Obituaries

Ida Allene Roberts Windham

Photo of Ida Allene Roberts Windham
IDA ALLENE ROBERTS WINDHAM was united with her Heavenly Father on June 3, 2017, and was reunited with family and friends gone before her. She was 92. Mrs. Windham was born April 19, 1925, in Waxahachie, Texas, to Allie Hester Roberts and Ida Ella Huckeba Roberts. She was the youngest of six siblings and the only girl. She loved her five older brothers: E. J., Vernon, Austin, Maurice and Bobby Roberts; and told many tall tales about their adventures. Mrs. Windham also loved the mother who raised her, Sarah Elizabeth (Lizzie) Wynn Medart. After graduating from Waxahachie High School in 1944, Allene Roberts married Ralph Edwin Windham on April 6, 1946, in Waxahachie. They worked tirelessly to create a family characterized by a strong work ethic, a commitment to lifelong learning, and adventures including traveling, camping and boating. Mrs. Windham was a voracious reader, an ardent gardener, and a recognized flower show organizer, participant and blue ribbon winner. Wherever the family lived, she devotedly served and participated in the community. She was an officer in the Women's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist church; a learned Sunday school teacher of all ages; and a mentor and leader of the Girls' Auxiliary, where she coached her daughters in Bible study and Scripture memorization. She was also a mentor and leader in Camp Fire Girls during the years her daughters participated; and a volunteer and officer in PTA during her daughters' school years. Mrs. Windham encouraged and supported her husband and her daughters in all their endeavors. Whenever and wherever the family moved for Mr. Windham's employment – Waco, Marlin, Fort Worth, Texas – Mrs. Windham would locate the best schools, acquire library cards for the nearest library, visit prospective churches for the family's next church home, find museums and seek other extracurricular activities to enrich her daughters' lives. She and her husband provided them with the love of learning, an appreciation for the fine arts, the discipline for hard work, and compassion for others. She was a meticulous bookkeeper and also worked in a wide variety of jobs over the years, including bank teller, church financial secretary, veterinary office financial secretary, plant nursery sales and operations, and independent sales manager. After retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Windham moved to Little Rock to be near their youngest daughter's family and favorite vacation destination, Lake Ouachita. Mrs. Windham was a lifelong advocate for civil rights and equal opportunity. She always had a helping hand and a compassionate heart for those in need. She was preceded in death by her husband and a great-granddaughter, Bright Davis. She is survived by her daughters, Sharland Glynne Windham of Bethany, Okla., Sarah Windham Forsyth of Fort Worth and Dr. Shirley Reid of Little Rock; her grandchildren, Jon Kirkpatrick and his wife, Kara; Aaron Forsyth and his wife, Rachel; Austin Forsyth and his wife, Keir; Ashlan Reid Davis and her husband, Martin; Emily Reid Greenwood and her husband, Matt; and Caitlin Reid McKee and her husband, Steven; and her great-grandchildren, Haydn Kirkpatrick, Sydney and Wyatt Forsyth, Merit Forsyth, Carew and Ruthie Davis, and Thomas and Adalynn Greenwood; and generations of nieces and nephews. Celebrations of Mrs. Windham's life are planned for this summer at Waxahachie and Italy, Texas, and Lake Ouachita. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published June 11, 2017

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