Annie Nicholson Drake's Obituary
Annie Drake was born to Allie Ruland Nicholson and George William Nicholson in Parker County. She moved to Brownfield, Texas in 1938 with her parents and three older brothers, Jack Weldon, Freddie Ray, and Albert Eugene.After graduating from high school in Brownfield in 1950, she attended Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas. After retiring from a business career with IBM, she attended Texas Tech University, graduating in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in general studies. She also completed other courses of study in conjunction with various employment and personal pursuits including Millefeuille-Provence, Centre Residential de Langues, St. Genies de Comolas, France.Ms. Drake was employed by Eli Lilly & Company, Lubbock and Dallas, 1959-1967; IBM Corporation, Lubbock, 1967-1987; Lubbock International Cultural Center, 1988-1998; and the US Department of Homeland Security, 1999-2011.Ms. Drake was active in many civic organizations in Lubbock and served on Boards of Directors for the American Red Cross, Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Women’s Division, Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, St. Mary of the Plains Hospital Foundation, Lubbock Women’s Club and the Lubbock International Cultural Center. She served on the Lubbock Commission, Bicentennial of the US Constitution Celebration and chaired the Ransom Canyon Historical Committee in placing a historical marker. She was a state officer of the Texas Society, NSDAR, and received the Medal of Appreciation from the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Texas Tech Chapter. A member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution since 1976, she was regent of the Nancy Anderson Chapter, Lubbock, and a member of the Michael Stoner Chapter, Dallas. She was a member of Second Baptist Church in Lubbock since 1968. She became an associate member of the Lubbock chapter General James Smith Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 2011.As Chairwoman of the Archives & History Committee, Lubbock International Cultural Center, Ms. Drake compiled “Lubbock International Cultural Center, Inc.: 10th Anniversary Edition.” She also authored the book, “Clear Fork Kinship,” for which she received the Will Rogers Medallion Award from the Academy of Western Artists for western non-fiction.She was married to Charles Doyle Drake on August 3, 1951; he predeceased her on January 26, 1990. She is survived by her three children: Ann Danette Drake Johnson and husband Sidney Alfred Johnson, Jr, of Memphis Tennessee; Stephanie Lynne Drake Turney and husband Paul Larkin Turney of Dallas; Toby Charles Drake and wife Gwendolyn Marie Ingegniero Drake of Raleigh, North Carolina; four grandchildren: Spencer Alfred Johnson (Hannah Guidry) of Nashville, Tennessee; Lee Grace Johnson of Memphis, Tennessee; Aaron Larkin Turney (Andrea Morgan) of Nashville; Stephen Charles Turney (Becca) of Nashville; and two great-grandchildren: Josephine Mae Johnson and Everett Robert Turney.She is also survived by two brothers, Freddie R. Nicholson of Amarillo and Albert E. Nicholson and wife Beverly Joan Pitcher Nicholson of San Antonio. A brother, Jack W. Nicholson of Chattanooga, Tennessee and a niece, Judy Annette Nicholson Wagnon of Amarillo, predeceased her. She is survived by six nieces and nephews and their families: James Hershel Nicholson of Houston; Nancy Lynn Nicholson Hoffman of San Antonio; Holly Ann Nicholson of Mason; LaDonnah Nicholson Dutton of Tucson, Arizona; Dawn Poole Nicholson Marse of Lubbock; Ross Edward Nicholson of Austin and many beloved grandnieces and grandnephews.Ms. Drake chose to be cremated in Dallas and to be interred in Clark Cemetery, Parker County, in a family plot; she is the sixth generation of her family to be buried there. A graveside memorial in celebration of her life will be held at 9:30 AM on Saturday morning before the next annual Clark Cemetery gathering.The family requests your thoughts and prayers at this time of bereavement in lieu of flowers or memorial remembrances.
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