Hermance "Hermie" Germaine Therese Timmons

April 6, 1930 – September 30, 2025

Hermance "Hermie" Germaine Therese Timmons, 95, of Belton, Missouri, passed away peacefully on September 30, 2025, surrounded by love and faith.

Born on April 6, 1930, in Nice, France, Hermie was the daughter of Auber Silombra and Laurence Morra. Growing up during the Nazi occupation of France, she experienced both hardship and resilience. For a time, she lived in Paris with her brother Jean, who bravely sheltered his Jewish business partners. Those early years shaped Hermie's lifelong frugality, strength, and compassion.

After completing high school, Hermie pursued an accelerated university program and became a paralegal. Fluent in both French and English, she worked with one of the few American lawyers in Nice following the war. It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Wayne Timmons, a young American soldier. Though her parents initially forbade their marriage, Wayne returned to France after separating from the Air Force, and the two were wed.

Together, Hermie and Wayne began a life filled with adventure and devotion. Wayne's military career took them around the world, and Hermie embraced her role as a dedicated wife and mother. While at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, she tutored students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, sharing her gifts of language and teaching. The family eventually settled in Belton, Missouri, where Hermie created a loving home.

In 1982, Hermie's world changed when Wayne passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Deeply grieving, she returned to France for a time to be near family, but her heart eventually led her back to Belton. There, she found companionship again, marrying Lee Reichhardt in May of 1992. Their marriage was filled with joy until Lee's passing in December 2009.

Independent and strong-willed, Hermie lived on her own into her mid-90s—driving herself to church, doing her own shopping, and cooking her own meals. A devoted Catholic, she found great comfort in her faith community. She was also a passionate lover of opera, holding season tickets to the Lyric Opera for many years.

Hermie's life was defined not only by her resilience but also by the love she gave and received. She was deeply cherished by her family—her daughter Michelle T. Timmons, her son Daniel W. Timmons, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Beyond her family, what truly set Hermie apart was the extraordinary love and kindness shown to her by her friends and neighbors, who daily embodied the spirit of Christ in their care for her.

Hermie's journey—from a war-torn childhood in France to a rich and full life in America—was a testament to courage, perseverance, and love. She will be remembered for her strength, her devotion to family, and her ability to form deep, lasting bonds with everyone she encountered.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025, at St. Sabina Catholic Church 700 Trevis Ave., Belton, Missouri 64012. Visitation will be from 10-11:00 a.m. followed by the mass at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri.

Arrangements: Cullen Funeral Home, Inc., Raymore, Missouri 816.322.5278