Mabel J Oakes

December 12, 1914 – November 4, 2011

MabelJ. Oakes of Grand Junction, Colorado went to be with her Lord on November 4, 2011 at her home. On the 12th of December 1914 Mabel was the fourth born of twelve to Lee Thomas and Junia Alma (Walker) Horton in Big Piney, Missouri. She would tell stories on how her family lived 2 or 3 miles from the closest post office, school house, and general store. They walked everywhere they needed to go and since Mabel and her siblings only had one pair of shoes a year they would go barefooted most of the time.

When there was a big snow, her father would hitch a horse to a big log and drag it to create a path so the children could walk to school. The school that she attended was a one-room school house with only one teacher whom she was very fond of. Mabel loved school, but unfortunately she was rarely able to attend because she and her older sister Marble had to stay home to take care of their younger siblings, so she never had the opportunity to finish school. Her mother would make the girls dresses and they only had two each, one for church and one for every day. Mabel hated her everyday dress so she would swipe her brother Ray’s overalls.

When she was 13 years old she moved with her family to Pampa, Texas for work in the oil fields. Mabel was 25 when she married Sterling Eugene Simmons on December 2, 1939. Her husband was a cowboy and rancher so she took on the responsibilities of a rancher’s wife. They lived outside of Santa Rosa, New Mexico on a ranch called Driggers (Bar Y). They stayed there until their two daughters Patricia Jean and Frankie Ann were able to attend school. Then they moved to the 7-V Ranch near Bellview, New Mexico.

Mabel was usually very busy during her days, cooking for the ranch hands and keeping up with her household, but sometimes she would find the time to ride with her husband, which she loved to do. For a short time they lived in Tucumcari to tend to Sterling’s health, but later relocated to Burn’s Ranch in Nara Vista, New Mexico where Sterling passed away on September 1, 1949.

After Sterling’s passing,Mabel and the girls moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. While living in Albuquerque,Mabel worked at a dress shop for a short time, and then later a cook for the all girls’ catholic school. Soon Mabel met and married George Raymond Mullins in Albuquerque. George was a welder and diesel mechanic so after 3 years of marriage they all moved to Farmington, New Mexico so he could work. Mabel went back to retail; she first worked at a dry goods store and then Black’s Pharmacy that soon became one of her favorite places to work. She ran the register and worked the front of the store; on most days it was just her and two pharmacists. As always Mabel was very involved with her church and was a member of the Rebecca’s, the women’s chapter of the Odd Fellow’s Fraternity in Farmington. After the girls graduated from Farmington High School and several years of marriage, George and Mabel parted ways, but remained friends throughout the years.

On September 17, 1959 Mabel married Fred Wesley Oakes in Nucla, Colorado where Patricia and her family lived; coincidentally it was also Patricia’s birthday. In 1960 Fred and Mabel moved to Morrow Bay, California where Fred was the Captain of the Morrow Bay Fire Department and a member of the search and rescue squad. While living in California Mabel and Fred dabbled in real estate by buying and selling homes. They also ventured into the wholesale gardening business where they rented a plot of land with a few other people and farmed lots of vegetables, but mostly tomatoes and snow peas. Their produce was then sold to local restaurants and grocery stores. Her family recalls how thin and fit she was while she worked really hard on her gardens.

After Fred’s retirement and 30 years spent in California, Fred and Mabel decided to move to Grand Junction, Colorado to be closer to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mabel and Fred spent the duration of their lives in Grand Junction. Both of them had retired from work, but Mabelstill volunteered her time and talents to her church as well as the Veteran’s Hospital. She was also an active member of T.O.P.S. (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) and enjoyed winning awards and earning promotions for her efforts. Mabel’s true enjoyment was being with her friends and family. Every year she would go on road trips with Patricia to Texas and Oklahoma to visit family afar and on a daily basis she would visit with her friends and play dominos with them. She also took on responsibilities helping Patricia with her household and family, including taking part in the upbringing of her first Great Grandchild Phoenix Price (Hadley). In her spare time when she wasn’t cooking, canning, teaching lessons, visiting, or volunteering, she would read her bible and the news, go for walks and talk to her lord.

Mabel was preceded in death by per parents, Lee and Junia Horton; 5 brothers: Willie Lee Horton, Franklin Levy Horton, Clinton Ossie Horton, Dillard Elmon Horton, and Lloyd Eugene Horton; and 2 sisters: Mary Marble BlackstockProvine and Eunice Ann Smith Ratliff; a stepdaughter, Annie Pauline Seitz and her husband, Claude “Red” Seitz; a great-grandson, Ryder Price Hadley; a step-grandson, Tommy Oakes; and her constant companion for almost 20 years, a little black cocker spaniel named, Blackie.

Mabel is survived by her daughters: Patricia Jean and husband, Stephen Price, of Grand Junction, CO, and Frankie (Ann) Geneiva and husband, Thomas Martin, of Wayne, OK. Stepson, Wesley Oakes and his wife, Penny, and 2 daughters: Nikki and Chrystal, of Grand Junction, CO. Grandson, Marc Price and wife, Shannon; great-granddaughter, Brenna; and step-great-grandson, Jeremy Badour, of Jacksonville Beach, FL.Grandson, Chris Price, of Silt, CO. Grandson, Stan Martin and wife Andrea; great-grandsons: Sam and Jose, of Wayne, OK. Grandson, Danny Martin, of Wayne, OK; and foster-grandson, Tommy Miller and wife Kandi, of Chickasha, OK.Great-granddaughter, Phoenix (Price) and husband, Austin Hadley; and great-great-granddaughter, Amelia, of New Castle, CO.Great-granddaughter, Jessica (Martin) and husband, Brain Kumfer; and great-great-grandson, Landon, of Denham Springs, LA.Great-granddaughter, Jamie (Martin) Feagin; and great-great-granddaughter, Jayden, of Denham Springs, LA.Great-granddaughter, Christina Martin, of Denham Springs, LA.Grandson, Jim Seitz and wife, Sue, of Amarillo, TX. Sterling Thomas Horton and wife, Virginia, of Amarillo, TX; brother, Ora Horton, and wife, Faye, of Sherwood, AR; brother, Robert Horton, and wife, Alma Wade, of Oklahoma City, OK. Sister, Evaline Henry and Jim Harper of LeFors, TX.Sister, Alma Wade, of Oklahoma City, OK.Sister-in-law, Allene Horton of Medford, OR.Nephew, BismarkBlackstock of Pampa, TX. ; along with a host of other nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held at Martin Mortuary on Wednesday, November 9, between 12 noon and 1:00 pm. A Celebration of Life Service will begin at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, November 9, at Martin Mortuary. Interment will be held in Memorial Gardens Cemetery following the funeral service.