Dorcille Lou Widener, 86, of Memphis, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Lubbock,Texas.
Funeral services took place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Memphis with Dale Griswold and Daniel Downey officiating. Burial followed in Fairview Cemetery in Memphis. Viewing was held at the funeral home from 9-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23. Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors of Memphis.
Dorcille was born in Ft. Worth, Texas, on Aug. 8, 1938, to Cecil and Dorothy Slade Stargel. The family moved to Eli, Texas, when she was eight years old, and she attended school there for two years. Dorcille later moved to Memphis, where she met and married her high school sweetheart, Whimpy Widener, on Aug. 23, 1956, in Memphis. Dorcille and Whimpy later added five boys to their family.
Dorcille was a homemaker for many years before she worked for Memphis Independent School District for 20 years, as a secretary, teacher assistant and bus driver. After that, she worked in the tax office for eight years. Along with these jobs, she was still able to lovingly raise and care for her husband and five sons. She raised her children in the First Christian Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher for several years. She was a member of the Assembly of God Church in her later years.
Dorcille was a hardworking woman who helped on the farm. Hand moving pipe, cleaning horse stalls and taking her boys to horse shows were things she never shied away from. She was a second mom to all the neighborhood kids and always made sure all the kids at the horse shows were fed as their short cook. Dorcille never missed her sons’ or grandchildren’s sporting events; she was truly their biggest fan. There was nothing more that Dorcille loved than having her rowdy family all together. She always wanted her family to “remember who you are.”
She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Whimpy, in 2021.
Dorcille is survived by her five sons, Cliff Widener, of Ada, Okla., Tim Widener, of Memphis, Jeff Widener and wife Jennifer, of Memphis, Jade Widener and wife Tonya, of Memphis, and Ben Widener and wife Jane, of Wellfleet, Neb.; sister Sondra Stargel, of Amarillo, Texas; brother Jack Stargel and wife Vicky, of Katy, Texas; 18 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and several special friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Assembly of God Church in Memphis.
Sign the online guest book at robertsonfuneral.com.
