Willie Gay Simmons

Denison
Willie Gay (Slagle) Simmons, a longtime resident of Denison, went to sleep peacefully, and awoke in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ, on April, 19, 2017. She was 100 years, 10 months, and 20 days of age. Mrs. Simmons was born May 30, 1916 to William Rayford Slagle and Hattie Mae (Jordan) Slagle, at the home of her maternal grandparents, Daniel Berry Jordan and Elmina (Kizer) Jordan, in Harmon County Ok. Her parents lived at Wellington, TX, but her mother wanted her children to be born at her mother’s home.
 Mrs. Simmons was the descendant of early Oklahoma pioneers. Her great-grandparents, Robert Jesse and Easter Paralee (Eddings) Hollis moved to Indian Territory near modern day Tulsa about 1891. They later moved to what was Greer County, Oklahoma Territory in 1904. Easter Hollis died in 1907 and is buried in the Fairmount Cemetery at Hollis, Ok. Mrs. Simmons Jordan grandparents moved to the T Cross Community in Greer County, Okla. Territory in 1902 from Jack County TX.
 In January 1925, her parents moved from Wellington to Wheeler County TX., near Mobeetie. Their farm adjoined that of the Thomas Holley family, and on May 30, 1931 Willie Gay Slagle married Jonathan Paul Holley at Sayre, Ok. They had six children. On September 3rd 1954 she married Albey James Simmons. They had three children.
 Mrs. Simmons was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Daniel, Rufus Lee, Derrell B. and Robert Jesse Slagle; two sons, Thomas Franklin Holley, and Jesse James Simmons; four step-daughters, Helen Long, Ellen Simmons, Mona Randall, and Jennie Knight; three step-sons, Houston, Ralph and Edmond Simmons and both of her former husbands. Also deceased are four grandsons, Tommy Dale Holley, Roy Derrel Holley, Anthony Lee Holley, Dana Boyd Holley, and one great grandson, Justice Johnson.
 She is survived by sons: William D. (Janice) Holley, Paul Dale (Mary) Holley Sr. of Denison, and Ronald S. Holley of Acworth, Ga.; daughters: Nancy Shipp of Desoto, Mary Jean (Charlie) Wilkins of Duncanville, and her principal caretakers of over twenty years, daughters Patricia Ann Simmons, and Rose Gay Simmons of Denison. Also survived by cousins, Marie Jordan Williams and Sarah Woodside Fritts; nieces and nephews, and many grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and several great-great grandchildren, and by her best friend, Alma Orona and her children of Denison.
 On her 100th birthday, she was asked if she had any words of wisdom for the younger generations, and she answered “Trust in God”. That had been her life’s guiding force since she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior, and was baptized at age twenty-two, on March 21, 1939 at the Grace Defenders Church in Chowchilla, Ca. She was also a founding member of the Raynal Tabernacle in Denison, where she attended until her physical health failed her.
 The family will receive visitors at the Johnson-Moore Funeral Home Chapel from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April, 25th 2017, until the time of service at 2 p.m. Brother Marion Ingram officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery in Denison.
Condolences may be registered to: www.johnsonmoorefuneralhome.net.