Aunt Reba, as she was affectionately called by most who knew her, was born on May 27, 1940 in Rocksprings, Texas, to Albert Edward Whittle and Mary Kathleen Holmes Whittle. A sixth-generation Texan, she graduated from Rocksprings High School in 1958, where she was a Miss Mohair Duchess, played basketball, and was a twirler. Reba then attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood, graduating in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Art. While at HPU, Reba was on the Liberty Belles dance and twirling squad. She met the love her life, Carl Edward Davis, while at HPU. They were married on December 28, 1961. They had two sons, Joel Edward Davis, and Joshua Carl Davis.

Reba was an elementary school teacher for 35 years. She taught in Rocksprings, Goldthwaite, Marble Falls, Ingram, Georgetown, Caldwell, and Bastrop, moving schools as her husband Carl was a coach. Reba was loved by all of her former students. She was a gifted teacher, and she especially loved teaching art. She was an excellent teacher and kept her classroom with discipline, warmth, humor, and a burst of creativity. Reba was quick witted and had a dry sense of humor, and her students who “got” her humor loved to play games of wit with her. Reba was chosen to teach art one summer in Germany, an experience she treasured. Upon her retirement, she enjoyed monthly luncheons with her retired teacher friends. She loved history, and was an expert on the British monarchy and WWII. She preferred British television, from Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot to The Crown, she knew all the best British drama, mystery and crime shows.

Reba was a talented artist. She favored painting Texas landscapes, and especially scenes from the Rocksprings ranch where she grew up. She loved to knit, and knitted many mohair sweaters over the years. She continued to knit over the years despite being vision impaired, knitting hats and scarves for her nieces and nephews and donating extras to local clothes ministries. She was a gifted seamstress, making her nieces’ Marcella Anderson Epperson’s and Paige Grooms Hendley’s wedding dresses, as well as her niece Julie Anderson Welker’s cathedral length veil and pearl hand-studded headband. She sewed many costumes for Joel and Josh throughout their childhood for Halloween and theatrical productions.

Reba’s love for anything artistic spilled over into her crafting. She loved making and designing miniature dollhouses and helped her nieces build and furnish their own. She collected dolls, made custom-designed doll clothes, and she, Carl, and Joel had a doll stand business. Her “Rags by Reba” business took her to many doll collecting shows across the U.S. Carl built Reba her own she-shed in the mid-1990s where she could be found whirring away on the sewing machine. In their retirement, Reba and Carl enjoyed travelling to Colorado to go fly fishing and camping, a longtime family hobby throughout their marriage.

Aunt Reba moved to Early to be near her niece Julie and family in 2020. She thrived with her new “framily” friends, going to watch her great niece Caroline play basketball, and being back in her old college town where she and Carl met. As a coach’s wife, she appreciated a good football or basketball game, and was a devout Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys fan. She loved to tell stories about Howard Payne and was proud to be an alumnus.

Reba was preceded in death by her loving husband Carl in 2010, and her son Joel in 2020. She is survived by her son Josh and partner Royce Krahl of Manor, Texas; her beloved sisters and their families–Dorothy Claire Duncan of San Angelo, Carolyn Whittle Anderson and Dean of Rocksprings, Charlotte Whittle Grooms and Mike of Rocksprings; sister-in-law Darla Roberson of Clifton; her niece and caretaker Julie Welker and husband Rob and family of Early; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Memorials in memory of Reba Louise Whittle Davis can be made to Howard Payne University. Checks can be sent to Howard Payne University, Office of Advancement, PO Box 2369, Brownwood, TX 76804 and online gifts can be made at www.hputx.edu/give.