Funeral services for Herbert Noval Sandifer were held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at First Baptist Church in Teague. Bro. Scott Matthews officiated. Interment followed the services at Salem Cemetery near Freestone with Masonic Honors provided by Boggy Lodge #739 A.F. & A.M.
Herbert Noval Sandifer was born on Nov. 18, 1919, near Freestone, Texas. He died peacefully on Oct. 7, in is apartment in Brighton.
Herb was born on a farm and spent his childhood there. He was a graduate of the Freestone School, served in the Civilian Conservation Corp in Wyoming and then joined the Army Air Corp in 1941. While training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he met Frances Viola Hoyme and they were married in 1943. A year after World War II ended, Herb reenlisted in the US Air Force and served for more than 22 years, retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant. Overseas deployments included the Korean conflict and England. He was honorably discharged from the service at Lowry AFB in Colorado in 1964.
After working for Colorado State University and living in Fort Collins for eight years, in 1972 Herb and Fran ‘retired’ to his parents’ farm in Teague, Texas, where he raised cattle. He also served as director of the Teague Senior Citizens Center and later was a rural mailman for the US Postal Service. In 2016, Herb and Fran moved to Inglenook, a retirement facility in Brighton, to be near family.
Herb was a man of faith with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He was always involved in his local church and held various teaching and service positions, including deacon. He served at First Baptist Church, Teague, for more than 50 years. Herb and Fran enjoyed working with Campers on Mission, a Christian service organization. Herb was a 32nd degree Mason and was honored in 2014 for 70 years of service.
Herb was preceded in death by his parents John T. and Audrey M. Sandifer, his two brothers, Garvin and John S. Sandifer: also his son, Michael Sandifer.
He is survived by his wife, Frances Sandifer of Brighton; two sons, Lee Sandifer and wife, Ginny, of Commerce City, and David Sandifer and wife, Carolyn, of Rochester, MN; eight grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 791, Teague, TX 75860 or to The Lord’s Community Storehouse, 402 Main Street, Teague, TX 75860.
