Herman lived half his life in Arlington, Texas and at the age of 17, with his mother’s permission, he joined the US Marines from January 22, 1946. He served in the Asiatic pacific area from May 20, 1946 to October 13, 1947. He then entered the reserves and was discharged in Corpus Christi TX by the 8th Marine Corps reserve district in New Orleans, LA on November 1, 1949. On February 3, 1951, he married Venita Algerine Gordon and the two were married until her passing in May 1967. In January of 1968, Herman found love again and married Jeanne Buckley Cantrell Schultz.
He worked for the Lonestar Gas company and later became a Policeman with the Arlington Police department. As a young man, he loved flying and flew a by-plane for crop dusting. Hobbies were building fly by wire model airplanes and rebuilding wrecked cars. He also loved NASA car racing and had many friends from the racing world. After leaving the police department he became a full time auto body repairman and continued his friendships associated with the NASA car world.
In 1977, he and Jeanne moved to Anchorage Alaska with daughter Carol and son Bryan. He opened his auto body repair shop; this new life brought him much joy as he bought and rebuilt many Aeronca airplanes and flew around the Alaska Bush going to remote places to hunt and fish. Then the time came to move back to Texas and his diminishing health began. He came back to Alaska only to want to go back to Texas for his final days. He was a fighter and managed to hang on for four years after battling diabetes and a heart condition.
He is preceded in death by his siblings Ruby Beard, Raymond Jr, Roy “Rabbit”, David “Sonny”, Donald “Butch, Wanda Rose Williams, and Mary Bell Hill.
He is survived by his 5 children: Pamela C Hennigan (Joseph) resides in Anchorage, AK, Herman Travis (Marian) resides in Anchorage, AK, William Doyle (ex-wife Sylvie), Raymond Bryan (Laura) resides in Crandall, TX, and Carol Jean Cantrell of Anchorage, AK as well as ex-wife, Jeanne’s four children and their children: daughter Joyce Anglin (Frank) and their 2 children, Cheryl Jimenze and her 3 children, Cassie VerSteeg and her 3 children, son Kenneth (Billie) and their 2 children, Carmen and her 4 children & Christopher, son Keith and his 3 children Joshua, Nathan Lingberg, and Sam, daughter Frances Schumpert (Stoney) and their child, Cindy Brunside and his brother Buster Cantrell who lives in Las Vegas, NV.
He is also survived by 9 Grandchildren and 15 Greatgrandchildren: Neal Combs Jr & wife Summer, daughter Victoria “Rory” and son Quillan Mitchell Connolly, Kimberly Hennigan Shelly, son Joshua and daughter Kailyn, Kevin Joseph Hennigan and son Aiden Patrick, Trisha Hennigan Kern and husband Jason, daughter Elainah and son Daniel (twins), Kaki Cantrell Hurley & husband Chris, daughters Cindy Kate, England Reese, Caroline Grace an sons Isaac Mathew, Asher Jude Keller, Elijah Stone, Titus Judson, Valor Christopher, Collin Tyler Cantrell, Robert Casey Cantrell and Timrit Grenwal, daughter Simrit Elissa Grenwal Cantrell.
A visitation will be held at Moore Funeral Home on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 12, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. also at Moore Funeral Home with a committal service to follow at Moore Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to be made to any of the following in Herman Cantrell’s name: Wounded Warriors Project, any Veterans Suicide Prevention Program and/or Veterans Homeless Program.
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