Lometa cattleman dies on Thursday

Tommy Kendrick

Longtime cattleman Tommy Van Kendrick, 75, of Lometa died Jan. 24, 2008, at Seton Medical Center in Austin.

Funeral services were Jan. 27 at Lometa Church of Christ with Minister Darnell Boyd officiating. Burial was at Senterfitt Cemetery near Lometa.

Mr. Kendrick was born Oct. 26, 1932, in Runnels County, the son of Hollis Glen and Neva Erdele Foster Kendrick.

He moved to Lampasas County in 1939 where he attended Ogles, Nix and Lometa schools, graduating from Lometa High School in 1950.

Mr. Kendrick attended Texas A&M University and served in the U.S. Army. He married Hannah Brown in 1958.

Mr. Kendrick's life revolved around family, the cattle industry and his community. He enjoyed ranching and trading cattle, and maintained lifelong friendships with business associates from the East Coast to the West Coast, plus Mexico and Korea.

Mr. Kendrick was a member of the Lometa Church of Christ, Lometa Lions Club, American Legion and was serving as president of the Senterfitt Cemetery Association Board.

He also was a former trustee of the Lometa Independent School District, served as a director of the American Red Cross, and was on numerous other boards and associations.

He is survived by his wife of Lometa; daughter Kathy Henson and her husband, Monty, of Brownfield, and their children, Tatum and Allen Schilling of Lubbock, Madison Becker of Midland, and Mason Becker of Brownfield and great-granddaughter, Kambyl Schilling; daughter Sheri Stone and her husband, Stephen, and their sons, Sam and Shane, all of Lometa; a brother, Max Kendrick, and wife Donna of Rose, Okla.; a sister-in-law, Eileen Kendrick, of Abilene; a brother-in-law, Louis Vidrine, of Many, La.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Foster Kendrick, and by a sister, Betty Vidrine.

The family requested memorials be made to the Children's Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP for special-needs children), P.O. Box 27086, San Antonio, TX 78227; Senterfitt Cemetery Association, 4746 CR 1436, Lometa, TX 76853; or the charity of one's choice.

Arrangements by Sneed Funeral Chapel of Lampasas.