Josephine Marie Ferrell

Josephine Marie Hein, 94, was born to Joe and Pauline (Mynar) Hein in the Harmony Community on May 1, 1931. She was baptized at Immanuel Evangelical Church of Lyons on November 8, 1931 and remained a member of Lyons Evangelical Church until the time of her death. In her last days, she was comforted by her loving family and caregivers. Josie passed away on December 20, 2025.

Josie married Turner Ferrell on July 7, 1951. They were blessed with three children: Stanley Ferrell, wife Mindie; Vicki Ferrell Marek, husband Milton; and Glenn Ferrell, wife Pat. She had six grandchildren: Renee Crockett, husband Matt; James Marek, wife Crystal; Andrea Ferrell, Alison Colley, Shelbi Scitern, husband Carson; and Payton Meckel, husband Trent. She was like a second mother to them and was their beloved “Nannie.” She was further blessed with thirteen great grandchildren: Summer Crockett Clark, Charli Jo Crockett, Levi Crockett, Caden Marek, Joshua Marek, Bella Marek, Lilah Marek, Jordyn Colley, Lexi Colley, Tyler Colley, Moni Morris, Cannon Scitern, and Baylor Meckel. Also included in the family fold is close friend Tim Hamff.

Josie graduated from Caldwell High School in 1948 at the tender age of 17. She was a homemaker, but before her marriage, she worked for Houston Lighting & Power for three years. She often said “Can you believe I could work in that big city?” She later worked as a lunch lady at Caldwell Elementary, then carried heavy boxes of webbing and made aluminum folding chairs at Keller Chair in Caldwell.

She was as practical as they come and could crack you up with her dry sense of humor. She never met a leftover she didn’t like. She was a go-getter who was known to do crazy things like crawl on top of the house to clear sticks (and this was in her 80s!). Turner (Poppie) put her in charge of their two-acre yard, which she kept like a park. If you drove down Highway 36 from Caldwell to Lyons, you would see the pristine yard and trees with the little yellow house. Nannie loved the color yellow.

Our Nannie could sew, crochet and refinish furniture. She could skin a squirrel or a catfish, shoot a deer or chop the head off a snake. She made the best kolaches and even tried her hand (and succeeded) at making sausage, wine and tamales. (Not so much with the pickles one year). Once when the garden made a big crop of tomatoes, she made homemade ketchup. (Ferrells gotta have their ketchup.) Nannie loved a good bargain and never turned down a big ol’ vanilla ice cream cone. And don’t get your feelings hurt because you always knew what Nannie was thinking. To the very end the family gathered at Nannie’s on most Sunday afternoons to get that taste of “home.” She was truly one of a kind, and we loved her fiercely.

Josie was preceded in death by her beloved husband Turner, her parents Joe and Pauline Hein, brothers Andrew Hein and wife Josephine (Jo), Jim Hein and wife Jeannette, Samuel (Bube) Hein, son-in-law Milton E. Marek and daughter-in-law Mindie Ferrell. In addition to children and grandchildren, she is survived by her sister-in-law Alene Hein, whom she considered a sister and her best friend; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Officiating Josie’s service is her pastor, Michael Zwernemann. Serving as pallbearers are James Marek, Matt Crockett, Tim Hamff, Carson Scitern, Trent Meckel and Mark Hein.