Billie Gatliff Sanders was born on March 25, 1936, in Williamsburg, KY, to William J. Gatliff and Gertrude Caudill Gatliff. She went to be with her Lord on October 28, 2014. She moved to the valley with her parents as a child and lived in Santa Rosa, Port Isabel, Brownsville, Mercedes, Houston, and Kingwood.

Billie is survived by her husband of 56 years, Walker Sanders; daughters, Sheryl Ann Sanders Tatroe of Kingwood, TX, and Linda Gail Sanders of Baltimore, MD; a grandson Jack Ryan Tatroe of Humble, TX; a sister, Gail (Bill) Crowe of Little Elm, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews. She also had many cousins around the state of Texas and Kentucky. She had been a member of Second Baptist Church Kingwood (Forest Cove Baptist Church) since 1983. Her Sunday school class and other church friends were like a second family and were very precious to her. Billie was predeceased by her parents.

Billie graduated from Brownsville High School and Texas A&I University with a degree in Home Economics. She taught Home Economics for many years in various cities in Texas. This was the perfect vocation for her because she was very talented.

A celebration of her life will be held Monday, November 3, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at Second Baptist Church Kingwood with Rev. Fred Dallas officiating.

Her humor, caring, and giving of herself will be greatly missed. Those close to her remember her laugh, her love of reading, generosity, and "bone-crushing" hugs. She loved God, her family, her friends, and lived life with much zeal.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Gertrude Caudill Gatliff Educational Endowment Fund at South Texas Children's Home, Attention: Jackie Broadway, P.O. Box 759, Beeville, TX 78104.