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A Visitation service for Sally Estes, 77, of Nacogdoches, will be held from 4-6PM on Saturday, February 20, at Laird Funeral Home.
Mrs. Estes passed away on Friday, February 12, 2021 in Nacogdoches. She was born on May 1, 1943 in Emporia, Kansas.
Sally Kay Estes – Born May 1, 1943 and passed away on Feb. 12, 2021. She was the baby of the family. Her parents were Calvin & Blanche Murphy. Her older siblings are sister & brother-in-law, Callie & Loren Reber and brother & sister-in-law, Earl & Patsy Murphy. Sally has two children, Camala Phillips, husband Randy, and Troy Estes, wife Tara. Her grandchildren are Collin Phillips, Dakota Phillips, Hunter Estes, Rylee Aranda, husband Juan and one very special great grandson, Diamel Aranda. She has many niece, nephews, cousins & friends.
Sally accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior in 1954 and he was her strength in life. She later reconfirmed her faith. She attended grade school in Olpe, KS, graduated High School in Emporia, KS and was a very active member of the Madison Rainbow Girls. She belonged to Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a philanthropic organization and held all the offices.
She married her high-school sweetheart, Larry, on Sept. 16, 1961. They have enjoyed nearly 60 wonderful years together. Through the long nights with the wrecker service & keeping the books at the body shop, she was a trooper always standing by Larry’s side. She was a stay-at-home mom while the kids were at home and then later worked part-time at Moon Abstract & Larry Estes Body & Wrecker.
She lived a busy & active life as a wife & mother. She was the rock, the caretaker, a tough cookie, the peace maker, the chef, the quilter, the crafty lady, the grandma & mimi, the sister, aunt, cousin and friend to so many. The most recent title she was given was Great Grandma to sweet Diamel.
Sally taught Sunday School, vacation bible school, confirmation classes and anything needed at the First United Methodist Church in Emporia when Camala & Troy were growing up. She taught her children great values & a love for the Lord that they have tried to pass on to their children. She had a sturdy hand, but with more love than any two children could ever need.
In the early years the family enjoyed many motorhome trips throughout the US. Her bags were packed and she was always ready to go. There were beach trips to Florida, fun trips to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Nashville, many camping trips to Colorado, snowmobiling & dog sledding in Wyoming, great adventures to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the Caribbean.
She enjoyed the many hours on the road from Emporia, KS to St. Joe, MO to Nacogdoches, TX to see her grandchildren in any event, program or sport that was happening.
Sally inherited her mother’s love of sewing & making things. She was always very crafty. After moving to Nacogdoches she joined the Nacogdoches Quilters Guild and has made many quilts and cherished friendships during her time with these lovely ladies.
Sally never met a stranger & made friends everywhere she went. She was always interested in everything around her. She taught us all what self-lessness was.
In her own words, “There is nothing in the world that means more to me than my husband, kids and grandkids. What a joy they have brought me all these years. I hope they know how much they all mean to me.” Mom, we know!
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Ronald McDonald House of Ft Worth, 1001 8th Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104 or the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Attn: Gary Jones, 650 Rd K7, Olpe, KS 66865.
Services for Sally Estes are as follows:
Visitation at Laird Funeral Home on Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
Graveside Service Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Olpe, KS on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 2:00pm. Following burial the family will receive friends & family at Olpe Chicken House.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sally Estes, please visit our floral store.