Laverne Bardin Dagley

LaVerne Bardin Dagley, 92, left her earthly home for her heavenly home on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at her home in Providence Village in Waco, Texas. Services will be held 1:00 p.m., Friday, July 26, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd in Waco, with Rev. Marvin Wittenberg, Rev. Reggie Blake and Rev. Harley Gordon officiating. Visitation with the family will be 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., prior to the memorial service, in the Garden Room at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park, 6623 Interstate Highway 35 in Waco. LaVerne was born on June 11, 1927, in Ninnekah, Oklahoma, the sixth of seven children born to Benjamin Sheridan Bardin and Bertha Lee Worbus Bardin. In the early 1930s during the devastation of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the Bardin family left Oklahoma for Texas in search of work. They lived for short times in a number of places but finally settled in Winters, Texas, about forty miles south of Abilene. Winters is the place of her “growing up” years. When she was nine years old she was voted Queen of the School by her classmates, an honor she cherished for the remainder of her life. She was an active member of the Bethel Baptist Church in Winters, where Billie Dagley Killingsworth was married to Earnest Killingsworth, the pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church. Billie had a brother named Jack who lived in Crawford, Texas. Earnest and Billie were convinced that LaVerne and Jack were “just right” for each other. After Jack returned from his service in the Navy in World War II, Earnest and Billie invited Jack to Winters for a visit. But their motive was for Jack to meet LaVerne. LaVerne recalled that the first time she saw Jack she fell head over heels for him. Earnest and Billie were right and LaVerne and Jack were married December 2, 1946. They lived in Abilene for a short time and then moved to Waco in early 1948 to be closer to Jack’s family and for better employment opportunities. Jack and LaVerne settled into life in Waco. Jack worked for the Veterans Administration Hospital, and LaVerne was a stay-at-home mom for sons, Larry and Bill. She would baby sit and do sewing to bring in a little extra money, but her primary goal was to be a great mom for her sons. When Larry and Bill were in college, LaVerne embarked on her career in day school for young children, first as a teacher and later as a school director. She served at Grace Temple Baptist Church Pre-School, First Baptist Church Pre-School and Spirit of Love Pre-School. She loved the children. And one of her greatest joys was when she was in a store or a restaurant and a former student would come up to her, introduce himself or herself as a former student and tell her how much they had learned from her. A fulfilment of her dreams, her goals growing up—to become a teacher. LaVerne loved her family, her friends, her students, her church, her church work, church dinners and socials, plants, gardening, dolls, the Rose Parade, family history, and above all her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. One of her greatest thrills was having the opportunity to visit Israel for her 65th birthday, a gift from her children. A second was having the opportunity to twice attend the Rose Parade. During her life in Waco she was a member of Grace Temple Baptist Church, Park Lake Drive Baptist Church and Beacon Hill Baptist Church. LaVerne was preceded in death by her parents, Ben and Bertha Bardin; her husband, Jack; her youngest son, Bill; and all of her brothers and sisters, except Dovie Bardin White of Mansfield, Texas. LaVerne is survived by her son, Larry and wife, Norma; daughter-in-law, Donna; grandsons, Geof and wife, Kelly, Greg and wife, Amber, Sam and wife, Jenny, and Jason and fiancée, Lindsey; and thirteen great grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Geof Dagley, Greg Dagley, Sam Dagley, Jason Dagley, Bentley Jones, David Jones and Ray Rucksdashel. Honorary pallbearers will be great grandsons, Cody Dagley, Jackson Dagley, Paxton Dagley, William Dagley, Benjamin Dagley and Kevin Saunders. In lieu of flowers the family request that contributions be made to the Beacon Hill Baptist Church Children’s Ministry in memory of LaVerne Dagley. Beacon Hill Baptist Church is located at 1912 Monte Vista, Waco, Texas 76714-9080. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.