Dates
Billie Doris Curry, age 92, passed from this life on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. She was born December 27, 1922 to Edward Augustus Boykin and Edna Browning Johnson Boykin in Robert Lee, Texas. She completed the circle of her life by returning there to live in May 2013.
Viewing will begin on Friday, April 17, 2015 at Johnson's Funeral Home. Graveside service is at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2015 in Duren Cemetery near Goldthwaite, Texas in Mills County. Pastor Carlos Cloyd of First United Methodist Church in Goldthwaite will officiate.
Billie lived an active life and described herself as a tomboy during her childhood. One Christmas she received a doll as her main gift and was so disappointed at not getting a BB gun or a slingshot that she broke down and cried. Growing up on the farm near Miles, Texas she loved to reminisce about "walking the barrel" with her sisters Maxine and Earline. Neither was near as keen on this type of play as Billie. She also rode all the farm animals for entertainment - sheep, goats, pigs, and the occasional horse if she could get on it. One her favorite stories about her father was during heavy rains near their house on Willow Creek he would hitch up his team of horses and pull stranded autos from the mud for $1.00.
Life in rural West Texas was not easy but Billie maintained a positive attitude and developed a friendly, sociable outlook with which she developed many lasting relationships. As a girl Billie attended grade school in Sealy, Texas and then graduated from Ireland High School.
After high school Billie moved to San Angelo where she met Glyn Harvey Lewis who was stationed at Goodfellow AFB. Billie loved to tell about their whirlwind romance, helped by the fact that Glyn was the proud owner of a 1939 Coupe which was fully paid for! After three weeks of dating, dancing, and movies the two were married in March of 1942 and after the war moved to Goldthwaite, Texas.
One story Billie liked to recall was when husband Glyn left the farm for 2 weeks to combine fields. Billie was hard pressed to milk their 14 cows twice a day in addition to taking care of over 400 chickens. In the course of their life on the farm they also raised angora goats and had a pecan orchard. Eventually Billie studied to be a nurse and after passing the nursing exam began a long and successful career as an LVN in Goldthwaite.
Glyn developed cancer and died in 1988. It was not long after his death that an old Miles acquaintance, Victor Elmo Curry, reappeared in her life. Elmo was in similar circumstances. His wife of 50 years had recently died of cancer and being a widower did not agree with him. Billie and Elmo were married in April of 1990 and had 22 years of fun and companionship until his death in September, 2012.
Billie's love of flowers made gardening a favorite past time wherever she lived. She was a member of the San Angelo Garden Club and won many awards for her flower arrangements.
Survivors include her sister, Ruth Maxine Story of Burkburnett, Texas; nieces Rhonda McBride Metcalf of Front Royal, Virginia, and Beryl Annette Barfield of Wichita Falls, Texas; nephews Gregory Boykin McBride of Silver Spring, Maryland, Randolph Steven Story of Stephenville, and Brian Keith Story of Burkburnett; cousin Leta Caston and family of Robert Lee, Texas; stepson Ronald Elmo Curry of Austin, Texas; and stepdaughter Gwen Nugent of Lincoln, Nebraska.