Vaudine Beal Dillard, who had a lifelong relationship with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, entered Heaven and into the arms of her Heavenly Father on November 23, 2021. She shared her faith and love for God and his Word with many as she faithfully lived her 90 years here on earth. She was loved and cherished by those who knew her well.

Vaudine was born September 9, 1931, to Joseph Edward and Daisy McKay Beal in Goose Creek, Texas. She shared her birthday with her mother-in-law Edith Dillard and her daughter Lisa, and later with her grandson-in-law Robert Mitchell. Her father-in-law Hardy Dillard placed flowers in the First Baptist Church each year in memory of his wife and to honor his daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Vaudine is survived by her daughter, Lisa and Thom Hunter of Norman, OK and son, Ken and Mary Kay Dillard of Cincinnati, OH. She is also survived by her youngest sister, Dotty and Skipper Koetter of Victoria, Texas. She is survived by her sisters-in-law, June Beal of San Antonio, Texas and Veggie Beal of Pflugerville, Texas.  She is predeceased by her husband Billy Lanier Dillard of Dilley and her twin sister Maurine and Bobby Roberts of Pasadena, her brothers, Bob Beal of San Antonio, Texas and Doug Beal of Pflugerville, Texas.

Vaudine graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas where she was a drummer in the Brigadiers Drum and Bugle Corp with her sister Maurine. Years later their younger sister Dotty was also a proud Brigadier. Vaudine graduated from Lee Junior College. Maurine had found the love of her life, Bobby Roberts and they were getting married, so Vaudine headed to Austin and The University of Texas where her mother had attended. She met Bill Dillard who would play the piano and sing "Ain't She Sweet" when he saw her walking back (sometimes with another young man!) to Mrs. Lungren's boarding house for UT students. The girls lived upstairs and the boys in a garage apartment.

Vaudine and Bill were married August 31, 1952, in Baytown after she graduated from UT. They moved from Austin back to Dilley, his hometown, in 1953 after he completed his service as a 1 ^st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He was stationed in Japan their first December, so they celebrated Christmas in February when he returned. Vaudine and her friend found their first Christmas tree and cut it down in Austin where there was a brief encounter with a park ranger!

When they returned to Dilley, Bill took over his dad's Texaco wholesale business, converting it to Phillips 66. Vaudine was a fulltime wife, mother, and homemaker because when the fire siren went off every day at noon, Bill headed home for lunch and a nap on the living room floor. Vaudine was busy at home and at church and in the various goings on around Dilley. She became a faithful Baptist under Bro. Lewis Stuckey at First Baptist in Dilley, though there was always a tinge of Methodist. Bill and Vaudine had two children, Lisa Anne in 1954 and Kenneth Lanier in 1956.

Vaudine's passion was to teach GAs first in their church and a little later at the Belen Baptist Mission. Her joy for many years was to teach the Bible and the missionary call to young teens and younger girls. Years later she became very involved in the church nursery.

Vaudine loved her home. She cooked, cleaned, decorated, shopped, sewed, quilted, worked outside in flower beds and hosted friends new and old. Bill and the children were first in her life, and she devoted herself to us with all the love she had. She was a firm disciplinarian and Lisa occasionally found herself waiting for a spanking in the blue bathroom and Ken in the brown one. No waiting for Daddy to come home. She ran a tight ship.

Vaudine learned to fly and got her pilot's license a year or so after Bill did. Flying was his love first, but he wanted a co-pilot to make sure he kept his family safe. They loved to travel and made many trips together.

In 2007, shortly before Bill went to Heaven they moved to Norman, Oklahoma to be near Lisa and her husband Thom Hunter. This was also closer to Ken and Mary Kay. Vaudine continued to lead a loving and beautiful life and she was forever an amazing woman and devoted wife, very dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. We will always miss her and we long to see her again one day.

Vaudine is survived by eight grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. Thom and Lisa's sons, Zachary and Dawna Hunter and their children Ty, Rylee, and Avery Hunter of Blanchard, OK; Russell and Katherine Hunter and children Melian, Ransom, and Eliza of Norman, OK; Donovan and Melissa Hunter and children Samuel and Addison of Grove, OK; Patrick Hunter and children Layni, Hadley, Tate, and Max of Mustang, OK; and daughter Lauren and Alex Field of San Francisco, CA.

She is survived by Ken and Mary Kay's daughter Sarah and Robert Mitchell of Dilley, Texas; sons Nathan Dillard and children Jay and Luke of Cincinnati, OH; and Kelley Dillard currently stationed at Ramstein AFB, Germany.