Lera Stalnaker

Lera Borden Stalnaker, 88, of Spartanburg, SC, died Saturday, October 31, 2015, at Brookdale Skylyn-Spartanburg. Born February 5, 1927, in Hemphill, TX, she was a daughter of the late Philander Davis Gooch and Lera McCree Gooch and widow of Lynn R. Stalnaker. Mrs. Borden Stalnaker was a professor of piano at Converse College Petrie School of Music. She also provided private pre-college piano instruction and served as organist and choir director at various area churches, including Westminster Presbyterian, Second Presbyterian, Fernwood Baptist Church, St. John Lutheran Church, and St. Francis Anglican Church. Her accomplishments include serving as Musical Director for Highland Playhouse, Highland, NC and as a music teacher with Spartanburg Day School during the 1960's. A member of St. Francis Anglican Church, Lera attended Lamar College prior to her marriage as well as Agnes Scott College. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Degrees from Converse College and was selected for membership in Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. In her early years, her musical talents provided her with employment as pianist at a ballet school and she sang on live radio at age 12 in Beaumont, TX. Lera was the honored recipient of the American Legion Certificate of School Award and elected to various student government seats at South Park High School in Beaumont. She was the pianist for the High School orchestra, the ensemble, Boys' Glee Club, and the mixed chorus. She was also a member of the Melody Maids, an all-girl singing group formed in 1942 in Beaumont, TX, that toured the U. S. and the world. Surviving are her daughters, Karen B. Thimmel of Hartland, WI and Laura B. Krug (Robert) of Alpharetta, GA; grandchildren, Colin F. Thimmel (Katie) of Ixonia, WI, Tamara L. Wilson (Jeremy) of Port Washington, WI, and Hannah E. Krug of Kennesaw, GA; three great-grandchildren, all of Wisconsin; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Private funeral services were conducted at 2:00 PM Saturday, November 7, 2015, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. Burial was in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307. Memorials may be made to Converse College, 580 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302 online at www.converse.edu/giving; or Spartanburg Day School, 1701 Skylyn Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29307 online at www.spartanburgdayschool.org/supporting-sds. Floyd's North Church Street Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Lera Borden Stalnaker please visit our Sympathy Store.