Margaret Herman

Margaret Jeanette "Jean" Tester Herman, age 82, of West Jefferson, NC, passed away on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at Ashe Memorial Hospital. She was born June 28, 1929, in Watauga County, NC to Duke and Margaret "Nettie" Welch Tester. Her father was the caretaker of the Valle Crucis Episcopalian Mission School. She has told stories of a happy childhood growing up with eleven brothers and sisters: Grady, Ola, Earl, Nancy, Lillian, Floyd, Frederick, Welch, Henry, Edward, Betty. Only Betty, living in Morganton, NC, survives. Jean Tester married a handsome young WWII veteran, James Monroe Herman, also from Valle Crucis, on January 8, 1949. In 1962, they bought their home on Black Bear Inn Road in Baldwin where they raised their six children. James died on July 4, 2003. Jean was a wonderful homemaker, widely known in the county for her homemade bread and her beautifully-crafted unique Barbie doll clothes. Some of her handmade quilts were shown in local art exhibits at the Ashe County Arts Council. She was talented in all manner of crafts and sewing; many happy hours were spent at a treadle sewing machine and then later at a fancy modern model. Offering summer care and after-school care along with Sunday school teaching, she impacted a generation of children in and around Baldwin and St. Mary's Episcopal Church. The six children and their families will miss her dear presence. Her sons: Mike Herman and wife, Rhonda, of Jefferson (grandson Jonathan of Williamsburg, Virginia); Tom and wife, Vickie, of West Jefferson (grandson Jason and wife, Ana, with daughter Julia and soon to be born Nicholas of West Jefferson; grandson Andy and wife, Heather, with sons Nathan and Matthew of West Jefferson; granddaughter Martha Combs and husband, Cody, with daughter Emma in Roanoke, Virginia); David and wife, Cindy, of Charlotte (granddaughter Tiffany Stojanovic and husband Serge, with children Dalton, Alexandria, Samantha, Nick, Damijan, of Charlotte; granddaughter Tracy Malden and husband, Mike, of Lutz, Florida); Rick and special friend, Vicki Hathorn, of West Jefferson. Her two daughters: Jeanette of West Jefferson and Rebecca of West Jefferson and her friend, Jim Williams of Sparta. The family would also like to recognize special care-givers Hannah Lewis, Donna Sexton and Tina Church. The family will be receiving visitors at Ashelawn Memorial Chapel on Friday, September 2, 2011 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm with a funeral service following officiated by Reverend Steve Miller. Burial will follow in Ashelawn Memorial Gardens. Flowers are graciously accepted or a memorial gift may be made to the Ashe County Arts Council, 303 School Ave, West Jefferson, NC 28694; or to Imagination Ashe, an affiliate of Dolly Parton Imagination Library, P O Box 1745, Jefferson NC 28640. You may send and view condolences at our website www.ashelawn.com. Ashelawn Memorial Chapel was entrusted with Mrs. Herman's arrangements.