ora Bernice Tollett

Lora Bernice Tollett passed away peacefully at Willow Creek nursing home in Abilene, Texas on July 19, 2025 at the age of 81.
Lora was born August 8, 1943 at the Callahan County Hospital in Baird, Texas, to Walter Mark and Eunice Merle Sherrill Tollett. Graveside service will be held Friday, July 25, 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Ross Cemetery Annex.
She graduated from Baird High School in 1962.
Lora began her career as a beautician in Baird cutting and styling hair for her friends but quickly began sharing her talents with the public where she experienced much happiness and satisfaction not only through cutting hair but especially with sharing stories and town gossip that often shook the walls of the shop with gasps, laughter and tears.  She later took a break from doing hair to take a job at Allsup’s in Baird to supplement her income but mainly to keep an eye on her two sons, Jimmy and Kevin.  And for good reason. Both boys were often treading on thin ice with Lora. From Jimmy tying up a high school friend in the living room or accidentally painting the word RATT on Lora’s living room wall that bled through while painting a banner to win tickets to a RATT concert to Kevin coming home late one night and accidentally running over her patio furniture and then sitting on the riding lawn mower waiting for her to come outside and start the butt chewing.
At Allsup’s she always had her thumb on the pulse of Baird America but especially on the boys. Often times the DPS, or even cousin Eddie, would roll in about midnight and ask Lora if she had heard what Kevin had done.  She would get fired up and go off thinking Kevin had gotten an MIP or DWI or even thrown in jail.  And most of the time they would have her feathers so ruffled they were afraid to tell her they were just joking. No one wanted to feel Lora’s wrath or be on her bad side. But rest assured, she would fall for it the next Saturday night.
Lora was preceded in death by her parents, brother Jacky Lee Tollett; sisters, Bobby Jean Chistison, Bessie Pearle Groce, Shirley Ann Brashear and Judy Harris.
She is survived by her sons, Jimmy Curtis and wife, Sherry, of Abilene and Kevin Curtis of Baird; her beloved grandchildren: Brenden Curtis of Abilene, Kiersten Curtis of Lubbock. She was blessed with a great-granddaughter, Lyla Curtis, of Lubbock who held a very special place in heart; and sister, Clara Buchanan of Pearland, and numerous nieces and nephews.