Billie Irene Seago Roberts Dougherty was born on Nov. 8, 1935, on Dozier Creek, located in the Dozier community near Samnorwood, Texas. She passed away following complications from a stroke on July 31, 2025, in Parkview Hospital in Wheeler, Texas.
Billie was born to Samuel Alfred Seago and Willie Emma Nixon as a “miracle baby” near Dozier Creek, as the doctor from Wellington, Texas was unable to make it in time for her birth. Sam and Willie — “Pa” and “Granny” to the family — raised Billie, and eventually, her younger sister Shirley, in a small “half-dugout” home with a dirt floor until eventually moving into a farmhouse on their land.
The family worked in the cotton fields together, with the girls attending school nearby in Wrinklesocks. Billie had to walk two miles to meet the school bus, which may have been uphill and in the snow at times. Eventually, all of the local schools consolidated into Samnorwood, and the family became a part of the Samnorwood community.
Billie’s early life was characterized by hardship: the Great Depression, hard work in cotton fields and her mother’s debilitating stroke during Billie’s childhood. Granny continued working alongside Sam and caring for the family, despite her partial paralysis, which modeled hard work and perseverance to Billie and her sister.
Sam was a tough-minded man who believed in prioritizing work over fun, so the family lived without many “frivolous” things, such as vacations or other leisure activities. It’s no surprise that Billie grew up to view tuna with peanuts or cottage cheese as delicacies.
Pa was tempered by Granny’s gentle spirit and kindness though, and Billie inherited the best of both of her parents. Even in better times and later life, Billie continued to be simple, frugal and hard-working, while retaining the patience and gentle spirit of her mother. She continued to save, save, save, wash plastic ware and find creative ways to feed her family, such as bologna in tortillas.
When Billie was 16, a young man named Charles Runnel Roberts waved hello to her, and they were married after two months of dating. Billie and Charles would build a life together during his career in the U.S. Army, living in several locations around the world, such as Germany, Alaska, Virginia, Lawton, Oklahoma and Mineral Wells, Texas. While Charles served in the military, Billie spent her time raising the three children they welcomed along the way, Charles, Connie and Debbie.
Billie specifically recalled traveling through airports “carrying Debbie, keeping up with luggage, Connie hanging on to her ‘skirt tale’ and Charles Jr. following close behind.” When Charles Sr. was sent to Vietnam in 1970, Billie returned to Dozier to raise the kids near her parents.
Charles would return in 1972 and retire from the military after being a “lifer,” and the family would settle into a new home in Samnorwood, where Billie worked occasionally in the lunchroom and her daughters (and their children) would attend school.
After moving to Samnorwood, Billie was able to complete the LVN program through Clarendon College in 1987 and began a career in nursing. She would work at Shamrock General Hospital and the hospital’s clinic for many years, including several years in the hospital’s pharmacy with Debbie, until retiring in 2021 at the age of 85 years old.
In 1987, Charles Sr. passed away following a battle with lung cancer, and Billie became a widow for the first time. She continued working and being the center of the family that had grown to include six grandchildren. In 1989, Billie was married to Chester Gordon Dougherty, and the couple continued to be the center and strength of the family, even instituting a small family reunion called “Nanny Day” each summer. Even when Billie and Gordon moved to her final residence in Shamrock, they continued to be the hub of family life.
The last several years of Billie’s life tested her strength as she continued to work part-time and travel to see grandchildren and great-grandchildren, despite Gordon passing away in 2019 and her first stroke in 2024.
In spite of these struggles, Billie was quick to laugh, to joke, to love and to yell at the Dallas Cowboys. She loved watching basketball and reality TV shows. Her grandkids loved joking with her, calling her “One Pot Nanny” and telling her they were going to take her to see the movie “Twister.” She was deathly afraid of storms.
She continued to be fiercely independent and even drive until she experienced her second stroke on July 17, 2025. Billie spent the final two weeks of her life being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family and friends in Parkview Hospital. She took her final earthly breath on July 31 and entered into her next phase in her heavenly home.
Billie was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Willie; her first husband, Charles Sr.; her second husband, Gordon; and her stepson, Chester.
She is survived by her sister, Shirley Flowers, of Wheeler; her children, Charles Roberts Jr. and wife Mary Alice, of Samnorwood, Connie Farrar and husband Terry, of Wheeler, and Debbie Simpson and husband David, of Lela, Texas; stepson Gene Dougherty and wife Donna; stepdaughter Joyce Barnard and husband Larry; stepdaughter-in-law Donna Dougherty; her grandchildren, Andy Simpson and wife Catherine, Lindsy Krehbiel and husband Frank, Charla Cook and husband Shannon, Nick Simpson and wife Beth, Landon Dwyer and wife Alicia and Scott Roberts and wife Mary; 18 great-grandchildren, Christian, Trae and wife Lisette, Claire, Bralee, Cooper, Brooke, Anna, Brynne, Pierson, Elijah, Michael, Gabriel, John, Drew, Presley, Rae, Logan and Rhyder; a great-greatgrandchild, Kai; a nephew, Randy Bowerman; and many cousins and friends.
Funeral services took place at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6 at First Baptist Church in Shamrock, followed immediately by graveside services at Shamrock Cemetery. Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors of Shamrock.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Meals on Wheels of Shamrock or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Sign the online guest book at robertsonfuneral. com.
