Martha Royall

An industrious and indomitable woman who valued family and hard work, Martha Louise (Legler) Royall, left this earth on September 22, 2019 to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She was a woman of great faith who was active in her church and Bible study throughout her life.  She enjoyed life to the fullest.

She was born on August 16, 1926, to Rosie Stasney Legler and Frank Legler, in Baytown, Texas.

Martha was very proud of putting herself through Lee College and the University of Texas at Austin. She was married to Thomas Royall for fifty-five years. Thomas and Martha moved their growing family from Baytown to New York to New Orleans to Beaumont as Thomas worked in the oil industry.  Martha and Tom returned to Texas and settled in Beaumont in 1966 where they raised their family. 

While raising six children, she also worked as a substitute teacher, a realtor, and acted as general contractor in building several homes.  In her 70s she returned to school at Lamar University to take classes to better understand computers so that she could text with her fifteen grandchildren.

She continued to be the star domino player at family gatherings up until the very end, bidding up hands in a reckless fashion that scared her partners and opponents alike. 

Survivors include her daughter, Linda Coffey and her husband, Reverend John Hargis; sons, James Royall and his wife, Treva; John Royall and his wife, Patricia; Paul Royall and his wife, Josie; daughters, Ann Bolton and her husband, Michael; Elizabeth Hanzel and her husband, Emery; grandchildren, Laura Gaudet and her husband, Mike; Charlotte Smith and her husband, Ryan; Ben Coffey, Jennifer Royall, Thomas Royall, Austin Royall, Courtni Sanders, Matt Royall and his wife, Hannah; Lindsey Allen and her husband, Josh; Peter Royall, Ariel Royall and her husband, Kyle Gilbreath; Dana Royall, Tyler Bolton, Heather Bolton and her husband, David King; Adam Hanzel, Amanda Hanzel; great-grandchildren, Eleanor, Amelia, Catherine, Cadence, Mallory, Grace, Annie, Violet, Samuel, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-five years, Thomas E. Royall; sisters, Frances Olds, Suzie Barrow; and brother, Leon Legler.

A gathering of Mrs. Royall’s family and friends will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 25, 2019, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 26, 2019, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 3430 Harrison Avenue, Beaumont. Her interment will be at 2:30, at Cedarcrest Cemetery, 3010 Ferry Road, Baytown, Texas 77520.