Stella Wooldridge's Obituary
Stella was born July 23, 1919, in Lamar County, TX and went home to be with the Lord September 25, 2016, peacefully with her family around her at home. She was the first of three children, (herself, Vivian Parsons Hood and Lawrence Parsons), born to Lonnie Harris & Ruperta Cook Parsons of Belk. She lost her mother at an early age. Her father married Oletha Shockley Parsons in 1929. They were blessed with two more daughters, Wanda Fern and Lonetha. The five of siblings grew up on a farm outside Paris, TX. She attended school at Chicota and Paris and graduated from Paris High School and Paris Junior College.
She met and married William Charles Wooldridge of Petty, TX, on May 15, 1942.
They were blessed with three children: Patricia, Vicki & Charley. While Billy served in Japan during WWII, Stella and her family got out and electioneered for him to be elected County School Superintendent of Lamar County, where he subsequently served two terms. While in Paris, she served as President of the American Legion Women=s Auxiliary and worked alongside her husband tirelessly for eight years. During this time Stella graduated from East Texas State Teachers College with her Bachelors Degree in Education with an elementary teaching certificate on the same day her husband graduated with his Masters Degree in Education.
In 1954 the family moved to DeKalb, Texas, where he became the Superintendent of Schools and she began to teach third grade. She went back to school and got her Masters Degree in Education from East Texas State University. In 1970 they moved to Longview where he was hired as the Superintendent of Schools of Hallsville ISD. She taught kindergarten there until she retired with 45 years of service. She loved her students and always enjoyed meeting one of them in later life in the grocery store or at the mall. She always knew their names and could tell some story of that particular child.
She was named American Business Association=s Woman of the Year while living in DeKalb. She was an active member and served as Treasurer of Delta Kappa Gamma, an Honorary Teachers Sorority in Gregg County, and was a member of Retired Teachers, serving when asked. She attended First Methodist Church of Hallsville and First Methodist Church of Longview. She was a loving wife, a beloved mother, a doting grandmother, and a dedicated educator. She could also play a mean game of bridge in her younger days.
She was preceded in death by her husband W. C. Wooldridge, her mother and father Ruperta & Lonnie H. Parsons of Paris, TX, her second mother Oletha Shockley Parsons of Paris, her sister and husband, Vivian and Jack Hood of Detroit, TX, and her brother Lawrence Parsons of Belk.
Surviving her are her children, Patricia and the late Bob Carmack, Vicki & husband Jim Thornton of Longview and Charley and Kris Wooldridge of Sterling, VA.; grandchildren including Melanie and her husband Daniel Toler of Ephrata, PA. and Rob Wooldridge of Sterling, VA, David and Kim Summers, Abby, Blake and Carley Summers-Thornton of Longview, her sisters Lonetha & husband Cecil Greer of Port Arthur, TX and Wanda & husband Ben Mooring, Jr. of Granbury, TX and various nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.
The family extends a special thanks to her wonderful caregivers: Rena Scott, Lugene Rogers, Debra Stevens, Charlotte Blankenship, and Alberta Sherow. Your attention to her needs, your friendship, and your dedicated service will never be forgotten by her family. We thank Beacon Hospice and Hospice of East Texas who cared for her during these difficult last three years of illness. We especially want to thank her neighbors, former co-workers, and friends who stopped often and called to check on her. She cherished every visit.
Family Visitation will be held at Rader Funeral Home, Thursday, September 29th from 6-7:30 PM. There will be a Service of Celebration of her life at 11:00 AM, Friday morning, September 30th at the Ministry Church, 1600 Crestview, Longview, TX, with Pastor Darlene Matthews officiating. She will be laid to rest at Hickory Grove Cemetery, outside Petty, TX, at 4:30 PM, next to her beloved husband.
Pall Bearers will be her nephews: Kevin Parsons and Randy Parsons of Paris, Britt Scott of Burleson, Lonnie Harold Minshew and Chuck Minshew of Port Arthur; and her grandson Rob Wooldridge of Sterling, VA.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to the Scholarship Fund at Hallsville ISD.
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