Merlyn Waites Goodman of Atlanta,Texas passed away at her home on July 12, 2023. She was born on May 7, 1931 to Eldredge and Harriet Waites. She married Charles Edward Goodman on November 28, 1952. They had been married 50 years before he passed away in 2004.
Mrs. Goodman graduated from McLeod High School and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana where she worked for an attorney. She then got a job with Mobil Oil where she worked for many years. Following her years at Mobil Oil, she went to work for Celt Oil Company in Shreveport where she served as Vice-President. During this time she cared for her aging parents with numerous trips back to her family home in Atlanta. Upon her retirement, Mrs. Goodman returned home to the family homestead where she and her husband enjoyed many years raising cattle and enjoying the rural country life.
Merlyn was an active member of the Huffines Cemetery Committee, the DAR, and the local garden club. She knew everything about flowers and birds and enjoyed filling her house with art from local artists. Merlyn loved old houses, trips to Jefferson and dinners out with her family and friends. In later years, she enjoyed researching and documenting the genealogy of the Moore and Waites family trees. Family was always central to her life and she filled her home with photos of all those she loved. She loved spending time with them and talking on the phone to those far away. Phone calls always ended with “Come see me when you can,” as she gave everyone an open invitation to come and visit.
She will be dearly missed by all her friends and family for whom she was a pillar of love, strength, and compassion. Even though she had no children, she and her husband (Uncle) Pete treated her nieces and nephews as their own and gave them a lifetime of memories of exciting travels and warm visits to their homes in Shreveport and the farmhouse in Atlanta where the smells of sausage and biscuits, black-eyed peas and cornbread always filled the air. After a delicious dinner, our eyes would wander hopefully to the kitchen island counter. What scrumptious sweet favorite treat did she lovingly prepare for us? A pecan pie? A pineapple upside down cake? Or could we be so lucky to find her famous banana pudding hiding under that aluminum foil?
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She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E. Goodman (Pete); her mother and father, Eldredge and Harriet Waites; her brothers, Hollis Waites and wife, Juanita and Larry Waites and wife, Edith. Survivors include her sister Erdyce Horvatinovic of Red Lion, PA, nieces Amy Anderson (husband Daniel) of York, PA; Ginger Taylor of Georgetown, TX, nephews Matthew Horvatinovic (wife Deborah); John Horvatinovic of York, PA; David Waites (wife Angela) of Atlanta, TX; Greg Goodman of Angleton, TX, and numerous great nieces and nephews and her dog, Sunshine.
The family would like to sincerely thank the Hands of Wisdom staff- Mary, Juanita, Christina, Yvonne, and Amanda who provided such loving care for her at home.
Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Huffines Cemetery Funds, 6500 251 FM South Bivins, Texas 75555.
Visitation will be Wednesday, July 19 from 10 -11 am at Hanner Funeral Home in Atlanta, Texas with service at the chapel at 11 am. Interment will be immediately following the funeral at Linden Cemetery, Linden Texas.
Family and friends are invited to the Huffines Church for lunch and social time following the interment at Linden Cemetery.