Ida Miriam (Hancock) Vrsic, 78, passed away Saturday, April 30, 2011, at Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. She was born Jan. 13, 1933, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Wilford Mosiah Hancock of Utah and Ida Naomi (Taylor) Hancock of Nova Scotia, Canada. Mrs. Vrsic spent her first 13 years in Los Angeles, Calif.; the family lived in Compton, Ark., the next few years. In 1953, Mrs. Vrsic graduated high school valedictorian from the School of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. She received scholarships to colleges in Missouri and Texas, graduating with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She married Professor Dr. Gabriel Frank Vrsic of Slovenia in 1961; their daughter, Pavla, was born in 1964. Mrs. Vrsic taught elementary school a few years before the family moved to Hawkins in 1966. Dr. and Mrs. Vrsic worked at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins until their respective retirements, his in the 1970s and hers in 2002. He was a professor of foreign languages; she worked in the Division of Humanities, Religion Department and later Olin Library where she remained the longest. She was employed by Jarvis Christian College more than 30 years and was part of Jarvis' changes and growth through the years. She served under Presidents James O. Perpener, John Paul Jones, James Griffin, Earl W. Rand, Charles A. Berry, Julius F. Nimmons and Sebetha Jenkins. Her friendly smile and welcoming attitude were always enjoyed and spoken of and will be missed.
Mrs. Vrsic was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints 50-plus years, attending faithfully in Quitman. She enjoyed going to church and seeing her friends; she loved Gospel Doctrine class and discussing scriptures.
She was preceded in death by her father in 1951, mother in 1988; half brothers, Lowell Hancock and Joseph Totton; her husband, Dr. Gabriel Frank Vrsic in 1989. She is survived by her sister, Esther Caroline Roth (husband, Aloys Roth) of Grenada Hills, Calif.; her brother, John Wilford Hancock (wife, Hilda Hancock) of Madison, Tenn.; niece, Terry Sue Baham (husband, Dan Baham, family Aaron Noah Hancock and Lucas Hancock) of Bogalusa, La.; her only child, Pavla Vrsic Chandler of Hawkins; grandchildren, Nathanael Craig Higley, Benjamin Franjo Higley, Jakob Anton Higley (wife, Kayla Higley) of Hawkins; great-grandson, Jakob Wayne; grandchildren, Pavla Higley, Esther Caroline Chandler, Anthony Daniel Chandler; nephew, Jeffery Anderson (family, Alex, Ryan and Christine Anderson) of Mission Hills, Calif.; nephew, Michael Anderson (wife and family, Elizabeth Anderson, Adam Anderson) of Clovis, Calif.; niece, Debbie Robertson (husband, Don Robertson) of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; niece, Nancy Darquea (husband, Alex Darquea, family, Lucas, Marco and Noelle Darquea) of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; cousins, Emilie King of Orange City, Fla., Irene Lewis of Nova Scotia, Edith Croft of Calgary; and other relatives in Canada and the United States.
A memorial service will be held May 7, 2011, at 3 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Highway 154 in Quitman. All friends of Mrs. Vrsic and her family are welcome and invited to attend. Mrs. Vrsic will be buried with her husband in Hawkins City Cemetery in Hawkins. Beaty Funeral Home of Hawkins is handling arrangements. Floral arrangements may be sent to the church. Mrs. Vrsic was a supporter of The Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, to which contributions may be sent, if desired.

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