Agnes Blossom (Cline) Davis was born March 23, 1920, in Gage, OK to W.J. (Winfield Jacob) Cline and Grace (Warner) Cline.  She passed away May 23, 2020, at her home in Las Animas, Colorado, from complications of strep and a stroke.    Due to COVID-19, Celebration of Life and Memorial Services will be held at a future date in Las Animas and in Creede, CO where she had a second home.

The early years were spent surrounded by family in a small country house with a dugout cellar to protect from tornadoes, store garden products and raise baby chicks.  Agnes, the youngest of the four children, loved school, participating in band, choir, school plays and even met Eleanor Roosevelt on a field trip. They rode horses to school until their father designed a bus for all the neighbor kids.

  She graduated from Gage High School as Class President and Valedictorian in 1937.  She married her high school sweetheart, Cecil Everett Davis, on July 11, 1937, and was married for 70 years until his passing Memorial Day 2008.  Cecil and Agnes made their first home on a dry land farm for two years near Shattuck stabilizing wheat fields in the Dust Bowl.  Cecil and Agnes and his parents then bought cotton farms near Checotah, OK, where daughter Judy was born in Muskogee in 1942.  In 1946, the family moved to Las Animas, CO following some neighbors and rented, then purchased an irrigated heritage farm south of town, from Florida (Bent) Hart Moore.   Son, James, was born in La Junta in 1947.  Cecil and Agnes had a passion for dancing, their favorite being the “Tennessee Waltz.” They were determined that their two children and grandchildren would get  college educations.

Agnes was employed at J.C. Penny’s as an exceptional seamstress, clerk and window designer  and later as an office manager and bookkeeper for Shaw Lumber Company, in addition to helping run the family farm with duties of gardening, driving tractors, washing, ironing, cooking, milking cows, separating cream, raising chickens and livestock.

In the 1960s the family moved into a new house they built on their property (using brick pavers from the La Junta Harvey House).  After the LA Town Ditch water was sold, they farmed for two years in the Cornelia Community North of Arkansas River.  That farm was sold in 1993.  In 1986 Agnes and Cecil purchased a cabin near Creede, CO, which they enjoyed as their second home during the Colorado Summers and Fall.

Agnes was a devout Christian, efficient, strong, beautiful, sweet, loving and one of a kind…from the Greatest Generation era.  She took great pride in her family and loved time with her grandchildren, singing, “I love you, bushel and a peck’ and ‘This little light of mine’, among other favorites and tried to teach them to say the ABC’s backward.  Entertaining family and friends at dinner parties, fishing, boating, water skiing, and camping trips were favorite pastimes.  Music, dancing, sewing (a 4-H sewing leader), quilting, knitting, crafting, writing prose n poetry, playing games – ping pong, card games – ‘Hand & Foot’ and Scrabble were favorite activities.  She played the piano and accordion, sang in church choirs and a local quartet, loved Columbines and flowers, Hummingbirds, bird and wildlife watching, and being a homemaker. Once she earned Homemaker of the Year at the local Harvest Festival.  She was active in community:  PEO organization, member of United Methodist Church (UMW), teaching adult Sunday School,  BSF,  the Creede Community Church, Square Dancing, Inter Se Se and Red Hats.  In Creede she enjoyed Bingo nights, jeep trips and the hiking club. Agnes volunteered at the Theatre, Ladies Aid, Art Guild, Church events, BHA Cabin music fests & potlucks and Mountain breakfasts. Agnes enjoyed traveling with Cecil, family and friends. Her adventures included touring and RVing across the U.S and international travel to Mexico, South Pacific, Asia (Japan, Philippines and China),  Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, the Mid East (Egypt, Jerusalem, Israel, Greece and Turkey), Australia and New Zealand, and Central and South America (Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Caribbean).

She had a love of life that was contagious, a witty sense of humor and a strong faith in God, whom she credited for her longevity, along with healthy eating, saying her body was God’s Temple. She could still wear her high school graduation dress, turn cartwheels and do a headstand at age 80. 

During Cecil’s declining years she was a devoted, dedicated, loving caregiver until 2008.  Judy became caregiver to Agnes as dementia increased and she broke her hip in Jan. 2017.   Elders have many advantages if able to stay with family.  Pam Houston, an author and neighbor of Agnes’ wrote in her book, “Deep Creek,” “..if we lock grandmother in a room for the last 10 years of her life, so we can …accomplish the survival of her loss in advance, in what way does it make our life easier? In what ways does it impoverish us?”     Agnes’ legacy will hopefully live on through her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was loved and an inspiration to her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Cecil Everett Davis, and siblings Roe Byron Cline, John Winfield Cline and Freeda Irene (Cline) Taylor; a nephew, R.B. Cline, and niece, Cynthia (Cline)(Robert) Johnson; sister and brother-in-law, Louise and John D’Arcangelis.

Agnes is survived by her daughter & caretaker Judy (Joe) Thomeczek of Las Animas, and son Jim (James) Davis (Pine, AZ).    Five grandchildren:  Jennifer Hoelscher (John) Rutherford (Colorado Springs), Jeanette Alberg  (Littleton), Brian Alberg (Denver); Tracey Davis (AZ) and Jeff (Megan) Davis (Phoenix, AZ).   Four great-grandchildren:  Cody Hoelscher and Kayla Hoelscher (Corbin) Palmer; Vivienne and Cheyenne Davis.      Nieces and nephews: Roberta (Cline) Gill, Louise (Cline) Simpson, Raymond Cline, Kenny (Jan) Cline, Marlene (Cline)(Glenn) Calame, Jerry Cline, Bob Cline, Jeannie (Cline)(Kieth) Merrill, Jack Cline,  Helen (Taylor) Hibbs, Mary (Taylor) Short, Barbara (Taylor)(Tom) Gobel;  Don D’Arcangelis, Roger (Ann) D’Arcangelis, and Melissa (D’A) Allen, Creede. 

In lieu of flowers, online condolences, cards and memorials may be directed to the family via http://www.HorberFuneralChapel.com (404 Locust Ave, Las Animas, CO 81054); or memorials to www.CreedeCommunityChurch.org (PO Box 126, Creede, CO 81130); OR  [email protected] – (PO Box 126, Creede, CO 81130); OR Creede Repertory Theater (www.CreedeRep.org