Colette Ponder Witt

Colette Ponder Witt Colette Ponder Witt passed into the arms of our Lord on September 7, 2008. A truly wonderful lady, "Cherry" was born in Mangum, Oklahoma on January 16, 1921. The first child of William T. Ponder and Jeanne Dezerville, Cherry grew up in Ft. Worth attending Arlington Heights High School and TCU. She moved to San Antonio during World War II to attend Our Lady of the Lake College. It was while she was in San Antonio in 1944 that she met and married the First Love of her life Captain William Harry Childers. Harry and Cherry had a great twelve years together until Harry tragically died in 1956. Cherry and her young son Craig then moved to Dallas. In 1962 Cherry married her second Harry, then Major and later Colonel Harry A. Witt. Harry was a great man who took great care of Cherry. Harry retired from the United States Air Force as Defense Attach to Australia in 1975 and they moved to Austin. They continued to travel the world until Harry's death in 2005. Throughout her life Cherry made many, many friends all over the world all of whom greatly cared about her. Even in her final years she made many new friends at the Renaissance residence in Austin. Always the optimist, perhaps the greatest example of Mom's tremendously positive attitude was several years ago when a great storm moved through Austin. When she was called the next morning to see how she fared in the storm her response was "The most wonderful thing happened, a large tree fell on our house during the storm and no one was hurt". Her glass was always half full. Cherry is survived by her sister and brother in law, Janine and Benton Hall of Fort Worth; her two children, William Craig Childers and his wife Jence Montgomery Childers of Houston and Wendy Janine Latham and her husband Ian Latham of Austin. Most especially she is survived by the latest loves of her life, her three grandchildren, Jenny Elisabeth Childers of Houston and Killian Keller and Carina Latham of Austin. A memorial service will be held at Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church in Austin on Friday, September 26 at 1:00 p.m., with the Reverend Susan Barnes officiating. Please make any contributions in Cherry's name to Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church. Mom's final wish: "Remember me with smiles and laughter because that is the way I will remember you all, if you have to remember me with tears and sadness then do not remember me at all". Mom, we will miss you greatly, but with smiles and laughter.. http://www.mem.com