In
loving memory of
BARBARA MILLER HERVEY
September 12, 1933 - December 7, 2014
On
December 7th 2014 at 7am in Plano, Texas, Barbara Miller Hervey
was welcomed home by her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was surrounded by
her loving family. Barbara was 81
and born in Cherokee, IA on September 12th, 1933.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Lee Merle and Maybelle
Miller of Cherokee, IA.
She is survived by two sisters: Marla Hembree of Kansas City, KS and
Patricia Thomason of Houston, TX; her children
Valerie Maniscalco of Chicago, IL; Tamara and Stephen Volner of
Little Elm, TX; Kyle and Barbara Wheeler of Tucson, AZ; Sean and Susan
Wheeler of Loveland, CO; eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Barbara spent much of her life
teaching children academics as an elementary school teacher and about the
love of Christ as a Sunday school teacher.
She was a longstanding member and Elder of the Presbyterian Church
USA. She also volunteered and
supported the mission of Puentes de Cristo (whose mission statement is:
“Serving Christ's people on the border since 1981”.
On September 11, 12 and 13, 2015 Barbara's sons and daughters decided that the most fitting way to memorialize and celebrate their mother's life was to hold a large family gathering on the anniversary of her birthday (Sept 12th) in Estes Park, Colorado. Barb always loved the mountains of Colorado and took great pride in her Scottish ancestry. It happened that on that weekend in Estes Park, Scotsmen and women from all over the country (and even the world) gathered there for a very large Scottish Festival of games, food, and music.
We all stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies just outside of Estes Park which turned out to be a wonderful place to stay with everyone comfortably ensconced in their own rooms at night in the large YMCA lodge, able to rest up after busy activities during days full of warm sunny weather and from long evenings catching up on tales of "old times and good memories". All this while imbibing in celebratory adult beverages (or just chaste beverages) along with the usual fattening snacks. There was enough variety of daytime activities to satisfy everyone's taste and as a family we again enjoyed each others company. Barb would have loved it.
See here photos of all of us in Colorado Sept 2015
Obituary Fact Sheet
NAME
·
Age at death-:
81
·
Residence at death: McAllen, Texas
·
Cause of death;
Respiratory Failure
LIFE
·
Date of birth:
September 12, 1933
·
Place of birth:
Cherokee, Iowa
·
Names of parents:
Lee Merle and Maybelle Warren Miller (Maiden Name: Malcom)
· Childhood: Early childhood was spent in Cherokee, IA; Raised by parents who were also professional
educators. Young Barbara also spent her time looking after and playing with her two younger siblings
Marla and Pat.
· Marriage(s): date of, place, name of spouse: Marriages include Duane Wheeler of Cherokee, IA; Walter
Hervey (deceased) of New York, NY and George Fink (deceased) of Alma, Michigan
· Education: school, college, university and other: Graduated: Cherokee High School, Wayne State
Teacher’s College (B.A.), University of Arizona (M.Ed.)
·
Employment:
Barbara’s life work was dedicated to education of children.
· Places of residence: Born Cherokee, IA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO, Escondido, CA; Denison, IA, San
Manuel, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Dallas, TX; McAllen, TX; Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.
· Charitable & Religious affiliations: Long-standing member of the Presbyterian Church USA and served
as an Elder at the First
Presbyterian Church of McAllen, TX.
Puentes de Cristo (whose mission
statement is: “Serving Christ's people on the border since 1981”)
She summarized her commitment Puentes as follows: “I love helping mission teams. They arrive here
all enthusiastic and work very hard in the Reynosa heat without air-conditioning and sometimes only a
bucket of water to use for bathing. Then they leave dragging and bedraggled, vowing to appreciate all
that they have.
Most of the time they come back every year.”
· Unusual attributes, humor, other stories: In 1983, Barbara started teaching at “Our Lady of Sorrows
Catholic School". She used to say that she was their “token protestant”.
· Spouse:
Widowed
·
Siblings include:
Marla Hembree of Kansas City, KS and Braxton and Patricia Thomason of
Houston, TX
· Children include: Valerie Maniscalco of Chicago, IL; Tamara and Stephen Volner of Little Elm, TX; Kyle
and Barbara Wheeler of
Tucson, AZ; Sean and Susan Wheeler of Loveland, CO.
Rob and Nicky Wheeler of Tucson, AZ; Jamey and Stacey Maniscalco of Chicago, IL; Craig and Andrea
Wheeler of Tucson, AZ; Randi (Volner) Ellerbee of Plano, TX; Ryan Maniscalco of Chicago, IL; Todd Wheeler of
Tucson, AZ; and Noah Volner of Little Elm, TX; Michael Zeller, Longmont, CO; and Justin Zeller,
Loveland, CO.
Plano, TX; Silas Zeller, Longmont,
CO; Ella Joy Wheeler and Lydia
Grace Wheeler, Tucson, AZ
·
“Curioso”
(Her beloved cat)
Poem (Author unknown)
Miss
me but let me go
I have come to the end of the road
The Lord has taken me.
You need not weep for me any more
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little but not too long
And not with your head held low.
Remember me for the joy we shared
Miss me but let me go.
This is a journey we all must take
And we must go alone.
This is a part of the Master’s plan
Now heaven is my home.
When you’re feeling lonely and sick of heart
Go to family and the friends we know.
And bury your sorrow in doing good deeds.
Miss me but let me go.
The photo on the right ►was given to me by Barbara's daughter Tammy when I visited her in Dallas earlier this year (2015). She said it was one of her favorites of her mother because it reminded her of what a joyful person Barb was and what a "fun" person she was to be with. I believe this photo was taken (1996-1997) when she worked as a missionary in Morelia, Mexico.