Vera Kathleen (Price) Chandler, 93, died on December 29, 2011 at Cox-South Medical Center following a brief illness. She was born July 2, 1918, in Springfield, Missouri, and lived in Greene County all of her life.
Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Chandler, in 1974; also by her parents, John and Mollie (Gates) Price; two sisters, Evelyn Putman and Jo Anne Datema; and three brothers, Charles Price, Donald Price, and James Price.
She is survived by two daughters, Becky (Don) Aldridge, of Mesa, Arizona, and Molly (James) Faulkner, of Springfield; one son, Robb (Pam) Chandler, of Springfield; three grandsons, John (Bree) Aldridge, and their son Tate, of Arlington, Massachusetts, Joe Aldridge, and his fiancee Regina, of Mesa, Arizona, and Josh (Megan) Chandler, of Denver, Colorado; one brother, Dan (Jessie) Price, of Ozark; and other close family and many friends.
Vera was a member of National Heights Baptist Church in Springfield the past ten years. Prior to that she was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, Pleasant Home Baptist Church, and East Avenue Baptist Church (now known as National Heights Baptist Church) where she was baptized as a child.
Vera began working at age 18 at Old St. John''s Hospital (Mercy Villa) on Main Street with Sister Mary Teresa in the kitchen. Vera''s subsequent work experiences included clerical positions with Frisco Railroad and the MFA (Farmers) Commission Company at Springfield Stockyards; night supervisor at Wells Dormitory, Missouri State University; transportation security at Springfield-Branson Airport; and in research at the Greene County Archives, ending full-time public employment at age 86. In addition to public employment, Vera worked the family''s Century Farm near Fellows Lake.
She enjoyed fellowship with her many friends from church, the Springfield Ladies'' Saturday Club, the Springfield Opera Guild, the Gray/Campbell Farmstead and the DAR.
Vera held numerous volunteer positions, including those with organizations involved with Greene County history. She was pleased to be named a life-time member of the Greene County Historic Sites Board.
Arrangements are under the direction of Klingner-Cope Funeral Home at Midtown. Visitation will be held at National Heights Baptist Church, 3050 N. National, from 2-3pm, Sunday, January 1, 2012. The funeral service will be held at 3pm in the sanctuary. Internment will be at Mt. Comfort Cemetery, 2376 E. Farm Road 66 (near Fellows Lake) at 2pm on Tuesday, January 3rd.
Donations may be made to the charity or organizaion of your choice in Vera''s memory in lieu of flowers.