Loretta York

LORETTA YORK
PHARR - The funeral for Loretta York, age 96, a retired Abilene school teacher, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at the chapel at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home in Abilene. Visitation will be Monday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
A local memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mrs. York died Wednesday night at her home in Pharr, where she had lived near her son Roy for the past 10 years.
Born Loretta Nancy Smith on Dec. 29, 1911, in Voss, Texas to G.B. and Tennie Smith, she spent her childhood in Central Texas, where her father was a rancher.
She and her parents moved to Abilene when she was 17 and a graduate of Eden High School, so that she could enroll at Simmons College. She graduated with honors in 1933 with a B.A. in piano. Some 30 years later, she returned to Hardin-Simmons to receive a master's degree in education.
After teaching for a year in Dalhart, she married S. LeRoy York on May 11, 1934, and except for the World War II years, they spent their entire married life in Abilene, where they were members of University Baptist Church. He died on Nov. 18, 1984.
Mrs. York taught school in Abilene for 25 years, the last 18 at Jane Long Elementary. At University Church, she served as a Sunday school teacher, Woman's Missionary Union director, choir member and on various committees. In retirement, she was also a longtime volunteer at Hendrick Medical Center.
In the Rio Grande Valley, Mrs. York was in the hospital auxiliary at Edinburg Regional Medical Center, a member of La Revista Study Club, a member of Bible Study Fellowship International and a member of First Baptist Church of Pharr.
She is survived by her sons Roy Bee (Norma) York of McAllen and John Dale York of Atlanta, Ga.; four grandchildren, Paige (Thomas) East of McAllen, Brian (Lisa) York of West Columbia and Cullen (Holly) York of Dallas; and Rene Escatiola Jr. of Mission and three great-grandchildren.
Local funeral arrangements entrusted to the care of Skinner Silva Funeral Home in Pharr.
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