Maudie Mae Watson

Maudie (Henderson) Watson was called home in the afternoon hours of Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Maudie, the tenth child of RH and Johnnie Mae Henderson, was born March 17, 1955, in Pittsburg, Texas. Eight siblings preceded her in death, Atradale, Mary, Rosie, John Paul, Marvin “Slick”, Evelyn, Kervin “Chubb”, and Rickey. She is also preceded in death by both of her parents.

Maudie Mae’s early education was received through the Douglass before integration. Her high school years were spent at Pittsburg High School, where she participated in clubs such as FFA, Spanish Club, and Science Clubs. Even then, she was a leader and took on the role of class secretary for several years. Upon graduation in 1973, she was voted a class favorite. She went on to attend college at East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce). While there, she became a Resident Assistant and was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated through the Theta Nu Chapter in 1976. After graduating with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, she began her lifelong career in education. She began her speech career in Clarksville, Texas ISD, traveling to Annona and Avery to serve students.

During the first ten years of her career, she taught in many school districts such as Waco, Winona, and Union Hill before returning home to Pittsburg. In 1988 she began her 34-year career with Pittsburg Independent School District. She not only used her specific skill set on the Elementary campus, but throughout the entire district.

Faith, community, and family were of utmost importance to her. She was a very dedicated member of Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, where she served as Recording Secretary, Announcement Clerk, Sunday School teacher, and Vacation Bible School teacher over the years. It brought her so much joy to share the many accomplishments of the church youth over the years. Just like her students in the school district, she would continue her relationships with the church youth into adulthood. She was a proud member of Metropolitan and could be heard telling her pastor “We love you more” on a regular basis.

Throughout the years, Ms. Watson also served her community through various civic organizations such as the Order of the Eastern Star, the Camp County Library Board, the Camp County Service Industries Board (Shelter Workshop) and The Camp County Chapter of the NAACP. Many accolades resulted from her service, and she received Teacher of the Year, Educator of the Year, Rotarian Awards, and many other awards over the years.

Family was everything to Maudie. She not only loved her son fiercely, but her many nieces and nephews as well. She was known to have a house full of kids on weekends and during summers. Although she was the younger of the bunch, she took pride in loving on all her sisters and brothers. There wasn’t a day that would pass that she would stop in to check on her mother before her passing. She was the catalyst for many family gatherings and celebrations.

Maudie Mae Watson lived a blessed life and leaves a legacy of love through: her son, Jarrod Watson; two sisters: Betty Irvin of Pittsburg, Texas, JoAnn (Earnest) Spencer of Plano, Texas, and two brothers: LH (Glenda) Henderson and LJ (Mavis) Henderson of Pittsburg, Texas and a rich family of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends to cherish her memory.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Maudie Mae Watson, please visit our floral store.