1936–2024
Estelle Rose Skiles, longtime resident of Knox City, passed from this life Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, in Abilene. She was 88 years old. A funeral service was held Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at the First Baptist Church in Knox City, with Rev. Riley Carver officiating. Burial followed at the Knox City Cemetery under the direction of Smith Family Funeral Homes.
Estelle was born June 21, 1936, in Sperryville, Virginia to William and Mae Jenkins. She graduated from Rappahannock County High School in Washington, Virginia. After graduation, Estelle moved to Washington D.C., where she worked as a telephone operator. There she met the love of her life, Weldon Skiles, and they married on June 27, 1956, in Forestville, Maryland.
Soon after, Weldon and Estelle moved back to Knox City and raised their family. Estelle was a homemaker and loving wife and mother to three children. While raising her family, Estelle loved cooking for family get-togethers and supporting her greatest loves, her children and grandchildren, in all their activities. She had a zest for life and enjoyed being outdoors and was most happy on the golf course with her golf buddies, and was a longtime member of the Ladies Golf Association. Estelle, often described as a “little pistol”, never met a stranger. Her husband said that Estelle could easily talk to a fence post. After her children were grown, she was lovingly known as Mema not only by her family and friends but also by the numerous area children that she babysat over the years. She was greatly loved and will be missed by many. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Knox City.
She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-seven years Weldon; parents William and Mae Jenkins; brother Floyd Jenkins; and sister Edna Wolfe.
Estelle is survived by sons Donny Skiles and wife Sharla of Haskell, Greg Skiles and partner Daryl Meyer of Fort Worth; daughter Rhonda Slovensky and husband John of Odessa; granddaughter Kimberly Skiles of Abilene; grandson Aaron Skiles of Haskell; great granddaughter Alexis Skiles of Tulsa, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law Bettye Skiles of Knox City, Peggy Flores of Cisco, and Linda Freiman and husband Ron of Clyde; brothers-inlaw Jimmy Skiles and wife Judy of Potosi and Larry Skiles and wife Amy of Cisco; and also numerous nieces and nephews.
Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.smithfamilyfh. com.