Verna Loraine Childs, 96, of Santa Fe, Texas, lovingly known by so many as “Mimi” and to some as Porkchop’s “Fifi”, went peacefully into God’s loving embrace on August 10, 2026, at her home, surrounded by her girls.

If you knew Mimi, you knew that family was everything to her. Her love was unconditional and her heart was enormous. She loved watching her family grow, and she treasured every generation that came after her.

She loved deeply, laughed often, and wasn’t afraid to tell you exactly what she thought while pointing that bony finger. She had a way of making memories out of ordinary days with her stories, her sayings, her laughter, and even her unmistakable, perfectly timed “WHAT?” And who could forget Margarita Mimi. Those little things may seem silly to some, but to us, they are the memories that make us smile through the tears and all the little pieces of her that made her uniquely ours.

Mimi’s love didn’t stop with her children. It grew with every grandchild, every great-grandchild and every great great-grandchild. She watched her family expand through five generations, and nothing made her happier than having her family around her. She gave us a lifetime of love, lessons, laughter, and memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

We imagine Porkchop standing there waiting for her saying, “Well, Fifi, what took you so long?” And her pointing that bony finger saying “Eddie!” Give Porkchop a hug for us.

Until we see you again, we will carry you with us, in our stories, in our laughter, in our family gatherings, and in every generation that carries a little piece of you.

For more than 25 years, Verna was a loyal employee of Lyons and Plackmeier. After retiring, she began what she considered her most important job of all-being Mimi full-time.

Verna was born on October 6, 1929, in Texas City, Texas, to Earl McCrager Carter and Nora Lee Springs Carter.

She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Claude Edward “Porkchop” Childs, her husband of 59 years. We find comfort knowing that after all these years apart, Mimi is finally back in Porkchop’s arms.

She was also preceded in death by her parents, Earl McCrager Carter and Nora Lee Springs Carter; her sister, Virgie “Tootsie” Johns and her husband, Poncho; her brother, Sonny Carter; her son-in-law, Paul Anthony Tibaldo; her grandson, Cody Earl Moore; and her great-grandson, Cael Moore.

Left behind to carry her love and her legacy are her children, Vicki Lee Childs; Ricky Edward Childs and wife, Sherri; Claudia Loraine Tibaldo; and Lonnie Childs-White and husband, Fielden, along with three generations of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were blessed to call her Mimi.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones for a visitation from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., Monday, August 17, 2026 with a funeral service to begin at 11:00 a.m., at Hope Community Church, 1602 29th Street North, Texas City, Texas. Burial will follow at Hayes Grace Memorial Park in Hitchcock, Texas.

Pallbearers are Chad Childs, Jeremy Childs, Jesse Childs, Caleb Moore, Nicholas Tibaldo and Joseph Tibaldo.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Verna’s memory to the Paul Tibaldo Memorial Scholarship Fund or the Haze Lewis Gardner Legacy Foundation.

To honor our Mimi, raise a glass and share a margarita with someone you love. Let it be a toast to her laughter, her stories, her spirit, and the love she gave so freely.