Fredia Mae Mcbride

Fredia Mae McBride, 81, died peacefully in her sleep at Pecan Tree Manor on May 23, 2020, in Gainesville, Texas. Fredia was born April 27, 1939 in Henrietta, Missouri to Lucille Frances Hewlett Bruce and James Archie Bruce.

Fredia attended Lexington, Missouri schools until her senior year graduating from Excelsior Springs High School. At the age of 39, she began pursuing a career in nursing earning degrees from Labette County Community College in Parsons, Kansas and St. Mary's of the Plains in Wichita, Kansas. While working as a registered nurse she went on to obtain a M.S. in Psychology from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and an M.S. in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. Fredia went on to become a nursing instructor for Cooke County Community College in Gainesville, Texas and Baker University in Topeka, Kansas until her retirement in 1999. Her work in the field of nursing continued to have a lasting impact, as her research, publications, and curricula are still used today. Former students fondly remember her relatable teaching style through the stories she told.

After retirement Fredia volunteered at Helping Hands of Faith and was an active member of Faith Lutheran Church in Gainesville, Texas. She loved cooking and writing recipes, genealogy research, traveling abroad, reading mystery novels and westerns, adventure computer games, and spending time with her family at Moss Lake.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband Henry Short, her second husband and best friend of 23 years Charles McBride Sr., stepdaughter Patricia Houghton and her husband Jerry. Surviving her are her sisters Kari Yvonne Smith and Shari Kay Williams both of Missouri; half-sisters Debbie Reid and Janice Bruce of Mississippi; children, Jason (Paul) Short of Gardner, Kansas, Lawrence Short and his wife Sandy of Pratt, Kansas, Cynthia Turner and her husband Richard of Gainesville, Texas; stepchildren Charles McBride Jr. and his wife Celia; Linda White and her husband Keith; Norma McVey and husband David; grandchildren, Hannah Short, Aaron Short and his wife Zoe, Allison Short, Elisabeth Birdsong and her husband Nicholas, Lawson Short, Caylee Turner, Sarah Turner, Shae Turner; greatgrandchildren Jonah, Meriam, Sarai and Emmaus Short; 45 step-grandchildren of multiple generations and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

The funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, June 13, 2020 at Faith Lutheran Church, 1823 Luther Lane, Gainesville, Texas 76240, with reception to follow from 2-4. The committal ceremony will be at Southpoint Cemetery, Orrick, Missouri at future date. Those who wish to remember Fredia may make gifts in her memory to Faith Lutheran Church or Helping Hands of Faith, P.O. Box 1199, Gainesville, Texas 76241.