Hershel Kimbrell

Hershel was born in Cooper, Texas to Martha Melinda Patridge and Virgil Burt Kimbrell. Hershel lived in Cooper until he was four years old and then his family moved to Arp, Texas so that his dad could work in the oil fields during the oil boom. When Hershel was in the first grade his dad left the family to look for work because of the Great Depression. The family moved from Arp back to the community of Macedonia which was very close to Cooper. His granddad and grandmother Kimbrell had a farm in this community. His mother had to leave the family also to go and work out of town to help send money back to help raise his brothers and sisters, When Kimbrell was in the 2nd grade he started attending a old wooden school house that had 8 grades that was not too far from where he lived. His teacher, Ruth Chapman taught all 8 grades. Outside the school was a regular size basketball court with two goals. Kimbrell was so excited because all he had at the farm was a hoop and a football stuffed with cotton seeds that didn’t even bounce. He could shoot and play while he was at school and he was very happy. Ruth approached him one day and asked him if he would like to play on a basketball team for the school and they would go play other schools which helped Hershel further his love of the game.

In 1940 his mother and her new husband Roy Reeves and his siblings moved to Abilene so that they could manage a grocery store and Hershel moved to New Mexico to live with his Aunt Lacy and attend the 7th grade.Hershel then moved to Abilene in 1941 and he enrolled at Abilene High School as an 8th grader, He attended Abilene High School where he became a standout basketball and baseball player, While at Abilene High he met the love of his life, Georgia Mae Harris. In April of 1945 he felt the call to join the Navy and was assigned to the ship the U.S.S. Oklahoma City. His ship was in charge of clearing mines out of the rivers in Japan One of the things he remembered about this is that about a month after the bombing of Hiroshima and also Nagasaki they docked and were taken in big trucks to see the devastation. Kimbrell was released from the service in 1946 and he went back to Abilene. The first person he wanted to see when he got home was Georgia. Hershel had a tryout with the University of Texas for basketball but he decided that he would enter McMurry College and use the G.I. Bill to go to school on. Kimbrell married Georgia Mae Harris on May 21, 1948 and he graduated McMurry in 1950. Hershel was offered a job to go to Garland High School and coach and teach in 1950. He and Georgia moved to Garland and they were there for 9 years. During that time their daughter Kim was born in 1953 and their son George Kittredge was born in 1957. In 1959 Kimbrell was offered a job at his alma mater as head basketball coach and it was too hard to pass up. The family moved to Abilene and Kimbrell remained in the same house until his death.

While at McMurry he also coached football and track with the likes of Grant Teaff and Tommy Ellis and Buddy Fornes.Hershel had numerous successes with his basketball teams. In 1962, his team made it to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. The team lost to Westminister College in the first round. All over Abilene you could hear the Bill Hailey and the Comets popular song, “I’m going to Kansas City”. Kimbrell’s later basketball teams won the Texas Intercollegiate title every year except for one between 1978 and 1988. His teams advanced to the postseason playoffs 16 times. Kimbrell won his 400th basketball game in 1987 and ended his career in basketball with 448 wins when he retired in

1990. Kimbrell then coached golf for 5 years until he finally retired from the university.

Kimbrell was inducted into the inaugural class of the McMurry Hall of Honor in 1984 and was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1987 the Hershel and Georgia Kimbrell scholarship was established and has helped many deserving students. In

1995 Kimbrell was named a McMurry Distinguished Alumni and Kimbrell Arena was named in his honor.

Kimbrell and his wife Georgia lived in retirement and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in May. Georgia died of a sudden illness in August of 2008. After her death, many of his players would reach out to him regularly to check on him. He cherished those times with his players.

Kimbrell is survived by his daughter Kim and her husband Keith, his son Kit and his wife Kris, his grandaughter Amanda Judkins and her husband Timothy, his grandson Joshua and his wife Erica. Kimbrell also had two great grandchildren Alyssa Whitaker of Abilene and Kaylee Williams of Fairfield. Hershel is also survived by his sister Eva Alexander and many nieces and nephews who all loved their Uncle Hershel.

The Kimbrell family would like to thank the following people and places who helped our dad in the last few months- Hendrick North and South hospitals for your expert care.Dr. Kristopher Lyon and Dr.Brent Mahoney of the Radiation Therapy department at Hendrick North. Hendrick Rehab and the director Lynn Ferrell Endsley and the wonderful nurses there. The wonderful nurses and physical therapy at Windcrest Rehabilitation and Rehab and the great nurses and employees at the Hendrick Hospice.

In lieu of flowers the Kimbrell family would like for you to donate to one of the following- Hershel and Georgia KImbrell scholarship at McMurry University, McMurry Men’s Basketball, Meals on Wheels of Abilene or Hendrick Hospice.

A visitation will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 PM Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 US Hwy 277 South in Abilene. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Thursday, May 9, 2024 at Aldersgate Abilene Methodist Church with Bishop Dan Solomon officiating. Interment will follow at Elmwood Memorial Park.