Verna Mae was born on January 14, 1926 in Waco, Texas to Henry Thomas Hodel and Ella (Engelbrecht) Hodel. She was raised on a farm near McGregor and attended Plainview Country School for 4 years, then McGregor schools, and graduated as Valedictorian of McGregor High School in 1943. She also graduated from 4-C College in Waco, Texas. Verna met Granvil Rost at Latham Springs Baptist Camp, Aquilla, Texas, on June 19, 1946 and they were married at First Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, on December 4, 1946. She was employed by William Cameron Company as a bookkeeper, in the General Office, and as a local chapter secretary for Germania Farm Mutual Insurance for 26 years. She also worked for the McLennan County tax office and at the Sears Catalog store in McGregor. Verna Mae enjoyed traveling, sewing, and gardening. She became a Christian at the age of eleven at Canaan Baptist Church, near Crawford, Texas and she was a member there. She taught Sunday School for many years and enjoyed singing duets with Granvil.
Preceding Verna May in death were her husband of 69 years, Granvil; parents, Henry and Ella Hodel; brother, First Lt. Calvin Hodel, a fighter pilot killed in the Korean War; twin granddaughters, Megan and Jessica Durkee, and great-grandchildren, Cam and Shiloh Allison.
Survivors include daughters Judith Miller and husband, William, of Little Elm, Texas, Joy Pierson and husband, Sam, of Garland, Texas, Janis Durkee and husband, Doug, of Greenville, South Carolina; grandchildren, Angela Kervin and husband, Rick, Sarah Dever and husband, Chris, Caroline Minnella and husband, Paul, Rebekah Willoughby and husband, Matt, Robert Campbell and wife, Bonnie, Erin Allison and husband, Glenn, Blair Durkee, Cathleen Melendez and husband, Louis; ten great-grandchildren,(Landon, Cal, Knox, Michael, Max, Jack, Tucker, Shelby, Sadie, Scarlett; and sister-in-law Bea Rost.
Memorial gifts may be made to Canaan Baptist Church Cemetery Association, c/o Donna Grimestad, PO Box 664, Hewitt, TX 76643.
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