Leola Glaze Tarbet

Leola Glaze Tarbet, 99, passed away on Sunday, December 28, 2014 in Lubbock, Texas. Services will be 11:00a.m., Saturday, January 3, 2015 at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory St., Abilene, TX with burial following in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30a.m. – 11:00a.m. at the funeral home prior to the service on Saturday.

Leola was born April 7, 1915 in Gilliland, Knox County, Texas to John Shamblin and Mary Alice Latham Varner. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Arkansas, but by 1918 had moved by covered wagon to Stith, Jones County, Texas. In high school, Leola was captain of the basketball team. She helped pay her way through Abilene Christian College by cleaning restrooms on campus. This was supplemented by her mother’s chickens and her father’s cows. Each week, John Shamblin sold eggs and butter at a corner grocery store in Abilene. After earning a teacher’s certificate she took a job at the Walcott School in west Texas teaching 1st through 8th grade in a two room school house. She bought sports equipment herself since these were not supplied by the school. She also taught 3rd grade at Tarzan school.

Leola married Jay Glaze on March 4, 1938 in Abilene, Texas. To this union was born a daughter, Jayleta Glaze (Heflin), and a son, Austin Keith Glaze.

In 1951, Leola returned to Abilene Christian College to finish her education where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education. After graduating, she taught 1st grade at Houston and Valley View Elementary Schools in Abilene until she retired in 1980.

After Jay passed away in 1975, Leola became reacquainted with a former classmate, Tom Tarbet. They were married in 1982 and Tom passed away in 2002. Leola was also preceded in death by her parents; a brother, John Austin Varner; and four sisters, Lula Mae Varner who died as a young child, Florene Varner Barron, Lucille Varner Glaze, and Mary Marie Varner Cowart.

Leola is survived by a brother, Cleddy Varner of Abilene; a sister, Fay Varner Norman of Abilene; two children, Jayleta Glaze Heflin of Springtown, TX, and Austin Keith Glaze of Lubbock; five grandchildren, Clint Glaze of Houston, Craig Glaze of Ft. Worth, Heath Heflin of Ft. Worth, Houston Heflin of Abilene, and Heather Heflin Hodges of Dallas; and eight great-grandchildren, Caleb and Elijah Hodges, Matalee , Emery, Haven and Gable Heflin, and Jay and Rafe Glaze.

You may view and sign the guestbook at www.elliotthamilfuneralhome.com