Our beloved mother Ernestine Sandlin, 96, left us on August 21, 2020. She was preceded in death by her parents, A.C. and Nannie B. Miles of Livingston, Texas, by her husband Lee Sandlin, an engineer at Mobil Oil, and by her dear twin sister Christine Hill. Surviving her are her children Lisa, David, and Joel Sandlin; nieces and nephew Patricia Russell (Mark), Julie O’Donnell (Gary), and Craig Hill (Janie); her grandchildren Evan Briggs (Jane), Leeann Evans (Chad), and Julie Richard (David); and her great-grandchildren Sandlin Evans, Marie Evans, Ella Evans, and Jack Evans, and brand-new Piper Richard.
Ernie and Chris were born in Timpson, Texas, on February 12, 1924. Their father A.C. was a highway-builder, also a hunter and fisherman. The girls opened their eyes in a tent at a road camp. Nannie B. had a broken arm, and in the days after the birth, she was forever grateful for the African-American neighbor women who helped her with the new babies. Raised during the Depression, the girls knew about hardship. They moved often, once into the Post Office according to Ernie, but their mother Nannie B. was an expert seamstress who kept the family steady. They graduated from Leggett High School in 1942, Ernie as Salutorian. Tall and blond, she was a determined competitor, playing basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Her pretty brunette twin sister was one of those magic people who play piano by ear. As young women, they and their cousin adventured to New York City, a trip they’d recall all their lives.
Ernie married Lee Sandlin, an engineer, in 1950, after her twin Chris married his roommate, Oscar Underwood Hill, in 1949. Ernie and Lee lived in Beaumont, Texas, for the rest of their lives, except for three years in Naples, Italy. In Naples, Ernie stood out with her fair hair and resourceful temperament. She loved bargaining—language was no barrier. She drove a little Fiat to shops on boulevards and to alley street vendors—and came home triumphant with bathing suits, shoes, sweaters, and American products like peanut butter.
After her children were grown, Ernie went back to work. She’d wanted very much to work at the Post Office, but the exam proved a barrier. She was employed as a secretary for an insurance firm and for the state. Ern enjoyed dressing professionally and being a working woman. Post-retirement, she cared for her husband Lee, who passed away in 1994. Her home was always open to stray animals. Ern took care of cats Pearl, White, Peekaboo, Littely, Mama, Tiger, etc. with habits like leaping onto humans from high places, and two handicapped dogs who lived long lives. She kept food out by the back door for visitors. A possum used to cruise up around ten at night, causing the cats to step back while it finished eating their dinner.
Ern was lovingly cared for in her last years by her son Joel and her caretaker (and personal beautician) Carol Stoddard. They made sure she had bacon and biscuit breakfasts and later, Cokes and fried chicken. Particularly helpful at the end was nurse Carol Campbell of Kindred Hospice, a kind and knowledgeable presence. Ernie died at home as she wished, with her family, and peacefully—her faithful old heart slowed and quietly stopped. She could drive her kids crazy with commands and single-minded ideas, but she was very much loved. Ernestine Sandlin was smart and she was funny, both intentionally and unintentionally. Words can’t say how much her family will miss her. As long as we’re around, she’ll be alive with us.
A graveside service conducted by Kindred Hospice’s Jon Cregor is scheduled for 11:00 Monday, August 24, 2020 at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Remembrances may be made in the form of a donation to your favorite animal charity.
