July 18, 1944 ~ July 4, 2023
78 Years Old
Obituary
Funeral service for Shelia Yates, 78, of Douglass will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, July 8, 2023 at Westside Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Jackie Yates officiating. Interment will follow at Eden Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10-11am prior to the service.
Shelia passed away on July 4, 2023 in Nacogdoches. She was born on July 18, 1944 in Douglass.
Sheila was raised alongside her siblings in Douglass where she attended high school. She learned exactly how important family was and stuck to that belief throughout her entire life. She loved her brothers and sisters as if they were her own children. They often spoke of how beautiful she was and how grateful they were for her loyalty towards them while becoming a mother figure when they needed it. She also adored her nieces and nephews as if they were her own. Shelia met Ferriel Gregston and it didn’t take long for them to realize what they meant to each other. With the birth of her children, Shelia found out just how much love a mother could have for her children. They were her pride and joy and she loved them fiercely. She made sure they were meticulously dressed and well mannered. She taught them so much, but her greatest lessons were taught by example. She was loving, caring, nurturing and always encouraged them to do their best at everything. Shelia wanted nothing more than the best for them and she saw her life as a success when she knew her children had great lives. Upon gaining the distinguished title of “Mimi”, the old saying “it is a different kind of love” became evidently clear to her. She again devoted herself to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and found herself teaching them many things, including reading and of course, about Jesus Christ. She loved without judgement and she showed that in every day of her life.
Shelia spent 18 years working as a dispatcher for Nacogdoches Police Department. Her time there brought her great joy and wonderful friendships and her dedicated service to her “guys” allowed her to do all she could to keep them safe from behind that little microphone. She knew she was their only line of communication at the times they were working and she took that very seriously. She was such a loyal supporter of law enforcement and was very proud of the years she spent beside those officers.
Shelia is survived by her children, Kathy Phillips, Sherrie Conaway and Carl Gregston, all of Douglass; grandchildren, Heath Pierce of LaPorte, Kyle Pierce of Nacogdoches, Michael Phillips of Nacogdoches, Roy Butler of Nacogdoches and Forrest Ray of Monroe, Louisiana; great grandchildren, Cooper, Camden, Payton, Kase, Wrigley, Bryson, Heliena and Arya; sisters, Claudette Chandler & husband, Fred of Nacogdoches and Marla-Beth Pike & husband, Randy of Troup; brothers, Larry Yates & wife, Wanda of Douglass and Jackie Yates and wife, Sandy of Douglass and daughter-in-law, Janis Gregston of Woden.
She is preceded in death by her son, Wayne Gregston; son-in-law, John Phillips and father of her children, Ferriel Gregston. She is also preceded in death by her parents, Marlin Yates and Elizabeth Seymore Yates.
Serving as pallbearers will be Heath Pierce, Kyle Pierce, Michael Phillips, Payton Pierce, Craig Yates and Justin Pearson.
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