Otsie Ellen Horne

Otsie Ellen Romo Horne was born November 11, 1918 in Fox, Oklahoma on Armistice Day to Jess and Rose (Wiley) Dillard. She passed away on Saturday, December 26, 2015 in Highland Village, TX at the age of 97.

She was raised in the Ireton Community near Alex and attended Alex schools through the 12th grade but left school prior to graduation. She married Alfred Franklin Romo in 1937 and he preceded her in death in 1975. She married Carthin Wilson Horne in 1984 and he preceded her in death in 1993.

Otsie's life was characterized by hard work and dedication to whatever life demanded of her. She faced hardship and loss, emotional struggles, and financial challenges with the same unflinching resolve from childhood to her very last days.

Some of her favorite stories of childhood included tales of milking cows in the early morning before school, helping her mom do chores, playing with neighbor children until her mom "whistled" her home for supper, and having to go fetch her own "switch" (usually from a peach tree) when she was going to be punished.

In her early life, she and her first husband and extended family traveled the U.S. as field hands, following the harvest in a Model T Ford and bringing in crops that included potatoes and cotton. She boasted that she once brought in 1000 pounds of cotton in one day – the only woman in their group to ever do that. She worked in the heat of west Texas and in near freezing temperatures in Minnesota and was proud to do it.
In 1951, she went to work for Pet, Incorporated in Chickasha and remained there for 33 years as an oven tender making their famous frozen waffles, pie crusts, and pecan rolls. She made many lifelong friends during that time; and she always spoke highly of both her colleagues and her supervisors.

In 1975, she lost her husband of 37 years to cancer. Eight months later, in January 1976, she lost her only son to cancer. Two years later, in 1978, she lost her father to cancer. In 1984, she married again to a high school sweetheart who had been recently-widowed. Together with their various siblings, they traveled the country by car – sightseeing, collecting memories, and taking endless photographs. After nearly a decade of happiness together, she lost her second husband to cancer.

Through all these trials, the thing that most impressed her grandchildren was her will to press on and to overcome. She was "one tough old broad," they agreed. In one instance, when she noted how some of the younger crowd complained about their lot in life, she commented to one of her grandkids, "your generation is just weak." To which he replied, "yes ma'am."

After the death of his wife, Otsie's brother Ray (aka "Son") moved in with her and the two spent several happy years tormenting one another - as brother and sister will do. Together with their other siblings, they attended many events sponsored by the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma. (Otsie's grandfather had enrolled his children on the Dawes Rolls and all their direct descendants in perpetuity are eligible for tribal membership). She was very proud of this and staunch supporter of Chief Pyle and subsequently Chief Batton.

When Otsie's brother's health declined a few years later, he moved back to California to live with his daughter. And when he passed away, Otsie took her first airplane ride (at 95 years of age) to attend his memorial.

She had other firsts in later life as well:
• In 2003, she attended her first NBA basketball game
• In 2013, she attended her first Major League Baseball game
• In 2014, she had her first manicure and pedicure (and loved it!)

In 2013, after much "encouragement," she agreed to leave her Chickasha home of 55 years and move in with her grandson, his wife, and their three kids in Highland Village, TX - a northern suburb of Dallas. The arrangement was tough at first because of Otsie's fierce independence and her desire to help out with everything despite her declining health. As long as she was allowed to cook periodically, and do a little gardening, and her own laundry, and sweep her own floor, and make her own bed (and basically anything else she wanted), everything settled down to normal.

On a lark, for her 95th birthday, the family took her to Medieval Times – a tournament themed restaurant with performers acting out swordfights and even jousting on horseback in a tableside arena. While it was really meant as a joke (Otsie didn't really go in for extravagance) she loved it so much that they returned for her 96th and 97th birthdays. During the latter visits, they had her "knighted" by the King of the realm. And when her name (and age) were announced, she received the loudest applause of anyone – much to her delight. During the last visit just a few months ago, she cheered and waved her flag so enthusiastically that the winning knight in the evening's tournament personally presented her with a rose after his victory.

Otsie enjoyed crafting and was known to dabble in needlepoint and crochet. She collected figurines and she loved buying clothes and shoes – which she did by mail order even in her last months. She was an outstanding cook and conveyed that passion to both her grandsons. She made everything from scratch, including homemade flour tortillas, cornbread dressing and giblet gravy, and a variety of desserts.


Otsie loved her family very much – her parents, her brothers and sisters, her two husbands, her son, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And her love extended to their families – her daughter-in-law and her siblings and parents, her second husband's family, her grandson's in-laws, etc. Once in the fold, you were in for good. She was tough as nails and stubborn as anyone could be. But to her family she overlooked all faults and ultimately forgave all wrongs.

Otsie spent the last two months of her life at Rambling Oaks Courtyard Extended Care where she made many friends and won the admiration of the staff. She came home for Christmas where she ate two helpings of ham and mashed potatoes and watched basketball on the television with her great-grandson. She passed away peacefully the next day in the company of her last "best friend" and home companion.

She will be sorely missed.

She is also preceded in death by her parents; 2 brothers: Dank Dillard and Raymond Dillard; and a sister, Mozell Hunter.

Otsie is survived by her 2 grandsons:
James Dylan Romo and his wife, Valarie, of Highland Village, TX;
Guy Jason Romo of Oklahoma City, OK

4 great grandchildren: Daniel Tristan Romo of Highland Village, TX;
Sheradyn JoAnn Romo of Highland Village, TX;
Beren James Romo of Highland Village, TX;
and Scarlett Sailor Romo of Ft. Myers, FL

1 sister, Nadene Lewis of Chickasha, OK; and
1 brother, Jess Emmitt Dillard of Borger, TX