Frankie Reynolds Butler's Obituary
Frankie Reynolds Butler passed away peacefully in Dallas TX on July 26, 2014 at the age of 103 with family by her bedside. She was born in a rural Harris County Farmhouse outside Longview, TX on Jan 25, 1911 to William G Richardson and Ophelia Webb Richardson and is preceded in death by both parents, 4 brothers, 3 sisters, and 2 husbands, Henry Clay Reynolds and Ellis Roy Butler. She is survived by her son Don Reynolds and wife Sybil of Duncanville, TX, Their 2 sons Keith Reynolds of Coppell, TX, his 4 children and 4 grand children, Mark Reynolds and wife Lynda of Coppell, TX, their 3 children, daughter Charlotte Hawkins of Longview, TX, her 3 children Mike Hawkins and wife Nancy, their 3 children and 6 grandchildren, Terry Hawkins and wife CJ, and Tammy Shenn and husband Larry, all of Longview. Frankie was a devout Christian and lifelong member of Winterfield United Methodis Church of Longview where she helped organize and actively participated in their Cemetery Association and later their Quilting Club which made and sold of 300 quilts, profits from which were donated to the church. She was also a gifted seamstress throughout her early adult life, making many of her own cloths and some for her sisters, children and grandchildren. However, her greatest passion was cooking and baking for family and friends, and no visitor left without some token of her expertise, including her favorite repairmen. She was essentially a homebody, except for visiting local friends, rarely traveling outside Longview or even Texas, again except for a few special occasions that involved shopping for clothing and shoes with her sisters and daughter and a very special cross-country trip with her son and wife. Her working career included jobs in retail, clothing sales, pea-canning and meatpacking plants, her brother’s BBQ restaurant, and even as a “Rosie-the-Riveter” with her husband Clay at the Consolidated Aircraft Plant in Ft. Worth, TX during WWII. Despite several recent surgeries and the debilitating effect of arthritis and alzheimer, especially the past 4-6 months, overall, she has enjoyed a wonderful life being close to her family while continuing to reflect a strong faithful and loving Christian example for all she has touched. She will be sorely missed. Funeral arrangements are being provided by LeRoy Rader Funeral Home-Longview with services at Winterfield UMC, 2616 Tryon Rd, Longview on Thursday, July 31 at 11:00 am with viewing 30 min. prior and visitation/reception afterwards. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donation be made to the church, Alzheimer Assoc. or Arthritis Foundation.
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