Verna Beth Eddins Son was born in McKinney, Texas to Charles Thurman Eddins and Minta Leah Cantrell Eddins on November 27, 1925. She peacefully went to be with her Lord this past Tuesday, July 26, 2016.
Beth attended Southern Methodist University and graduated from Texas Women’s University with a B.A. in Speech and Drama. Upon graduation she began a successful career in teaching beginning in Dallas. She married and moved to Plainview, Texas where her teaching career was put on hold while beginning a family composed of three sons and a daughter: Randy, Tim, Rick, and Cathy. As the children began school themselves, Beth resumed her profession of education, teaching 12 years in Plainview (1966—1978) and 13 years in the McKinney ISD (1978—1991) at Caldwell and Burks Elementary. She gained her love for teaching from her parents who were both educators. In fact, an elementary school in McKinney bears her father’s name: C. T. Eddins. Many of her former students have given testimonies of the impact she made in their lives, several professing her to be their favorite teacher ever.
Her love for drama never ceased. She continued acting in plays for community theaters in both Plainview and McKinney. As busy and fulfilling as her life was, her greatest desire was to be a loving and supportive mother and grandmother to her family. From being a Cub Scout den mother, to reading books for naptime; from playing board games on the floor to rolling newspapers to help teach her children a good work ethic—Beth Son poured her life into the lives of her children and family. Today they “rise up and call her blessed.”
She moved back to McKinney in 1978 and immediately became a faithful member of First Baptist Church, teaching the Naomi Sunday School Class for many years. She spent the last few years of her life in an assisted living facility in San Antonio near to three of her children. Beth was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved brother, Charles Tallmadge Eddins, as well as one son-in-law, Karl Pieper III.
She is survived by three sons and one daughter: Randy and Becky Son of San Antonio; Tim and Mary Son of San Antonio; Rick and Eugenia Son of Tyler; and Cathy Son Pieper of San Antonio; and a special niece, Sally Eddins (and Carl) Schneider. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren who loved her dearly: Jackie Son of Ft. Worth; Kellye Son of San Antonio; John (and Samantha) Seelye of San Antonio; Dr. Colin Son (and Dr. Holly Keyt) of San Antonio; Aaron (and Sonali) Son of Los Angeles; Elizabeth (and Russell) Miller of San Antonio; Andrew Son of Austin; Nathan Son of Lubbock; Meg (and Johnnie) Randolph of Houston; Tim Pieper and Sara Pieper of San Antonio. Beth is also survived by eight great-grandchildren and a ninth one on the way.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 30, 2016 at First Baptist Church, 1615 W. Louisiana St., McKinney, Texas 75069. Interment will follow at Restland Memorial Park,13005 Restland Memorial Park Cemetery Dr., Dallas, Texas 75243. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Friday evening, July 29, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen. To offer condolences or sign an online registry, please visit, TJMfuneral.com.