Mary Sophia Nordstrand Sharpless of Kerrville, Texas, was born January 26, 1924, in Houston and died Tuesday, October 10, in Atascocita, Texas. She was 93 years old. She is predeceased by her husband of 39 years, Ralph Granville Sharpless; and her two sons Ralph Minter Terry of Houston and Charles Raymond Terry of Anaheim, CA.

Born in 1924 in Houston, she was the third of 12 children born to Arthur and Mabel Nordstrand. She attended Sam Houston High and was a member of the Black Battalion. She went to Lee College in Baytown and the University of Houston. She was employed at the Baytown Sun and later taught at David G. Burnet Elementary. Mary’s first son, Charles, was born when she married to Capt. Minter Charles Terry. Her second son, Ralph, was born when the family was stationed overseas in Osaka, Japan. Capt. Terry’s plane was shot down during the Korean War and he was missing for three years, then proclaimed dead. Mary married Ralph Sharpless in May of 1963, and had one daughter, Anne Marie, in late 1964. Upon marrying Ralph, she became the stepmother to James, Susan, and Janice.
Mary was active at Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown for many years, where she was a member of St Ceclia’s Guild, Altar Guild, and Episcopal Church Women. She was a member of the American Red Cross “Grey Ladies” who volunteered in hospitals. Mary and a large group of friends had a “coffee club” and these ladies met regularly for years. She and Ralph were active at Goose Creek Country Club in Baytown. Upon moving to Kerrville in 1981, she immediately got involved in the community. Mary joined St Peter’s Episcopal and became involved in the United Thank Offering, ECW, Daughters of the King, and Altar Guild. They joined Riverhill Country Club and she was active in the Riverhill Women’s Association and Riverhill Women’s Golf Association. Mary was in the Hill Country Arts Foundation, and a member of the Friends of the Library at Butt-Holdsworth Library in Kerrville. She was a fiercely competitive Bridge player, belonged to several quilting guilds through the years, and volunteered regularly at St Peter’s Cottage Shop and the Kerrville VA Hospital.
Besides her daughter and step-children and their families, Mary leaves behind her sister Nell Cox, and brothers Carl Nordstrand and Victor Nordstrand, and their families; numerous nieces and nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even a great, great, grandchild. She also has a cousin in Norway, Sigrid Berntsen, her husband Arnfinn, and their children.
A memorial service will be held at 10am on Friday, October 13 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Kingwood. A burial service will be held at 10:30 on Monday, October 16 at Garden of Memories in Kerrville.
In lieu of flowers gifts can be made in memory of Mrs. Sharpless to:
Butt-Holdsworth Library in Kerrville
St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Kerrville
Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown
Autumn Grove Cottage Memory Care in Atascocita
The Salvation Army

Arrangements are being handled by Rosewood Funeral Home in Atascocita.