WATKINS, Myra 'Joan' McCREEDY

WATKINS, MCCREEDY, SHULLENBARGER, LENAHAN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 7/7/2008 at 22:22:08

"The Fairfield Ledger", Tuesday, July 1, 2008, Page 8

WATKINS, Myra 'Joan' McCREEDY -- Myra "Joan" McCREEDY WATKINS, 72, of Texas, died Thursday, June 5, 2008.

Mrs. WATKINS donated her body for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, research, after which it will be cremated. The ashes will be buried at a later date in Oregon Township Cemetery in Ainsworth.

Memorials may be made to the Methodist Neurological Institute, 6560 Fannin St., Suite 802, Houston, TX 77030; the Muscular Dystrophy Association ALS division, MDA Health Care Services, 5615 Kirby Drive, Suite 550, Houston, TX 77005; or the Washington County Genealogy Society, Library Post Office Box 446, Washington, IA 52353-0446.

Mrs. WATKINS was born Jan. 6, 1936, in Fairfield during the blizzard of 1936. She married Raymond E. WATKINS Dec. 26, 1956.

Mrs. WATKINS lived with her parents and brothers on a farm six miles north of Fairfield until 1948, when the family moved to Packwood. She graduated from Packwood High School in 1954. She went on to obtain a bachelor of arts degree in music from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, graduating in 1957. She and her husband then moved to Niagara Falls, N.Y., where Mrs. WATKINS taught elementary school for one year. In 1969, her family moved to Kennesaw, Ga., for three years and then moved to Silver Spring, Md., for 20 years.

In 1992, she and her husband sold their house and moved into a motor home to travel and research genealogy for the next 15 years. Mrs. WATKINS wrote 11 books on her McCREEDY ancestors.

In July 2007, Mrs. WATKINS was diagnosed with ALS, and she and her husband purchased a home in Livingston, Texas.

While in Maryland, Mrs. WATKINS became an accomplished bell ringer with the Ashton United Methodist Church bell choir. She made 148 quilts during a 39-year span and enjoyed reading as her physical abilities diminished.

Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Melanie SHULLENBARGER and husband Scott of Mount Airy, Md., Stephanie WATKINS of Austin, Texas, and Kara LENAHAN and husband James of Pearland, Texas; three grandchildren; three brothers, John McCREEDY of Thousand Oaks, Calif., Mike McCREEDY of Conroe, Texas, and Ernest McCREEDY of Fairfield.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Richard and Harry D. Jr.

Copied with permission from The Fairfield Ledger, Inc.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.