Brenda Anelia Marmaduke

Brenda Anelia Marmaduke was born July 16, 1940, in a tuberculosis sanitarium in Flint City, Alabama just outside of Decatur. The daughter of Francis Abie Daniel and Cliney Cecil Nesbitt, she was sent to live with foster parents in Montgomery, Alabama, for the first 5 years of her life, due to the health condition of her mother. There, she was being raised to be a debutante. She wore white gloves and her foster mother put glycerin in her eyes to make them shine.
After her fifth birthday, her great Aunt Nancy Cumy Gossett, won custody of her and moved her to Texas along with her birth mother Abie. She didn't get long to know her mother before she passed in 1946. The family moved to Glen Rose, Texas, where she finished out her elementary, middle and high school years. She loved going back to the class reunions. Once graduated, she attended Decatur Baptist College in Decatur, Texas, where she met Harold Wayne Marmaduke. The two were married on August 14, 1959 and were married for 43 years before his passing with cancer. She studied classical voice under Dr. Clyde J Garrett and declined the offer to move to New Mexico and help set up the music department there at the University of New Mexico to become a stay at home mom.
Brenda came to Nocona, Texas in 1960, where she began teaching voice and piano lessons, which she would continue to do for the next 40 years. She met Jo Allison, sister of Arlene Mitchell, in 1963 of that year and was baptized, becoming a faithful member of the Nocona Church of Christ until she passed. Through the years she had a busy life. She was a campfire leader, girl scout leader, softball coach, choir director, performer, published poet, published song writer, church librarian and secretary, as well as many other jobs such as caring for the elderly. She took any job that was less likely to separate her from her ability to be at home and a mother, a responsibility she took very seriously.
Throughout her life, she was recognized in such publications as the World's Who's Who of Women and Personalities of the South. She was named Lady Brenda Marmaduke after being given a title from Aberdeen, Scotland, a title she took very seriously in her last years. She was the first President of the Friends of the Library Association in Nocona, Texas. She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor International Society. Brenda never stopped learning, earning her three degrees; an Associates of Music Education, a technical degree in the 1980s for Computer Programming, and a final degree in her 60s, an Associate of Arts degree in Art.
She performed for major events in Nocona and the surrounding areas, the United States, as well as in Europe. She sang in the British Isles, Germany, and Austria. Brenda sang in seven different languages and spoke Spanish, Italian and German.
She is survived by three children, Sherol Ramsey and husband Gerald Ramsey of Nocona, Texas, Karl Marmaduke and husband Oscar Perez of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Carol Marmaduke and partner Heather Everett of Nocona, Texas. She had numerous grandchildren and adopted grandchildren. Chris Nelson of Wichita Falls, TX, Ashley Morse and husband Jeremy Morse of Wichita Falls, TX, Kevin Ramsey and wife Meg Ramsey of Ringgold, Texas, Kadin Ramsey of Nocona, TX, her namesake, Brendan Marmaduke of Nocona, TX, Donnie Sands of Nashville, Tennessee, Aidan Marmaduke Sands of Nocona, TX, Steven Espinosa and wife Olivia Espinosa of Nocona, TX, Marissa Beavers and husband Billy Beavers of Anna, Texas, Clara Martinez of Houston, TX, Joshua Everett and wife Grace Everett of Jacksboro, TX, Hayden Everett of Canyon, TX, Mikael Everett of Canyon, TX, Justyn Everett of Nocona, TX and many great grandchildren.
Brenda's first love was God and her second was music. She had this to say in her late 50s: "Lately, I have had songs come into my head at great speed. Song writing has almost become an obsession with me. It is not my intention to make a lot of money from songs. I write to praise my Lord. I want the songs sung in all the churches of Christ and God be given the glory. Almost every song has a story behind it, but some just come into my head. "Heaven Bound" expresses what we are here for and it exemplifies the pattern that my best friend, Jo Allison, set by the way she lived life. "Please Hold My Hand" was written when I lost a lot of friends because of what I believed. And yet I know that all the friends I lost to walk with God have been restored time and time again. He gave me beautiful new friends. God can never be outdone. He always has a blessing for us in every trial we face, if we but look for it."
Brenda's family will receive visitors at Scott-Morris Funeral Home Thursday, September 21, 6:00PM --7:00 PM. Her funeral will be Friday, September 22, 2:00 PM at Nocona Church of Christ with Austin Wright officiating.