Kathryn Louise Rodgers Abernathy-Speer

Kathryn Abernathy-Speer passed peacefully on January 24, 2014 in Corinth, Texas. She was 78 years old.

Born to Allee Rodgers and Fannie Belle Matthews Rodgers on August 24, 1935 in Cookville, Tennessee, Kathryn grew up in Germantown Tennessee. She was active in the 4-H Club and the American Junior Red Cross.

She attended the University of Mississippi from 1953 to 1956 and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. In 1955, Kathryn was named Mississippi College Queen, Miss Air Reserve, and National College Queen. She was featured in several national magazines, including Seventeen and Look.

She married Lewis Abernathy in 1956. They had three children; Lewis Jr., Marifrances and Matthew. They moved to Denton in 1962.

She received a Bachelor of Science from Memphis State University in 1956. In the 1960's, she began working as a real estate agent, eventually starting her own business, Kathryn Abernathy Realtors.

Kathryn married John Hill Speer in 1982.

Kathryn was a member of the First United Methodist Church, the Denton Association of Realtors, the Denton Country Club, and was a founding member of the Denton Benefit League. She is survived by her three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 30, 2014 in the Chapel of DeBerry Funeral Directors. The family will receive friends prior to the service. Burial will be in Memphis, TN on Saturday.