Juanita Sager Atkins

Juanita Sager Atkins, September 24, 1922-June 27, 2021, passed quietly from this life to her heavenly home on Sunday night. She is now reunited with her only son Rex, whom she adored.

Juanita graduated from Millsap in 1942. Knowing since the age of nine she wanted to be a nurse, she worked hard to achieve that goal. She worked in the fields and cared for children to earn money to purchase a car and for tuition to Harris School of Nursing. She fulfilled that goal and became an RN. She and two other girls were furnished a room at the old Harris. Each shared one bed because they worked on different shifts. In bad weather, local funeral homes took turns picking the girls up and taking them to work. As WWII wounded were returned to state side hospitals, nurses were needed. Juanita and four friends responded to that need. They were Cadet Nurses Corp at McCloskey General Hospital. She served her County until the end of WWII.

Juanita moved to California and worked in church hospitals and received more nurse training. She returned to the Weatherford area in 1952. She was the night Charge Nurse and knew all the Weatherford doctors from decades past. After retiring, she worked in several rest homes as weekend supervisor. Mrs. Atkins was a respected, knowledgeable, compassionate medical woman. Her heart was in her work all of her life.

Along with her love for nursing, she had a family to enjoy. Her husband, Mutt; her parents, Jose and Bill Sager; brothers, John (Bow) and Wesley; nephew, Mark; and her son, Rex, all preceded her in death. 

Brother, Billy Bob (Sharon); nephew, Rod; nieces, Margaret, Tina, Belinda, and Susan, are remaining to cherish her work ethic, her stories, and her love of helping others.

The last four to five years of Juanita’s life have been held together with a common concern for her well being by a group of people she knew by name and knew their phone numbers by heart. There was Cindy the nurse/receptionist of Dr. Kumar, ole faithful Senior Center friends Nadeen and Kenneth Murphree, Cousin Susie that called each day at 2:00 p.m., and Mike the AT&T repairman who gave her his home number. She had people who delivered Meals on Wheels daily for many years and the Curtis Cemetery care managers, Laura Morgan and her dad who kept her informed about cemetery needs. She had friend, Ronnie Warren, who came and helped when she called and ATT Roger Phillips and Gina who were so easy to work with in hard times. She appreciated so many services that she received like Galbreaith Pickard staff providing her with calendars and death details when she lost a friend, Time and Temperature sponsors, and the Bible verse she heard read each Sunday. The First Baptist Church members who cared for Rex during his fall and cancer, North Side Baptist for weekly mailings, calls and visits and Angela Wood and Jacob bringing lunch every day. Angela brought her nursing skills and her son Jacob, whom Juanita adored for his youthfulness and joy he brought in each visit. She had her “Can do everything Guy” Earl and wife, Nita Spurlock, from Santo. If Earl fixed it, it was done right whether it was plumbing, heaters, fans, phone lines or yard mowing. Charlie Simmons was her mail carrier for years and he always delivered a smile and a greeting with care. He and Rex were classmates so he and Juanita and Mutt went way back and Charlie could relate to late night school trips and other fun stories. Charlie and Earl were her “short order” guys, bringing her milk, Dr. Pepper, clock batteries or bug spray. Earl always added a candy bar. Charlie always had a verse and prayer with Juanita that she called her “church time”. She loved and was grateful to the family that called, sent flowers on special days, stopped in even if it was late, sent pictures of the kids, did her special shopping for those white pants and cooked soft goodies for her to enjoy. Jo Ann, an old Millsap friend, came into her daily life at a good time. She was faithful and attentive to needs that Rex had been doing in years past. Rex was her ROCK, her everything and she missed him dearly.

A visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday July 1, 2021, at Galbreaith Pickard Funeral Chapel. Graveside service will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 2, 2021, at Curtis Cemetery.