Eula Rand

Obituary

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

Proverbs 31: 10

Eula Faye Rand was born May 5, 1928, in Mexia, TX to Rev. C. L. Hill and Julia Mae Lee, but she was raised by her grandparents Mini and Rufus Lee. Eula Faye grew up in Mexia,  TX and graduated from Douglas High School.

When Eula Faye was in her early twenties, she along with many others from Mexia, TX, was drawn to the West Texas area because job opportunities increased due to the oil boom.

Eula Faye was no stranger when it came to serving in the church.  After coming to Odessa, TX she later became affiliated with the St. James Missionary Baptist Church where she became a member.  She was wholeheartedly devoted to God and serving in whatever compacity she could be of service. She later met and married James Rand Sr. (deceased) who was also a member of St. James. Eula Faye had one daughter Audrea Faye Lee (deceased) from a previous marriage and from this union they had three children: Darlena V. Rand (oldest, deceased), James E. Rand Jr., and Jacqueline Rand (twins).

Eula Faye served in many facets of the church i.e., helping with the youth department as a teacher because she certainly believed in “training up a child in the way he/she should go.”  and helping with transportation, singing in the choir whether it be the adult choir, Tabernacle choir or Senior chorus.  Later, she was asked to be the musician for the Senior chorus, and she did reluctantly for a little while because she never considered herself a musician, she always said she could “plank” on the piano but not “play” the piano.

She loved the study of the Bible so, that she took classes at Odessa College and thru the mail system with another approved Bible School Affiliated church.  She taught in the Sunday School and was Mission President for a few years.  She was very active in the OWT (Original West Texas) Baptist District Congress of Christian Education where she was later elected to serve as Youth Directress, which she did for a year. She was church secretary after Sis. Margaree Wallace retired.  A few years later she too retired as church secretary in November 2010, she was 81 years old.

She was a very wise, fun loving, open-hearted, free-spirited person who had her own mind and was not easily persuaded by negative influence.  She managed to balance church life and home life. The doors of her home were always open to anyone who wanted to talk and afterward the person would leave with a good feeling full of hope and inspiration.  She was always buying board games for her family to play. She never wanted her husband to play because she said he was a “kill joy” (he didn’t like to lose).  One of her favorite games was Tetris which she would play ALL the time. She was also part of the Senior Citizen Bowling League. (By the way, she used to bowl with a 16lb ball but then decreased to a sized 12 as she got older). She loved cooking, especially making homemade bread that was crusted on top and soft in middle and she would melt butter on it, (don’t that sound “Mmm good”). She had a lot of little sayings like “you’ll never miss your water till you’re well runs dry”, I’m going to hit-it-a lick and promise”, You talk to a chicken and a duck answer” (figure that one out), “a cackling rooster and a whistling hen will never come to no good end”, just to name a few.

She was known as Granny Rand to many and just Granny to others, and some called her Doctor Rand.  Her life was certainly not without its ups and downs, but it was certainly a life worth celebrating for through it all she learned to trust in Jesus, she learned to trust in God.  If you were to ask her today, she would tell you, “I may not always look like and I may not always act like it, but I am a woman of Grace”. “For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations”. Psalm 100:5 (favorite scripture)

Her memories will be cherished by her children James Rand Jr. and Jacqueline Rand-Reid, son-in-law James A. Reid, Granddaughters Charlanease Farris and husband Ronald Farris Jr., Amye Elisabeth McNeil, Aviana Reid, Great Grandsons Orion and wife Shanita Denmond, Jonathan Denmond, and Isaiah Jackson, Great great Grandson Jermaine Shomari Pruitt, and one soon to come, Great great Granddaughters Avery Amari Reid, and Juliyah Rose Denmond, and a host of nieces and nephews, cousins and many friends.