Teresa Le (Long) Sword

Teresa Le (Long) Sword, 51 of Hume, passed away Dec. 1, at Freeman Hospital-West in Joplin. She was born July 8, 1965 in Ontario, Ore., daughter of Richard Allen and Esther (Johnston) Long.

Teresa graduated high school in 1983 and toured through England, Holland and Germany with the Continental Singers. She graduated from Evangel College with the dual degree of a B.S. in Music Education and Church Music. While in college she enlisted in the Army National Guard Band and was their first chair flute player.

Teresa married Vern Sword on June 27, 1992. She taught 23 years in Missouri public schools. At the time of her passing she was teaching music at Fort Scott Community College. Teresa was proud to be a member of the Red Hatters of Hume, and she also loved being a member of the Bates County Career Women and was honored to be selected as their 2016 Woman of the Year. She was also a former director of the Community Council for the Performing Arts in Nevada, Missouri.

Teresa served as director of music for Pine Street Baptist Church in Nevada. When she went to be with Jesus she was director of music at Ohio Street United Methodist Church in Butler.

Teresa was preceded in death by her father, Richard A. Long; and grandparents, Clyde and Ione Long and Earl and Eiffa Johnston. She is survived by her husband, Vern Sword, of Hume; mother, Esther Long, of Medford, Ore.; two brothers, Richard D. Long, of Salem, Ore., and Stanly M. Long of Medford, Ore.; two children, Mike Sword, of Cameron, Mo., and Misty Bogardus of Schell City; five grandchildren, Kristina, Tiffany, Crystal, Amber, and Clayton; two great-grandchildren, Abby and Lydia; and one great-grandson on the way.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Hume Christian Church in Hume. There is no visitation. Interment will follow in East Liberty Cemetery. Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society. Messages of condolence for the family may be left at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.