Lana Kirby (1940-2017)

December 28, 2017

Services for Lana Kay Smallin Kirby, 77, of Grand Saline, were scheduled for 1 p.m., Thursday, December 21, 2017 at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Mark Pederson officiating under the direction of Bartley Funeral Home.

Interment was held in Woodside Cemetery.

Mrs. Kirby passed away December 18, 2017, in a Tyler hospice facility. She was born November 13, 1940, in Lubbock to Guy Verlon & Thera Oneta Fry Smallin. She spent her early years in Lubbock, many years in Dallas and the last 30 years in Grand Saline. She spent 23 years as a librarian and retired from DeWitt Perry Middle School in Carrollton. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Grand Saline and their Pairs & Spares Sunday School class and was also an assistant teacher for the class for 18 years. Lana had a love for travel and especially traveling in their RV. She and Rudy had traveled to Alaska two times, spent four months at Yellow Stone National Park and the last several summers in Colorado. Mrs. Kirby was a member and held offices in the following organizations: The Mayflower Society; Daughters of 1812; United Daughters of the Confederacy; Van Zandt County Genealogical Society - Colonial Dames; Friends of Grand Saline Library (Library Board President); Van Zandt County Friends of the Library; and Van Zandt County Library Board.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Gayle Smallin.

Survivors include her husband of 54 years, Rudy Kirby of Grand Saline; three daughters, Julianna Kirby of Pattonsburg, MO, Sharon Kirby of Denver, CO, and Patty Marshall and husband Randy of Ft. Worth; brother-in-law, Leroy Kirby of Canton; three grandchildren, Eric Marshall, David Ryan Marshall and Jessica R. Marshall; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers were Elmos Johnson, John Fry, Ken Moody, B.J. Fanchler, Joe E. Speed and David Barber.

Honorary pallbearers were Pairs & Spares Sunday School class.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 501 N. Main St. (P.O. Box 584), Grand Saline, TX 75140.

The family received friends 6-8 p.m., Wednesday at the funeral home.