Clara Mueller McPherson

Clara McPherson, 101, passed away Monday, May 22, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas.
She was born in Roscoe, Texas March 10th, 1922, to Ben (B.O) and Hattie (Hillmer) Mueller, a pioneer Nolan County family. She grew up on the family farm with two sisters and a brother, which gave her an incredible foundation for the life she lived.
After graduation from high school as valedictorian, she obtained a A.B.S. in
H.E. Education from Texas Tech. She married Lt. Clinton McPherson in August 1943 in Colorado Springs, CO.
Her first job was non-traditional since it involved working in a shipyard in
Portland Oregon. This was followed by employment as a teacher in a Lanham Act Nursery School in Beaumont, Texas, followed by a position in Oklahoma City, OK. This type of school evolved into present day Head Start.
She completed a M.S. Degree in nutrition and in 1955 she joined the faculty in the Department of Food and Nutrition at Texas Tech, where she taught for 33 years. She lived and practiced good nutrition and stressed the long-range effects of establishing and maintaining good food habits during one's lifetime.
During her career she was a member of the American Dietetic Association,
and was a registered licensed dietitian. For several years she edited a question and answer column, which appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, and for which twice she received the Golden Carnation Award. She was awarded the Texas Tech Presidents Teaching Award in 1980 for excellence in teaching.
She served the department in many roles including; Interim Chairperson,
Director of the Undergraduates Program in Dietetics, she was instrumental in the establishment of the Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional Management Program.
When the Peace Corps trained on the Tech Campus, she taught the nutrition
segment. In 1983 she was invited to participate in a three-week People to People Program in Australia and New Zealand. For several years she was involved in research of grain sorghum and cottonseed flour as a possible use for edible products for human consumption.
After her retirement as professor emeritus, she was active in the College of
Human Science Alumni Board, University Woman's Club, Texas Tech Museum, Lubbock Women's Club and the Pierian Sorosis Study. Served as a judge in the Culinary Department of the South Plains Fair for 50 years.
She was an active member of the Shepherd King Lutheran Church, where she
taught Sunday School for 20 years, served on the Church Council and numerous committees. It gave her the opportunity to serve as volunteer at the Lutheran Home and at Wedgewood South as well as Meals on Wheels, United Way, American Heart Association and March of Dimes.
In 1991 she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award of the College of
Human Science. In 2014 she was awarded the Lifetime Distinguished Service Award.
In 2015 she was recognized as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Texas, and the Oklahoma Plains.
She was a "people" person and liked a challenge. Her hobbies were
gardening, food preservation, playing bridge, crossword puzzles and volunteer work.
She shared in her husband's research in establishing the grape industry in
the area and state. Her husband died in January 2014 after 70 years of marriage.
Left to cherish her memory include her sons, Mark (Phyllis) of Cleburne, Kim (Sylvia) of Lubbock, Jon (Anna) of Escondido, CA; seven grandchildren; four great grand-children; three nieces and one nephew ; and a host of friends and students.
Preceded in death by her husband, two sisters, and a brother.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:
Clara McPherson Endowment for Nutrition
Clara McPherson Scholarship
Texas Tech University Foundation
Box 4101, Texas Tech Lubbock 79409
Memorial Fund
Shepherd King Church
2122 18th Street
Lubbock, TX 79401
Upbring Foster Care https://upbring.org/
Viewing will be at Sanders Funeral Home from 12:00-8:00 PM, Thursday, May 25, 2023, at Sanders Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM, Friday, May 26. 2023, at Shepherd King Lutheran Church, with graveside services to follow beginning at 2:00 PM in the Roscoe Cemetery, Roscoe, Texas.
Please celebrate the life of Clara by visiting www.sandersfuneralhome.com.