Obituary

A Private Graveside Service for Mertice Lester Stark will be held at 11:30AM on Monday, April 6, 2020 at Parklawn Memorial Park in Plainview, Texas. Due to the current circumstances with the Coronavirus a Memorial Service will be held at a later date so that family and friends may attend.

Mertice Lester Stark was born near Lockney, Texas on April 14, 1933 and left this world April 1, 2020. She was born to John William (JW) and Lola Mae Lester, Jr. of Lockney and moved to Plainview when she was five years old.

Mertice graduated from Plainview High School in 1951, she then attended Watson Business College and later Wayland Baptist University receiving a B.S. degree in elementary education. She later received her master’s degree from West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas.

Mertice taught 3rd grade at Hillcrest Elementary School in Plainview for 26 years until her retirement in 1996, then she taught at La Mesa Elementary in a reading program for children until May of 2010. Mertice received several awards for her outstanding teaching. Mertice loved teaching and often stated that teaching children was rewarding and fulfilling, and she enjoyed it until her retirement.

Mertice was a faithful and active member of the Garland St. Church of Christ for over 50 years. She was a member of Retired Teacher Assn. and Plainview Senior Citizens. She enjoyed reading, quilting, gardening and loved trips to Cuchara Colorado, with family and friends. Most of all Mertice loved her family for whom she would do anything . Her grandchildren were her special joy and she loved keeping them over the summers. She loved taking her grandchildren on road trips to various national parks around the country. She enjoyed teaching them to cook and bake. She enjoyed taking every one of them to see the play Texas in Palo Duro Canyon. Mertice was full of life and energy. She enjoyed being social. She was thoughtful and kind and always wanted to help.

In 2012 Mertice and her husband Lytton Stark moved to Grand Prairie Texas to be near her children and for health reasons.

Mertice was preceded in death by her husband, Malcolm Lytton Stark and precious grandson Christopher Hoobler. She is survived by her sister Aleta Stephens and spouse Thomas of Idaho Springs CO; son, Robert Kirk Cobb and spouse Belinda Cobb of Fort Worth, TX; and her daughters Karen Belk and spouse David Belk of Cedar Hill, TX; and Karla Nelson and spouse Robert Nelson of Keene, CA. She was blessed with eight grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, all of whom she loved dearly.