Velva Kay Herndon

Derby - Herndon, Velva Kay

74, passed away Thursday, January 30th, 2025. She was born June 30th, 1950 to Richard Wood and Erman Gibson Wood in Colcord, Oklahoma.

At the age of 19 she met LeeRoy Lee Shields in 1969 and on April 23, 1970 they became the proud parents of a baby girl, Norma Jean. This would be their only child. Thru the years they traveled and lived in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas, always around family. They moved to Neodesha, Kansas in 1987 where Velva worked as a waitress at the truck stop. In 1990, at the age of 39, her husband passed away. She became a grandma for the first time on November 30,1990 when Vanessa Kay was born, and then her first grandson, Brandon Lee, was born January 22, 1994. Leah Marie was born May 1st (Grandma picked her birthday) 1996. And Anthony was born August 9th 1999. She loved these 4 grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, LeeRoy Shields; husband, Billy Herndon; parents, Richard and Erman Wood; siblings, Franklin Wood, Richard Wood, Betty Reynolds, Eula Bernard; great-grandchild, Brently Jackson

Velva is survived by her daughter, Norma (Ruben) Florez; grandchildren, Vanessa Jackson, Brandon (Brionna) Jackson, Leah Jackson, Anthony Jackson; 12 great-grandchildren; siblings, Lowell (Wanda) Wood, Dennis Wood, Clyde (Betty) Wood, Hazel Dentis, Reba (Don) Cobb

Visitation: Thursday, February 6th, 2025, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Smith Family Mortuary Chapel 1415 N. Rock Rd. Derby, Kansas 67037. Funeral Service: 1:00 pm, Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at Smith Family Mortuary 1415 North Rock Road Derby, Kansas 67037. Interment to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.