McRae family legacy includes faith, strength and success
By Mary Beth Scallon Special Contributor Oct 29, 2022

If any mother has a right to be proud of her family, it would surely be Mary McRae. However, she is a humble woman, and pride is not a virtue, although she confesses that her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren bring her great joy. McRae, the widow of Bill McRae, who was a community leader in Jacksonville before his death, met her husband when she went to work at a bank in Carrollton, following her graduation from high school. “I went to work for Mercantile Bank,” she said. “They were training me to be a teller. Bill had taken a year off from college to work as a bookkeeper at a lumber mill, and he walked into the bank. I took one look and thought, ‘I could be interested.’” She added that, “it went from there.” A few years later, Bill McRae decided to change careers after being prompted by his wife. “I always knew he could do better than bookkeeping,” she said. He became a banker in Carrollton, and then several years and many prayers after, the family moved to Galveston, where Bill continued his banking career. While working at Moody National Bank in Galveston, Bill arranged the loan for two men who intended to open a Ford dealership. In a surprising and unfortunate turn of events, both men died before completing their plans, and as the lending officer, Bill was responsible for coming up with a workable solution to compensate for potential loss to the bank. “He worked at the bank during the day and at the car dealership at night, and was able to save the business,” Mary said. “After awhile, Ford contacted Bill and told him if he ever wanted another dealership, they knew he was able.” Again, the couple prayed about making another life-changing decision, and after checking into a couple of dealerships in other towns, they felt led to settle in Jacksonville and opened the Bill McRae dealership. By this time, all five of their children had been born. Mary reflected on the fact that she and Bill had a large family, at least by modern standards. “We both decided before we married that we wanted a big family,” she said. “The most important thing for us was that our children would grow up knowing the Lord, and we have had the family we prayed for; they have been a joy.” Throughout their marriage, she and Bill also raised their children to embrace the value of hard work and education. That upbringing paid off: three of their daughters are educators; one daughter is a physician; and their son has assumed the leadership role at Bill McRae Ford, which his father established in 1976. Tim McRae is married to Dawn, and they are the parents of Lindsey, who is married to Michael Crawford and works at Rusk State Hospital, and of Mitch McRae, who works with his dad at the dealership and is married to Maria McRae. Tim and Dawn are grandparents to seven children. Dr. Tam Nannen is the Dean of Students at Tyler Junior College, where she serves as the chief student advocate, overseeing both student rights and student responsibilities. Her children have also achieved success in their chosen fields. Christen is employed by Baylor University in University Advancement; Catherine is a neonatal ICU nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas; Caroline is the Program Coordinator of Fellowships and Global Initiatives at MIT; James is an assistant principal in Irving ISD; and Jonathan works as a coach and mathematics teacher in Conroe ISD. Dr. Nannen also has seven grandchildren. Another McRae daughter, Dr. Kim Childs, is the Dean of Mathematics and Science at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. She and husband, Gary Childs, have three children: Matt, who works in property management; Chris, the VP of an automotive company in Houston; and Betsy, who works in research at Texas A&M. Dr. Childs and Gary also have nine grandchildren. Becky McRae Hanna, another daughter, taught for many years at Jacksonville High School, but now works with her brother, Tim, at Bill McRae Ford. Becky and her husband, David Hanna, are the parents to Justin, who is an attorney in Dallas, and Dylan, a physical therapy assistant in East Texas, and grandparents to four children. The youngest McRae daughter, Dr. Caroline McRae-Vogler, is a pediatrician in the UT Health System in Tyler. She and her husband are the parents of the two youngest McRae grandchildren, who have been recognized for their accomplishments in music, sports and scouting. Mary recently celebrated her 90th birthday, and her family honored her request for a reunion with friends and family she hasn’t seen in awhile. In addition, the family took a trip to Galveston, where she was able to visit some of the places she remembers fondly from her days in that city. Most particularly, she was happy to visit the church where the family attended when her children were young: First Baptist Church of Galveston. When the family moved to Jacksonville, she became active in the children’s ministry at Central Baptist Church, serving as Nursery Director. In Galveston, she was actively involved with the Women’s Missionary Union and children’s Sunday School at the church, as well as serving as PTA President when her younger children were small. These days, she sews a little and reads a lot. The most endearing time for her during the day are the early morning hours in which she spends 2 to 2 ½ hours daily in prayer and Bible Study. “I’ve waited a long time for this,” she said. “My family knows that is my time with the Lord, and they honor that.” Reflecting on prayer, McRae said that she is grateful for answered prayer. “I am very humbled that our prayers were answered for our children to get an education and lead successful lives,” she said, “But I am most thankful for a Christian family. I am very blessed that He has given us the family we prayed for.” “I will never cease to thank the Lord for blessing me with my mother and the home she and Dad provided for me and my brother and sisters,” said Tam Nannen of her mom, speaking on behalf of herself and her siblings. “Mom is the rock of our family. She is my strongest and most tenacious prayer warrior. She is resourceful and very independent. Throughout the years, she taught me how to mother my own children, not simply with words of wisdom but with actions that model the characteristics of a godly woman.”

Still Waters Memorial Garden, Jacksonville, Cherokee County, Texas