Agnes "Tate" Fipps

Agnes "Tate" Fipps, 89, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 after a long battle with dementia. Services will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, September 16, 2011 at Temple First Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Don Boesel and Rev. J.J. James officiating. Burial will follow at Bellwood Memorial Park. Visitation with the family will be from 6-8:00 PM Thursday, September 15, 2011 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home. Tate was born on September 10, 1922 in Moody, Texas to Olan and Abbie (Green) Connell. She was raised in the Stringtown/Dyess Grove community near Heidenheimer. She lived in the Temple area her entire life, graduating from Temple High in 1940. She married J.W. Fipps on December 22, 1942. They enjoyed raising their family in Temple and had 68 wonderful years of marriage. She retired in 1985 after 20 years of service with First National Bank of Temple (Extraco). She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene for over 70 years, serving as Youth President, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School class secretary and church greeter. Tate dedicated her life to loving God and loving her husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, family and friends. Her family and friends will remember her for her kindness, her sweet spirit, and her infectious laugh. She was compassionate and had a true servant's heart, always putting others before herself. She was preceded in death by her son, Johnny Garland Fipps; her daughter, Patrice Fipps; her parents, Olan and Abbie Connell; her brothers, O'Dell Connell, Thomas Connell, LaVoy Connell; and sisters, Geraldine Dukatnik and Earlyne Jones. She is survived by her husband, J.W. Fipps of Temple; daughters, Francine Trygstad and husband Paul of Homer, Alaska, Debbie Gilley and husband Gery of Temple and Brenda Gribble and husband Rocky of Grapevine, TX; sisters, Lucille Murphy and Mildred McQueen, both of Temple; seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to express their gratitude to our Temple First Nazarene Church family as well as Visiting Angels, Temple Living Center East, Lighthouse Hospice and many friends for their loving care for Tate and the family. Pallbearers will be Ryan Gilley, Chad Ruff, Bob McQueen, Ron Elliott, Paul Elliott and David Roberson. Honorary pallbearers will be Paul Trygstad, Gery Gilley, Rocky Gribble, Lawrence Ed Gunn, Homer Elliott, Clint Walker, Leo Bender and Lyn Vaden. The family has requested that memorials be made in Tate's honor to the First Church of the Nazarene Building Fund or Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 5000 S. 31st Street, Temple, Texas 76502.