DEFRIES, N. FERN (CLOSEUP) - Hutchinson County, Texas | N. FERN (CLOSEUP) DEFRIES - Texas Gravestone Photos

N. Fern (closeup) DEFRIES

Westlawn Memorial Park (Westlawn) Cemetery
Hutchinson County,
Texas

1931-2017

Mother of Carla, Larry, & Jerry Defries

Photo/information, courtesy of Edith Guynes Stanley

*Obituary
Nelda Fern Goar
July 3, 1931 - June 2, 2017

Nelda Fern Goar went home to be with her Lord on June 2, 2017 in Amarillo. Nelda Fern was born July 3, 1931 in the Pruett family home in Reed, Oklahoma to Gracie Mae Pruett Jordan and Charter Jordan. The marriage ended in divorce shortly after her birth. Gracie married Leslie Rust and had another daughter, Juanita, but Gracie died at the age of 30, when her girls were 5 and 9 years old. Fern lived with her mother's older sister, Myrtle, and her husband, Parker Smith. Parker was Fern's "father figure" for the rest of her life. Fern lived with her beloved Granny Pruett all her teen years and graduated from Reed school as Valedictorian of her 8th grade and senior class.

Fern married W.D. (Dub) Defries and they had three children: Carla in 1951, Larry in 1953 and Jerry in 1955, giving Fern that "real home and family" she had dreamed of, but that ended in divorce after 13 years.

In 1970, Fern married Leon Howell, and was happily married for 27 years until Leon was killed in a car wreck on March 1, 1997.

Fern later married Tom Goar and enjoyed retirement by traveling a lot until Tom's son, Blaine died of Lou Gehrig's disease and six weeks later his older son, Randall, died of pancreatic cancer. Tom died after a lengthy illness on December 21, 2006.

In July, 2014, Fern gave up her home after 61 years in the Borger area and lived with Carla and Mike for 8 months before settling in Amarillo at Park Place Retirement Home.

Fern is survived by her daughter Carla and Mike Young of Ruidoso, New Mexico and 2 sons: Larry Defries and wife Marilyn of Clarendon, Texas and Jerry Defries and wife Whitney of Sunray, Texas; 12 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; "cousins like sisters" Edna and Glenda; half sister Juanita; Gary Howell and family and Vicki Goar Kemp and family.

Fern was a long time member of First Baptist Church, Borger, an active member of her beloved Sunday School class, a supporter of Jews for Jesus and M.I.N.T.O.R.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 5, 2017 at 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church Worship Center, Borger. Burial will follow at Westlawn Cemetery, Borger.

She will lie in state on Sunday, June 4, from 12:00 - 6:00 PM at Brown's Chapel of the Fountains, Borger.

Services are entrusted to Brown Funeral Directors, Borger.

(Published by Brown Funeral Directors, June 3, 2017)

Contributed on 2/13/21 by neldapat
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Record #: 389160

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Submitted: 2/13/21 • Approved: 2/13/21 • Last Updated: 2/16/21 • R389160-G389159-S3

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