Odessa, TX – Louise Daniel Page, 93, died of heart failure (not COVID) May 25, 2020, at Courtyards Memory Care, Odessa, TX. She was born 7 January 1927, on a farm 3 miles west of Hamlin, TX, the daughter of Abbey and Birdie Daniel.
Louise had four brothers, Truett, Barton, Lea, and Guy. The five Daniel children began by attending the local country school house where the children (Louise and her brothers included) often rode their horses to school in good weather; however, after a hard rain, Abbey would hitch up the work horses to the high wagon and pick up all the local children and deliver them to school since most could not make it through the high water, but the horses and the large wheels on the high wagon could. Abbey was a farmer and rancher, and when oil was found on the property, he moved Nanny B. and all five kids to Abilene for better schooling. Louise graduated from Abilene High School in 19xx. She was a cheerleader and because of her effervescent personality acquired the nickname “Bubbles.” Anyone who ever met Louise would agree that was the perfect nickname.
Louise and her husband of 72 years, Bill, Sr., had two sons: William R. Page, Jr. (U.S. Army MAJ Ret) and Daniel B. Page (United Airlines Captain Ret). Also, she is survived by Bill, Jr.’s wife Maureen Forsythe Page, and their three sons, U.S. Army CPT Jason Boudreau, William R. Page, III, and Adam J. Page, and Dan’s wife Kimberly Kelly Page, and their two sons, Benjamin D. Page and Samuel K. Page. In addition to her five grandsons, Louise is survived by her six great-grandchildren: Clint (21), James (12), Riley (10), Poppy (8), Aiden (7), Sophia (7), and Aliza (4) . . . and one on the way.
During WWII, while attending Abilene High School, Louse worked part time afternoons and weekends at a hardware, lumber, and supply center that provided equipment to Camp Barkley near Abilene. When asked by her sons why she worked while going to school, she said, ”Our country was at war, and everyone had to participate.” She was a true patriot that loved the United States of America.
After the war, she married Bill Page, Sr. where they initially lived in Abilene. Here, Bill, Jr. was born in 1950. Bill, Sr. was in aviation and this caused the family to move frequently. They lived in Hondo, where Bill, Sr. was a flight instructor for the Air National Guard. Here, Dan was born in 1955. The family, from there, moved to Sweetwater, El Paso, and finally to Odessa in 1964. While in EL Paso Louise was a secretary for El Paso Natural Gas, and when they moved to Odessa, she continued to work this time with El Paso Products Company.
Louise was very politically involved. In El Paso, she became the El Paso County Republican Party Chairman, and while in Odessa, she was involved with the Republican Party of Ector County, often working the polls during an election.
Louise loved to play bridge and she belonged to several bridge groups. While her family is sure that a good portion of the bridge gathering was devoted to conversation, make no mistake, Louise was a XXXX bridge player and she took the game very seriously, often contributing her winnings to her grandson Sam’s college fund.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, George Abney and Birdie Naoma Daniel, her husband Bill, Sr., and three of her four brothers, Truett Daniel of Odessa, Barton Daniel of Houston, and Guy Daniel of Topeka, KA. Louise’s surviving brother, Lea Daniel, is 95 and living in Victoria, TX.
Louise loved people: any kind of people. She loved a room full where she could move from conversation to conversation. The family firmly believed Louise never met a stranger. She would immediately begin speaking with anyone and everyone. Her daughter-in-law, Maureen, tells the story that she and Louise had driven up to Lubbock to do some shopping before the school year began. They entered a well known woman’s clothing story and Maureen, after nodding hello to the sales staff, began walking around looking at the available clothes. Having chosen a few, Maureen turned to find a salesperson that would direct her to a changing room. Before “Excuse me” could leave her lips, Stephanie, the sales manager, said, “Here, Maureen, give those to me. We’ve got a room all set up. You’re going to need a few more things before school starts. After all, once the semester begins, you won’t have time to shop. Now, how many classes are you teaching this Fall?” Louse had met the ENTIRE sales staff, had explained who she was, who Maureen was, and the sales manager herself promised she wanted to either adopt or be adopted by Louise before the day was over. Louise Page could walk into a “cold” room and have everyone smiling within 10 minutes.
Kim . . .
Because Bill, Sr.’s job very often took him away, it is safe to say Louise raised their two boys on her own. Both Bill, Jr. and Dan recognize the time and effort, virtually as a single parent, Louise put in to raising her two sons. Often times, this wasn’t easy. Bill, Jr.’s health frequently required hospitalization as he was diagnosed as asthmatic at the age of 6 months. Dan, on the other hand, was very healthy and attracted Louise’s attention in other ways. There is the family story of while running a quick errand, Louise left both boys in the car (a Renault). When she returned and started the vehicle, every knob and lever had been pushed, pulled, turned, or twisted in some way. The radio blared, the windshield wipers were at full speed, the hazard lights were blinking, and the heat was blowing at full blast. Louise looked at the young Daniel, said, “I’ve told you before to not touch any of the knobs!” and proceeded to backhand him into the back seat, where Bill, Jr. promptly told his brother, “I told you!”
Bill, Jr. did not escape Louise’s swift justice, either. As a young teen, Bill had mouthed off to his mother. When she swung around to smack him in the back of the head, he ducked. Big mistake. She hit her hand on the door frame behind Bill and then, through both anger and now pain, proceeded to hit him about the head and shoulders. The punishment would have been much less if he hadn’t avoided the first swing. The watch words for the boys became, “Don’t duck!”
A service of remembrance will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, 8 January at Wilson Funeral Home, 4635 Oakwood Dr., Odessa, TX 79761. Interment will be Wednesday, 9 January at 2 p.m. at Hamlin Memorial Cemetery, Hamlin, TX. Those who wish to remember Louise may make gifts in his memory to the First Baptist Church, Odessa, TX.
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