Obits

Ruth LaFern Heffington

Sept. 2, 1935~Sept. 19, 2015

Ruth LaFern Heffington, longtime resident of Marble Falls, died Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, with her family by her side.

She was born to Paul James and Beulah Violet Riley on Sept. 2, 1935.

She graduated from Marble Falls High School in 1954 and married the love of her life, Dave Lyndon Heffington, in 1956. He preceded her in death.

She and Lyndon started Heffington Services in the early 1970s. 

For the last 20 years, Ruth has owned and operated Ruth’s Business Service, where so many Hill Country residents and businesses knew they could count on her for careful and thoughtful bookkeeping and tax preparation.

All who knew Ruth remember her for her dedication to friends and family.

She was a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother and friend to so many. “Gramma’s house” was the meeting place for her children, grandchildren and their friends.

Evelyn Marie Barding Colclasure

Aug. 26, 1941~Sept. 21, 2015

Evelyn Marie Barding Colclasure, 74, passed away Monday, Sept. 21, 2015, in Round Rock, Texas.

She was born on Aug. 26, 1941, in Ramsey, Illinois, and was one of five children of Floyd and Stella Rodefelt Barding.

Benjamin Thomas Jeffers

Nov. 27, 1926~Sept. 22, 2015

Benjamin Thomas Jeffers, 88, of Marble Falls, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015.

He was born Nov. 27, 1926, the son of William Clyde and Mattie Jeffers of Freeport, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Elizabeth, and his parents.

He is survived by: daughters and sons-in-law, Judy and Tom Lovelady of Kerrville, Texas, Carolyn and John Hixon of Houston, Texas and Loretta and Robert Garrett of Utopia, Texas.

He is also survived by: his sister, Louise Frederick; nine grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Benjamin served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, having been stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He received the Purple Heart during his service.

He lived in Freeport, Texas, from 1926 until 1959.

Lou Carpenter Sapp

Dec. 10, 1942~Sept. 17, 2015

Lou Carpenter Sapp, 72, of Kingsland, Texas, died Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015.

She was born on Dec. 10, 1942, to Ernest Dellenbaugh and Mildred Clay Dellenbaugh.

Lou graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 1961 and later earned a degree in restaurant management from Oklahoma State University in 1965.   

She owned the Chuck wagon in Mineral, Illinois, and several cafes in Oklahoma City before becoming the pastry chef at Horseshoe Bay and Cafe 909 in Marble Falls. 

For over 50 years, she delighted everyone with her culinary gifts and artistry in cake creations. She was adored for generosity, humor and loving nature.
Lou is survived by: her mother, Mildred Wilson of Edmond, Oklahoma; husband, George “Vic” Sapp of Kingsland; daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and David of Lincoln, Nebraska; son Mitchel Carpenter of Seattle, Washington, and four grandchildren.

Foy Gene Petty

Jan. 26, 1946~Sept. 16, 2015

Foy Gene Petty, 69, long-time resident of Marble Falls, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, at home with family after a short battle with cancer.

Foy was born Jan. 26, 1946, in Stamford to Van and Nellie Dee Petty of Leuders as one of three sons.

He was no stranger to hard work from an early age as the family operated a dairy farm and he continued this work ethic throughout his adult life.

As a child, Foy loved baseball and spent hours playing in and along the creek that ran through the farm. During his high school years, he loved sports, played basketball and eventually met his lifelong sweetheart, Donna Blackstock.

Foy and Donna were married June 11, 1966, in Wylie. They spent the first part of their marriage in the Abilene area, but work would take them to different parts of the country where they began to raise a family.

Anna Ruth Wells McCoy

Dec. 26, 1933~Sept. 15, 2015

Anna Ruth Wells McCoy, 81, of Marble Falls, lost her battle against lung cancer and passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015 in Burnet. 

Anna Ruth was born on Dec. 26, 1933, in Johnson City, Texas, to proud parents, Virgil and Clara Wells.  She was the sixth of nine children in the family. 

Anna Ruth left Johnson City in 1950 to work as a waitress in Burnet and Marble Falls. 

She met a Navy man, Larry McCoy, while working as a waitress and love blossomed into marriage in 1952. 

Larry started working at the Lower Colorado River Authority and the couple made their home in Marble Falls. They had four children: Wayland, Clayton, Karl DeWayne and Linda. 

Anna Ruth began working as a part-time cashier at HEB. 

Larry passed away in 1966, and Anna Ruth took on the new job of a single parent. 

Lana Sue Vaughn

Aug. 24, 1950~Sept. 11, 2015

Lana Sue Vaughn passed away on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, at the age of 65 years.

Lana was born to S.C. Turner and Mary Hunter Houston on Aug. 24, 1950, in Burnet.

She is survived by: her husband, Bobby Vaughn of Fairland; children, Shannon Kuenzer and Eric of Marble Falls, Mary York and Jake of Marble Falls, and Loyd Vaughn and Angie or Fairland; stepsons Terry Vaughn, Topper and Katz Vaughn of Bertram; grandchildren, Brittany Wrye and James of Big Spring, Kelsey Vaughn of Florida, Ashton and Angelica York of Marble Falls, Leland, Robert and Chelsey Floyd of Marble Falls, Heaven Vaughn of Bertram and Orenda and Lindamae Kuenzer of Burnet, and, great-grandchildren, Leigha and Landon Wrye of Big Spring, Maddox, Mason, Ady and Ary Floyd of Marble Falls.

Dorothy Madeley Taylor

Sixth generation Texan Dorothy Madeley Taylor, 89, passed away Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 in Marble Falls, Texas.

She is formerly a second generation resident of Harlingen, Texas. 

Dorothy is survived by: her loving husband of 64 years, Gene Taylor; sons, Larry Taylor and wife, Shirley, of Marble Falls, and Robert Taylor of Dallas; daughter, Janelle Taylor of Buda;  grandson, Joshua Taylor of Austin; brother and sister-in-law, Neil and Shirley Madeley of Georgetown; two nephews in Texas; a niece in Georgia; and a niece and nephews in Michigan.

Other survivors include four step-grandchildren and seven step great-grandchildren.

Dorothy graduated from Harlingen High School and obtained a degree and lifetime teaching certificate from Texas A&I College in Kingsville.

Mary Viola Reed

Mary Viola Reed, 84, of Llano, Texas, went to her heavenly home on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015.

She was a Christian and was baptized at an early age.
She worked many years for Hill Country Manor Nursing Home and later as a caregiver for elderly people in their homes.

Her compassion and service for the elderly was well known in Llano.

Mary was a devoted daughter and sister, and had a boundless love for her children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by: her parents, Fritz and Harriet Merkel; siblings, Carl, Bill, Jim, Della, Lorene, Lou and Pauline; her husbands, Richard Mau and E.C. Reed, and, a granddaughter, Melanie Dunn.

Bettye Ruth Willis

Dec. 17, 1928~Sept. 3, 2015

Bettye Ruth Willis, 86, passed away Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015.

She was born  on Dec. 17, 1928, in Iowa Park, Texas, to Louis Hurt and Eda Sara Flynt.

She graduated from Arlington High School while waiting for her sweetheart, Lynn Willis, to return home from duty with the U.S. Navy during World War II.

They were married in 1946 and moved to Marble Falls in 1952.

 While raising four children, she was a secretary for Burhamn Brothers Sporting Goods.

Later, she became partners in business with Lynn at Willis Environmental Engineering.

Bettye was an outdoor person who loved to hunt (both with gun and bow) and became the first woman in Burnet County to kill a deer with a bow.

She was an avid golfer, tennis player and gardener, raising enough vegetables to give away to many friends.