Meet Our Staff - Highlands & Dayton, TX

Teri Pendergrass

Office Manager

Teri began her career with Sterling-White in 2002. She has a business degree from Ashford University and is a proud member of the Beta Tau Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Teri grew up in Channelview but moved to Dayton in 1999, where she raised her two daughters.  Teri and her husband, Eric, enjoy fishing, hunting, gardening, restoring cars, and spending time with their children and two adorable grandchildren.  With several family members buried at Sterling-White Cemetery, Teri is very passionate about the cemetery and feels honored to be a member of the Sterling-White family, where she is entrusted with managing the office and the administrative team.

Patricia Mitchell

Funeral Home Administrator

Patricia “Trish” joined the Sterling-White team in 2012 as the funeral home administrator. Trish has lived in the local area all of her life. She raised her family in Highlands and Mont Belvieu, where she served as a volunteer for school organizations and functions and assisted with Little League sporting events. Trish now has four grandsons and one granddaughter whom she adores and loves spending quality time with. Trish enjoys meeting the families that Sterling-White serves and is pleased to assist these families with her vast knowledge in  obtaining necessary permits and filing life insurance claims.

Savannah Harper

Administration

Savannah joined the Sterling-White team in September of 2015. Since joining she has dedicated her time and focus on our cemeteries. Savannah has worked diligently to build lasting relationships within the community and with those we serve. Savannah, along with her husband, is currently raising their dogs and spends as much time traveling or at off-road parks as possible. 

Johnelle Eilers

Administrative Assistant / Ambassador

I am a retired hairdresser of 27 years. I started doing hair at Sterling-White through the years and was hired as an ambassador and now work as an administrative assistant at the front desk. I have worked at Sterling-White Funeral Home since early 2006. I grew up in Highlands and have lived in Crosby for more than 40 years, so I know a lot of the families that come through our doors. I feel like it makes them more comfortable in an uncomfortable situation to see a familiar face and receive a warm hug and a smile. I enjoy my work here and look forward to many more years.

I have two grown children, four bonus children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren who help fill up my time. I have a place at Crystal Beach I dearly love to spend time at with all of my family. I am a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Crosby.

Kathy Roder

Administrative Assistant / Ambassador

Kathy has worked at Sterling-White since 2015 where she started out as an ambassador. Kathy also works as an administrative assistant at the front desk part-time. Crosby is her hometown and she is a graduate of Crosby High School. In her spare time Kathy enjoys sewing, quilting, and caring for her grandchildren, her plants, and her grand dogs. She is an accomplished quilter after almost 50 years. “I love working with people and feel I can offer a lot here at Sterling-White”. Kathy has been married to Ernie Roder for nearly 50 years, together they have three grown children, seven grandchildren, and seven grand dogs. 

Melissa Rhea

Family Service Manager

Melissa started working in the funeral and cemetery business in 2012.  She has always loved helping people and this felt like the perfect outlet to do so.   She loves to travel as often as she can and has always looked up interesting and old cemeteries wherever she goes.  This has gone on for many years and was another reason she decided to get into the funeral and cemetery business.   Her favorite cemetery thus far has been in New Orleans, LA at the Saint Louis Cemetery where she saw the tomb of Marie Leveau.  Melissa is a mother of 5 children and 15 grandchildren!  Her greatest joy is loving on her grandkids and spending as much time with them as possible.  

Kelsey Richard Prince

Family Service Representative

Kelsey began her career with Sterling-White in 2020. She was born in Texas but spent her childhood years growing up in Louisiana. As a young adult, Kelsey came back to her Texas roots and graduated from Lumberton High School in the top 10% of her class. She then started a career in the dental field. After moving from the clinical side of a dental office, to the administration side, her interest started to fade. Kelsey has always had a passion for helping people, and she no longer felt that her career reflected her true desire. Therefore she decided to make a change. Kelsey is very passionate about helping families get through an emotionally devastating time – losing a loved one- as well as helping them plan ahead.

Kelsey raises her 3 children, 2 girls and a boy, with her husband of 6 years. She is a member of Infant Jesus Catholic church. Her free time is spent at the softball / baseball fields, or watching the newest Marvel filmography.

Cora Lynn Miller

Community Service Representative

Cora Lynn has worked at Sterling-White since 2009 in Community Services, which she greatly enjoys. She has lived in the Highlands-Crosby area most of her life and now resides in Highlands with her family. She has one child, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Cora Lynn is a member of the Highlands United Methodist Church and the Highlands Book Review Club. She is an avid sports fan and loves watching her teams.

Gerald Miller

Community Service

Gerald worked at several different cemeteries before joining Sterling White for the first time in 2013, and then returning in 2018. His passion is helping families get through one of the most difficult times of their lives- the loss of loved ones- as well as helping them plan ahead for the inevitability of their own passing.

Gerald was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, but has called Texas home since 1988. He and his lovely wife, Carolyn, enjoy traveling, playing backgammon and dominoes, and spending time with their grandson, Trey.

Victor Barron

Cemetery Maintenance Foreman

Victor Barron joined the Sterling-White Cemetery Maintenance team in July 2004. Victor has lived in the area with his wife and three children for over 25 years. Together, they attend St. Andrew’s Church.

“I enjoy working with both the staff and those who visit the cemetery.”

Juan Parga

Funeral Assistant

Juan has been in funeral service since 1988. He joined the Sterling-White family as a Funeral Assistant in 2010. He resides in Liberty, Texas with his wife, Linda. He has six children and four grandchildren. He genuinely cares for families and enjoys helping them when they need it the most.

We are always looking to grow our Team

We currently have openings for family service representatives

please call 281-426-3555 or come on in to apply

must be able to pass a background check and obtain state licensing.