Mildred LaVerne Fralicks gained her heavenly wings on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, at the young age of 87. She was surrounded by family and much love.
She was born July 10, 1933 to Jay and Viola Hart in Roberta, Okla. In addition to her parents, she joins three sisters, Undine McWilliams, Nelda Dunn, Bernice Hart, her two brothers, Charles and Wayne Hart in heaven, along with her husband Harold Joe Fralicks. She leaves one surviving sibling – Sue Baker.
At the young age of 16 years old, Laverne married Joe and they began their journey together Dec. 3, 1949. She is survived by all of her five children: Carolyn Ridling and husband, Scott (Colbert), Ronnie Fralicks and wife Scotti (Durant), Brenda Brashier and husband Bobby (Colbert), Linda Creswell (Houston), and Nancy and Scott Hair (Colbert); nine grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. She loved all the spouses as her own as well as any friends or kids that came into her life. She loved her big old family and was always happy when surrounded by them.
LaVerne, or Vernie as her best friend Dolly Nichols called her, was extremely fun loving, and a bit of a prankster. One of her favorite times was Christmas Eve and planning what she was going to put in her white elephant gift. She would talk about who ended up with her gift and their reaction until the next Christmas rolled around.
LaVerne had many experiences in life and was known by many. She spent years as a seamstress at Levi Strauss in Denison. But most knew her as co-owner and operator of The Bamboo Room in Cartwright, Okla. until 1994, when she and Joe retired. However, she couldn’t just sit around so she joined a great group of ladies at the Achille school system as a cafeteria worker. That’s where she met her best friend Dolly and enjoyed many days serving the kids and enjoying her time with her coworkers.
Once she left the school system and truly retired, she enjoyed traveling with her daughter Brenda and family on their annual vacations. Even during her last few days, she was still talking about going to DollyWood.
LaVerne loved any family games, especially the Egg Toss at Easter if she got to hit someone! She loved any family activity that included food and fun with her kids, young and old, around her. She loved baking and cooking for her whole family! She was a joy to us all and will be dearly missed. But she is having so much fun now in her heavenly home, with a healed body and no worries. We are all blessed to have had her with us for many, many years.
Services will be 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 at Kemp Baptist Church, with burial in Colbert Garden of Memory Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Rick Brashier, Craig Blackshear, Josh Meade, Jordan Meade, Austin Manhart, Callen Blackshear, Jace Carter, Mavrick Walker, Mike Glass and Colt Floyd. Pastor Roger Speers will officiate.
Arrangements are entrusted to Cunningham Funeral Home in Colbert. Leave with this poem that we found in her Bible:
The Difference by Alan Grant
I got up early one morning
and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I didn’t have time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me,
and heavier came each task,
“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered.
He answered, “You didn’t ask.”
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn’t show me.
He said, “But you did not seek.”
I tried to come into God’s presence;
I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly chided,
“My child, you didn’t knock.”
I woke up early this morning,
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
that I had to take time to pray.
