Lila Leona (Grimes) Bryant

Graveside services for Lila Bryant, 99, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sat., Jan. 11, 2020 in the Portales Cemetery with Hospice Chaplain, Rev. Wayne Moore officiating assisted by grandchildren Tammy Olmstead and Shane Wilhoit.

Lila Leona Bryant was born Mar. 7, 1920 in Portales to the home of Laticia (Andes) and Jack Grimes and died Jan. 8, 2020 in Portales.  On Dec. 17, 1938 in Clovis, she was married to J. H. Bryant.  The couple had four children, two sons and two daughters.  She attended E.N.M.U. where she was trained as a bookkeeper.  For several years she was employed in that role at her father's feed mill.  She often accompanied her husband, who was a trucker on his trips.  For a number of years Lila was a greeter at the Clovis Wal-Mart store.  For the past several years she has been a resident at Heartland Continuing Care Center where she participated in various social activities, and enjoyed doing her "paintings" with colored pencils.  She was a Gold Star Mother, having had a son, Jerry Harold Bryant killed in action in Vietnam on Jan. 26, 1967.

Mrs. Bryant is survived by her other son and his wife, Joe Mike and Beverley Bryant of Portales; a son-in-law, Glynn Wilhoit of Portales;  seven grandchildren, Joshua Bryant, Michael Wilhoit, Lila Evans, Eddy Wilhoit, Shane Wilhoit, Justin (Etta) Wilhoit, and Tammy (Mark) Olmstead along with a "bonus grandchild," Trista; 17 great-grandchildren, Tiffaney, Ryan, Charlotte, Whitney, Erika, Cordy, Lindsey, Mandy, Toby, Jeremy, Jordan, Taylore, Jerrika, Haley, Michael, Jarrod and Amanda; 13 great-great-grandchildren; and a brother, Joe Grimes of Amarillo.  In addition to her son, Jerry, she was preceded in death by her two daughters, Jackie Wilhoit and Wilma Wilhoit; two brothers, Bill Grimes and Sam Grimes; two sisters, Juanita Rutledge and Sue Machen and by her husband, J. H. Bryant who died Sept. 6, 1980.

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