Teresa Duiane (Smith) Runnels left this world to be with Jesus on February 4, 2024. She was born August 9, 1943, in Anniston, Alabama to the late Osborne Vincent Smith and Geraldine Paris Payne and passed away in Livingston, Texas.
Teresa, along with her mother and 2 sisters, moved to Houston in 1955 to be near her grandfather, aunts, and uncles. While in High School, she was babysitting for a couple and was asked by the husband if she would write to his brother, who was serving in the Army. She wrote to the soldier in France and started a friendship that developed into romance and ultimately marriage to her husband of 62 years, Ben Runnels.
Teresa was a veracious reader and for years would read a complete novel overnight. She loved murder mysteries and at last count, she had some 3,000 books in her possession and had given over 2,000 books to libraries. She was also a talented oil painter until she started developing arthritis in her hands and had to give it up. Teresa loved Christian music especially Southern Gospel. She also loved other music genres;
Cajun (Doug Kershaw), Rock (Rod Stewart) and Classical (Luciana Pavarotti and Andrea Boceli).
She never minced words and one always knew what she was thinking because she would tell you. She loved her family, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and her 4-legged babies. Her very best friend for life was Jerrie Kay Lecompte, whom she met in school at the age of 13. Teresa was a lifelong Christian and a member of Onalaska First Baptist Church, Onalaska, Texas.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Tawanna McGrath and several aunts and uncles. She is survived by her husband, Ben Runnels, 2 sons; Scott Runnels and Craig Runnels, 2 grandsons; Dustin (Taylor) Runnels and Jordan (Dianna) Runnels, 5 great grandchildren, sister; Deborah Lea, 2 special nieces (Tara Bowen & Heather Norris), nephews, cousins, and many friends.
A Visitation for Mrs. Runnels will be held at Pace Funeral Home in Livingston, Texas, on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, from 5:00pm- 8:00pm.
A Celebration of Mrs. Runnels will be held at Onalaska First Baptist Church, 463 South FM 356, Onalaska, Texas, 77360, on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 10:00 am, with Rev. Don Wilkey officiating.
She will be laid to rest at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas, 77038, on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 2:15 pm.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons and nephews: Brent Bowen, Chad Norris, Hayden Norris, Eric Payne, Dustin Runnels and Jordan Runnels.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to: Onalaska First Baptist or SPCA Polk County, Livingston, Texas.
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