Frances Grace (Baxter) Whitener, 78, Crane, Missouri was born July 17, 1938 in Chickasha, Oklahoma to James and Margaret Follows Baxter and departed this life September 6, 2016 at Mercy Hospital Springfield, Missouri after a lengthy hospital stay.
Frances was a member of the Pleasant View Baptist Church for over 42 years where she had taught a Sunday school class for 40 years. She had lived on her farm on Crane Creek for more than 46 years. One of her many gifts was cooking and feeding her family nearly every Sunday and the hundreds of people who passed through her home and also her pride and joy "The W & W Cafe". She devoted her life to her church and her family.
Frances will be missed by so many people she had touched throughout the years and the many children she taught and opened the door to lord in their lives at an early age.
Preceding her in death were her parents, James and Margaret Baxter; four sisters, Seltha Thompson, Nettie Lee Stiffer Naomi Baxter and Genevieve Pharris; two grandsons, Neil Keithley and Aaron (Gamble) Whitener; granddaughter, Jasmine Cutbirth; grandson, Gabriel Whitener and a son-in-law, Arnold Raulston.
Survivors include four children, Brenda Keithley and husband Chris of Crane, Peggy Dickens of Springfield, Missouri and Johnny Dickens of Crane, Sherry Maples and husband Kirby and Brent Whitener and wife Kathy all of Crane; two sisters, Joyce Alexander and husband Harvey of Nicoma Park, Oklahoma and Jean Whitener and husband Bobbie of Coalgate, Oklahoma; brother, Jimmy Baxter and wife Linda of Guthrie, Oklahoma; a sister-in-law, Kim Schubert and husband Howard; 11 grandchildren, Amber Edmondson, Lindsay Cutbirth, Donnie Treese, Joshua Whitener, Tara Mease, Derek Raulston, Nick Whitener, John Treese, Amanda Prater, Tanner Dickens and Brianna Dickens; three step grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren, many other nieces and nephews and friends.
Funeral services will be Friday, September 9, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Crane. Burial will be in Parsons Cemetery at the farm, Crane under the care of Westrip Funeral Home Crane, Missouri. Visitation will be Thursday, September 8, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the funeral home.