Grace LaHoma Oliphant

2 weeks ago Grace "LaHoma" Oliphant was mowing the grass at her Lake LBJ home in Kingsland, Texas. A task she loved and did well and often. Then she got sick for the first time in her life, truly the first time and quickly became the last. Born on June 25, 1936, she told the admitting surgeon at Scott and White Hospital in Round Rock that the last time she was in a hospital was 1960...the day she gave birth to her 4th child.

"LaHoma" (Big Mom and LA) died on December 2, 2015 after a 2 week battle with lung disease that was finally determined as cancer. She lived just 48 hours after the diagnosis.

For those who knew and loved her she was not 79 years old (she acted no more than 60) and she never wanted to live a life of being old and sick, carrying around an oxygen bottle and living in the doctors office...and she didn't.

She would interrupt you to let you know that she was going to be mowing her grass until she died, would not be a burden on her children and would never leave the Texas Hill Country she learned to love from her mother.

She was good at and dedicated to only one thing in her life...her family and her children. She was the cool mom, a tomboy in appearance and spirit and always the outdoor lover.

She was a woman of boundaries and opinions and you did not have to ask...she would always tell you and have the last word. She beat addictions and loss with grace and staked out her territory and rarely left it. She was charming and memorable and deeply loved.

LaHoma was born to Algernon Sidney Jones and Florence Marie Kimball in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She is survived by one of eight siblings Robert Dale Jones (Beverly) of Austin, Texas.

LaHoma married Norris "Jay" Mortensen (1924-1992) and had four children. Julie Kay Davis (Mel of Kansas City, MO) . LaHoma's middle children are twins. Carolyn Sue VanBebber (Marvin of Oklahoma City, OK) and Stephen Norris Mortensen (Julie of Tulsa). Her trip to the hospital in 1960 produced Jayne Ann Mortensen of Kingsland, Texas. They raised their family in Oklahoma City, OK and remained there until Jays death.

Julie and Mel gave Big Mom two grand children: Abby Marie and MacKenzie Megan both of Kansas City, MO.

Carolyn and Marvin gave Big Mom three grand children: Justin VanBebber (Andrea of Dallas, Texas), Jessica Cassil (Daniel of Oklahoma City), Melinda Johnson (Walter of Oklahoma City)

Steve and Julie gave Big Mom four grand children: Taylor Fuller (Brett of Tulsa, OK), Jordan Johnson ( Jeremiah of Overland Park, KS), Will Adam Mortensen ( Natalie of Tulsa, OK) and Alex Mortensen (Soon to be Trevor Hall of Tulsa, OK)

Big Mom became a great grand mother to Ransom and Corley Cassil and Theodore Johnson all of Oklahoma City and Evie VanBebber of Dallas, TX.

In 1993 after the death of her children's father, she married Jack Oliphant (1921-2001) which brought her to the last adventure of her life in her beloved Texas Hill Country.

Her family and friends extends to numerous states with cousins, nieces, nephews and she loved them all...to come visit her at the lake.

The family will celebrate her life in private Christmas gatherings and will hold a celebration of her life for all that loved her, on Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 2:00 PM. Her cremated remains will be scattered at the place she loved most in this world, her home on Lake LBJ in Kingsland.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be made to Scott & White Healthcare Foundation - Round Rock Nursing Excellence Fund http://foundation.sw.org/give/fundraising/round-rock

Sympathies can be mailed to 2122 Williams Lakeshore Drive, Kingsland, Texas 78639.