Esther P. Terry

Esther Pauline Terry, age 95, passed away Wednesday June 5, 2013 at Holiday Hill Nursing Home, Coleman, Texas. Visitation will be Friday, June 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Saturday, June 8 at 2:00 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, with Ralph Howell officiating, with burial to follow in the Coleman Cemetery under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.



Esther was born on September 27, 1917 in the piney woods of Clark County near Gurdon, Arkansas. She was the seventh child of Agnes "Aggie" Cornelius (Phelps) and Watt H. Hammonds. The family, except her two oldest brothers, moved to Texas in 1934 and settled in Coleman County in 1935.



She met John F. Terry in Coleman County and they married on June 22, 1940 in Coleman. Esther remained in Coleman County for the rest of her life, except when they temporarily relocated at Freer, Texas, where they daughter was born on the last day of 1941. Soon after, John entered the Army Air Corps at San Antonio. He was stationed at Biloxi, Mississippi, San Angelo, Texas and Liberal, Kansas. Esther lived the life of a farmer-rancher's wife, and was a partner in Terry Farms at the time of her death. She was active in her children's school activities and enjoyed quilting, knitting, gardening, reading and walking. She accepted Christ into her life at Hammond's Chapel in Arkansas and had been a member of the First Baptist Church of Coleman since 1955.



Surviving are one daughter, Mary Alice and husband Donald Larson of Lewisville; two sons, Ralph Terry and wife Judia of Coleman and Bruce Terry of Coleman; three granddaughters, Lisa and husband Aaron Read of Providence, Rhode Island; Amanda Larson of Brooklyn, New York; and Ingrid and husband Devin McGinty of San Antonio; one great grandson, Sean Bruce McGinty of San Antonio; one step-granddaughter, Gina and husband Glenn Bennett of Mesquite; one step-grandson, Mat and wife Amy Gaines of Coleman; step-great granddaughters, Saige and Blaire Bennett, of Mesquite and Aren Gaines, of Coleman; one sister, Martha Martin of Keller, Texas; three sisters-in-laws, Bonnie Young of Lott, Texas; Fontella Knight of San Angelo; and Eunice Terry of Fort Worth; and many nieces and nephews.



Preceding her in death were her husband, John in 1974, an infant daughter, five brothers, Jesse, Carl, Elmer, Joe and Ralph Eugene Hammonds; three sisters, Mary Lowrie, Daisy Hamlet and Syble Gibson; and several nieces and nephews.



Honorary pallbearers are Mary Boren, Betty Atchley, Elsie Lee, Zelma Downey, Sammie Chambers, Rowena Rudd, Katy Phillips, Ileta Bourland, Wanda Cockrell and Ila Croft, most of whom were members of the Esther Sunday School Class and close friends.



Memorials may be made to the donor's favorite charity.



Please sign her on-line guestbook at www.livingmemorials.com.