Vida was cared for by her single father from an early age. Her 3 siblings were very dear to her, though she witnessed a tragic accident that resulted in one brother’s death. She was born in a tiny west Texas town called Royalty (Where she snuck on the set of the film “Giant” just to meet James Dean). Her father’s job moved them several places. One of her favorite places was Salinas California.
The family moved around quite a bit and she finished high school in Odessa, TX.
She always wanted to be a teacher, but found herself working as a secretary as a young woman. When she became a single mother, she took her girls back to Odessa. Vida struggled to provide for her girls, but she would never accept taking welfare. Her strong work ethic earned her the ability to buy the home she lived in for 40 years. She wasn’t all hard work, though. She loved taking her daughters to toilet paper and shoe polish their friends’ houses. And possibly once the band director’s house. The car would make an extremely loud pop sound, which only added to the drama. Vida also liked racing that same old car down a hill they called “tickle belly hill”. She would have to put the petal to the metal as she came to the top of the hill so by the time they reached the bottom, it felt as if the car was in air for a moment, making you lose your belly!
When her girls were grown, she devoted her time to volunteering with local nursing homes and Meals on Wheels. Her heart truly hurt for the elderly that had no visitors. Even though she had little, she would bring them ice cream, yogurt and flowers. She would take very good care of her brother, Melvin. She made meals for him and cleaned his house. When he ended up in a nursing home she never missed a day to visit him. She would be there from breakfast to dinner.
Vida always talked about going to Israel and was finally able to make the trip in her late 50’s. It held a profound impact on her life, and she pursued knowledge of the Jewish culture in order to better understand the Bible. She would look in the paper for any event the Jewish community would have to attend. She later joined a Messianic Jewish church and even tried to learn Hebrew.
As she aged, she moved in with her daughters so they could care for her. In Nashville, she quickly made friends at Sunny Day and here, at Judson Baptist. Sunny Day became a huge part of her family. We all felt so blessed to find this volunteer based organization for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. They would play games, sing songs and eat lunch together. The volunteers continued to bring treats and cards to her. Her family appreciates their support during her final years of dementia. The decision for her to move into a nursing home was difficult for Karen, but her final days at Alive Hospice were a treasure.
She is survived by many who will remember her for her fierce love and generosity. Vida’s persistent helpfulness and steadfast faith will remain in the hearts of every life she touched.
Her daughter, Karen has so many sweet memories, but some of her favorites are of her doing her little chair exercises every single morning without fail. Getting to style her hair every single week and make her feel beautiful . She had joy oozing out of her. She was very agreeable and LOVED pizza Friday. Karen was fortunate to have some of the sweetest caregivers. They became part of the family. Karen would like to recognize Sharon as one of the caregivers that will always have a special place in her heart. She truly loved her mom.
Laura, her eldest, appreciates her selfless sacrifices for the ones she loved. She is so grateful that Grandma Vida was such a big part of her children’s lives. She was always eager to have them sleep over, take them swimming, bike riding, play games, and of course cook for them. She wanted to be involved in their lives and kept up with their various activities. Her son-in-law, Keith, loved her dearly for the fierce way Vida loved her daughters.
Her grandchildren will remember that she was a great sport playing charades.
Rebekah will never forget that she was INSISTENT on making whole loaves of Pappadeaux (Cajun name for French toast) when they visited. Grandma also let them keep the whole bag of powdered sugar on the kids’ table while they ate.
Richard shared her love of big band music, and enjoyed chatting with her. His fiancé remembers how much she loved working in the kitchen with him.
Renee loved the way she always dressed up, even if the family was staying home together.
Elijah will always remember picking pecans from her tree with her.
Charli enjoyed playing Sorry with Grandma Vida in the evenings, and appreciated that she was a great sport.
While they will miss her dearly, her family is glad to know she is no longer suffering and has joined her beloved brothers and daddy.
Vida L Meyer, 86 of Nashville, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 3, 2021 surrounded by her family. She was born on October 22, 1934 to the late Manley and Zertha Handy.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Manley Handy and Melvin Handy.
She leaves behind to cherish her memory her daughters, Karen Percy and Laura Ralston; grandchildren, Rebekah, Richard, Renee, and Elijah Ralston, and Charli Percy.
A memorial service was held in Nashville on Sunday, June 6, 2021. Another memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 27, at 2:00 at Sherwood Baptist Church in Odessa, Texas followed by burial in Grand Falls, Texas.
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