Merle Segler

MERLE KATHRYN McCRACKEN WAS BORN JUNE 18, 1918, IN KINGSVILLE, KLEBERG COUNTY, TEXAS TO MARY VELLA CUSTER AND WILLIAM ROSS McCRACKEN, THEIR ONLY CHILD, WHERE HER DAD WAS EMPLOYED AT THE FAMOUS KING RANCH. SHE CAME TO THE END OF HER LONG LIFE'S JOURNEY ON NOVEMBER 19, 2011 AT THE AGE OF 98. MERLE WAS A HAPPY CHILD IN THE COUNTRY GROWING UP ON RANCHES IN ZAVALA AND UVALDE COUNTIES. SHE STARTED SCHOOL AT SEVEN YEARS OF AGE, ALREADY KNOWING MOST OF WHAT SHE WOULD LEARN BY THE AGE OF NINE YEARS, AT WHICH TIME SHE HAD ADVANCED TO THE FIFTH GRADE, AND COMPLETING HER ELEVEN YEARS OF SCHOOL IN NINE YEARS, GRADUATING FROM UVALDE HIGH SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 15 IN 1934. SHE THEN ATTENDED THE DRAUGHON'S BUSINESS COLLEGE IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE ONE OF HER FIRST JOBS WAS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR THEN MAYOR.C.K. QUIN AT THE TIME THE NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING WAS BEING BUILT AT STINSON FIELD. SHE SPENT ALL OF HER WORKING YEARS IN ACCOUNTING AND BOOKKEEPING. SHE WAS MARRIED TO WILLIAM EDWARD PETERS AND THEY HAD TWO SONS, WILLIAM EDWARD PETERS, JR. AND HANES ARNOLD PETERS (SEGLER), THE ONE HAVING CHANGED HIS NAME TO THE NAME OF HIS STEP-FATHER IN LATER YEARS. SHE WAS THEN MARRIED TO JAMES ELTON SEGLER AND THEY HAD A SON AND DAUGHTER, ELTON ROSS SEGLER, AND DARLENE KAY SEGLER, ELTON, HAVING BEEN DECEASED IN 1966 ON HIS 14TH BIRTHDAY. MERLE IS SURVIVED BY WILLIAM EDWARD PETERS, JR. AND WIFE PHYLLIS, HANES ARNOLD SEGLER, DARLENE KAY SEGLER, GRAND DAUGHTERS GRETCHEN MARIE PETERS AND SUZANNE REDDIE AND HUSBAND MARK REDDIE. SHE IS SURVIVED BY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN DEVIN SHOMETTE, MADISON REDDIE, JULIA REDDIE AND RACHEL REDDIE. SHE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HER DEAR FRIEND CYD SHINE WEST OF HARKER HEIGHTS, TEXAS. MERLE IS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF CLEAR CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH. SHE WILL BE BURIED IN THE FAMILY PLOT AT THE SMITH CEMETERY IN LAMPASAS COUNTY AT 1PM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2011 WITH BROTHER THOMAS EDWARDS OFFICIATING. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO THE MISSION ROAD DEVELOPMENT CENTER 8706 MISSION ROAD SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78214.