Valarie Kinnibrugh

Valarie (Val) Kinnibrugh was born Peggy Valarie Burgess on July 27, 1928 in Hale Center, Texas to Henrietta and Earl Burgess. She graduated from Gilliland High School and went to North Texas University two years, majoring in Home Economics, before marrying John Kinnibrugh on January 25, 1947. She was a homemaker and active in the Gilliland Baptist Church. In 1963 John and Val moved to South Plains, Texas where she was active in the South Plains Baptist Church. In 1965 she began teaching elementary in South Plains, where the desire to be involved in children's education began. The next year she went to West Texas University, with a 2-year-old and driving 145 miles a day on the days she went to class, to slowly earn her Degree in Elementary Education and a Teaching certificate in 1968. Valarie taught second grade in Floydada, Texas for 6 years. In 1975 John and Val moved back to their farm in Gilliland, Texas and Valarie taught Remedial Reading in Munday, Texas. After that she taught first, second, and kindergarten in Benjamin, Texas. She loved all her students very much, and enjoyed working with them. It was not unusual to see her students sitting in her lap at football games. Val had many heartwarming stories to tell of her students through her many years of teaching. She retired at 62 years of age to help John on the farm, until he retired 5 years later. They leased their farm to a nephew and moved to Abilene, and soon joined Pioneer Baptist Church where they made many good friends. John and Val had 5 children, James Earl, John Anthony, Beverly Ann, William Edward, and John Mark Kinnibrugh. Valarie was predeceased by James Earl, John Anthony and William Edward all having died in infancy. They had short lives, but were loved no less. Her husband John died June 1, 2005. They had been married 58 years at the time of John's death. She was also predeceased by her father Earl, her mother Henrietta, her brothers Earl L., Orville, Dwight, and her sister La Rue Reeves. Valarie lived a good an honorable life, and was loved dearly by her children, friends and students. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, July 18, 2016 at the Vera Cemetery in Vera, Texas. Dr. Jeff Reid will officiate. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Memorials may be made in Valarie's honor to Hospice of the Big Country, 4601 Hartford, Abilene, TX 79605; or to the Alzheimer's Association, 2630 West Freeway, Suite 100, Ft. Worth, TX 76102.