Zola Fern Hibbard, 91

Of Piedmont Zola Fern Hibbard, 91, of Piedmont, died Friday, Sept. 22, 2006, at her son’s residence.

Zola was born Dec. 3, 1914, in Ava. She was a member of the Trinity United Methodist church in Piedmont, a member of the United Methodist Women, and also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star #347. She was co-owner and operator along with her deceased husband, Glenn, of the Western Auto Store which they owned for 51 years.

Zola married Glenn A. Hibbard on June 8, 1935. He preceded her in death on May 27, 2003.

Survivors include one son, Glenn David Hibbard and wife, Becky; granddaughters, Sarah Beth Shearrer and husband, Eric, of Piedmont, and Susanne Rae James and husband, Ed, of Jackson, Mo.; one brother, Lyle Ray and wife, Dean, of Ava.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Charles Ed and Mary Lavina (Spurlock) Ray; two brothers, Vernon Ray and Clarence Ray; and sisters, Mabel Buchanan, Clara Taren, Edna Shull and Inez Lewis.

Zola, in earlier years, loved to dance while Glenn played the fiddle and the guitar in the band. She found humor in most things.

After high school she attended Southwest Teachers College and soon secretly married her sweetheart. They kept it secret for four years because woman teachers could not be married.

In 1937 Glenn was in the Navy and they lived in Cape Girardeau and Zola ran the Western Auto Store in his absence.

In 1952 they moved to Piedmont to open another Western Auto Store. Zola loved her family and friends, square dancing, poetry, bowling and her two granddaughters.

Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m., at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont, with the Rev. W. Michael Woods officiating. Burial was in Masonic Cemetery, Piedmont.