Velda Jo Lilley Batt Gunter
Funeral services for Velda Jo Lilley Batt Gunter, 90, Crosbyton, Texas, will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, January 24, 2025, in the Rose Chapel at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.
Mrs. Gunter went to be with our Heavenly Father on January 16, 2025, with her daughters by her side.
She was born September 20, 1934 in Lubbock, Texas, to Charnel Edgar and Dauskola (Luster) Lilley. Velda was very proud she began school in Cooper ISD and then went to New Deal ISD where she had many special memories, including friendships that lasted through the years. She played basketball in high school and the team was state champions. Velda met and fell in love with her high school sweetheart, Edward Dow Batt. They lived in the community of Center and married at the Center Community Church. Edward joined the Navy and Velda traveled coast to coast with him as a faithful Navy wife. She loved to sew, crochet and cook for her family, especially her famous fried pies and chocolate gravy. When Velda was 70 years old, she met and married her soul mate, John (Wayland) Gunter. They spent the days together working hard as they ran a dairy farm and she earned her FDA Dairy certification. Velda was proud of this accomplishment as she was never fond of public s peaking, but was able to do presentations to earn this. They also built fences and planted fields of watermelon, corn and pumpkin for a wildlife program on their farm. Later they devoted their time in hay farming. Together they were happy working hard outdoors. She told her family and friends that these were the happiest days of her life.
She is survived by her two daughters, Cynthia (Cindy) Vasquez, Crosbyton, Texas and Patricia (Sam) Taylor, Salem, Arkansas; She was a devoted granny to eighteen grandchildren, all who loved her dearly; twenty-nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; three bonus grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; one sister, Bonnie (Carlton) Starkey, Lubbock, Texas; and many nieces and nephews.
Her parents, husbands, one premature baby, one son, Edd Dowbert Batt, one daughter, Jeanean (Judy) Gonzales, one granddaughter, Lindsay Sweeting, one grandson, Travis Gonzales, three brothers, Charles, Jimmy and Hubert (Buster) Lilley and one sister, Patricia (Susie) Lilley Ortega, preceded her in death.
Visitation services will be held from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m., Thursday, at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Burial will be in Parsons Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Crosbyton Senior Citizens Center and may be left at or mailed to Robertson-Drago Funeral Home, 211 West Main, West Plains, MO 65775.
The family would like to thank the staff at Hospice of Lubbock, especially Peggy, Mary, Kathy, Shah, Nequah, Natalie, Ashley, Jessica and Chuck. A special thank you to Pastor Tommy Murillo, neighbors, Sylvia Vilgas, Michelle Hodges and Sharon Williams and Crosbyton Senior Citizens for not only meal deliveries, but for bringing a smile to our momma’s face. Our momma and granny will be greatly missed. She was our family’s strong matriarch, spiritual advisor and prayer warrior; her last phone calls and visits included a statement of “If you don’t know Jesus, you need to get to know Him because He is coming soon.”