Mary Louise "Weasy" Dobson

Mary Louise Duncan Dobson, 94, of Egypt, Texas died on July 13, 2017 at her home. She was predeceased by her mother and father, May Shelmire Duncan and Francis Bowie Duncan; her brother, Green Cameron Duncan; her sister, Olive Duncan Hershey; and her husband, Richard Martin Dobson. She leaves her daughter, Jane Dobson, and her stepson, Richard Dobson Jr. and wife, Jo, and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Mrs. Dobson was born in Houston on Aug. 10, 1922 and grew up on Duncan Brothers Spade Ranch in Egypt. Her family had owned and operated the ranch since the 1870s, and as the youngest child she found plenty of time to ride, fish, hunt and explore the ranch. Weasy used to ride her pony to the Egypt elementary school and was also taught at home by a resident teacher, Miss Kate, who lived in a special room in the Duncan house called “the Teacher’s Room.” When she was 14, she persuaded her parents to let her travel to Switzerland with her older sister, Olive, to attend a private school there. A letter from Olive to a cousin reveals that the girls “skied all day and danced all night.” After two years and the looming threat of war, she caught a ship back to the USA. True to her independent nature, she decided to learn to fly and joined Amelia Earheart as an early pioneer of female aviation. She purchased her own plane (much to her mother’s encouragement and her father’s chagrin) and made many cross-country flights before and during World War II. She related the story of one flight that she and Olive made. During the flight, Olive told her sister that she was pregnant. At that moment Weasy realized that she needed to refuel, and with no instrument rating, she was visually searching for a spot to land when she spotted a landing strip below. Greatly relieved, she set the plane down but were immediately surrounded by rifle-toting soldiers — she had landed on a restricted military airbase. Weasy recalled that the situation was mighty tense for a moment but when two young women emerged from the plane, “the soldiers seemed much more cordial.” Later, after flying her plane to Minneapolis to visit a school friend, Jane Dobson, Weasy met Jane’s brother, Capt. Richard Dobson. At the time Capt. Dobson was serving on Gen. Eisenhower’s staff in Europe. After the war, Weasy and Dick Dobson were married at the Duncan home in Egypt. They later moved to Denver. Some years after the Dobson family lumber business was sold, Weasy and Dick came home to Egypt where Dick Dobson went to work for Bowie and Donald Duncan, the brothers of Duncan Brothers, as manager of the ranch. The Dobson family has always been generous and compassionate, but after Dick’s death, Weasy began receiving more income generated by mineral development. She was determined to make life better for those around her. Weasy and others in the Wharton community joined forces to build the Mary Louise Dobson Youth Center at the Wharton Boys and Girls Club. Seeing the need for other funding, she created the Mary Louise Dobson Foundation. When asked why she gave, she answered with typical directness: “I did nothing to earn this money. My mineral wealth came out of the ground in Wharton County, and it is only right that some of it go back to the people of Wharton County.” The Mary Louise Dobson Foundation continues to provide funding for organizations helping young people throughout Wharton County. She wanted her foundation to continue to support young people long after she was gone. Weasie’s Duncan, Hershey and Dobson family members wish to thank many gentle and compassionate care givers who helped keep her comfortable in her home during her final years. They are: Everett Davis, Charlotte Bell, Alma Louise Davis, Lasondra Davis, Patrice Bell and Mary Bankston. A Celebration of Life Service for Mary Louise Dobson will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 20, 2017 at First United Methodist Church in Wharton. Following the service, a reception will be held for Weasy at Wharton Civic Center. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Wharton or the charity of your choice.