Hazel Sunderman

Memorial Services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at the First United Methodist Church of Canyon with Mike Bellah officiating. Private Burial will be at Dreamland Cemetery. Hazel Denys Kirbie Sunderman, the only child of Hugh Coke Kirbie and Marvel Eloise (Mathis) Kirbie, was born in Hutchinson County, Texas on May 15, 1918 and died on September 1, 2010. She had been told that she was the only Anglo-American child born on the Turkey Track Ranch Headquarters near Adobe Walls. She graduated from the W.T. Demonstration School in 1933 and received a B.A. degree from the then West Texas State Teachers College in 1937 with majors in English and Speech at ag 18. In 1952 she attained a Masters Degree from Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and did post-graduate work in Library Science at George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee from 1965 - 1967. She married Eugene Hinds Sunderman in 1940. Her teaching experience started at age 18 as an English and Speech teacher at Estelline High School, Estelline, Texas. She continued in Texas Public Schools as Special Education teacher, speech therapist, and Special Education Consultant. From 1952-1958 she served as Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Speech Clinic at the University of Corpus Christi, and in 1959-1960 she was speech therapist employed by the United Cerebral Palsy Board, Corpus Christi, Texas. She returned to public school education as an English teacher and librarian at Canyon Junior High. During her years as a teacher she had articles published in The Reading Teacher, Peabody Educational Journal and in Language and Language Behavior Abstracts. She held memberships and offices in various local and state educational organizations. She also devoted time to church and civic groups. Several years were spent as council member, vice-president, and state president of the Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading. Other activities include membership in the Educational Advisory Committee for Texas State Historical Society, member of state committee of Delta Kappa Gamma and secretary of local Pi chapter. She also presented papers at five International Reading Conference programs. Her association as a member of the United Methodist Church, Crusaders Sunday School class, and as a Sunday School teacher was a major part of her life. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Sunderman. The family would like to send a special thanks to Hospice Care of the Southwest, her nurse, Sonja, and caretakers, Sandra Vasquez and family, and Laurie Camp. She is survived by four children, Kirby Sunderman of Spring, Texas, Max Sunderman of Vega, Texas, Dr. Kyle Sunderman of Lubbock, and Kelly Craig of Canyon; twelve grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, with two on the way. The family suggests memorials to First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 1818 4th Avenue, Canyon, Texas 79015 or Hospice Care of the Southwest, 1301 S. Coulter, Suite 404, Amarillo, Texas 79106.