Pearl LaVerne (Smith) Vandver was born March 1, 1927 in Hightower, Liberty County, Texas and passed from this life to eternity on May 2, 2019 from the comfort of her home in Burleson, Texas at the age of 92 years. She was raised and went to school at Tarkington Prairie. This is also where she met the love of her life, El Ray Vandver and went to church together at Macedonia Assembly of God. She first worked in Cleveland, Texas at Butler and Grimes Five and Dime Store. She and El Ray married August 5, 1950 and started a family in Cleveland. Later they moved to the Houston area and made their home in Jacinto City for 50 years. Pearl worked for a church daycare, Happy Faces, for 12 – 14 years before retiring. Pearl had lived in Burleson for the past three years.
She is preceded in death by her husband, El Ray Vandver; mother, Gussie (Blackwell) Smith; father, Jasper Smith; sisters, Amy Crippens and Patsy Eddlemon and brothers, Leroy Smith and Joe Smith.
Mrs. Vandver is survived by her sisters, Gladys Franklin, Charlene Gregory and Norma Hicks; her loving children, Judy Millstid and husband, Timothy Ray Millstid, Judy Abernathy, Lisa Dupuis and her husband, Perry Dupuis; 7 grandchildren, Timothy Ray Millstid, II, crystal Portillo, Megan Dupuis, Johnny El Ray Pagan, Christopher Bryant, Carly Howdeshell and Tasha Garrett and her “little love ones”, Aubrie Millstid, Brady Millstid, Avery Millstid, Ryan Alegria, Leo Alegria and Xavier Portillo and numerous more family and friends.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, May 6, 2019 at Pace-Stancil Funeral Home in Dayton. A service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at the funeral home with Eddie Miller officiating. Burial will follow at Ryan Cemetery in Tarkington Prairie.
Pallbearers will be Timothy Ray Millstid, Timothy Ray Millstid, II, Brady Ray Millstid, Perry Dupuis, Johnny Pagan and Bobby Crippens. Honorary pallbearers will be Michael Portillo, Kenneth Batson, Bud Simmons, Holton Currie, Ronnie Alegria, Gene Hicks and Richard Purcell.
Arrangements are under the direction of Pace-Stancil Funeral Home, 1304 N. Cleveland, Dayton, Texas 77535, 936-258-5300, pacestancil.com