Robert Lester Herring's Obituary
Robert Lester Herring was born on 3Oct1928 in Sallis, MS, and died on 9Jul2023 in Germantown, TN at the age of 94. After graduating high school he escaped the poverty of his early childhood and traveled to Memphis to seek his fortune. Arriving with less then $100 dollars in his pockets, he applied himself to mastering the skills of a carpenter, rose through the ranks, and started his own residential construction company in the late 1950s.
During the building boom, Martin and Herring completed up to 100 quality homes a month until the building bust in the 70s. They then turned to subdivision development, an area he found less than compelling, but Martin and Herring had such success, and he invested his money so wisely that he was able to provide for his family, supporting four children through various levels of schooling and even into their adult lives, and still retire at the age of 58.
On retirement he pursued his favorite pastime, fishing, and spent a great deal of time trolling on Sardis Lake. He commonly made an annual trip to Sterling, Alaska to visit friends and for salmon and halibut. Other hobbies included making wine, baskets, soap, and arrowheads. Unsuccessful early attempts at the endeavors of basket weaving and flintknapping often ended up sunk in the small lake in his own backyard. An everyman, humble and soft-spoken, he attracted constant and enduring friends from all walks of life.
Robert was preceded in death by his gentle and loving wife, Ernestene Herring, and his son, Robert Herring, Jr. He is survived by his devoted partner, Marie Palmer, three daughters, a large extended family and many treasured friends.
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