Vera Marie Sherrill

Vera Marie Sherrill departed this earth January 6, 2013, into the welcoming arms of her Savior, with the love of her life and best friend, Hartzell Sherrill, by her side. She passed away peacefully after battling complications from a fall and head injury. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, dedicated grandmother and beautiful person inside and out. Born January 31, 1922, in Houston, Marie was the youngest child of John Daniel Rather and Ludie Ellen Wade Rather. Raised in the family homestead in the Houston Heights during the Depression, she was a resourceful, creative, determined individual, much stronger than her petite body would reveal. As a young woman, she spent many hours training with the Houston Conservatory of Music as a concert violinist. When she was fortunate enough to be offered a job her junior and senior year of high school at Star Engraving to help with family expenses, she proved to be a tenacious and loyal employee – a trait that didn’t go unnoticed by Mr. Robert Higginbotham who encouraged her to go to college, and helped her get a part-time job to support her while at North Texas State Teachers College (now University of North Texas) in Denton where she studied journalism. In the summer of 1941, she returned home to Houston where she met the love of her life, Hartzell Leolen Sherrill, on a blind date. Only months later, Pearl Harbor was attacked, he left for the Navy and she used borrowed train fare to travel alone to Washington, D.C., to work in the Office of War Information for 15 months. At the young age of 21, alone and far from home, she returned to Houston where she worked for the Reconstruction Finance Corp. and lived with her mother. Marie and Hartzell married April 19, 1946, in the North Shepherd Church of Christ in Houston, upon his return from the War. Their love and commitment to each other were an inspiration and example for their children and all who met them. They had three children: Robert Kenneth, William Sidney and Sue Ellen. In 1948, Marie accepted Christ and was baptized, and devoted her life to serving Him by serving and teaching others, and setting an example of a Godly woman. In 1958, the family moved to Beaumont where they would live for the next 21 years. Even as a busy mother of three young children, she committed to completing the college degree cut short by World War II. She graduated from Lamar College of Technology (now Lamar University) in 1963 with a bachelor’s in elementary education. Many students and families were blessed by having her as a teacher at Amelia Elementary where she taught second and third grades and later was the first ombudsman in the South Park School District until her retirement. In 1979, they were transferred to Houston where Marie and Hartzell spent many happy and busy years traveling with grandkids, visiting their extended network of friends, pursuing hobbies, tending to her growing menagerie of pets including birds, cats and Tooter the dog, and volunteering with Candlelight Church of Christ. Upon retirement, they moved back to the area of their roots, Wharton, Texas. There, they made many new friendships and renewed old ones, and continued an active, busy life of service to others. In addition to teaching in public school, she led Bible studies and Sunday School classes until her late years. She was a wonderful cook, and her chocolate cakes, pear pies and pumpkin breads were always sought after at any family or church event. She also was a gifted seamstress who stitched many an outfit for her daughter and grandchildren, and created cherished needlecrafts like the embroidered Christmas stockings she made for each grandchild. She loved reading and writing, maintaining her many plants and keeping a warm and welcoming home. Her favorite times were spent when the house was full of family and she was in the kitchen, on long shopping outings with her daughter and grandchildren, camping with the family at Inks Lake in the camper Hartzell built, and ‘floating down the river’ in New Braunfels with all the kids. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Daniel and Ludie Ellen Rather; brothers Daniel Irvin and John Taylor Rather II and their spouses; and nephew John Taylor Rather Jr. Marie leaves behind her loving husband of 66 years, Hartzell Leolen; son, Robert Kenneth, and wife, Janis, of Houston; son, William Sidney and wife, Peggy, of Wharton; daughter, Sue Ellen Sherrill Durio and husband, John Keith Durio, of Austin; her grandchildren whom she adored: Kaylyn Miska (Carter), Courtney Lynch (Matt), Austin Sherrill (Pia), Jenna Durio and Lani Durio; great-granddaughters Kaylie and Chloe Miska, and Carlotta Sherrill; nephews Don, Dan and Tyrone Rather and their families; and niece Patricia Thompson and family. She also is survived by a large extended family and friends too numerous to count. Pallbearers will be Austin Sherrill, Ty Rather, James McNeil, Randy Ashley, Bill Edwards and Van O’Quinn. Family and friends are cordially invited to a visitation at the Wharton Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 10, 2013, at the Abell Street Church of Christ, 501 Abell Street, Wharton, with Paul Jones and Gov D.L. Clements officiating. Burial will follow at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery in Wharton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mission Fund, Abell Street Church of Christ, 501 Abell Street, Wharton TX 77488. Funeral services are under the direction of the Wharton Funeral Home.