Verna Mae Morrison

Born September 6, 1916 in Kansas City, Missouri to Leafy Vern (Sadie) LaCosse Lee and George E. Lee, Verna Mae Morrison was raised in Palo Pinto County by her mother and her stepfather, Sen. Bailey W. Hardy. She was married to Dr. Robert B. Morrison on March 24, 1951. She died peacefully on October 25, 2010. Verna Mae was preceded in death by her husband (pictured above), her parents and her step-father.

A native of Kansas City, Verna Mae grew up in Breckenridge, Texas, and moved with her family to Austin when she was a junior in high school when her father retired from the Texas Senate. She graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1934 and from Texas State College for Women (now Texas Women’s University) in 1938. The school’s motto was “We learn to do by doing” and Verna Mae practiced that guiding principle for the rest of her life. Her life of “doing” for the community as a volunteer was first formalized in 1951, when she became a Junior League Provisional. She was honored in 1990 by that organization as the Volunteer Extraordinaire. Her forte was getting things going. Among the groups she helped launch or boost are Ballet Austin, the Travis County Medical Auxiliary, the Travis County Tuberculosis Association, the Women’s Symphony League, the Heritage Society, the Helping Hand Home for Children, the Settlement Club and the Austin Assembly.

Verna Mae was a great and genuine friend to many and surrogate “mother” to the children of those many friends, bridge and sewing club members, and neighbors. She was one of the last of the original “Stratford Drive Neighbors”.

She was a treasured part of the Cox and Guleke families. She was the Godmother of both Ann Cox Bomer and her daughter Theresa Coates Garza. When growing up Theresa said we thought every child had a “Mae Mae” (her name for Verna Mae) and that she felt sad when she realized that every child did not.

Special thanks go to Carmen Saldana, Bertha Riojas, Dolores Garcia, Evelyn Tamayo and Rosie Rodriguez for their loving and devoted care.

Graveside services will be on Friday, October 29, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at the Lockhart Cemetery, with the Rev. Anne Hoey officiating. Pallbearers are Dr. Frank Covert, Frank Cox, Will Coates, Rod Coffin, Tim Casey, James Guleke and Jim Guleke.

Those desiring to make a memorial contribution are encouraged to make one to the institution or charity of their choice.