Della Sweet Koonce

A funeral mass for Della Sweet Koonce, 75, of Gainesville, will be held 10:00 AM Friday, February 25, 2011 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Fr. Victor Cruz officiating. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery. A rosary, followed by a visitation will be held 6:00 PM Thursday, February 24, 2011 at the Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home.

Mrs. Koonce died Sunday, February 20, 2011 at her residence surrounded by her family after a long term illness.

Della was born to Ernest C. and Dora Lawson Sweet in Snomac, Seminole County, Oklahoma on November 18, 1935. In 1946 the family moved to the Sivells Bend community in Cooke County, Texas where Della attended elementary school. Della graduated from Gainesville High School and attended Gainesville Junior College.

Della married Johnny Koonce on May 15, 1954, in Sivells Bend and lived in Gainesville until July of 1958 when Johnny was assigned to work in Odessa with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol. Della and her family lived in West Texas for many years.

In 1983 after being transferred to McAllen, Della began teaching in the McAllen Independent School District and was very active in the local PTA. After retirement, the family returned to Gainesville in 2000.

Della is survived by her husband Johnny Koonce of 56 years, a daughter Sharyn Hope and Husband Terry of Katy, Texas, son John Kenneth Koonce of Gainesville, Texas, son Brandon Yancey and wife Claire of Keller, Texas; grandchildren, Tara Kaiser, Courtney Roy, Kelsey Hope, and Thomas Yancey; great-grandchildren, Hailey, Cheyenne, Benjamin, and Melody.

Pallbearers will be Ben Neel, Robert Harden, Bill White, Arland Cox, Miguel Chanin, and Steve Hughes. Honorary pallbearers are members of the Oldtimers, Narcotics Officers’ Association.

You may sign the online registry at www.geojcarroll.com.