Emma Shugart
, Texas
Emma was born May 29 1933 in Sweetwater Texas to Johnnie Chappell Heatly and Aubrey Coleman Heatly. She was the seventh of 14 children. Her simple upbringing contained so much of what Emma would spend the next nine decades creating for others joy in ordinary moments faith woven into everyday life and a home made rich by the people inside it. Her childhood years were spent in Trent Texas where she loved school and proudly played basketball for the Gorillas before graduating in 1950. On April 18 1953 she married Duane Shugart in Taylor County. She and Duane settled in Merkel where their family began to grow. First with Steve then Tony Brad and Lisa. Emma poured herself into motherhood. She could sew almost anything and took great pride in sending her children out into the world in something made by her own hands. That talent carried naturally into a…
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Dorothy Russell
, Texas
Dorothy Virginia Russell passed from this life into eternal peace and happiness on August 16 2026 at the age of 104. Dorothy was born on June 6 1922 in Knox County Texas. When she was thirteen years old during the Great Depression her family moved to a farm south of Trent. Dorothy was already plowing with a team of horses at that young age and often told stories of eating rabbits as a regular part of the familys meals. She graduated from Trent High School in 1939. Dorothy married Jimmy Russell on December 12 1941 at the courthouse in Abilene Texas. Their son Charles was born in 1944. After Jimmy was discharged from the Air Force at the end of World War II they returned to the family farm in Merkel where Dorothy lived until 2024. Dorothy devoted much of her life to caring for others. She was nineteen years…
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Wanda Smith
, Texas
Wanda Nell Smith lovingly known as Nell was born on August 31 1938 to Thelma and Earl Cook. She was raised in Blackwell Texas but called Merkel Texas home for the last 66 years. Nell was married to Ted Smith for 53 wonderful years. Together they built a family there with their three daughters Jerre Kay Eaton Cindy Ranson and Penny Pich. She was a proud and cherished grandmother to Brandon Rachel Christen Sabrina and Allison and greatgrandmother to Bryn Ella and Ian. Nell was preceded in death by her beloved husband Ted and her grandson Brandon Law both of whom she has missed dearly. Nell was a longtime member of the Methodist Church in Merkel and dedicated more than 30 years of service to WTU as a bookkeeper a role that suited her wellsteady dependable and always willing to keep things in order. In her later years Nell found…
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