Nettie Louise Serur - Pennington Funeral Home

Date of Birth: September 30, 1923? | ? Date of Death: June 2, 2012 ? | ? Service Date: 11 AM, Saturday, June 30, 2012 at Pennington Funeral Home?

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Nettie Louise Serur, formerly of San Marcos, passed away on June 2, 2012 in Mobile, Alabama, after a very happy and full life. She was born September 30, 1923 to Bessie and Jack Olenbush, but was raised by her aunt and uncle Laura and Arthur Stiles in Schwertner, Texas after her mother died when Nettie was two years old.

At the age of 16, Nettie headed to Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos, Texas, where she met the love of her life, Alexander Dempsey Serur. Just 10 hours shy of graduating, she chose marriage over a degree. She and Dempsey were married June 8, 1942, in a small ceremony in an officer?s quarters in Hyannis, Massachusetts, where Dempsey was serving in WWII. After he returned from war, they made their home in San Marcos, eventually taking over the family clothing business known as Serur?s. They were well respected for their business integrity, serving the community for many years. Serur?s was proud to outfit Barbara Tidwell?s very first group of SWT Strutters with their signature white boots in 1960.

After working many early years in their business, Nettie became active in the Bicentennial Belles, the precursor of the Heritage Association Guild. She was chairman of the Guild in 1982, and was the first treasurer of The Heritage Association of San Marcos. A lover of primitive antiques, she and Helen Van Gundy were appointed by the mayor to be the acquisition committee charged with furnishing the Charles S. Cock House with authentic period antiques. A tea room was established which helped fund the project, and for the first 3 years, Nettie and Helen did all the scheduling of volunteers to prepare and serve the Friday luncheons, often doing the food themselves. The two ladies were instrumental in the phenomenal success of the Cottage Kitchen.

For 36 years the tea room has been a popular destination where locals and out of town guests enjoy delicious home cooked meals served by a different organization each week. Some years ago, two rooms in the house were named for these dedicated women. Nettie was very proud of that designation.

Nettie also loved to play bridge, travel, read, dine in fine restaurants, water ski in her earlier years, and enjoyed golfing with couples when Dempsey was alive. She was probably best known for her charm, and her ability to make everyone feel special. Nettie loved to entertain, and some of her parties were legendary!

Nettie never allowed adversity to get her down. When she was two years old and her mother died, Nettie Louise went to live with her aunt and uncle who raised her as their own. Other relatives also made a point to look after her, and make her feel special. When Dempsey died unexpectedly in 1984, Nettie continued to live by her motto, ?You have to make your own happiness. You can?t depend on others to do that for you.? And so she went on to live a full and happy life, complete with dear, dear friends and family. And when her eyesight began to fail her to the point Nettie could no longer drive or play bridge with her friends, she planned the next chapter of her life in a lovely independent living facility in Mobile, Alabama, where she made wonderful new friends. She was affectionately known as ?Miss Nettie? to most residents of Mobile. She embraced her new lifestyle with dignity and grace, and was grateful to be able to spend more time with her daughter and her family, who lived only minutes away. Of course, she maintained almost daily contact with her friends and family back in Texas by telephone. Nettie was extremely proud of each of her children and their families. She was a wonderful grandmother, adored by all of her grandchildren. Last year she was thrilled to get to hold her first great-grandchild.

Nettie was preceded in death by her loving husband, Dempsey. She is survived by her son Terry Serur and wife Carol of San Marcos, as well as her daughter Sheri Granberry and husband Dr. Michael Granberry of Mobile. She is also survived by her grandchildren January Serur Pfiester and husband Winston, Ash Serur, Rachael Granberry, Andrew Granberry, and George Granberry, great-grandson Branson Pfiester, cousin Ellis Logan Ramsey of Bartlett, and many friends and other relatives. She will be terribly missed by all who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Heritage Association of San Marcos, the Strutter Gallery at Texas State University, or other charity. A memorial service will be conducted June 30, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at Pennington Funeral Home Chapel. A reception will follow the service.

Arrangements by Pennington Funeral Home, San Marcos, Texas, 512-353-4311. Obituary and guestbook on line at www.penningtonfuneralhome.com

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