Veral Lynn Wood

Veral Lynn (Johnston) Wood, 94, 15 ½ year resident of Snyder, passed from this world on Monday, December 13, 2021, surrounded by family at a Lawton hospital after a short illness.

Veral was born on June 30, 1927, to Thomas E. and Lucille (Walker) Johnston in Berlin. After moving to Shamrock, Texas, as a child with her family, she attended Shamrock Public Schools her entire life. She was a Methodist.

Veral married Rowland Thomas Wood, aka RT or Windy, on February 7, 1948. With this marriage she became a bonus mom to RT’s two children, Jo Carolyn and Jerry, residing in Florida and South Dakota at the time of her death.

RT preceded her in death in 2004 after 56 years of marriage.

Veral was a very talented lady. She was an excellent seamstress, an avid quilter, an artist and a homemaker. Veral was one of the sweetest southern women that, according to those that knew her, “defined class her entire life”. She worked as a telephone operator after high school graduation and was a known artist in the panhandle of Texas. In the early 50s, Veral and her husband opened and operated the first and largest automated caged chicken ranches of its time, The Flying W Chicken Ranch. Veral owned and operated Veral Lynn’s Dress Shop in McLean, Texas, where she sewed everything sold there herself. After moving to Claude, Texas, she converted part of her house and opened Verals Gift shop. She often worked in gift shops and sold her art work in the Texas communities where she lived. She volunteered as a Pink Lady at Jackson County Memorial Hospital in the gift shop for several years after moving to Snyder.

As a widow she made the decision to move from Amarillo, Texas to Snyder in June 2006 to be closer to her Oklahoma family.

Veral was preceded in death by her husband RT, her parents, two brothers, Troy and Coyt, a nephew, John Johnston, a special friend Dorothy Sharp and her pug of 16 years, Sam, who will be buried with her.

Veral is survived by Wilma Johnston, sister-in -law, and Patti Mountford, a niece, both of Snyder. Also Jo Carolyn and Jerry and numerous Oklahoma and Texas nieces and nephews, many great and great-great nieces and nephews. She is also survived by Steve Sharp, son of her deceased friend Dorothy. Steve often dropped by on his motorcycle after her move to Snyder when traveling from Amarillo to OKC to visit his daughter. She is survived by her pets, Oreo, her 14 year old cat and her dog, Maggie. Veral took Maggie into her heart and home after her nephew John Johnston died in December 2019.

Veral will be missed but never forgotten by those that loved her most.

Burial will be in the spring of 2022.

Patti Mountford found this poem filed in a desk at her Aunt Veral’s house after her death.

I Needed the Quiet

I needed the quiet, so He took me aside

Into the shadows, where we could confide –

Away from the bustle, where all the day long

I hurried and worried when active and strong.

I needed the quiet, tho’ at first I rebelled;

But gently – so gently – my cross He upheld,

And whispered so sweetly of Spiritual things,

Tho’ weakened in body, my Spirit took wings

To heights never dreamed of when active and gay;

He loved me so greatly, He drew me away.

I needed the quiet – no prison my bed,

But a beautiful Valley of Blessing instead –

A place to grow richer, in Jesus to hide –

I needed the quiet – so He drew me aside.

“BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!”