Vera Watkins House Leisk1919-2016On the 2nd of October 2016, VERA WATKINS HOUSE LEISK, at the age of 97 joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for eternity. She passed away peacefully in her home with family by her side. She was born on the 2nd of March 1919 in Welsh, Louisiana, a small rice farming community in the southwestern part of the state. VERA was born into an iconic rice farming family, the youngest of eight children. As the last survivor of her generation her passing was a milestone in the family history, the end of an extraordinary era. She had inherited the passed down role of matriarch of the WATKINS family in recent years and was adored by upwards of 40 nieces and nephews whose attention she cherished. At the annual WATKINS family reunion celebrated on Good Friday she thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility of recording the family genealogy and meeting and greeting new family members that now number in the hundreds covering at least five generations. "Five foot two eyes of blue, but oh what that five foot two can do, has anybody seen my gal?" That first line of the only song her husband, Glenn, constantly tried to sing was his expression of his love and awe for whom would become known as "Mama House" to generations of family and friends, and quickly anyone she met or even just heard stories of. They eloped to New Roads, La her first week at Louisiana State University at the age of 17, moved to the oil and gas fields of south Texas and began their family at 19 years old. They moved from oil field camps to camps ten times in ten years and with a growing family of boys. The rice fields of Louisiana, roots that she would forever cherish, prepared her well for whatever was required with perfection. And she was a perfectionist and the definition of the ultimate homemaker. She would pick up a shotgun and bring back and prepare and cook squirrels from her pecan trees and doves in flight in her backyard, friends and family would demand her fruit cakes at their Christmas dinner tables, she could sew Marilyn's dresses from homemade patterns sketched by her husband Glenn and knit sweaters for her boys and provide needlepoint cushions for her church communion rail and for a President's dining room chairs. Her favorite breakfast was doves over toast topped with rich milk gravy. Moving to Houston in 1946 opened many new opportunities for her family. Being a woman of strong faith and the dedicated spiritual leader she led her family to become charter members of St Luke's United Methodist Church with services in Lamar High School where she taught Sunday school for many years and was a member of the Susanna Wesley Bible study. She also served her community through the Blue Bird Circle and the River Oaks Garden Club. Vera's strong faith and inner strength allowed her to endure sending her 2 sons to war for two and a half years and was a source of comfort and strength for her 2 daughter-in-laws.Vera was blessed with many interests and strong opinions. In elementary school, she corresponded with President Herbert Hoover about policy and more recently with Drayton McLane about what to do about his roster. She was a persistent and loyal Astros fan to the point of keeping a notebook of scoring sheets for every game for several years and she would spend the entire spring training season at the Kissimmee training camp as the guest of her dear friend, Vivian Smith. Her favorite experience was being there when rookie Craig Biggio walked into the batting cage for the first time and later seeing him being celebrated in Cooperstown. We all knew she was fiercely competitive but when she took to playing golf at the age of 60 she became relentless and she showed no mercy at the bridge table, both activities she enjoyed with friends as a member of River Oaks Country Club or in a game of gin rummy or backgammon at her card table in the middle of her home living room. She played piano by ear on her baby grand Steinway piano that had a hole in it from an errant arrow from one of the boys' bows and she was still playing within the last month. Vera preferred balance and moderation in life and taught it very well to her children by her disciplined example. She was blessed with the spiritual gift of service and it showed in all her relationships. She was focused on you and developed amazing connection with all ages, she personally nursed both husbands for several years of poor health prior to their deaths in the most constantly loving and caring ways. Fourteen years after she lost her husband, Glenn, she married Wardell Leisk, a close friend of theirs, classmates at LSU and another oilman whereby they enjoyed traveling, playing golf, spending time in Ruidosa, NM and dancing anywhere there was a lively band. A woman of enormous fortitude, consistent positivity, strong character, honesty and high integrity, and an effective teacher simply by the way she lived her life, we will miss her beautiful smile and sparkling blue eyes but never lose the wonderful lasting memories.VERA was preceded in death by her first husband and father of her children, Glenn C. House of Lake Charles, LA, son, Claude House, daughter in law, Suzanne House and grandson, Glenn C. House III and her second husband, Wardell Leisk of Shreveport, LA. She also was preceded in death by her parents, James Ledbetter Watkins and Dora Robinson Watkins of Welsh, her three sisters, Neva West of Houston, Lucille Wallace of Atlanta, GA, Letha Doiron of Thornwell, La, and her four brothers, Bill Watkins of Beaumont, Wallace Watkins of Welsh, and the twins, Claude and Charlie Watkins of Welsh. She is survived by her son, Glenn C. House, Jr. of Houston, grandson, Garret C. House and wife, Kim Birdwell House of Hong Kong, great grandson, Curtiss A. House and great granddaughter, Meagan House both of Austin; grandson, Paul R. House and wife, Martha Sanchez House of Houston, great grandsons, James R. House and John P. House; granddaughter, Jennifer House Gentry and her husband, Thomas P. Gentry of Houston, great granddaughters, Lauren L. Gentry, twins Grace Suzanne Gentry and Haley Lynn Gentry and great grandson, Hudson Gentry; son, LTG(R) Randolph W. House and wife, Jeanie Wright House of College Station, granddaughter, Karen House Graves and husband, Brigadier General Tom Graves of Seoul, South Korea, great grandson, Weston Graves and great granddaughter, Morgan Graves, and granddaughter, Ellen House Wallace and husband, Shay Wallace of Lubbock Texas, great granddaughter, Chandler Wallace and great grandson, Parker Wallace; daughter, Marilyn House West and husband, Alan West of Houston, granddaughter, Courtney West Follett and husband, Jeff Follett of Dallas, and great grandsons, Cole Follett, Blake Follett and Brooks Follett, grandson, Ryan West and wife Karen Cadwallader West of Houston, great grandsons, Cade West and Ryland West and great granddaughters, Addi James West and Layne West, granddaughter, Natalie West Bechtol and husband, Carter Bechtol of Houston, great grandson, Currie Bechtol, and great granddaughters, Mary Mae Bechtol and Baker Bechtol. For the last four years we have been blessed by her caregiving angels, who are now part of our family, Lupita Melendez, Rocio Ramos, Rosibel Rivera, Linda Venters, Ana Zelaya and Ana Yancy Zelaya. Much to our appreciation, we recognize Dr. Cynthia Williams at Medical Clinic of Houston for her professional and loving care of our mother. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until seven o'clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 5th of October, in the parlor and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. The interment is to be conducted at one o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 6th of October, at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Freeway in Houston. The memorial service will be conducted at three o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 6th of October, in the sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3741 Westheimer Road in Houston, where Dr. Tom Pace, Senior Pastor, is to officiate. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the Hines Baker Room.Those honored to serve as pallbearers are Garret House, Paul House, Thomas Gentry, BG Tom Graves, Shay Wallace, Jeff Follett, Ryan West, and Carter Bechtol.In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to The Children's Ministry at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3741 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas, 77027; or the .