed fervently for the success of MTC and the safety of the employees. As springtime rolled around, Frances could be found outside working in her yard. She enjoyed the beauty of flowers and the many varieties. This particular joy has been passed on to her daughter, Robin. Most Friday’s Frances’ son, Terry, would come by her house for a visit. It seemed like comedy hour to hear the banter between the two. Both Robin and Terry understood that they were blessed to have a Godly mother. Another of Frances’ joys was the daily reading of her Bible and study guides. Each reading and study period was concluded with prayer time. Frances really enjoyed travel. Among the countries, she was fortunate to visit were China, Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Cuba, Israel, Jordan and Morocco. Some of her mission-related service took place in some of these countries. Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Willard; and brother, Hollis Powell. She is survived by her devoted husband, Bob; daughter, Robin and husband, Craig Deihl, of Waco; son, Terry and wife, Marlene, of Lorena; as well as nieces, Holly Jackson, Theresa Schmunsler and Amber Smith; and nephews, Eric Powell, Mike Geer and Billy Geer. Also, Frances leaves behind two extra special friends from high school, Homer Moeller of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Sherry Lauridsen of Bedford, Texas. Pallbearers will be Homer Moeller, Craig Deihl, Eric Powell, Mike Geer, Darron Sniggs, Bill Aiken, Carl Geer and Jeff Fritscher. The family would like to express their appreciation to Kathleen Butler and Cindy Sheppard of Visiting Angels and Bluebonnet Health Services for the quality care they provided to Frances. Thank you to Dr. James Graham for his care for Frances throughout her adult life and final days. A very special thank you also goes to Rev. Charlie Dodd. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Gideons International or the Waco Salvation Army. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.