Jerrie Lynn (Sims) Atkins

In Loving Memory of My Mother, Jerrie Lynn Atkins

Jerrie Lynn Atkins was born on August 22, 1949, in Waco, Texas, to John and Hazel Sims. She was the middle of three sisters, alongside her older sister Beverly Lowe and her late younger sister, Pat Dillon.

Jerrie lived her entire life in Waco. She worked at the Owens-Illinois Glass Plant for more than 30 years before retiring. She was a hard worker, but what she worked hardest for was her family.

My mother raised two very energetic boys—my older brother Eric and me, Dan—primarily by herself. There were times when she worked as many as three jobs at once just to provide for us. Looking back now, I honestly don’t know how she did it. But she did. And she never complained. She never once made my brother or me feel like we were a burden or that we weren't loved.

My mother’s own childhood was difficult. When she and her sisters were very young, their father placed them in the Evangelia Home. That experience stayed with her for the rest of her life. She knew firsthand what it felt like to be a child in need of love and security.

So when she became a mother, she made a promise in her own way. She made sure her boys would never have to wonder if they were loved or why she wasn’t there—because she was always there. She kept that promise every single day of her life.

My mother loved Eric and me more than words can describe. She told us she loved us, but more importantly, she showed us. She worked when she was exhausted. She sacrificed when she had very little to give. She was always there when we needed her. She gave us the kind of love that she had been denied during her own childhood, and I will carry that with me forever.

In 2001, my mother suffered the greatest loss a parent can endure. On June 23, 2001, after celebrating my birthday with me, my brother Eric was killed in a car accident. Losing her oldest son left a hole in her heart that never truly healed, and she carried that heavy loss with her for the next 25 years.

Yet, she kept going. She continued living, loving, laughing, and being Mom. She enjoyed playing Texas Hold’em, spending time with her friends, and watching the Dallas Cowboys play on Sundays. She loved being around people and cherished the simple moments that made life good.

She was also a loving grandmother to Reese Dillon, Haley Dillon, and Kamerly Dillon, and a great-grandmother to Coby Dillon and Samantha Maxey.

My mother passed away at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco on September 6, 2026, at 8:15 p.m.

There are no words that can adequately describe the pain of that day or explain what she meant to me. I loved my mother deeply, and I respected her even more.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand things about her that I couldn’t possibly have understood as a boy. I understand now how hard she worked and the immense sacrifices she made. I understand that she carried her own wounds and hardships, yet somehow found the strength to give her two boys the love she had missed.

That is the woman I will always remember: not just my mother, but a woman who endured deep hardships and chose to turn them into something good. She could have allowed her past to make her bitter, but instead, she made sure her children knew how deeply they were cherished. She could have given up when life was hard, but instead, she persevered.

And now, I have to say goodbye to her.

Mom, I wish I had the words to tell you everything you meant to me. I wish I could somehow give back all the love, sacrifice, and years you gave to my brother and me.

I can’t do that, but I can promise you this:

I will never forget you.

I will never forget what you did for us.

And I will never stop being grateful that you were my mother.

You were an amazing woman, and an even more amazing mother, and I am so very proud and blessed to be your son.

I love you, Mom. Forever and ever!!