Del Irene Crume

Del Irene Crume, 81, passed away Tuesday, December 9, 2025 in Wichita Falls.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, December 22, 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5005 I-40 West, Amarillo, Texas 79106. With a reception to follow.

Born in Knox City, Texas, to Jesse Newton Rutherford and Fannie Irene Rutherford. She had three brothers and is survived by one brother, J. B. Rutherford. She was the youngest of 5 sisters, and is survived by Hattie Lou Danley. She is the widow of Van Crume (married in 2003), with whom she shared a son, Chad, who married Marissa, and a daughter, Keralee, who married Tad Clay. She had two grandchildren, Liam and Eliza Clay, whom she loved dearly. She was known to some of her family as “The Great One” and to others as “Gran Del” She had seven nephews and three nieces. She is survived by a niece, Sandy, who married Scott Chapman; and by two great nieces, Sarah, who married Bruce, and Savannah, who married Christopher Payne; one great, great nephew, and eight great, great nieces. Also, she was a great, great, great aunt to Louie Beck. She was blessed to be reunited with her daughter, Kim Tressler, near the end of her life.

Del was a strong-minded, independent woman who spent many years of her life working in an office for The American Quarter Horse Association and SPS in Amarillo, which refers to Southwestern Public Service Company, the electric utility now known as Xcel Energy. Later in life, she chose to work for the Good Care Agency, providing home health care services, until she retired and focused on spending time with her husband, Van, and every stray cat that happened to find its way to her back porch.

Del was a creative, talented artist who loved to paint. She painted everything from rustic country scenes on canvases to wooden folk art, T-shirts, the walls of her home, and, of course, the treasured Christmas ornaments she painted for the kids. She loved the holidays and extended her enthusiasm and generosity to her family and friends at every opportunity. Her creative imagination extended to the stories she told us when we were little, and, of course, I believed every word. She once said to me that kangaroos had flat feet because they got “runned over by a car.” I was more than happy to share this newfound knowledge with anyone who would listen, and not long after, my mother told me not to repeat the stories Aunt Del told because someone might get the wrong idea about my mental abilities. She was the kind of aunt who made elaborate birthday cakes and handmade hairbows, but more importantly, she was the kind of person who made us feel special, like she loved us all the same.

The phrase "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all" comes from a popular Christian hymn by Cecil Frances Alexander, inspired by Bible passages like Psalm 104:24-25. Del was a compassionate person who loved animals and left behind a legacy of rescue, sacrifice, love, and five cats. Panda, Jade, Jinx, Lub, and Star. She once even rescued a wild robin who had been injured in her backyard. She helped it to survive, provided it with a safe home,  and named it Oscar. After she had gone to hospice, while I was there cleaning her house, a beautiful little Siamese kitten came out from under the hedge in front to chase down fall leaves in the driveway. Unbelievably, this little feral cat was so hungry it came up to me and even followed me into the kitchen for a bowl of food. Even though Del had already left the house and I was a total stranger, it seemed the little kitten just knew it would be okay to come inside. That baby kitty is now living a life of luxury and will be cherished forever as a reminder of “The Great One’s” kindness and warm heart.

Just as Del cared for her furbabies, she loved and supported her family and friends. She opened her home to family members on more than one occasion and cared for her husband, Van, when he was ill with cancer. She was an amazing woman, no doubt about it. At 80 years old, she practised Tai Chi, volunteered at Snac Pack 4 Kids, and didn’t take any regular medications. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Amarillo, Texas, and regularly attended Bible study before she became ill. She adored her friends from church, and she was so proud to bring a guest to visit and have communion there. Aunt Del was active and lively, and she made people’s day brighter with her genuine humour and sweet personality. “The Great One,” Gran Del, was a vibrant light in this world who found laughter, joy, and beauty in life. The nurses said they will miss her funny remarks and her interjection of, “Weeh!” every time they entered the room. She will be sorely missed, but she believed in God and found comfort in her faith. She said, “I’m going to a better home,” and we’re ever so grateful that she was a special part of our lives.