Verna Mae Watson

Verna Mae Ritter Watson entered the gates of Heaven as the sun rose on the morning of March 3, 2012 after a courageous battle with Congestive Heart Failure. Verna Mae was a native Arizonan having been born in 1928 in the old Arizona Deaconess Hospital in Phoenix to Vernon and Orlie May Ritter. Verna Mae was the baby of her family, her two sisters, Beulah and Berniece were 18 and 16 years old respectively. She was brought home from the hospital to the home on 18th Avenue and west Grant Street that her father, a respected carpenter, built, and lived there until she married.

The Watson family, who had seven robust sons and one daughter lived in the neighborhood next door. When Verna Mae was 5 years old Beulah Ritter married the eldest of the Watson boys, Carl Watson, uniting the two families. Berniece married a local airplane pilot and began her lovely family, leaving Verna Mae as an only child at home---except she became the family and neighborhood babysitter. She took care of her nephews and nieces and the younger Watson boys, Bobby and Ray. As World War II began the middle Watson sons (William, Burl, Troy and Hamon) enlisted in the Armed Forces. Verna Mae was a student at Phoenix Union High School. One of her assignments in English class during her sophomore year was to write a letter to a service member overseas. Since Troy Watson was her neighbor, she decided to write to him. Their correspondence led to a 2 year courtship. Verna Mae and Troy were married three weeks after her high school graduation, in Phoenix, Arizona June 21, 1946.

The baby boom had begun in earnest with so many navy personnel returning from the Pacific Theatre. Troy and Verna Mae were living in San Diego since Troy was still in the Navy and their first child was due in May, but the Navy doctors could not get Verna Mae a hospital room to deliver her baby. No room in the maternity ward for any more babies to be born in San Diego, so they sent Verna Mae back to Phoenix to give birth to her first baby. Of course the Navy paid the bill!

Verna was always a working mother. She worked at the candy counter in Kresge’s Dept.Store in downtown Phoenix in the early 1950’s. Later she worked throughout the 1950’s and early 1960’s at the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette as a switchboard operator and in the archive/library department. Her career as a working woman continued from the middle 1960’s and into the new century as she worked in the Arizona House of Representatives Chief Clerk’s office having finally retired in 2005.

Not only was Verna Mae a working mother, she was tap and ballet mom, a baseball and football mom, and a cheerleader and softball mom. It was embarrassing how she would brag about her children right in front of them. She was always at their games, their dance recitals, and their Awards Assemblies. If they were hurt---she was hurting right along with them. During Cheryle’s long term hospitalization, Verna Mae would leave work on her lunch hour to come to Cheryle’s hospital bed to feed her (Cheryle feared her nurses). During Troy Jr.’s and Lori’s time of loss, Verna never left their side. Even to her last days, she cried for Troy Jr.’s tragic loss of 1969.

When the grandbabies came along---a new era of deep devotion began for Verna Mae and Troy Sr. The first was when Verna Mae was only 39 years old, pretty young for a grandma. Verna Mae considered Scotty to be her own kiddo. It was difficult for her to let him out of her warm, loving protective arms. As the years swept on, more of God’s gifts came along, actually six grandbabies in all. Verna worshiped all of them. But only one little girl came along. The one who grew up to be the nurse who tenderly cared for her grandma as Verna Mae grew weaker. It was Melissa who was lovingly there.

In the 1990’s Troy and Verna Mae were blessed with three great grandchildren. Eventually the greats would blossom from three to seven with the addition of Brian’s four kiddos in Oregon. Verna mourned the fact that she was not able to visit them more often and become more a part of their lives.

Verna Mae is survived by her three children; Cheryle Watson Richardson (Hugh), Troy B. Watson Jr. (Walline), Lori Watson Orlando (Steve), grandchildren; Scott Richardson (Dana), Brian Watson (Cara), David Howard, Melissa Watson great-grandchildren; Raeann Richardson, Hunter Hamilton, Brock Richardson, Elodie Watson, India Watson, John Watson, Troy Joseph Watson.

Preceding Verna Mae in death were her devoted husband Troy B. Watson Sr., and her two beloved grandsons Sgt. James Dale “BJ” Richardson, and Daniel “Danny” Howard. Also awaiting her arrival in Heaven were Verna Mae’s parents Vern and Orlie Mae Ritter and sisters Beulah Watson and Berniece Storrs.

A celebration of Verna Mae’s life will be held on Monday March 12 at 12:00pm at Greenwood Memory Lawn, Serenity Chapel 719 N. 27th Ave. 85009,. Family, friends and guests may gather to pay their respects at a visitation at 10:30 am preceding the service at the Serenity Chapel. The family suggests contributions to Hospice of the Valley, (1510 E. Flower St. Phoenix, Az. 85014 or 602-530-6992) in the name of Verna Mae Watson, and/or James Dale Richardson in lieu of flowers.