Jolene Katherine Purvis

Jolene was born on October 7, 1956, in Hays, Kansas to Richard A. and Bertha (Windholz) Brown. She attended and graduated from Victoria High School in 1974 and then attended beauty school. That same year, she married Gerald Kuhn. The two of them celebrated the birth of their daughter in 1977. In 1982, after a divorce, she moved to Lovington, New Mexico where she later met Willie Joe Purvis, Sr. The two were united in marriage in Hobbs on December 2, 1988. Together they blended and raised 3 children. Through the years, Jolene and Joe welcomed several nieces and nephews into the home and raised them alongside their own.

Jolene opened a daycare in her home in 1988. She started out small but that didn’t last long. Word spread all over Hobbs and, before she knew it, people were reaching out by the handfuls. She loved having a houseful and that’s exactly how it was up until she moved to Lubbock in 2021. She was not only a “Gammy” to her own grandchildren but to all the children that came through her front door. She even kept generations of kids. She was also known for her amazing food. She was a fabulous cook that made multi course meals for both the daycare kids and her family every day. All the kids loved it at Gammy and Pa’s so much that they would ask to stay the night with them. She would let them take turns staying, and it didn’t matter if it was a weeknight or weekend. Her home was always filled with love, laughter and food! The lady had a heart as big as Texas and love that never ceased. She was a true caretaker of all and always put everyone else before herself, even into her last days on this earth.

In 2021, Jolene and Joe (aka: Gammy and Pa) moved to Lubbock where their daughter and family reside. That didn’t stop her from falling back into the field of daycare, which she loved so much. Once again, her home was filled with love and children. The number of lives she has touched over the years, young and old, is immeasurable.

In 2023, she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. As the months raced by, her health continued to decline which forced her into retirement in October 2024. After a long two-year battle with the disease, the Lord took her home.

To know her, was to love her. Jolene was a great example of Jesus. She was patient, kind, humble and wise and had a servant heart like no other. Her love for taking care of others led her to take in many and raise them as her own. Whether they were blood or not, she would have a place in her home, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is survived by her husband of 36 years, Willie Joe Purvis, Sr. of Lubbock, Texas. Three children, Jennifer Oaks and husband Kelly of Lubbock, Texas; Joe-Joe Purvis and wife Kathy of Hobbs, New Mexico; Josh Purvis and wife Kassandra of Lancaster, California. Grandchildren, Bailey Oaks and wife Karolina, Brittney Jackson and husband Austin and Braxley Oaks, all of Lubbock, Texas; Shawn Purvis of Greenville, Pennsylvania; Chrissie Purvis of Hobbs, New Mexico; Jesse Purvis and Carter Purvis of Rogers, Arkansas; Aayden Purvis and Bella Stock of Lancaster, California; and Kynleigh Purvis and Kymbriah Purvis of Little Elm, Texas. Brothers, Jr. Brown and Rodney Brown, and sisters, Colene Schmitt and Galene Steckel, all of Kansas; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Bertha Brown; brother, Roger Brown; and two nephews.

The viewing will be held Sunday, August 10, 2025, from 5-7 PM. The funeral service will occur on Monday, August 11, 2025, from 10:00-11:00 AM at Resthaven Funeral Home (Abbey Chapel) in Lubbock, Texas.

Jolene will also be celebrated with a memorial service that will be held Tuesday, August 12, 2025, from 10:00-11:00 AM at Christian Center Church in Hobbs, New Mexico. Jolene will be laid to rest at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.