Athlene Mullins

Athlene Lanelle Weatherford Morris Mullins was born to Claude and Exie Wright Weatherford in Guymon, OK, on December 27, 1930. She passed away while visiting family in Lubbock, TX on Saturday, June 11, 2022. She was 91 years of age.

She was predeceased by her parents, two older brothers, one older sister as well as a number of relatives and extended family.

She is survived by a daughter, Sharri Morris Prosser and husband Paul, of Dallas, a son Danny Morris and wife Chrystal, of Abilene, and daughter Teresa Morris Casper and husband John, of Lubbock. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Sheridan, Becky, Marca and Tavin, and six great-grandchildren as well as many family members.

The Weatherfords moved from Guymon to the Texas Panhandle in 1932. She was raised on property the family farmed, and thus she grew up in the good and bad times of life in West Texas, including living through the Great Depression and the years of the Dust Bowl, a time of tumultuous change in America.

She graduated from high school in Stinnett, TX, and entered Abilene Christian College in 1948. She was asked by her older sister, who lived with her husband in Sherman, TX, to come there to help with the sister’s newborn son. It was there she met her first husband, Luther Morris, of Sherman, TX. They married in October, 1950. Sharri and Danny were born in Sherman. In1956, they made a move to Amarillo, where Teresa was born.

In 1974, Luther Morris joined the Development office of Abilene Christian, and the family moved there. Luther Morris passed away in 1985, and in 1988, she married Tom Mullins, who both had known from the Sherman area. Tom passed away in April, 2005.

Athlene worked for the Abilene ISD for 20 years, first as a teacher’s aide at Franklin Middle School, and then in the Reassignment Center, where students in trouble were sent for a “time out.” Athlene, working with the Center’s Director Don Bridges, had many “interesting” experiences with the students who came through there.

She retired from AISD in 1995 to enjoy life with Tom and her family. She was an active member of University Church of Christ for many years, and recently, at Oldham Lane Church of Christ. Her legacy will be the love and respect of her family and a host of friends.

Services will be at 10:00 am on Friday the 17th of June in the chapel of Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street. Chris McCurley of the Oldham Lane Church of Christ will officiate. A graveside service at Elmwood Memorial Park will follow the service. A visitation with the family will be Thursday, June 16, from 6-8 pm at the funeral home. Condolences may also be left for the family at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com .

In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to Oldham Lane Church of Christ, directed to Journey of Hope Cancer Care ministry.