DONALD VERNEAL SIMS
Donald Verneal Sims passed away at Groesbeck LTC Nursing Home on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at age 90.
Graveside services were to be held on Tuesday, May 4, at Lost Prairie Cemetery, with the Rev. Marcus Sheffield of First Baptist Church of Mexia officiating.
Donald was born Jan. 3, 1931, in Limestone County to John Bunk Sims and Ruby Pearl (Gibson) Sims. He grew up in the Lost Prairie community and attended school at Fairoaks. He attended two years of Junior College at Westminster at Tehuacana. According to an article in the Mexia News in 2020, Bob Wright recalled Donald along with his brother R.Q. as some of the Westminster college basketball players, having come from Fairoaks, where “basketball was a year-round sport.”
Donald served in the U.S. Navy based in San Diego.
Donald was united in marriage with Mary Williams on Aug. 25, 1955, in Teague. They lived in Groesbeck, Shiloh, Mexia and Temple while he was employed with the Texas Highway Department. He worked for the Highway Department in Bell County and in Waco, as an inspector and then as administrative assistant, before retiring in 1993 after 37 years.
Donald had invested in cattle with his father-in-law, E.H. Williams, and enjoyed coming to work with the cattle at Personville when he could for many years. While his girls were growing up, he kept them interested in sports by taking them to his nephews’ games and to the Texas Rangers’ games. He enjoyed going to the Rangers games in person, and also watching them, the Mavericks and the Cowboys on T.V.
Donald was a member of Lost Prairie Baptist Church when he was young and remained a member of the Baptist church wherever he lived.
After his retirement, Donald worked part-time assisting at the Sheffield Funeral Home in Temple, and then he and Mary moved to Carthage, where his daughter Janet was living. They enjoyed living in east Texas until Mary became ill, and then they moved back to their home in Temple to be near Scott and White Hospital.
He was her caretaker for many years and sat with her constantly the last two years of her life. They were never apart, until she passed away in 2015. Donald had resided at Groesbeck LTC for the last five years.
Donald was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 59 years, Mary Sims; his brother, R.Q. Sims; and his sister and brother-in-law, Nelta Sims Little and Dean Little.
He is survived by his daughter, Janet Sims of Henderson; his daughter and son-in-law, Gerry Sims Burks and Danny Burks of Henderson; grandchildren, John Burks of Henderson and Shelley Tamplin of Carthage; great-grandchild Erik Smith of Henderson; sister-in-law Sara Sims of Mexia; sister-in-law Jean Sims of Gainesville, Fla.; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family.
Visit www.groesbeckfuneralhome.com to leave messages of condolence in the guestbook.
