Vida Pauline DeBerry

Vida Pauline “Polly” Childress DeBerry past into the arms of her Lord Jesus Christ on April 22, 2018 at the age of 104 years and 9 days. She had a long and wonderful life.Born April 13, 1914 to parents, Ernest Milton Childress and Annie Texanna Morris Childress, she was the fourth child of their union. She had two brothers and 3 sisters. They were reared in Normangee Texas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 59 years Frank DeBerry, two brothers Preston & Sam Childress, 3 sisters Lavada Bruce, Louise Skains, Inez Menefee, and nephews Donald Bruce and Tim Menefee, Nieces Dorothy Turner and Charlene Harkreader. She is survived by her only child. William Preston DeBerry and daughter-in-law Karen Davis DeBerry of Conroe Texas; Grandson Neal C. DeBerry of Houston; Granddaughter Debra Ann DeBerry MacFarlane of Magnolia; Great Granddaughter Sophia MacFarlane, Great Grandson Connor MacFarlane; and many nieces and nephews. Faith and family was everything to Pauline. She left the farm in Normangee for a career as a hair dresser in early 1930’s. She went to Houston and lived at the YWCA while attending beauty school. She moved into a boarding house in the Montrose area and went to work in a high end beauty shop catering to people of River Oaks and West University. She rented part of her room out to other women to help pay her rent so she could save money to pay for furniture she needed. She save enough money for her and baby Sister Inez to take a train to California to visit her sister Louise and her new baby Richard “Dickie”. They drove back to Houston in Louise’s car, taking turns driving and playing with Dickie. Mom said he was a good Baby! During the war a friend introduced her to Frank DeBerry who was in the Navy. They married shortly after the end of WWII. They started married life in East Texas where Frank had a farm and worked on drilling rigs. They decided to go into the hamburger business in 1956 in Angleton, Texas. Both worked hard 7 days a week at first to get the business running. When another family member fell on hard times, Frank and Polly helped her start a hamburger stand in Alvin and it was very successful. Over the rest of their working life they started 4 successful hamburger stands in the greater Houston area.

After retirement Polly stayed busy, although older than most of the participants, leading the senior citizens exercise group until the age of 90. She was very busy making dolls in the senior citizens china doll classes and ceramics in Deer Park as well being very involved with the Silver Set Sunday School department at Deer Park First Baptist Church before moving to Conroe and joining First Baptist Conroe. Visitation will be held at at Metcalf Funeral Directors from 6:30pm to 8pm Friday, April 27, 2018 and from 9:30am to 10:30am Saturday April 28, 2018 and the Funeral Service will start at 10:30am. The interment will follow at Plainview Cemetery in Normangee, Texas. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made in Polly’s memory to First Baptist Church building fund Conroe, Texas.