Juanita ‘Tootsie’ Bryant

Church service for Juanita “Tootsie” Bryant, 96, of Childress, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church with Dr. Mike Henderson officiating. Interment will follow at Childress Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home. A visitation was held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 2024, at the funeral home. Mrs. Bryant passed from this life on April 16, 2024, in Childress, Texas.

Tootsie, as many knew her by, was born on Feb. 5, 1928, in Webber Falls, Okla., to Joseph Clyde Hester and Nancy Florence (Gamble) Hester. After graduating high school, she married Jerald Wendell “Booty” Bryant. From this marriage, they had three children, Paul, Lynn and Deanna.

Tootsie was a member of the First United Methodist Church. She loved to can food, go to garage sales, gardening, read cookbooks and visit with her dog, Chloe. She was also known to be a money saver.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Paul Bryant and wife Patti, of Tell, Texas, Lynn Bryant and wife Debbie, of Tyler, Texas, and Deanna Bryant, of Nashville, Texas; grandchildren Matt Bryant and wife Kayla, of Tell, Kalin Wells and husband Robert, of Lampassas, Texas, Merrill Olsen and husband Mark, of Austin,Texas, and Stephen Bryant, of Tyler, Texas; seven great-grandchildren; numerous nieces; nephews; and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jerald Wendell “Booty” Bryant; and her brother, Jackson Thomas Hester.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to a charity of your choice.