Dorothy McLain

Dorothy went to be with our Heavenly Father on March 3, 2015, She was 81. Dorothy Ann was born in Kingsville, Texas on September 10, 1933 to Dewey and Leta Joiner, the youngest of four children. Her father's career as a minister allowed Dorothy to enjoy living in many places in Texas throughout her life. She spent her younger years in the Davis Mountains of west Texas and her teen years in Batson before moving to and settling in Beaumont as a young adult. She met her husband Ralph there and they married on August 1, 1958. Together Dorothy and Ralph raised four children. Their two oldest daughters, Leann and Sulin, they proudly adopted from South Korea and God also granted them two children by birth, their son Danny and youngest daughter Bonnie. Dorothy and her husband were devout Southern Baptists, attending both the First Baptist Church of Beaumont and later North End Baptist Church, and finally the First Baptist Church of Tomball. She was known for her beautiful singing voice starting as a little girl when she sang her first solo of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. She also sang in the church choir, often performing solos. Some of her favorite songs to sing were Sweet Little Jesus Boy and His Eye Is On The Sparrow. Dorothy was well known for her love of nature and animals. She was often called "the bird lady of Beaumont" taking in wild baby birds that people would find abandoned and bring to her for care. She also raised more exotic birds like cockatiels, parakeets and finches in an aviary Ralph built for her in their backyard. She raised Shetland Sheep dogs for many years as well and had many other pets throughout her life. She was a gifted artist and seamstress, with sculpting and porcelain doll making among her artistic talents. Even in her later years, she still enjoyed drawing in great lifelike detail the wild birds she loved so much. She gave many of those drawings away as gifts to family members at Christmas. Dorothy and Ralph moved to Tomball, Texas in their later years to be near their youngest daughter and her family. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, her sister Minnie Beth Hugg and brother-in-law Herman Hugg and their son Mark, her brother Robert Clyde Joiner and his wife Fay Joiner. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Ralph McLain of Tomball, Texas, daughter Leann Wallace and son-in-law Mark Wallace of Bevil Oaks, Texas, granddaughters Moriah Wallace and Song Thompson and her husband Keith of Liberty, Texas, daughter Sulin Ledger of New Port Richey, Florida, her sons Jeremy Ledger and wife Nicky and great grandsons Leyton and Ashton of Spring Hills, Florida and Jason Ledger and wife Sunny of Palmetto, Florida, son Danny McLain and daughter-in-law Martha of Hockley, Texas, and grandchildren Noah and Sarah, daughter Bonnie Oxford and son-in-law Tim of Tomball, Texas and granddaughters, Katie, Kristin and Chloe, her brother Garreth Joiner and sister-in-law Elaine of Bryan, Texas, stepdaughter Connie French of Springdale, Arkansas, and numerous nieces and nephews.