Nancy Jo (Box) Rouse

Nancy Jo Box Rouse, 63 went to be with the Lord on May 29th, 2009. She passed away at Hendrick Medical Center after a long battle with MS. Services are scheduled for 2:00pm Monday June 1st, 2009 at Second Baptist Church with burial to follow at Elmwood Memorial Park. A visitation is scheduled for Sunday May 31st from 2-3:30 pm at Piersall Benton Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut St.

Nancy was born in Abilene on November 21, 1945 to Buddy and Dorothy Box. She worked at St. Ann’s Hospital for five years. She met and married Jim Rouse on January 14, 1967. They traveled the world together through his Air Force career and through her job with House of Lloyds. They settled in Abilene, TX during 1980 where she was employed by the Abilene Reporter News for twelve years. She retired from there and she was later diagnosed with MS. She has fought a long hard battle with MS over the last six years. Nancy was an active member of Second Baptist Church for over 25 years where she was a Sunday School teacher and Church Training teacher for many years and she was also the director of Vacation Bible School for numerous years.

Nancy was preceded in death by her father, Buddy (Bonnie) Jones Box, her step-father, Glenn McCraw and sisters Bonnie Thomas and Linda Lang.

Survivors include her husband Jim Rouse of Abilene, TX, her daughter; Jennifer Rouse and Trampa Dean of Abilene; her daughter Teresa and husband Damon Hargrove of Abilene. Nancy also leaves eight grandchildren; Kody Hooper and wife Danna; Kallie Lett and husband Justin, Kelsey Hooper, Shea Hargrove, Cole Hargrove, Sierra Hargrove, Tessa Dean and Tyler Dean, all of Abilene, TX. Nancy leaves her Mother, Dorothy McCraw of Abilene; her brother Gary L. Box and wife Gail of Weatherford, TX and sister Sandra Gail Martin and husband Joe of Abilene, along with numerous nephews and nieces in Abilene, TX and New Bern, NC.

The family requests contributions in lieu of flowers be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Lone Star Chapter, PO Box 816148, Dallas, TX 75381-6148. The family would also like to acknowledge the superb professionalism demonstrated by Hendrick Hospice and Hendrick Home Health staff.