Dixie Sue Waller
Dixie Sue Waller, of Groesbeck, passed away at Groesbeck LTC on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at age 84.
Funeral services were held Saturday, July 24, 2021, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Steve Nance officiating. Burial followed in Faulkenberry Cemetery.
Pallbearers were her grandsons, Marc Waller, Kevin Waller, Drew Waller, Cash Waller, Mitchell Waller, and Brett Malcik.
Sue was born on October 2, 1936, to Dixon Samuel Long and Annie Lou Esslinger Long in Groesbeck with four siblings. She graduated from Groesbeck High School in the Class of 1955. Sue was very popular, served on the student council and was a cheerleader. There were only 4 cheerleaders, Sue, Martha Hawkins (Stone), Joy Stockton (Cates), and Nelda Clay (Hitchcock) and they were great friends. Sue’s friendship with Martha Hawkins Stone began at 4 years old at Vacations Bible Schools and enjoyed through all the remaining years. Martha remembered one time of spending the night with Sue when the dirt roads became impassable after big rains, and she had to remain there three days till her parents could pick her up. After high school, Sue attended Baylor University.
While Sue was working at the Courthouse in Groesbeck, she met Jerry Waller who was working at the Soil Conservation Office. Sue and Jerry were united in marriage on April 19, 1957 in Groesbeck, TX. They were soon to begin their family as well as beginning a period of many years of moving to the different locations where Jerry’s career took them.
All four children were born in Texas while the family lived in Goldwaith, Bryan-College Station, Waco, Big Spring, Alice, and Denton. Sue attended Texas Women’s University while living in Denton, and while her children were in school. She not only ran the taxi service for the kids but excelled in packing up and moving. She spent tons of time with the kids on the football fields, baseball fields, and basketball courts. Then they lived in Montana for four years, at Bozeman and Missoula, before Jerry was transferred back to the State SCS Office in Temple, TX. They made their home in Temple until 1989.
Sue worked in the publicschool systems throughout the years, and was a substitute teacher in Temple and later in Groesbeck. All of Sue’s paychecks went to the “kid’s” educations, with all four children receiving college degrees. In addition to working and raising her family, she was always cooking, taking care of her lovely home, and enjoyed keeping flowers in her yard and loved trips to BoBo’s for more flowers.
After Jerry retired they built a home on the Long family farm outside Groesbeck and moved there October 1989. Sue was fully involved not only in gathering her family to their home and preparing large meals especially at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, but was always cooking for her various group activities. She was very active in the First United Methodist Church, in the Women’s Methodist Fellowship and singing in the choir up until very recently. She was on the committee to plan and prepare meals for sick and bereaved families and for church fellowships.
Sue was a charter member of the LMC Foundation, participating in many fundraisers that contributed funds to purchase hospital equipment to better serve the community. She was known as the “Queen of Divinity” for the candy, as well as pies, she prepared and donated for sale. When she was no longer able to serve on the board due to health, she was given Emeritus status.
Sue enjoyed travel on cruises and trips with her many friends, and especially shopping trips. She was an active member of the Groesbeck Study Club and the Garden Club and enjoyed Sunday evenings with the “coffee” group.
Sue was busy caring for Jerry in the years his health declined, and after he passed away, she moved into town and stayed very active until her own health problems slowed down her activities over the past year.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Dick and Annie Lou Long; all her siblings: Gene Long, Joe Long, Mary Lou Vestal, and Linda Carpenter; her husband Jerry Waller in 2005; and her son Don Waller in 2020.
She is survived by son, Bob Waller and his children, Cash Waller and Mitchell Waller of Groesbeck; son and daughter-in-law, Jimmy and Gwen Waller and their children, Drew Waller and Leah Waller, of Bellville; daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Michael Malcik and their children, Brooke and Cooper Smith, Brett Malcik and his fiancé Taylor Hadash, all of Belton; and her daughter-in-law, Suzie Waller and Suzie and Don’s children, Kristen and John Marc Curry of Groesbeck, Megan and Cole Guyer of Amarillo, Marc Waller of Groesbeck, Kevin Waller of Temple, and Lauren Kate Waller of Temple. She has five great-grandchildren: Kamryn Curry, Kendall Curry and Kourtney Curry of Groesbeck; Harper Smith of Belton, and Remington Waller of Groesbeck; and many nieces and nephews.
Visit www. groesbeckfuneralhome. com to leave messages of condolence on the guestbook.