Mary Nell (Goad) Cloud was born on Monday, September 30, 1940 in Tatum, Rusk County, Texas. Mary grew up in the country, just two miles from the town named after her mother's ancestors from Alabama who migrated to the East Texas area in the early 1850's, now Tatum. Mary graduated from Tatum High School in 1959. She was selected Homecoming Queen in 1959. Ever since the age of six, Mary told her parents, Harry Goad and Nelda (Tatum) Goad, that she wanted to be a nurse. This was an early passion of hers to help and care for people. In 1962, Mary graduated from Texas Eastern School of Nursing, Tyler, Texas. Mary spent the next thirty-eight and a half years in the nursing profession having worked in Carthage (Panola General Hospital); Longview (Good Sheppard Hospital); Mineola (Wood Memorial as a staff nurse and left having been Director of Nurses for six years), also worked as a Home Health Nurse and Tyler's Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. Mary retired from Mother Frances in November, 2000. Mary married Jerry Cloud on December 26, 1965 in Tatum, Texas. They have on son, Jay Michael Cloud and wife Robin and one grandson, Jace Michael Cloud of Whitehouse, Texas. Mary and Jerry were active members of the First United Methodist Church of Mineola. Since retirement, Mary has been active as an Associate Member of the Wood County Retired Teachers Association and a long time volunteer for the Mineola Caring and Sharing program for the needy by making Christmas Stockings each year. Mary also has served on the Board of Directors for Caring and Sharing for four years.

Her survivors include her husband, Jerry Cloud of Mineola; son Jay Cloud and wife Robin of Whitehouse; grandson, Jace Cloud of Whitehouse; and a brother Herbert Goad and wife Patti of Shreveport, Louisiana.

Visitation for Mrs. Cloud will be held at Beaty Funeral Home in Mineola on Saturday, August 4, 2012 from 6 - 8 PM. Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church in Mineola on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 3:00 PM with Dan Danheim officiating. Interment will follow at the Tatum Cemetery in Tatum, Texas at 4:30 PM.

Local arrangements are under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com.