Eleanor Virginia "Woody" Hiebert

Eleanor Virginia “Woody” Hiebert – our kind and gentle mother, Nanna, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend – passed from this life to the next on Monday, April 1, 2019. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 5, from 4:00 to 6:00pm at Harper Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held Saturday, April 6, at 1:00pm, at Southland Baptist Church, led by Rev. Chris Curran and Rev. Jill Fulghum. A private family burial will follow the service. Woody was born April 14, 1922, in Kansas City, Kansas, the only child of Dr. O.L. Wood and Nellie Rockhold Wood. She had 4 much older half-siblings and nieces older than she. As a Baptist pastor’s child, she moved several times during her childhood in Kansas and Missouri. Woody graduated from high school in Benton, Kansas in 1940. She attended Bethel College in Newton, Kansas for 3 years and then moved to Abilene, Texas to attend Hardin-Simmons University because her father wanted her to graduate from a Southern Baptist school. She graduated from Hardin-Simmons in 1944. Her classmates at Hardin-Simmons became lifelong friends and are responsible for her nickname, “Woody.” While attending Bethel College, Woody met W.L. “Tink” Hiebert, a newly drafted soldier, who was being sent to the island of Trinidad as a decoder. Tink asked Woody to write to him and she did. They fell in love through the letters they exchanged over the 2 years he served on Trinidad and they married October 17, 1944, just weeks after he was reassigned to Tinker Field in Oklahoma City. After his discharge from the Army in 1945, Tink and Woody moved to Abilene where Tink finished his college degree at Hardin-Simmons and Woody taught typing and shorthand. Woody and Tink lived in Abilene, Sherman, and San Angelo during Tink’s career with Exxon. The family moved to San Angelo in 1957 with their 4 year old son, Tommy. Woody and Tink were married 45 years until Tink’s death on May 17, 1990. Woody loved the Lord and found joy in being part of a body of believers. She inherited the spiritual gift of hospitality from her father and used that gift to welcome guests to worship services and to call on visitors at their homes. Many people credit Woody’s hugs and joyful spirit as the reason they joined Park Heights Baptist Church or Southland Baptist Church. During Woody’s active years of service at Park Heights Baptist Church, she was also a gifted administrator and found fulfillment in serving as the Sunday School Director and Superintendent of an adult department. Above all, Woody loved being with her family whenever they gathered. She cherished her time with Stacy and Tracy as children – playing games, riding rides at Disney World, going down the slide at Wet and Wild, and doing whatever else they wanted to do. She so enjoyed being with the Hieberts – making trips to Kansas, traveling with “Sissy”, eating homemade, fresh from the garden, German food, sharing stories, and laughing – lots of laughing. The great-grandchildren were Woody’s pride and joy – the games were more sedate, but she loved playing Old Maid, Go Fish, and her favorite, Checkers. Woody was preceded in death by her husband, Tink; brother-in-law, Pete Hiebert, and wife, Kathy and brother-in-law, Ted Pankratz. She is survived by her son, Tommy Hiebert, and wife, Carol; granddaughters, Stacy Greer, and husband, David, and Tracy Bennett, and husband, Andy; step-granddaughters, Allison Phillips, and husband, David, and Emily Roe, and husband, Matt; and 12 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Sissy Pankratz and Grace Yoder and Grace’s husband, John; brother-in-law, Bob Hiebert, and wife, Julane; and many extended Hiebert family members. Our special thanks is given to those skilled professionals at The Crest at Baptist Retirement Center and Kindred Hospice who gave Woody such loving and tender care. They always made sure she was comfortable and felt valued. We also appreciate those who visited, sent cards, brought goodies, prayed, and showed God’s grace in so many ways to Woody and our family. Memorials may be made to: Baptist Retirement Community, 902 N. Main 76903; Water for All International, c/o Southland Baptist Church, 4300 Meadowcreek Trail, 76904; or a charity of your choice.