Juanita "Nita" L. Bloxom Putman Shoemaker

A graveside service in the care of Griggs-Schooler- Gordon Funeral Directors, was held Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at Fairview Cemetery, in Memphis, Texas, officiated by Pastor Ronald Boyer of South Lawn Baptist Church of Amarillo.

Nita was born on November 28,1935, in Memphis, to parents Albert Lee and Lucille Evans Bloxom at her maternal grandparents, John Berl Evans and Ada Vestine Cole Evans’ farmhouse. She was the second child and the first daughter born into the family of four children.

She married the love of her life, H.B. Putman, on October 12,1951. They welcomed five children into their lives, even though Momma always said Daddy would have loved for them to have had a dozen!

While raising the first four of her children, which would have been a feat in and of itself, Mother attended Amarillo College School of Vocational Nursing, to become an LVN. She graduated in the top two percent of the State of Texas on September 18, 1969.

She worked in Labor and Delivery at Northwest Texas Hospital for almost thirty years. This was not only a career that she could embrace and excel in. It was a true calling for her. She felt truly blessed and honored to work with Dr. Early B. Lokey.

She was a wonderful Mother, and a steadfast rock for us, especially when our Daddy’s work as a Journeyman Pipefitter required him to travel around the country in order to provide his very best for us. They sacrificed time away from each other so that we would be able to stay in one place and not be uprooted every time Daddy had to leave for another job, and for that we will forever be grateful to God. Daddy died in a construction accident in Amarillo, on Friday, May 6, 1977.

She later married Bob Shoemaker on May 25, 1979. He preceded her in death on February 26, 2007.

Mom was an avid reader. She enjoyed reading many of Danielle Steele’s books, especially one titled “PURE JOY: The Dogs We Love”.

Nita loved all sports, playing as well as watching, but she especially loved playing basketball at Memphis High School and also enjoyed being a member of the drama class, where she played the female lead in many of the plays they performed.

She enjoyed watching women’s basketball on TV and later in life enjoyed watching golf tournaments as well.

Nita loved to watch the birds from her kitchen and dining room windows, as they would perch in the beautiful blue spruce trees and pick out the best branches for their nests to be made on. She also loved watching to see how many babies they would have and how they lovingly took care of them.

She also became very concerned for the decline of the Monarch Butterflies and planted beautiful bushes to encourage them to come visit her. Mom asked that any product that would be harmful to them not be used in her yard.

She was a member of South Lawn Baptist Church in Amarillo for many years and was always grateful for Pastor Greg Kinch, the many friends she had there, and for the many prayers lifted for her, as health issues increased over the past few years of her life.

Our family would like to thank the new Pastor Ronald Boyer, of South Lawn Baptist Church, as he walked with us, with kindness and with faithfulness, throughout this time of grief.

We would also like to thank the congregation of South Lawn Baptist Church for their continued faithfulness in prayer for our Mother and the family.

Mom began a new journey in April of this year, as we began going to many doctors, to find out why she was no longer feeling like herself, and they discovered she had cancer.

BSA Hospice of the Southwest came into our lives in August. We were able to allow Mom to stay in her own home for a little while longer because of them. We wish to thank all of the caregivers for their loving care.

After temporarily being in two other facilities, Mom moved to Mary Johnson’s Care Home, in Amarillo, on September 20. We are so thankful for the loving care Mary provided for our mother. She remained there until her death.

The family knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that there was a glorious reunion in Heaven on that early Wednesday morning when Jesus came, as He promises us in John 14:3 in the King James Version (KJV). “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

We had spoken many times to her, as her health declined more and more, of the truth that Jesus promises us in John 14, and that He was indeed preparing a special place for her and when it was just right, he would come and lead her home. We assured her there would be many cherished family members and friends to celebrate her arrival, as well as plenty of dogs for her to love and take care of, as that would truly be Heaven for her!

Lisa shared a wonderful picture of how beautiful it was when Mother arrived in Heaven. Daddy was there to meet his love and spin her around like he used to in our kitchen. Grandma was probably making cornbread in a wood burning stove (if wood burning stoves are allowed in Heaven).

Debby feels we must add to this picture of Nita’s arrival in Heaven, that she would also have been greeted by her very special partner in crime, Betty. Betty would have greeted her with a tray of chocolate brownies. The same brownie recipe that they fixed for many occasions, including, the bereavement meals prepared as part of the bereavement team at Country Estates.

As Mom’s health brought her closer to Heaven, each of us asked her to please not linger here for us, because in the blink of an eye for her, we will all be together again.

She was such a trooper as she awaited her departure from here to her forever home!

She was also preceded in death by her parents, her beloved older brother, Albert Lee Jr, her precious baby sister, Joyce Marie Ray, her brother-in-law, Richard Bremer, her son-in-law, Dwight Lundy, her very special Aunt May, Ada May Maddox, her very dear friend, Betty Louise Sherrer Carey, her beloved Papillon, Amber Rose, and all the many loved ones that came before.

She is survived by her five children: Debby Lundy (Bear Shield), Garry Putman (Cindy), Lisa Moon, Tim Putman (Brenda), and Pennye Custer (Wesley), seven grandchildren: Tami Lundy Figueroa (Miguel), Ryan Putman (Stacie), Kimberly Hutton (Lee), Joel Putman, Jenny Putman Moore (Nathan), James and Sean Custer, and eleven great-grandchildren: Xavier and Whitney Allen, Christopher Figueroa, Eli, Ella, Ashlyn and Charlotte Putman, Logan and Brayden Hutton, Rinnah and Hazelle Moore, a very special cousin, Robert Charles Maddox, her sister, Carol Bremer, many nieces and nephews, her extra special and very precious friend for many years, Janie Mason, as well as many other friendships she held close in her heart.

The family suggests that if you choose to send a memorial, please send it to a favorite charity of yours.