Greta Watts was born to Arch and Cora Russell on April 18, 1919, in Grass Valley, OR. She was the third of eight children. There was no high school where they lived, so she moved to the Dalles, Oregon to attend high school. She worked for her room and board, graduating in 1937. She went to Portland to work for a Steamship Insurance Company as a secretary and was promoted to office manager.
She met her husband, Sgt. Rex E. Watts, at a Baptist church social for the country’s servicemen. That day marked the first day of the rest of their lives – and Rex’s last as a Methodist. Greta told Rex when they moved to Dallas for his job at Southland Corporation, “You may have wooed me to Texas and away from my family, but you’re not wooing me away from my church. You’re a Baptist now!” They joined Cliff Temple Baptist Church in 1949 and were members there for the rest of their lives.
After marrying in August 1942, Rex and Greta had three children. She chose to work full time while she raised her kids. But when Rex retired in the late 1970s, she retired, too. “I’ll be darned if I’m gonna get up at 6 a.m. and leave him lolling around the house by himself!” she said.
That’s when Greta discovered Avon and it was a match made in heaven. Selling Avon was a passion that allowed her to spend time with customers – those who were her friends and those who became her friends. When Rex passed away in 1998, Greta continued selling Avon, usually achieving President’s Club status. After forty years she reluctantly stepped down at the age of 95.
Greta and Rex enjoyed traveling and league bowling. Greta also played a mean game of pool. And she was competitive. She didn’t mind giving you a few pointers, but she wasn’t going to let you win, even if you were her granddaughter and even if you were nine years old. Greta wasn’t a sore loser either, but most of the time she didn’t end up having to prove it.
She was a member of the Oak Cliff Women’s Club for 22 years. She enjoyed ceramics, crochet, working crossword puzzles in pen, reading murder mysteries, and gardening. She loved flowers and no one had a greener thumb.
She lived independently for 21 years in the same house she moved into with Rex almost 50 years ago. But on January 18, three months shy of her 100th birthday, God decided she was moving in with Him.
Greta is survived by her children, Terry, Rex (Rick) and wife Marilyn, Susan Watts and husband Bruce Hulse; grandchildren Nicki Cooper, Wendy Brownlee and husband Jim, and Blake Hulse; great-grandchildren Kamryn Brownlee, Cullum Brownlee, Brennan Cooper, and Breckan Cooper; and sister Irma Collins. We will all miss her more than words can express.
Visitation will be Friday, Feb. 1 from 6-8 pm at David Clayton Funeral Home, 200 W. Center St. in Duncanville. Service will be Saturday, Feb. 2 at 11:00 am at Cliff Temple Baptist Church, 125 Sunset Ave. in Oak Cliff. Reception immediately following.
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