Tera Morris Penn Pepper, age 93, passed away on September, 25, 2021 at her home in Hartselle, Alabama, surrounded by family.
Tera was born on December 21, 1927, in Morgan County, Alabama, the daughter of the late James and Venta Morris and was the second of five children. She married Richard Willard Penn on January 10, 1948, who preceded her in death. They had four children together. She had several different interests and occupations including telephone operator and beautician before working at Sears and Roebuck, from which she retired. During her time at Sears, she met John Thomas Pepper, whom she went on to marry on June 17, 1977. John also had four children and they were married for 21 years before he preceded her in death.
She was a loving mother and grandmother, lifelong churchgoer, and an avid Braves baseball fan. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, writing letters, birdwatching, bowling, and banana splits. She was an enthusiastic learner, taking piano lessons in her mid-sixties and deciding in her seventies to go back to school to study computers and technologies. She loved to keep in touch with her family via email and social media.
She is also preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Rose and Pauline; two sons, Byron and Stanley; and one grandchild. She is survived by two daughters, Patte (Robert) and Terry (Darryl); four step-children, Sharon (Allen), Michael (Paige), Teresa (Ronnie), and Derek (Shelley); two sisters, Jerry Bryant and Barbara Hartselle. Additionally, she is “Granny” to twenty-five grandchildren and twenty-four great-grandchildren, with her twenty-fifth great-grandchild arriving any day.
A graveside service, officiated by Brother Clyde Ledlow, will be held at Herring Cemetery in Massey, Alabama on Tuesday, September 28 at 2 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to New Beginnings Baptist Church, 2248 Kooken Avenue, Decatur, AL, 35601.
Her grandsons: Jonathan Trimm, Ross Pepper, Destin Sandlin, Cape Sandlin, Phillip Penn and Matthew Penn will serve as pallbearers.
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
