The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

On March 20, Blanche Maurelle McDonald joined her husband of 45 years, Paul Manning McDonald, Sr. in our Heavenly Father’s House. Blanche was born April 19, 1923 in Eagle Lake, to Morell Grover Foster, Sr. and Blanche Sophia Seaholm.

Blanche spent her early years in Eagle Lake, and the family moved to Beaumont in 1933, where she attended Dick Dowling and Beaumont High. At the age of 15 the family relocated to Orange. She attended Stark High School, and was a member of the Bengal Guards Drum and Bugle Corps. With the Bugle Corp she marched twice on Soldier Field in Chicago.

Blanche met the love of her life, Paul Manning McDonald, Sr. in Orange and they married June 24, 1943. She started work at Colburn Supply Company in 1951, and retired after 35 years of service in the Port Arthur, Lake Charles and Beaumont locations. After retirement, Paul and Blanche traveled extensively enjoying the countryside and each other’s company. She was also a member of The Women’s Club of Orange, Lutcher Stark Theater Guild and volunteered at Shangri La Botanical Gardens.

After Paul passed in 1988, she took up playing golf at Sunset Grove Country Club and became a member of the Women’s Golf Association. In her later years she traded golf for the game of Bridge and became an avid member of many Bridge Clubs in Orange.

Blanche is preceded in death by her parents, husband and brother, Herbert L. and wife Doris Foster, and sister-in-law Maysel Foster.

Those left to cherish her memory are her brother Morell Grover (M.G.) (Bubby) Foster, Jr; son, Paul (Rusty) Manning McDonald, Jr; her daughter Samantha Louisa Lowe and her husband Tommy; granddaughter Shannon Patronella (John); grandson Scott McDonald (Michelle), and granddaughter Sophie Croaker (Michael) all of Orange, and granddaughter Mackenzie Lowe of the University of Texas at Austin.

Great-Grandchildren are Jaclyn and John Paul Patronella, Samuel and Madison McDonald; Peyton and Aiden Croaker all of Orange, and many other family, friends and loved ones who will miss her beautiful personality.

Funeral Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at First United Methodist Church in Orange, with the Rev. John E. Warren officiating. Burial will follow at Parish Cemetery in Little Cypress.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Friday, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Pallbearers will be John Patronella, Michael Croaker, John Paul Patronella, Jim Foster, Tim McDonald, and Slade Skinner. Honorary Pallbearers are Samuel McDonald and Aiden Croaker.

The family requests that you help in honoring her by not wearing black, and wear vibrant colors that represented the loving, caring and outstanding life she lived.