Billie Mixon

11/05/2023 12:00 AM

January 28, 1933 – October 26, 2023

Billie Jean (Tatum) Mixon, devoted wife, supportive mother, adoring Grana and good friend to many, passed away peacefully Thursday, October 26, 2023, at the age of 90.

Billie Jean was born at home on the family farm in Barry, Texas, to Joe Marshall and Lillie (French) Tatum on January 28, 1933. She attended school outside of Corsicana, Texas, in the Bryan Community when fifth-to-eighth grades were in one classroom.

She graduated from Blooming Grove High School in 1950 with a class of 16. The classmates remained close throughout their lives.

After setting a friend up on a blind date, she asked the favor be returned and she met Billy “Bill” Mixon in 1951 when she was 18 years old. They married five months and five days later and were almost married 55 years when Bill passed away in 2006.

They had accepted children were not in their future and became very involved godparents to their best friends’ children when the husband passed away.

After 22 years of marriage though, at 40 and 43 years old, they received a huge shock and were blessed with a baby girl. (It really shouldn’t have been a surprise since her mother had been 39 when Billie was born.)

Needless to say that after having already traveled and played all those years, Jo Lynn was their “new toy” and was admittedly spoiled, in a good way.

Right out of high school, Billie worked at Dyer’s Department Store in Corsicana doing whatever Mr. Dyer needed, including watching for shoplifters. In 1952, she went to work for Lone Star Gas Company as secretary to the executive manager and she worked there until her daughter was one.

When she flipped her car on black ice one morning on her way to work, Bill informed her that one of them was going to stay home and raise their daughter and she could decide which one of them it would be.

She then became a wonderful stay at home mom. She sewed matching clothes for Jo Lynn and herself and sewed Bill’s suits. Every day was a new adventure.

When Jo Lynn started school, Billie started her career with Lancaster ISD. She was a substitute teacher for several years before becoming secretary of the new intermediate school and eventually retired as secretary of the alternative center.

Billie always said that she and Bill were never as busy as they were when they retired. She was a founding member of the Blooming Grove Ruth Ramsey Scholarship Committee. She volunteered with the Pink Ladies at Navarro Regional Hospital.

She was a member of Kinsloe House, the Woman’s Club House Association of Navarro County. Bill and she also cleaned and kept the grounds for the Blooming Grove Church of Christ which her father had helped start. They were always ready to lend a hand wherever it was needed.

Billie was preceded in death by her parents, Joe Marshall and Lillie Tatum; her infant brother, Joe Marshall Tatum, Jr.; and her husband, Bill Mixon.

Billie is survived and missed by her precious only child, Jo Lynn Mixon Fisher; her favorite son-in-law that she loved to banter with, Dusty Fisher; her favorite blue-eyed grandson, Mixon Fisher, and her favorite brown-eyed grandson, Jaxon Fisher; her godchildren, Dr. Pamela Conn and Billy Conn and wife Carolyn; her god grandchildren, Alisha Massey, Andrew Conn and Katelyn Conn; her beloved extended Mixon family; her French cousins who remained close; and many lifelong friends.

Services will be held in Corsicana at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home on Saturday, November 4, 2023, with Visitation at 1 p.m. and the Funeral at 2:30 p.m., followed by interment at Dresden Cemetery with Bill Rasco officiating.

Song leader will be David Haden. Pallbearers will be Jaxon Fisher, Billy Conn, Andrew Conn, Kenton Wayne Ferrell, Calvin Rasco, Sr. and David Haden.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to the Blooming Grove Church of Christ at P.O. Box 183, Blooming Grove, TX 76626, or to India Evangelism at P.O. Box 153238, Lufkin, TX 75915.

To leave condolences and view a video of Billie’s life, please visit www.ebensberger- fisher.com.