Knesek Bros. Funeral Chapel
http://www.knesekfuneralhome.com
Tommie Joann (Gatlin) Stanford was born Mother's Day - May 10th, 1931 - to Thomas James Gatlin and Willie Myrtle Simmons, and she passed away on October 28th, 2020 after 89 years of a life well lived. Named after her father, she was a beautiful child whose photograph won First Place out of over 100,000 photographic entries in the Sears & Roebuck National Baby Contest in 1934, the beauty of her childhood extended throughout her long life. Mama was beautiful, inside and out.
Born in Odessa, Joann lived her first years of life and attended first grade in Goldsmith, Texas until her family moved into Odessa where she obtained the rest of her education. She was a Bronchette and 1948 graduate of Odessa High School in the new high school building on Dotsy Avenue. Joann worked for Wacker's Five and Dime on Grant Street in retail sales and Bell Telephone as a telephone operator. She raised four children with Bill and then returned to work at the Pioneer Natural Gas Company as a dispatcher, retiring after 17 years of dedicated service.
Joann married Billy Lee Stanford on January 30th, 1949 in Odessa, Texas, followed by a honeymoon in Hollywood, California. She was 17; he was 20. Daddy still loves to say both of their mothers had to accompany them to the Ector County Courthouse to sign documentation giving permission for the marriage license to be issued as Mama and Daddy were not of age. Married over 71 years, they had four children together: Mark Neal Stanford, Rebecca (Becky) Ann Stanford, Nathan Craig Stanford, and Christina (Tina) Elizabeth (Stanford) White. As children, we were fortunate to travel throughout more than half of these United States, camping in so many beautiful state and national parks. Mama and Daddy also traveled much of the world round before and after retirement. After relocating from Odessa to San Angelo in 2003 to live down the street from two of her siblings and their spouses, Mama and Daddy moved 2 years ago to a beautiful new home in Bellville to be near their two lucky daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Mama was part of the Greatest Generation, a Great Depression Era child who lived the American Dream to the fullest. She demonstrated great love and compassion for all of us and had a tender heart for any person in need; she was truly a sweet soul. Raised as a Methodist, she was dedicated to all the churches she attended in her life, including many decades in the Baptist faith as well. She loved to hear the hymns she learned to sing as a child. She often sang beautifully to all of us in the home of our youth and at family reunions. Joann was often reduced to a helpless pile of giggles when reminiscing with her sisters, Joyce and Sue, and her brothers, Billy Paul and Jimmy. Family was always her foremost purpose in life. Her last worries were for Daddy and how his life would be once she had passed.
Mama is survived by her four children - Mark (and spouse, Anne), Becky, Nathan (and spouse, Rita), and Tina (and spouse Rick) - as well as eleven grandchildren and five great grandchildren - Summer Creed (Stanford) Harter and spouse, Todd; April Dawn Stanford; Heather Julie (Stanford) Howard and spouse, Andy and their son, Silas; Matthew White and spouse, Stephany and their daughters, Robyn and Paige; Zachary White and spouse, Diane and their daughters, Brielle and Avery; Jake Sackett and spouse, Tamara; Scott Rodriguez; Dashiell Stanford and spouse, Triinu and their future Stanford son due in mid-December; Hunter Oatman-Stanford; Grace Young; Olivia Young and multiple furry grand-dogs.
As The Good Old Book says, angels do indeed walk among us, pretending to be people. Certainly, our Mama was one of those.
A Memorial Service for Joann Stanford will be held at a later date in Bellville, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Mama's favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital which she faithfully supported with a monthly donation for many decades.
LINKS
Odessa American
http://www.oaoa.com
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