Dixie Mildred Crossland

Obituary Dixie Mildred Ruffin Crossland was born to George and Hattie Ruffin in Boswell, Oklahoma on March 18, 1922. The family moved a short time later from Oklahoma to the Texas panhandle east of Amarillo to a farm near the small town of Wellington. Her parents and siblings ran the farm, and they all looked out for their little sister. She was the youngest of six children; brother Willis, and sisters Mabel, Mary, Gladys and Lois. Ever the little farm girl, she never ran out of stories of life on the farm, from learning to swim in the water tank at the base of their windmill, to chasing the chickens around the coop and to riding a cow to the bus stop to meet the bus that her father drove. Dixie was valedictorian at Samnorwood School, where she attended with Vernon Crossland. They fell in love and after her graduation, they married. They moved to Oklahoma City in 1940. Dixie was a "Rosie the Riveter" during WWII at Douglas Aircraft and after the war; helped run the family business that Vernon had established; Crossland IGA grocery. They had three children; Betty Wilson, Darrell Crossland and Larry Crossland; four grandchildren, Jerry Wilson and his wife Tina, Shelly Wilson Pippin and her husband Patrick Pippin, Jennifer Crossland Hedges and her husband Jason Hedges, and Steven Crossland and his wife Larinda; great grandchildren Courtney, Garret, Bailey, Kaitlyn, Sydney, Ryan, Zach and Hope. great great grandchildren Lexxie and Levi. Dixie was active in South Lee Methodist Church and was a member of the Eastern Star. She was a leader in church and active in the United Methodist Women and the Methodist Youth Fellowship. She always thought of others first and would sacrifice everything to see that her children were happy and healthy. Mom loved to cook and she loved to eat, and she would fight you for dessert no matter how full she was. She never stopped talking about pinto beans and cornbread and we made sure that in her later years when she came to live with us that she had those items whenever she had asked for them. Dixie loved her newest family members, Daughter-in-law to be Cindy Hicks and her two sons Daniel and Matthew. Her last two years had her surrounded by their love and laughter and precious memories of their time together. Among her loves was her unfailing attention to the Oklahoma sooners football team. She came alive every Saturday during football season and was as glued to the television as anyone. She loved her cowboy movies and TV shows. Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and basically anyone in a cowboy hat drew her attention. We were so blessed to have her in our lives for so many wonderful years. We will miss our little Texas Farm Girl. Service Information