Mebra Dean Lively Eckhoff, known as “Mebbie”, 73, of Bend died on May 18, 2022 in Lampasas.
Mebbie was born on Jan. 19, 1949 in San Saba to Sherman Archie Lively and Jolene Broyles Lively.
She graduated from San Saba High School in 1968.
Growing up in the communities of Bend and Chappel, Mebbie spent a significant amount of time outdoors with all the Lively cousins along the banks of the Cherokee Creek. She also spent a great amount of time in the saddle, working cattle horseback with her uncles and cousins.
Mebbie loved to visit with friends and meet new people. She was able to strike up a conversation with anyone. She loved to work in her yard and kept it mowed to perfection so it looked like the fairway on a golf course.
Among her other passions was being a rancher, as she loved working with sheep, goats and cattle. Not a day went by that she wasn’t working with or looking at livestock. Her favorite time of the year was the fall and early winter, as she enjoyed working in the pecan orchards, helping harvest pecans. She was always looking for the next “blue ribbon pecan sample” to enter in the San Saba County Pecan Show.
On Sept. 14, 1968, Mebbie married Leon Eckhoff in Chappel, and they shared 53 years of marriage.
Mebbie is survived by her husband; sons Robbie and wife Amy of Hawley, and Donnie and wife Abbie of Axtell; grandsons Ethan and Ory of Hawley, and Brynna of Axtell; twin sister Debra “Debbie” January of Chappel; and her aunt, Charlene Reavis of Chappel.
She was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Mike January.
Visitation was held May 23 at Heritage Funeral Home in San Saba, and the funeral service followed at 3 p.m. Burial was at Chappel Cemetery.
