Shirley Meter

Shirley Ann (Kauffman) Van Meter, age 81, was welcomed into heaven by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 13, 2017. \r\n\r\nShirley was born in Hillsboro, Wisconsin on January 14, 1936 to Roland Edward and Monica Margaret (Kelly) Kauffman. She was the youngest of four children. Shirley grew up on her parents' dairy farm in Hillsboro, Wisconsin. She attended Staley School, which was a one-room country school for eight years, followed by four years at Hillsboro High School. After graduating from high school she worked in Wisconsin Dells for a time where she and her friends would go to Racine or the "Dells" to go dancing. How she loved to dance! At 17, she made her way to Houston, Texas with her sister Rita. Shirley found work in a dental office. She eventually met and married E.G. Van Meter, Jr. (Van) while he was attending dental school at the University of Texas Dental School in Houston, Texas. In Van's senior year at UT, he received an Air Force Commission, and after graduation he and Shirley moved to North Carolina where he served in the Air Force for three more years. They eventually made their way back to the Texas Hill Country and settled in Kerrville, Texas where they raised their three children. During their 58 years of marriage, Shirley was a dedicated wife, homemaker and avid reader. She was a very creative person, and it was illustrated in quiet, reserved ways. She was a gifted seamstress and was always coming up with ideas that were well before her time. Her children teased her when she came up with the first true "fanny pack" or her wild "Willie Nelson" and "Ted Nugent" headbands. She also designed and created car seat, dashboard, and steering wheel covers years before they became popular. Shirley also made super-sized pot holders to place between skillets so they wouldn't become marred from repeated use. This was years before Bed Bath & Beyond ever thought of carrying such items. All of these ideas and more were crafted with love and mostly out of necessity. Her fun and interesting creations were solely for the family. If she had ever given herself any credit for being so gifted, she may have become a millionaire from her ideas. \r\n\r\nShirley may have left the dairy farm but the farm ways of life never left her. She was a very hard-working and frugal person throughout her whole life and it served her well. She didn't require much in the way of things, but she did enjoy a great bargain. Shirley enjoyed her weekend garage/estate sales. Her children would often tell her, "It's not a bargain unless you need it." She would reply, "Well, you never know when I might need it." She believed that if a person were patient enough, any item they needed would surely be found at a garage sale…. eventually. She also busied herself with growing and tending her garden, cooking all food from scratch, canning, and making wonderful soups, jams, cookies, cakes, pies, peanut brittle, and her famous zucchini relish for her family and friends. She said that when she passed away she wanted her tombstone to read "She served a good, hot meal." \r\n\r\nShirley and E.G. (Van) really enjoyed the outdoors and especially loved watching hummingbirds and cardinals. Cardinals later became very significant to Shirley upon Van's passing because she learned that a cardinal is a representative of a loved one who has passed. When you see one, it means they are visiting you. They usually show up when you most need your deceased loved one or miss them. They also make appearances during times of celebration, as well as despair, to let you know they will always be with you. It brought Shirley great comfort to have seen cardinals at her husband's funeral and to have them in her nursing home room, whether by picture, figurine, or stuffed animal. Since she has passed, her three children have witnessed both male and female cardinals coming to say "Hello! We are with you all."\r\n\r\nShirley is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Dr. E.G. Van Meter, Jr. and her three siblings, Richard Kauffman, Rita O'Leary and Mary Lownik. She is survived by her three children - Monica Enriquez and husband Joe, Melissa Thompson and husband David, and Andy Van Meter; four grandchildren - Jessica Comiskey and husband Will, and Trevor, Jared and Corbin Thompson; and two great-grandchildren - A.J. and Carsen Comiskey. \r\n\r\nThe family has planned a private service at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas in May 2017 where Mrs. Van Meter will be interred with her husband.\r\n\r\nMonica, Melissa, Andy, and their families wish to acknowledge and give thanks to some special people. Thank you Diana Reaves and Amy Bush for your love, friendship, kindness, and assistance. The two of you were such a blessing to our Mother and continue to be blessings in our lives. We also thank our Mother's wonderful neighbors. She recognized that she had the kind of neighbors people hope for and seldom have. We truly appreciate your help and support over the years. A loving thank you to our cousin and Mother's "favorite niece," Michelle Jorgensen, for your love and prayers, your nursing expertise and your servant's heart. To the staff at Peterson Regional Medical Center, thank you. You all were professional, yet compassionate, and you were supportive in guiding us through the most difficult of circumstances. This was evident in the way you took care of not only our Mother, but of us. To the lifelong friends that Mother and Dad had over the years, please accept our heartfelt thanks for welcoming them into your lives. They treasured your friendships. \r\n\r\nThe heart remembers most what it has loved best! Keep an eye out for those Red Birds!