Individual Details

Death

Jean Furr Tolbert, 82, of Waco, passed away April 17, 2008. Following the family interment at Oakwood Cemetery, a memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, April 19, at First Baptist Church with Dr. Scott Walker and Dr. Todd Still officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 18, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey in the Garden Room. Jean was born April 26, 1925, in Fernwood, Miss., the daughter of Luther Ambrose and Rosa Simrall Furr. In her early years, the family moved to Tylertown where she attended public schools, graduating in 1943. She then entered Mississippi College and was awarded the bachelor's degree in history with honors in 1947. Initially planning to be a teacher, she taught in the high school department of Copiah-Lincoln Junior College for two years. Jean's life plans changed course when she married Charles Madden Tolbert June 2, 1949. She returned to Mississippi College where she began a career in librarianship. After holding short stints at the University of North Carolina and Louisiana State University, she joined the library staff at Baylor University in 1957 where she served for 33 years. In 1965 she completed requirements for the Master of Library Science degree at Texas Woman's University. Throughout her career, she not only encouraged library usage at Baylor but in other venues as well. In 1984 she was named to the Waco-McLennan County Library Commission and chaired that body in 1986. Shortly after her retirement in 1990, the reference section of the Texas Library Association recognized her contributions to that segment of the profession with a distinguished service award. During her 50 years in Waco, Jean was active in a number of local groups. In her church, First Baptist, she was a member of the Hannah Class; however, over the span of time there, she was a Sunday school teacher, missions-group leader, college-student sponsor, and choir member. She was a half-century participant in the Baylor Round Table, serving as president in 1976. She held membership in the Waco Branch of the American Association of University Women and was named that group's president in 1980. She joined educator friends in furthering the goals of Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Much of her free time over the past three decades was devoted to volunteering at Fort House, a museum property of Historic Waco Foundation. After chairing that house committee in 1988, she was elected to the HWF Board of Directors. Jean was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Charles; son, Charles II and spouse, Patricia of Waco; grandchildren, Rachel Tolbert Kimbro and spouse, Robert of Houston, and Patrick of Waco; and great-grandchildren, Eleanor and Thomas. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Baylor Round Table Scholarship Fund, the Charles and Jean Tolbert sociology scholarship at Baylor, One Bear Place 97026, Waco, TX 76798, or other entity that would honor Jean. Published in the Waco Tribune-Herald on 4/18/2008.