Beulah Shirley Secor

Beulah Shirley (Marrs) Secor passed away on Monday, May 25, 2015 at the age of 86. Born July 21, 1928, in Borger, Texas, Shirley was the youngest daughter of Alfred Joseph Marrs and Clara Arvina (Brewer) Marrs. Shirley graduated from Boling High School in 1946 and then enrolled in nursing school at The University of Houston and Jeff Davis Hospital in Houston, Texas. While there she met Harold Secor and in September 1947 they were married at the Courthouse in Richmond, Texas. After graduation Harold and Shirley moved to Pennsylvania where Shirley worked as a nurse at Robert Packard Hospital is Sayre, New York. Shirley returned to Texas to live with her parents while Harold served in Korea. During this time their first daughter Leslie was born. After Harold returned home they moved to Bellaire, Texas. While in Bellaire daughters Susan and Beth were born. In 1959, Harold and Shirley decided to leave Houston to find a better environment to raise their family. They selected Wharton where they lived until their deaths. Shirley was active in the community while raising her three girls. Active as a leader for the Wharton Girl Scout she also served as the summer camp nurse. During the summer she was an avid spectator at the girls swim meets. In 1972 Shirley decided to return to work and was the head nurse at Cartwheel Nursing Home and later at Avalon Place both in Wharton. After leaving Avalon Place she was a Nurse Consultant for nursing homes in the region. Upon her retirement she joined with other doctor’s wives to form the Thursday Lunch Bunch for which she was the designated driver. Shirley was an active member of The First United Methodist Church, the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, The Wharton PTA and numerous other societies and organizations. Shirley will be remembered as an excellent seamstress, lover of music, needle worker, civil war historian, and family genealogist but above all she will be remembered as a loving and supportive wife, mother, grandmother and great-grand mother. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Harold Secor, parents Alfred and Clara Marrs and her sister Lola Phillippi. Shirley is survived by: her daughters Leslie Secor of Wharton, Beth Secor of Houston, and Susan Pfrehm and her husband Gary of Houston; grandchildren Kristi Vaz and husband Ray of Concord, Maine, Claudia Secor-Watkins and spouse Adrienne Snead of Austin, Texas, Rachael Parker of Hutto, Texas, and Ahren Pfrehm and wife Esme Ridings of Hillsboro, Oregon; great grandchildren Sarah Chema, Star Frazier, Kellen Poole, Edgar Pfrehm-Ridings, and Elliott Pfrehm-Ridings and numerous nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service in celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at the Wharton Funeral Home, 515 East Boling Highway, on Sunday, May 31 at 3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (514 Poplar Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania 17512), The 20th Century Technology Museum (PO Box 868, Wharton, Texas 77488) or the First United Methodist Church (1717 Pioneer Ave, Wharton, TX 77488), or the Wharton County Stray Pet Outreach Team (PO Box 584, Wharton, Tx 77488).