Anita Jay (Siddons) Ehrler

Anita Jay Siddons Ehrler, 100 and longtime Dallas resident, passed peacefully into heaven on April 24, 2023. She will be remembered as a strong woman of faith who lived her life in service to her Lord and Savior.

Anita was born November 23, 1922 in Paradise, TX to General Store owner John Gilbert "J.G." and Beatrice Jay "Birdie" Siddons, piano teacher and pianist at the Paradise Methodist Church. She was raised in a loving Christian home that hosted many circuit preachers. She was Salutatorian, Class Secretary and Treasurer and was voted “Most Beautiful” at Paradise High School and went on to graduate from Baylor University School of Education in 1943. She took violin at TCU as a child and went on to play first violin in the Waco Symphony Orchestra during her years at Baylor. She loved serving as Program Director for WBAP in the early days of television before her November 1950 marriage to the love of her life, Chicago native and cute and witty chemical engineer, John (Jack) Ehrler. They met in Fort Worth through friends and enjoyed dancing and the Fort Worth social scene in the late 1940s. She and Jack lived in several Phillips Petroleum communities and Anita was a beloved teacher for many years in Bridgeport, Dumas, TX and Lake Charles, LA. She loved teaching Speech, Drama and Debate and directed countless musical programs. They loved to travel and attended multiple World Fairs together and enjoyed hiking in the Canadian Rockies and Blue Ridge Mountains. After retirement in the 1960s, Anita faithfully served the Primary and Special Education ministries at First Baptist Dallas and was involved with various Richardson civic organizations including the Richardson YWCA, the Southwestern Seminary and Criswell College Auxiliary Clubs and she and Jack were table hosts in Mrs. Criswell’s Sunday School Class. Anita and Jack adopted a baby in 1973, Edith Elizabeth "Edie-Beth," and lovingly raised her to know and love Jesus.

She was preceded in death by her parents, JG and Birdie Siddons of Bridgeport, husband Jack and sadly most of her friends and other family.

Survivors include daughter, Edie-Beth and husband Trapper Collova of Camas, WA, cousin Linda Whitlow Dunn of Oklahoma City and beloved Ehrler nieces, Patti Adamski of Elgin, IL, Mary Ehrler of Lockport, IL; along with nephew, Bill Ehrler of Hometown, IL. Special thanks to Kagiso Phiri, her mother Lorraine and daughter Kay, her angels on this earth, who lovingly cared for Anita the last 7 years of her life. Also, thanks to Marie Morgan and the team at LoveWell Hospice who were the hands and feet of Jesus to her in her last few months.

Graveside services will be held at the Eastside Cemetery in Bridgeport, TX on Thursday, May 11 at 2:00 PM.

Memorials may be made to LoveWell Hospice 5900 S Lake Forest Drive Ste 300, McKinney, TX 75070.