Dates
Barbara Ann Patton left her earthly body on February 1, 2021 as she passed in her sleep and into the peaceful, loving embrace of her Heavenly Father. She was 71.
Barbara was born on December 31, 1949, as the "last baby born in 1949" in Sweetwater, Texas. She was the oldest of four and had three younger brothers, who she spent her childhood years with, in Odessa, Texas. She truly adored her brothers and felt like a second mother to them in those years. and loved them all with an eternal love that supersedes this life.
She was preceded in death by her grandmother, whom she dearly loved on her mother's side, Nona Lee Earp of Oklahoma, her mother, Betty Jane Patton McCabe of Ruidoso, NM, and James "Jim" Kenneth Patton of Odessa. Also, her beloved nephew, JD Patton, of Amarillo.
Barbara was survived by her three younger brothers: James Kenneth "Ken" Patton and his wife, Theresa, of Amarillo, Jeremiah Melton "Mel" Patton and his life partner, Mimi Fine, and Gary "Van" Patton and his wife, Karen, of Ruidoso, NM.
She was also survived by her nephews Adam Patton of Amarillo and Bonner Van Patton of Ruidoso, NM.
Barbara "Maw" Patton was also survived by her beloved and only child, her daughter, Dorley Ann Harris of San Angelo, TX, and her four forever treasures, her four grandchildren: Ty Harris, Joel Braden Harris, Wyatt Harris, and Cheyenne Harris all of San Angelo.
Barbara's many talents, most especially the artistic ones, began to emerge even at a young age. She could draw so many beautiful things free-hand, including faces in the crowd. This talent was much to the eventual delight of her grandchildren as she would draw caricatures and cartoon messages on their cards she sent to them.
In school, she would cut all of her friend's hair. She had a knack for it.
Into her teen years, she loved music and had a beautiful singing voice. In the years she competed in UIL choir, she received a "1" each of the years she competed in solo and ensemble. In high school, she sang a duet with Larry Gatlin, of the Gatlin Brothers, who attended Odessa High School.
Her beautiful, infectious smile and laugh will be remembered by all who knew her.
After high school on a trip to visit her mother in Ruidoso, NM, she met and eventually married Dorley's dad, Gerald Miller, whom she loved. They went on to start nearly simultaneously two different successful restaurants in Alamogordo, NM.
A few years later she launches a successful office supply store that thrived n Ruidoso. It was there that she added "green thumb" to her many lists of talents. Barbara loved all kinds of plants and the challenge of helping them flourish. She would furnish all the local banks and restaurants and the beautiful Sierra Swim and Raquet club with all of their lushish plants. She would often go and check on them and replace and sick ones and take them back to the office to nurse them back to health.
After that, she went on to become the first female car salesperson at the Chrysler Dodge dealership in Scottsdale, AZ. She later sold mobile homes in Glendale and spas in Mesa, AZ. She moved a lot in search of a good life for her daughter, Dorley, whom she protected above all else. During this time, she was working for her dad’s home improvement company and knocked the door of a woman named, Wanda Almond, in Midland who shared the love of Jesus with her and it was that night that Barbara accepted the Lord and felt His unconditional love for her. Wanda gave her her first Bible and Barbara has it to this day.
Shortly thereafter, she moved to San Angelo where she met her first and only real church family. She became best friends with another lady she knocked her door for siding named Gayle Harding. She and her husband Don were instrumental throughout her and her daughter's life.
Financial hardships came which forced her to move back home to Ruidoso in 1984 she started a cleaning service and was meticulous when it came to the keeping of her client's vacation homes and condominiums. She also opened the first Pizza delivery in Ruidoso and an amazing Italian food place called Popolo's Italia.
Barbara was the hardest working woman anyone ever met. During this time, she began developing health problems which would, sadly, played her for the rest of her life including multiple autoimmune issues, non-diabetic neuropathy, heart conditions, eventual diabetes, and a thyroid condition where after the doctors killed her thyroid gland, her body was unable to absorb any synthetic or raw thyroid. She lived in chronic pain for the next 37 years but it didn’t dampen her tenacity or independent spirit Hardwork was a theme throughout her life.
In 1988 the oil bust forced her to move back to Odessa where she resided until the time of her death. She started her own siding and window company there called, Signature Siding and Window, where she knocked doors and cold-called and single-handedly sold thousands upon thousands of jobs with the best crew to ever put on siding and storm windows and storm doors. Jobs that she did 30 years ago look like the homes were painted yesterday. She did the highest quality work at the lowest prices. She did so the highest quality work at the lowest prices, which she took great pride in.
Barbara should also be known for her love of animals. Years earlier, she was able to train a parakeet to speak multiple phrases. She had a few dogs she loved dearly late in life.
She also had a mastery of writing and of the English language in general.... also she was a voracious reader.
She was a wonderful cook and loved to cook for her daughter and grandkids all of her favorites including Cornish game hen, stuffed bell peppers, artichokes, cornbread and her famous mashed potatoes. She never left a dish in the sink despite all of her pain she was in.
She was loved by many yet so many of her relationships were plagued by her difficulties which stemmed from all of the pain she was in physically emotionally and eventually mentally.
She loved and was often heard bragging on her daughter and all of her grandchildren whom She was eternally proud of as well as the only son-in-law she ever had, Walt Harris.
Special thanks go out to the entire Walt Harris family who never wavered in their unconditional acceptance and love for her through the last 26 years.
Also, Special thanks to Nina Acosta, who worked tirelessly with Barbara for the last three years of her life.
Services will be held at Shaffer Pioneer Funeral home in Grape Creek, Texas Tuesday, February 23 at 10:30 AM with Pastor David Taylor officiating.
Various pastors prayed for her through the years including her first Pastor Bob Long, her second Pastor the late John Hollar, and the late Darrell Eaton as well as Pastor Walt Landers and Pastor Brandon Clark.
Barbara faithfully supported the ministry shortly after its inception of House of Faith in San Angelo Texas where that handwritten prayer requests that were kept and prayed over all of these years by House of Faith’s Kevin Reynolds and Rachel and Bob Beaver. Feel free to support this faithful ministry any way you see fit.