Vera Taylor St. Clair

Vera Taylor St. Clair passed away on July 13, 2014. She was born to James Campbell Taylor and Winnie Davis Petty Taylor in Runnels County, Texas on December 1, 1914. She was the second of seven children and grew up on the family farm with her siblings, her parents, her Grand Pa Petty and two uncles.

After graduating from Ballinger High School in 1933, her mother convinced Grand Pa Petty to help send the two oldest daughters to college. So, Vera was able to attend Randolph Junior College in Cisco, Texas along with her sister Velma. There they joined their cousins Nita and Bitter Cook. Vera shared many fond memories of the time she spent in Cisco.

It was at Randolph Junior College that she met Robert Leighton St. Clair whom she would later marry. As was the practice at the time, Vera began teaching in 1936 shortly before she finished her degree at Randolph. While teaching she also attended Texas Technological College and completed her degree at that school in 1940.

Her early teaching experiences included teaching in a country two-room schoolhouse where she had students in grades 5 - 8 and another teacher had students in grades 1 - 4. She could remember walking across the furrows in the plowed fields getting to and from the school. She also taught in White Deer, a small town in the Texas panhandle, and she became life-long friends with some of the other teachers she met there.

When her mother became ill, Vera returned to Ballinger and joined the faculty at her old alma mater, Ballinger High School where she taught English and enjoyed being the cheerleader sponsor.

Following his return from World War II, she and Leighton were married in the First Christian Church in Ballinger on June 23, 1946. They moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico where Leighton was stationed with the U. S. Border Patrol. Vera taught at Las Cruces Union High School.

Her children, Joe and Connie, were born while they were stationed in Las Cruces. In 1955, Leighton was transferred by the Border Patrol to McAllen in the Rio Grande Valley. This was their home for the next 50 years.

Vera was a fifth grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School in McAllen from 1959 until she retired in 1972. She taught all subjects and was especially proud of teaching her students cursive handwriting and after her retirement still saved samples of some of the beautiful cursive writing students had done in her class.

During the time they lived in McAllen, both Vera and Leighton were active in the First Presbyterian Church. After her retirement from teaching, she continued to enjoy her church activities and helped organize a bridge club. This time also allowed her more opportunities to work with sewing projects and visit relatives.

And then there was the letter writing. Throughout her life, Vera was a prolific letter writer, keeping in touch with friends and family. Few could match the volume of personal letters to friends and relatives she was able to send out. It amazed all who knew her.

Vera also greatly enjoyed getting to spend time with her three grandchildren who lived in Round Rock, Texas.

In December of 2005, Vera and Leighton moved to an assisted living community in San Antonio to be closer to their children.

She is survived by son Joe and his wife Sherralyn and by daughter Connie and her husband Steve Schlaeger, and by grandsons Christopher and John, and by granddaughter Katherine Songer and husband Scott. She is also survived by brother Rollie Taylor.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

SATURDAY

JULY 19, 2014

10:30 A.M.

PORTER LORING NORTH

REFLECTION ROOM