Rita Lorene Vickery

Rita Lorene Vickery was born on August 26, 1942 in the small West Texas town of Coleman, Texas to Joseph Coleman (“J.C”) Adian and Bessie Stoup Adian. Rita passed from this earth on May 25th, 2024, surrounded by all of her children. Rita is preceded in death by her husband Buddy Vickery, her parents, “J.C” and Bessie Adian and her sister, Martha McCarty.

Rita is survived by her two brothers, James Adian of Allen, Texas and Joe Adian of Diana, Texas as well as five children, daughter Cynthia Harris of Longview, Texas, son Frank Vickery (and wife Traci) of Odessa, Texas, daughter Renee Phillips (and husband David) of Kilgore, Texas, son Raymond Vickery (and wife Cindy) of Diana, Texas and daughter Michelle Agbeshie (and husband Sam) of Farmington, Minnesota. She is further survived by eleven grandchildren (Philip, Lorrie, Joshua, Taylor, Brandon, Nicole, Justin, Lindsay, Ashley, Jesse, Jacob), eighteen great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Rita was loved by many others in Longview and the surrounding communities. Rita was a stay at home mother for many years, raising her five children. Later on in her life, she decided to work outside of the home and chose to be a cook at several nursing facilities. She enjoyed meeting and interacting with the residents of the various facilities and took pride in the fact that many complimented her on the meals she prepared for them. Rita worked in these nursing facilities into her 70’s and occasionally commented in a comical way that she was older than some of the residents she took care of.

Rita loved cooking for her family and always had hot food either cooking or warming on the stove top if she knew someone would be visiting. She especially liked cooking a large breakfast, particularly tomato gravy, fried salt port and homemade biscuits. She could take the most simple ingredients and make an excellent, and usually large, tasty meal. All of her children had their favorite meals and would, more often than not, request those meals if they were coming for a visit. If they were coming from out of town, she would always ask “…what do you want to eat?” and would usually have it ready when they arrived, even when told “Mom, you don’t have to do that. It’s going to be late when I get in.” She was going to cook for you, whether you asked for it or not.

Rita thoroughly enjoyed “going to the boats” with her children and grandchildren. She never “won big” but she always had a great time while trying to. Rita enjoyed growing and tending to flowers and plants in her back yard and could spend hours perusing the local nurseries and pottery businesses in the Longview area. Rita loved seeing and talking to all of her children, but especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was thrilled to learn how to “FaceTime” with them and it made her so happy to be able to see their faces while they talked to “Granny.”

Rita Vickery, “Mom or Granny” to so many, was a wonderful, kind, loving lady that would do whatever she could to help her family, no matter the cost or the sacrifice to her personally. If she could help, she would try, no matter the age or circumstances of those asking or of those needing the help.

Funeral services for Mrs. Vickery will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024 at 10:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Diana with Pastor Marc Minter officiating.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 30 from 5:00-7:00 pm at Croley Funeral Home in Diana.  Interment will take place following the services in the Reed Cemetery.

She will be missed by her family and friends.

She will forever and always be remembered and loved by her family.