Obituary of Vera Southerland

Vera Chapman Southerland, 88 of Bedford, passed away Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at Bedford County Nursing Home. She was born on Saturday, May 23, 1925 in Plymouth, England, a daughter of the late Sidney Robert Chapman and Winifred Gilbert Chapman. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Col. George Eustus Southerland. Our mother, Vera Chapman Southerland was born in Plymouth, England on May 23, 1925, the youngest of five children. Coming of age in wartime Britain, she lost her home overlooking Plymouth Harbor to German bombs, became very adept at darning, and met her future husband. She married our father, George E. Southerland on May 7, 1944 just four weeks prior to D-Day. For months after the invasion she did not know if she was a widow or not, and considered no news, good news. A member of the 116th Infantry Regiment, he had landed on Omaha Beach in the first waves. It would be five months before he got leave back to England. Coming to the U. S. in 1945 aboard the Queen Mary, still outfitted as a troop carrier, she became a naturalized citizen but remained very English. She loved her hot tea, the queen, chocolate covered nuts, CNN and Far Side cartoons as well as her family and friends. All that knew her loved her and will miss her very much. She was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church . Surviving is her son, John N. Southerland & wife, Connie of Lynch Station; her daughter, Susan S. Langford & husband, Leighton of Bedford; five grandchildren, Todd Morgan & wife, Linda of Hardy, Christopher Morgan & wife, Amanda of Bedford, Joel Morgan & wife, Amber of Richmond, Todd Langford & wife, Mary of Ashburn, Catherine Jones & husband, Matt of Fairfax; four great-grandchildren, Claudia, Zachary & Isla Morgan & Nathan Jones as well as her sister, Audrey Wright of London, England. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Bedford County Nursing Home for their compassionate care of our mother during the past four months. The family requests those wishing to make a memorials to consider St. John's Episcopal Church, 314 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA 24253 or the National D-Day Memorial, P. O. Box 77, Bedford, VA 24253. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 11:00 am at St. John's Episcopal Church with Rev. Glenn Busch officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday, August 09, 2013 from 6 until 8 PM at Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.