Wilma Joyce Parvin Ellinger

October 22, 1940 - October 23, 2020

BUFFALO GAP: Wilma Joyce (Parvin) Ellinger, age 80, went to be with her Lord Friday, October 23, 2020 in a caring and loving community at the Bronte Health and Rehab Center in Bronte. Services directed by Fry~Smith Funeral Home, Tuscola.

Wilma was born October 22, 1940 in Buffalo Gap as the oldest of three siblings to the late Jessie Lindsey and Wilma Odessa (Brown) Parvin. Wilma attended Buffalo Gap School and graduated from Wylie High School, where she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball. She married the late Mickey Alexander Ellinger July 30, 1960 and they lived on the Ellinger Ranch for the entirety of their lives. They had one daughter, Lisa Michele (Ellinger) Gibbs, September 1, 1966. Wilma retired in 2000 from Jim Ned CISD as the Buffalo Gap Elementary librarian where she tenderly touched many lives.

Wilma dearly loved her family and friends and she expressed how family was one of the most important parts of her life. She adored spending time with family and Christmas was her favorite holiday because it was a time she could give a part of herself to loved ones. She was a giving person who would say “God intended for us to share our love not keep it to ourselves”.  Wilma served on the PTA board at Buffalo Gap School where she proudly helped sew her daughter’s basketball team’s uniforms. She also taught Sunday school for many years at Buffalo Gap Baptist Church. In later years, she truly enjoyed following her granddaughter, Mackenzie Gibbs, in all of her sports and it didn’t take long for her to become the whole team’s “Nan”. She would always have available to them her “famous” chocolate brownies. Nan definitely was their biggest fan.  Wilma loved kids as she worked with children her whole life and cared and helped those who were in need of clothes, food, or whatever the need may have been at the time.  Wilma/Nan was a servant of God by giving to and loving the children in her life.  

Wilma is survived by her daughter, Lisa Gibbs and husband Kendall of Tuscola, her grandchildren, Mackenzie Gibbs of Buffalo Gap, Megan Gibbs of Houston, and Brandon Gibbs and wife Sarah of Harper, and her great grandchildren, Kylinn and Tobin Gibbs. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Donald Prew of Buffalo Gap, and his children, Melissa Prew of Fort Worth, Cory Prew and wife Karina of San Saba, and Nikki Powell and husband Wes of Irion County. There are also many other nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews whom she truly loved with all of her heart.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Brenda Prew, brother, Leslie Parvin, and husband, Mickey Ellinger.

Funeral services will be held 2:00pm Sunday, October 25, 2020 at Fry~Smith Funeral Home, Tuscola, Mr. Cory Prew officiating. Burial will follow at Buffalo Gap Cemetery, a visitation will be held before the service starting at 12:30pm at the funeral home. 

Wilma Ellinger’s family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff at Bronte Health and Rehab Center and Kindred Hospice for their attentiveness and loving care.

Memorials may be made in Wilma’s name to Bronte Health and Rehab Auxiliary, PO Box G, Bronte, TX  76933 or Kindred Hospice of Angelo, 116 W Concho Ave., San Angelo, TX 76903.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wilma Joyce (Parvin) Ellinger, please visit our floral store.

Lillian Anita Blankenship Evans

October 26, 1936 - October 14, 2020

Lillian Evans

Arlington - Lillian Anita (Blankenship) Evans, 83, passed away on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. A graveside service, next to her beloved husband, Don, will be held on Monday, October 19, 2020 in the Tuscola Cemetery at 2:30pm, Roy Meyer, of Lawn Church of Christ, officiating. A visitation will be held before the service on Monday, at 12:30, at the funeral home. Arrangements have been entrusted to Fry~Smith Funeral Home, Tuscola.

Lillian and her twin sister Juanita (Dec 2010) were born in Port Lavaca on October 26, 1936 to James Harold (J.H.) and Mildred Lorena (Gill) Blankenship. Lillian moved to south Taylor County at an early age where she attended school at South Taylor High School. While in high school Lillian was named to the all-district girls' basketball team for two years.

Thanks to a close friend, Betty Turnbow, Lillian met her future husband Donald Evans. They married on March 16, 1957. They moved to California, then back to Abilene in 1967 where she went to work for Timex. Donald's work with Foremost Foods moved them to Shreveport where she went to work for Western Electric. They moved back to Arlington where Donald finished his career with Foremost. They moved to Abilene after Donald's retirement. After Donald's death in 2007, she moved back to Arlington to be closer to her family.

Lillian loved women's basketball, she watched it anytime it was broadcasted. Her favorite coach was Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee. The only thing that she loved more than basketball, are her grandkids and her nieces and nephews. She enjoyed traveling, cooking and listing to music. Her passion was reading the word of the Lord.

She is survived by her daughter, Melinda Pederson and husband John of Arlington; son, Gary Evans and wife Staci of Arlington; son, Bill Evans of Burleson; six grandkids and six great-grandkids. She is also survived by her brother, Harold Don Blankenship and several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 50 years Donald William, parents, Harold and Mildred Blankenship, her twin sister, Juanita Cumby, and sister, Iona Earnest.

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.

Published in Abilene Reporter News from Oct. 17 to Oct. 18, 2020.

219854

 (*the cumulative total visitors
since October 2008 when this web site was created)

Kool Kitty says that this site is

Really Rockin'

Thanks for visiting our Alumni/Faculty web site -

Now It's Your Turn To JOIN!!!