Ermal June Norrell Chapman

June Chapman, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and longtime resident of Midland and Paris, Texas passed away on April 11, 2025 in her Hacienda Assisted Living residence in Georgetown, Texas at the age of 92.

June was born on June 17, 1932, and was raised by her parents Harrison and Bea Norrell on a farm and dairy in Lamar County with her younger sister, Margaret and brother, James. While on her daily school bus ride from the country to Paris High School, she meet the love of her life, Garland Chapman. They married on December 26, 1950 and soon moved to Albany, Texas where Garland began his career in public education, and June worked in administration for the high school. They soon moved to Midland, Texas, and it was there that they raised their two children, Harriet, born January 7, 1955 and Ray, born January 29, 1957.

June loved being a mother and supporting her husband as he advanced his career from teacher to principal to assistant superintendent of the Midland Independent School District. After she raised her children, June worked as an elementary library assistant. She and Garland retired from MISD in 1986 and moved back to Paris, Texas to be closer to their parents and family.

Faith and service to others were central to her long life. She was a children’s Sunday school teacher and active with leadership roles at St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Midland. June was also a faithful member of her Sunday school class and United Methodist Women at First United Methodist Church in Paris. Church Women United was one of her favorite places for fellowship and service while in Paris (CWU was founded as a racially, culturally, theologically, inclusive Christian’s movement to celebrate unity and diversity and work for peace the world). She was a friend to San Gabriel Presbyterian Church in Georgetown for the past 5 years with regular visits from Pastor Bill Pederson and friend, Clara Yeck.

June and Garland spent many happy times traveling throughout the U.S with friends and family and always enjoyed fishing in Colorado, the central Texas lakes and at the Gulf Coast. They regularly took trips in their RV and often played 42 and dominoes. She especially looked forward to being a tourist in Washington D.C , where Garland’s brother and sister-in-law lived.

June enjoyed and was skilled in all types of crafts, sewing, crocheting, creating beautiful living spaces with seasonal decorating, hosting friends and family into her homes and cooking delicious meals and baking wonderful desserts . She was gregarious and a social butterfly at all gatherings, making sure to speak and visit with all. She was a loyal friend and regularly called many lifelong friends and family, even weeks before her death. She also was an avid reader and appreciated the Georgetown public library outreach program which brought her books. She kept up with current events and all the political noise that was on the TV.

June was preceded in death by her husband, Garland, in 2020. She is survived by her daughter, Harriet Knowles (Steve), and son, Garland Ray Chapman (Suzanne), and her brother, James Norrell (Pat), and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law in the Paris area. June had seven grandchildren: Jeffrey Knowles (Lisa); Jennifer Lerma (Daniel); Stephanie Eddleton (Jason); Lindy Warner (Weston); Scott Knowles (Julia); Bailey Chapman and Olivia Chapman. She also delighted in eight great-grandchildren.

The family appreciates all the care and dedication to June especially in her last months from the staff at The Hacienda, Curana Health, Baylor Scott and White Hospital and Clinics, Austin Palliative Care, Kindful Hospice, Caregivers from Blue Water Homecare, and Racquel Wagner and Edna Jacks. Any remembrance gifts maybe directed to the Food Pantry at the Caring Place in Georgetown, Texas in her memory.

A funeral service for June will be held Friday, April 25, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628.