Anna Auvenshine

Anna Auvenshine transitioned from her earthly life to her heavenly body peacefully in the early hours of September 15, 2024. She was 85 at the time of her passing, having been born on November 27, 1938. There will be a visitation at Marshall and Marshall Funeral Home of Hillsboro on Friday evening, September 20, from 6 to 8 pm. A celebration of life service will be held 11:00 am, September 21, at First Methodist Church, Hillsboro.

Anna Lee Banks was born in Waco as the first of two daughters born to DC and Lois Banks. Her parents instilled in her a love of reading, music and new discoveries and education. Her father grew up without parents in the Methodist Home of Waco while her mother grew up in rural Bosqueville. They wanted more for their daughters than they had experienced in the early years of the twentieth century. Anna was the first of her family to attend college, paying her own way through Baylor University while living at her family home in Waco. She worked in the Registrar's Office and finished Baylor in just three years. Her teaching career began at Lake Air Middle School in Waco in 1959, at the age of 20.

She met a young band director, Bill Auvenshine, while he was back in Waco visiting family at Herring Avenue Methodist Church, where both of them had attended through childhood. Bill and Anna were married on December 21, 1963. They honeymooned in the mountains of Mexico, even traveling late into one town by lamplight of the mule leading them to their destination. As a married couple, Bill and Anna explored much of the western United States with a great affinity for Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. They also traveled the world, continuing to explore and learn; visiting numerous European and Mediterranean locations, China, Egypt, Canada, and Mexico.

Anna continued her education, earning two more degrees from Baylor, culminating with an Ed.D in Reading in 1978. Prior to moving to Hillsboro, she taught at the junior high school, high school and college level, and served six years on the Ranger ISD School Board with two years as its President.

Upon moving to Hillsboro in 1984, she immediately immersed herself in service to the community. She began service with the Sesame Club; and with her family, joined the First Methodist Church of Hillsboro where she sang in the choir for several years and played piano and organ when needed.

Professionally, Anna taught for several years at Hillsboro High School and later served as the Curriculum Director for Hillsboro ISD and as Principal of Franklin Elementary School. Her professional abilities and duties eventually took her to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education in Austin and Texas State Technical College in Waco.

Anna has maintained her love of reading throughout her life. That passion opened doors for her to see the world and encourage others to open doors for themselves as she always promoted the importance of education and reading. Anna's years as an educator were known for encouraging students to continue their studies and to better their futures. Always curious and always wanting to share that feeling with her family and her students and co-workers...never stop learning!

Always searching for new experiences, Anna became a skilled seamstress, a talented photographer, an exceptional artist of all things needle-crafted from macrame to embroidery, and a gift for cooking delicious meals.

This past December, she and Bill celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Anna is survived by her husband, William (Bill) of Hillsboro, Texas; daughter, Karen Lawless, and her husband, Lane, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; son, Lee, and his wife Stacey of Gwinnett County, Georgia; and beloved grandchildren Morgan Lawless and Corinne, Misty, Natalie, and Tripp Auvenshine. She is preceded in death by her parents, D.C. and Lois Banks and sister, Carol Dee Linnemann.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Methodist Home Waco.