Shirley Ruth Meischen

Shirley Ruth Gatliff Meischen, 82, passed away on Saturday, November 28, 2020, at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas. A visitation will be held on Monday, November 30, 2020, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Sneed Funeral Chapel. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at Sneed Funeral Chapel with interment to follow at Bend Cemetery. Shirley was born on October 3, 1938, in San Saba, Texas to Rubin and Pearl (Tinney) Gatliff. She grew up in San Saba as the second oldest of five children. Before graduating from San Saba High School in the class of 1957, she worked at the soda counter at Watkin's Pharmacy. She completed her coursework for school in December of her senior year and married the love of her life on January 26, 1957. Shirley and Jerome began their 64-year adventure together on a frosty night at Herren Baptist Church in San Saba surrounded by family and friends. They spent the next 4 years moving from one Texas town to another for Jerome's telephone construction job. There were short stints in Brownwood, Palestine, Junction, Irving, and Winnsboro. In 1961, they took their young family to Llano and then moved to Kingsland in 1966. While in Kingsland, Shirley worked at the Western Auto store, Packsaddle Western Wear, and finished her work career at Security State Bank & Trust. In 2002, Shirley retired from banking and she and Jerome built a home in the community of Bend. She was a member of the Bend United Methodist Church. Shirley's greatest joy was holding the title of "Oma" to her grandchildren, great-grandsons, and all of their friends. She happily followed her grandchildren from sporting events to college graduations across the country and never failed to provide every grandchild's favorite food at family dinners. Shirley was a gifted seamstress and an avid crafter. In the early years, her young family was often photographed in matching shirts and dresses and her attention to that tradition carried to the next generation as she designed and crafted fun outfits, Halloween costumes, and parade attire for her grandchildren Shirley loved to make formals and wedding dresses for many in her family and year after year created beautiful Easter and Christmas dresses for her granddaughters. In her later years, Shirley hand-made quilts that will hold many treasured memories for friends and family. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include her husband, Jerome of Bend; daughters, Sheila Barefoot, and husband, Craig of Burnet, Ralene Gideon, and husband, Steve of Leander; granddaughters, Quincee Gideon of Long Beach, California, Jessica Kelly and husband, Tony of Burnet; grandson, Blake Gideon, and wife, Mary Catherine of Oxford, Mississippi; great-grandsons, Kyson Kelly of Burnet, Barrett Gideon of Oxford, Mississippi; brothers, Wayne Gatliff of San Saba, Gary Gatliff and wife, Beverly of Llano; sisters, Johnnie Perkins of Goldthwaite, Brenda Dawson and husband, Les of San Saba and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations are made to the Bend Cemetery, P.O. Box 130, Bend, TX, 78624. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Hillview Manor Nursing Home in Goldthwaite and the ICU and Palliative Care Teams at Baylor Scott & White in Temple.