Person:Ardellia Thomas (1)

Ardellia Thomas Reno Jones, 87, went to be with her Father in heaven on Monday, Sep. 20th. Her funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, the 23rd of Sep. in Bowman Chapel at First United Methodist Church at 1411 Broadway. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. Visitation will be Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Sanders Funeral Home.

Ardellia was born Oct. 1, 1922 in Coppell Texas to Lawrence and Hattie Gentry Thomas. She attended schools in Clinton and Floyd Texas. Even though she was small in stature, she was big in attitude and was the captain of her basketball team and a star on the defense. Her family had one of the first cars in their small community and she learned to drive when she was 13. She had to sit on books to make her tall enough to see over the steering wheel. She was always ready to go when needed and loved to shop, travel and play with her children and grandchildren.

On Sep. 18, 1939, Ardellia married Fred Reno in Greenville, Texas. They farmed in the Caddo Mills area before moving to West Texas to farm.

Ardellia is survived by three children, daughters Danella Reno Dickson, husband Bill Dickson, Debbie Reno deTournillon, husband Bill deTournillon, all of Lubbock, and son Robbie Reno of Shallowater; five grandchildren, Paul Christensen, Nikki Morgan, Lydia Dickson, Tonya Reno and Trey deTournillon; and four great-grandchildren.

Ardellia married R.E. Jones of Lubbock in 1965 and was married to R.E. until his death in May of 1994. They farmed in the Lubbock area. Ardellia always helped on the farm; she would pull two cotton trailers at a time from the farms to the gin in the center of town. She took doing this difficult and nerve racking job for granted, knowing that it needed to be done and it would allow the men to continue working in the fields.

She was a member of Oakwood Baptist Church and a lifetime Baptist, but after she stopped driving, she attended FUMC with her daughter. She was a longtime member of the Stephen W. Wilkinson Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Kerenhappuch Norman Chapter of Colonial Dames of the 17th Century. She had beautiful gardens, was a member of several gardening groups, and loved Marsha Sharp's Lady Raiders.

Ardellia was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Stanly Thomas; a sister, Fredna Thomas Weatherly; a grandson, Dennis deTournillon; and two husbands, Fred Reno and R.E. Jones.

The family would like to thank all of her caregivers, Darryl, Lynn, Katie and Brenda at Wedgewood South. We would also like to thank Scott and Carolyn Herron of the Porch Swing and staff members Maricela, Priscilla, Linda and Amy for making our mother's last 18 months a blessing. In addition, we would like to thank Hospice of Lubbock, especially Heidi, Elizabeth, Rose, Serena and Hospice Volunteer Joyce Hicks. Special thanks to Greg Goodnight for the joy that his harp brought our mother in her final days. We will miss her but know that we will see her again.

1. ↑ Find a Grave.

   http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58978552