Memorials › Mary Oleta "Nanny" Simmons White

Mary Oleta "Nanny" Simmons White

20 Jun 1921 – 2 Jan 2010

Birth20 Jun 1921
Death2 Jan 2010
CemeteryMemorial Park Cemetery
Amarillo , Potter County , Texas , USA
Added byBruce D White on 02 Jan 2010
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39320207

Bio

Remembrances of my Nanny Mary Oleta (Simmons) White Today, we are all gathered together to bury the mortal remains of a woman, who was special to each of us in one way or another. We are also here to remember her life and say goodbye, until we meet her again on the other side. Oleta, or Nanny as I knew her, said to me many times in the last week, "Oh, it's hell getting old". I am only now able to realize this profound truth, so I must put my reading glasses on and ask each of you to bear with me if I stumble while reading this eulogy or if I get emotional. Mary Oleta Simmons was born on the 20th of June 1921 on the family farm south of Tell, in Childress County, Texas to Thomas Jefferson Simmons and Mamie Mae Hardin. She was one of nine children of Tom Simmons and of six born to Mamie. In her youth she was known as Snooks or Sister; in her adult years she was known as Oleta, Aunt Leta, Momma and Nanny. She grew up in the Great Depression and could remember the dark dirt clouds of the Dust Bowl, which would blanket the plains in great plumes of dirt. When she was young, she suffered severe burns to half her body; but being as she often termed it "A stubborn Simmons", she recovered and went on to have a long life. In 1937, she married the man she was to spend 33 happy years with, my granddad, Horace Herman White. Oleta and Horace had three sons, only one who lived to be an adult. During the Second World War, while Horace was overseas in the military, Oleta worked at Childress Army Airfield, cared for her parents, her in-laws and worried about Horace flying. Oleta never had much in terms of what most of the world considers to be indicators of success. She and Horace however, had what was much more important in the bigger scheme of things. They built a home, which was always full of love and tenderness. Oleta told me more than once that no woman ever had a more loving husband than she did and I feel pretty confident in saying that Horace felt the same about her as a wife. He doted on her for the entire length of their marriage and when he unexpectedly was taken 39 years ago, her heart was broken. But being who she was, she focused her life on the other members of her family and poured her heart into loving them in the small ways that only a grandmother and mother can do. Her concern was always for others, I can rarely remember her thinking of herself. She lived next door to and took care of her father-in-law, AB White, until he passed away in 1985. She took care of her mother Mamie, her sister Doolie and daughter-in-law Pat as they too entered the valley of shadows. I only recount these things to shed light upon the character of Oleta, to whom her family was the most important thing in her life. Oleta was the proud grandmother of five grandchildren, whom she tended to dote upon. Her house was a place where we all felt love and acceptance, even when the world and life was troubling. While she did spoil her grandchildren, her love was sometimes expressed in what some people refer to as "tough love", but I remember it as "tanning my hide". She told me just last week that she had had to "occasionally tan the hide of her grandchildren", except for Barry Dewayne, who she claimed until her dying day, had never done anything wrong. In fact, she told me last Thursday, that if I didn't give her a cigarette, she would tan my hide again; that I might be 45 years old, but she could and would do it. Oleta loved her son. Even when lying in a hospital bed after suffering a stroke, she would ask if Bobby was okay, worrying about his recent heart surgery. She also worried about her only remaining brother, Buddy. She asked if her cousin Juanita was okay. Even when she knew she was dying, her concern was not for herself, but for those whom she loved. This concern even extended to worrying about her faithful companion of the last 12 years, Fred the Dog. Oleta was proud of being a "Simmons Girl". Like all the Simmons, she loved her sweets. But she only liked two kinds of pie, cold ones and warm ones. When I was growing up, she loved to cook for her family. She loved Williams Chili, red beans & corn bread and some of my earliest memories are of holidays at her house on Trigg Street in Amarillo, surrounded by piles of food, sweets and family. Oleta is survived by her brother Buddy, her son Bobby Dale White, five grandchildren; Bruce White, Brenda Hawks, Barry White, Amanda Riddlespurger and Christopher White. She also had 12 greatgrandchildren, whom she loved and often bragged on to all who would listen. She was always proud that her great-grandchildren were smart and as she termed it, "Good Kids". Her great-grandchildren are: Tiffany Hawks, Joshua Hawks, Teresa Hawks, Nicholas Hawks, Nikki White, Blaise White, Benjamin White, Bethany White, Zacahary Riddlesurger, Tori Riddlesurger, Matthew White and Trinity White. She often told all who would listen, of her pride about her older great-grandchildren in college; Tiffany who works in psychology; Nikki who is to be a geologist; and Benjamin who is studying to be a doctor. The world was a better place because this woman lived in it. She lived a simple life, but shared her love with all who share it with her. She often told me that what is most important are those you leave behind. Her legacy will not be remembered in fancy statues or shrines, or even in the history books. Her legacy sits here in this chapel, a family cemented with the mortar of her love. Her life will live on in the memories of her son, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Her kindness and care lives on in the souls of descendants. Her life was long and her memory is now precious. Today we will mourn, this is normal. But as the days pass and the emotions of those of us who survive her mellow, let us remember who she was and the love she shared. Each time I see the concern that my son Benjamin has for others and the tenderness he exhibits towards ailing patients, I see my Nanny living on. Each time I see the sparkle in the eyes of my beautiful daughter Bethany, I see the joy my Nanny had. Each time I see my niece Nikki, I see the simple dignity and strength of my Nanny alive still. When I watch my nephew Blaise, I see my Nanny living on in his spunkiness and natural charm. In each and every great-grandchild, she lives on. A part of her will live on forever, in the sayings and character passed down by genetics, the pictures she preserved and the stories she wrote and told. The last night of her life, she was fully cognizant and aware. I was the last family member she spoke with and she told me that she was ready to go home, not to the house in Gordonville, but to the arms of Horace. In the early morning of January the 2nd, 2010, Oleta went home to the embrace of her beloved Horace and to the bosom of God. Today, we will place her mortal remains beside Horace's and she will finally be home, on the Plains that she loved so well. I like to think that she is now sitting around a large table in heaven, surrounded by her parents, Tom and Mamie; the love of her life, Horace; AB and Nora; Lizzie & Garland; Dan & Tommie Jo; Doolie & Henry and Tommie Bill & Finis; and they are eating those pies they loved so well and laughing together. A family reunion is taking place which will never end and where love is ever present..... and Oleta is home again.... Eulogy give by Grandson, Bruce D. White

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