EDINBURG — Karliene Marie Davis, eighty – five of Mission, Texas passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 22, 2022, in Edinburg, Texas. She was born on August 11, 1937, in Pearsall, TX, daughter of the late Orville and Lucille O’Brien. She was preceded in death by her one true love, her husband James W. Davis Jr, her grandson, Marc Ramon Rodriguez, her son – in – law, Steve Eriksmoen.
Karliene grew up in Central Texas and graduated from Cotulla High School in Cotulla, Texas in 1955 before moving to the Rio Grande Valley where she would go on to meet James “Jimmy” Davis on a blind date. That blind date would quickly develop into a courtship which found Karliene typing Jimmy’s master’s papers as he traveled to and from Kingsville for classes. That early commitment of keystrokes eventually wrote itself into a lifetime commitment inmarriage. Jimmy asked her to marry him over the phone. She teased him often that the only reason he married her was so she could help him finish his masters.
Karliene was affectionately known to many as Big Mama which was a name she revered. She garnered the name from her oldest grandchild DJ. DJ gave her the name because he heard his aunts calling her Mama, and he did not understand, so he coined the name Big Mama since she was tall.
She spent her time living in Alamo alongside her husband all while raising their four girls. She worked many years managing medical offices all while spending her most cherished time alongside her husband in the outdoors and assisting with the Nomad Shrine Club where she was a member of the Daughters of the Nile. She remained faithfully active in the Episcopal church most recently attending St. Peter & St. Paul Episcopal Church where she was a member of the Daughters of the King. She was also a member of the McAllen Elks Lodge where you regularly found her contributing her cooking skills in the kitchen which eventually brought her to be recognized as the recipient of several awards.
Just as the many family photos adorned her refrigerator, it was beyond the refrigerator doors that brought unity within her family as she regularly cooked true southern dishes that brought her a loyalty for those with a staunch appetite. She was known to prepare some of the most delectable dishes, many times alongside her four girls. Her faithfulness to the kitchen was second only to her religious faith as she was known for her daily and unwavering devotion to prayer.
Mrs. Davis is survived by her four daughters, Donna Hutchins (Sherrill Kendrick), Sharon Wernecke (Ron Miller), Jennifer Eriksmoen and Carol Rodriguez (Marco Rodriguez). She was blessed with many grandchildren to include DJ Wernecke (Rachael), Brice Wernecke (Lindsay), Vance Hutchins, Davis Eriksmoen, Kayla Rodriguez, and Cameron Eriksmoen. Additionally, she would be graced with five great grandchildren, Hunter, Luke, Jaxon, Sadie, and Teigan. She often found humor in creating a Texas sized family which would inevitably give her a Texas sized smile during family gatherings. She was blessed with a keen ability to steadfastly listen but never short for advice for anyone she came across.
Memorial service will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2022 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in McAllen, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church in Mission, Texas.
Her note to her family: I haven’t left you; I will always be with you. My beautiful family, I love you all very much…. Love – Mom, “Big Mama”
