Shelby Hearon

I so loved Ms. Hearon´s books. I even had a beloved cat named Shelby! I just came across an older title Footprints which made me look this up. I plan to read it again. I hope her family is doing well.

I just looked Shelby Hearon up because of an article I have saved from Reader's Digest many years ago. It is called A Message to Family. I'm sure it must be at least 40 years old.... It always spoke to me since I come from a large family, and so does my husband. I wanted to thank her for summing up the things I've thought about through the years. She expressed my feelings so well and I have shared the article many times. I was sorry to read that she has passed on, but I'm glad to see...

To me, Shelby was my older sister and guide.
She went ahead and showed me taking physics
in high school when girls usually didn't do such things, going to college, marriage, nursing babies, surviving divorce, as well as writing books. She always encouraged my writing, letting me know of writing contests I might enter and proud when I won a few Puffisn. Now I think she is going ahead to Heaven to show me the way. She worked in family planning as I have, so women would have more rights....

Shelby was my teacher at the Aspen Writers Conference in 1992 and later at the 92nd St. Y in New York. She was a wonderful teacher and a consistent encouragement afterward. We kept in touch for many years and she later helped me get into the Warren Wilson MFA program in North Carolina. I am truly going to miss her wit and wisdom and generosity. I was very fortunate to have met her and been her friend for 25 years.

Shelby was out there--as a Texas woman and a worldly writer -- before some of the rest of us, and she led the way. When I was asked to become a member of the Texas Institute of Letters I didn't even know what the organization was, even though I lived in Houston at that time. Shelby was president then and she saw to it that the organization expanded its vision to include those of us who weren't especially conventional candidates. She was a force. We used to meet regularly in LaGrange for...

Shelby was a gift to make all Texans proud.--Judy Alter

So sorry to read about the passing of Shelby. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family. Please find peace and comfort in knowing that God understands your grief and that he cares. 1 Peter 5:6,7 will help you to appreciate in a very personal way that God loves and cares for you.

Condolences to Shelby's family and what fond memories you have of her and may the remain
close to your hearts to help you at this most
difficult time.

Her son Reed and my daughter Lucy introduced Shelby and me after we had been sorority sisters at UT. Not until a mutual friend pointed out that we had known each other in school did we realize it! Had we really changed that much? She had named a character in Armadillos in the Grass "Marthanne", which is my rather unusual spelling of the two names. We had many great lunches with and without friends and children after that. When our sorority sister Gayle moved to Austin after her divorce,...