Zella Mae Metzger passed to a greater life on Wednesday, April 15, in the Sid Peterson Hospital in Kerrvilleat the age of 84. She had resided in the Windcrest Nursing Home in Fredericksburg for the past few years. Zella was born in Mason County on July 17, 1924 to Amos Tuckness and Viola Chew Tuckness. She attended school at the Hickory Grove School House and in 1940 she married Sam Metzger and they made their home in the Union Community in Mason County. They were together for 51 years until he passed away in 1991.

Zella worked beside Sam in the fields where they grew cotton and peanuts and had big gardens. She was helping Sam build a barn while pregnant with their daughter, Marilyn, and the next day she gave birth. No more barn building for her. Zella had a love for antiques and at one time had an antique shop in Mason. She also loved to hear the "old time" fiddle players. Zella and Sam were also members of an "84" club and were members of the First United Methodist Church in Mason.

Zella is survived by 3 children, Kenneth Ray Metzger and wife Patty of Fouke, Texas, Arlene Barr and husband Gene of Universal City and Marilyn Rueffer and husband Glenn of Mason. She is also survived by a sister and a brother Noma O'Neal and Wilford Tuckness both of Llano along with 6 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 17, at 11:00 a.m. in the Mason Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Charles Partin officiating. Interment will follow in the Gooch Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mason Funeral Home. Serving as pallbearers are M.J. Metzger, Ronnie Holloway, Steve Pryor, R.L. O'Neal, Bill Tuckness and Bill Helfey. Honorary pallbearers are Kenneth Durst, Tommy Durst, James Toeppich, Larry Welch, Gerald Tuckness and Jack Goff.