Judith Stimson

Funeral services for Judith Ann Stimson, 80, of Cleburne, Texas will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, January 31, 2025, in the Rosser Funeral Home Chapel.

A visitation will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday, January 30, 2025, at Rosser Funeral Home.

Military graveside services will be conducted at 10:15 a.m. Monday, February 3, 2025, at the Dallas - Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Judith Ann Stimson passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 15, 2025, after an eleven-year battle with dementia. On March 27, 1944, Judy was born in Westboro, Massachusetts to John and Edith Vose. Judith’s brother, John Vose Jr., was two years older than her and was instrumental in her early childhood. She lived in Westboro, Massachusetts and met her future husband, Richard Conrad Stimson, in first grade. The two of them attended the same schools and mostly the same classes through junior high and high school. They attended, history, civics, typing and shorthand classes together. Many times, Richard sat right behind her in class. Both graduated high school on the same day and received the same award for the girl and boy who had advanced the most in their class through their 12 years of education. 

After graduation, Judy worked a year at the local paper mill as a secretary while Richard entered military service. While Richard was assigned to the 50th Combat Engineer Battalion at West Point, New York in September 1962, Judy would meet him on every Friday night at the Massachusetts Turnpike exit nearest her home. Richard had to hitchhike from West Point, New York, since she had a car and he did not. On Sunday afternoons, she would return him to the same spot on the turnpike where he would hitchhike back to West Point. She did this faithfully every weekend for a year. In September of 1963, while on a date at Carbones Pizza Restaurant, Richard proposed to her, and they were married November 23, 1963 at the church they had both attended for many years.

 In 1964, while Richard was at Officer Candidate School, their first daughter was born followed by two more daughters a year apart. Through most of Richard’s military career he was on overseas assignments or lengthy combat training exercises. This left Judy to basically raise three girls on her own; and what a tremendous job she did. She trained the girls in Christian principles, morality, and stewardship leaving a mark that they would pass on to their children. One of the granddaughters gave Judy a plaque a few Christmases ago that said, “Great women raise great women that raise great women”. This is a tribute to her Christian values passed from generation to generation. 

 Judy spent many days volunteering at local nursing homes with bedridden patients reading the Bible and singing Christian hymns to them. In July of 1981 her church in Leesville, Louisiana ministered to a girl (Sharon, age 16) that had a bad home situation. The church asked if any family was willing to take her in just for a few weeks. Judy immediately volunteered to take her into her home. A few weeks became permanent, and Sharon become the Stimson’s fourth daughter. Although Sharon was never officially adopted, Sharon has been treated as a daughter, and Sharon’s children are treated as the Stimson’s grandchildren. 

 When Richard retired from the military as a field grade officer in September 1982, the family moved to Fort Worth Texas. Richard opened an accounting and tax preparation business, and Judy became his data entry clerk, while continuing to raise four teenage daughters. In 1993 Richard purchased a Kenworth tractor trailer truck and added an 8ft Sleeper on the back of the truck. Later that year he had a custom-made 48ft 5th wheel camper trailer built. Judy and Richard then proceeded to travel the last two weeks of every month all over the USA. They would park the truck and trailer in private campgrounds so that they could drive the truck into the national parks. They did this every month until 1999 when he donated the trailer and sold the truck to a Christian Organization to do evangelical work at oil drilling sites in North Dakota. 

 In April 1999, Judy and Richard moved to RJ Ranch, outside of Cleburne, Texas where they continued to operate the accounting and tax preparation business. Judy continued to pass on her love of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to all she came in contact with, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Judy was diagnosed with dementia in 2014, and could no longer do the data entry work for Richard’s business. 

 Two days prior to Judy’s passing, her husband asked her “Who is Jesus”. She answered plainly and with her eyes open “MY SAVIOR”. She went to be with her Lord at 12:01am on January 15th, 2025. Her husband was rubbing her head and holding her hand while she slept and quietly took her last breath. Judy was preceded in death by her parents and brother. Judy is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Richard, her four daughters and their spouses, Susan (Alan) Close, Cynthia (Felix) Rodriquez, Sandra (Mike) Hull, Sharon (Steve) Grant, fourteen grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. 

 In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are welcome and can be directed to Voice of the Martyr’s, Samaritan’s Purse, or Christian Aid Ministries (Bibles for the World) in honor of Judy.