Inez Pool

Services for Lillian Inez Peddy Pool, 96, of Carthage, Texas will be held at 1:00p.m. Monday, September 26, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church, in Carthage, with Rev. Keefe Cropper officiating the service. Arrangements will be handled by Hawthorn Funeral Home. There will be a visitation at Hawthorn’s on Sunday evening the 25th, 6:00-8:00p.m. Mrs. Pool died on September 22, 2011 in Rockwall, Texas after suffering a mild stroke in July. Burial will be in Strong Cemetery, Rusk County. Mrs. Pool was born July 12, 1915, to Walter C. and Ollie Pou Peddy in Lone Oak community near Tenaha, Texas. Mrs. Pool was a child of the Great Depression era, and started working at a very young age, picking cotton, chopping cotton, and any and every thing there was to do at home or for her neighbors. There never seemed a good place to stop, so she just kept on going. She graduated from Tenaha High School in May 1933, as co-valedictorian of her class. While in high school she took pride in being an avid participant in all types of interscholastic contests. She entered spelling, arithmetic, and extemporaneous speech competitions. Inez was also a very celebrated singles tennis player, winning the Nacogdoches District title each of her four years where she competed against players from thirteen other counties. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in 1936 from Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College in Nacogdoches and her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Texas, Austin, in 1939. She later returned to SFA for some specialized additional post graduate course work. Mrs. Pool taught school for twelve years, the first four in the Salem School in Smith County and the remaining years in the Shelby County schools. During World War II, she served as Secretary for the Selective Service Board of Shelby County in Center, Texas. On June 30, 1940 Inez married Lewis H. Pool of Troup, Texas. They were married for almost 48 years before his death. Lewis and Inez moved to Carthage in May of 1956 to open and operate Shelby-Panola Federal Savings and Loan Association, for which they had obtained a charter just a few weeks before. Lewis H. Pool was president of the Association until a few months before his death, and was succeeded by their son, Philip R. Pool. Mrs. Pool served as the Executive Vice-president throughout her tenure, and Chairman of the Board from 1989 until the Association was sold in July 1995. She retired in December 1995 after almost 40 years of employment there. Shelby-Panola Savings Association is now Prosperity Bank. In 1972, Mrs. Pool went to Houston for a five-week stay at MD Anderson as she battled breast cancer, and won! Mrs. Pool was active in her church congregation, the First United Methodist Church of Carthage, and other community affairs. Even past her 95th birthday, she taught her Sunday school class, the Teammates, part time, and had been doing so since moving to Carthage all those years ago. She received several outstanding honors in her work and activities in Carthage. Perhaps the two she was most proud of was the Mahone Award administered by the Texas Savings and Loan League in June, 1991, for Prestigious Community Service, and the other presented by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas, through the local Masonic Lodge chapter, a Community Builder Award, in 2001. After retiring, Mrs. Pool kept her business acumen sharp managing the Lewis H. Pool Foundation, a charitable giving foundation started in her late husband’s name as a way to give back to the community, as well as co-owning and managing the Pool Apartments in Carthage. She loved to work, and even as recently as her 96th birthday she continued working every day. Surviving Inez Pool is her grandson, Matthew Pool and wife Jennifer, of Heath, Texas and granddaughter Molly Pool Cheves and husband Phil of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and their mother, Carolyn Pool Kiley of Dallas, Texas. Five great grandchildren also survive her, Hannah Cheves, Lillian Pool, Sutton Cheves, Ainsley Pool, and Miles Pool. Also surviving is Barbara Pool, daughter-in-law, and her son George Strunk, IV. Inez Pool leaves three siblings as well, Agnes Peddy Parker of Lufkin, TX, Walter C. Peddy, Jr. and wife Jean, and Julian Lee Peddy and wife Elaine, all of Tenaha; two sisters-in-law Helen Parrish Peddy of Orange, Texas and Mary E. Pool Miller of Mineola, Texas, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Preceding her in death were her afore-mentioned husband, Lewis H. Pool, in 1988; her son, Philip R. Pool, in 2010; a brother, Jennings B. Peddy, of Orange, Texas in 1998; and a sister-in-law Faye Peddy, in 2007. Pall bearers are nephews Bob Peddy, George Peddy, Frank Kilpatrick, Jarmin Peddy, Bob Almond, and Scott Almond. Honorary Pall bearers are members of Mrs. Pool’s Teammates Sunday school class. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the First United Methodist Church, 201 South Shelby St., Carthage or Mission Carthage, P.O. Box 1208 Carthage, Texas.

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Inez Pool

July 12, 1915 - September 22, 2011