January 4, 1924 – February 4, 2020
Wilda Upshaw Mize Mckibben was born January 4, 1924 in Rotan, Texas to Baines and Ora Upshaw. She passed away on February 4, 2020 at the Abilene Regional Medical Center Hospital in Abilene. She was 96 years of age. She married H.F. ‘Colonel’ Mize Jr. September 26, 1942 and was married for 62 years until his passing in 2004. In 2012 she met and married Shannon Mckibben. Wilda lived in Brownwood Texas for the last 50 years and was a faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church.
She could remember distinctly the day she accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior as a young girl at a small country church in Fisher County. The impact of the decision to follow Jesus also influenced her husband, her two sons, and their children to follow in her faith footsteps.
Growing up on a farm and in a family with four brothers she learned to work and especially to cook. Baking was one of her favorite things to do and much of the time what was baked was to be given away. This, in addition to working with children in Sunday school and vacation Bible school, singing in the church choir, coordinating meals for families experiencing loss, “adopting” Howard Payne students, and delivering Meals-on–Wheels for 25 years was her way of showing love and exercising her spiritual gift of service.
She loved her family, her church family, her neighbors, and friends and prayed for them often. She will be missed by all.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father Baines and Ora Upshaw, her husbands, H.F. Mize and Shannon Mckibben, her brothers Elton, Eugene, Thurman, and Preston Upshaw, sister-in laws Willie Dee Smith and Georgie Upshaw, one grandson Matthew Mize, two great grandsons, special aunt and friends Wanda Lyles and husband Mack, nephew Freddy Upshaw, and life-long friend Lovess Curlee.
Left to cherish her memory are sons, Benny Mize and wife Claudia of Fairfield, TX, Kim Mize and wife Gayla of Abilene, TX; grandchildren Shane Mize and wife Hannah, Jaimi Carbajal and husband Daniel, Ben Mize and wife Lauren, and Emily Mize, step-granddaughter Aubrey Woerner and husband Thor, step-grandson John Faught; great-grandchildren Grace Ann, Gibson, Aiden, Hayden, Landry, Ruby, Isaac, and Lily, a step-great-granddaughter, Cobey Woerner; sister-in laws LaVerne and Verna Lou Upshaw, numerous nieces and nephews; and “adopted” children Bruce Hatch and Brenda Hodge.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 8, at 2 PM at the Calvary Baptist Church in Brownwood with Pastor Artie Woodcox officiating. Burial will follow in the Eastlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Davis-Morris Funeral Home.
Family visitation will be held from 1 until 2 prior to the service at the church.
Friends and family are encouraged to send condolences to www.davismorrisfh.com.
