Bertine A. Sliger, loving mother and grandmother, went to be with the Lord on December 3, 2018, with her family at her side. She was born on a farm outside Stratford, Oklahoma, on November 8, 1924, to Calvin and Ora Lee Moore. She excelled in school in the midst of the Great Depression, graduating as valedictorian from Stratford High School. She then dedicated herself to aiding the war effort working at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. At the same time, she entertained airmen on leave as a USO hostess, but only for one dance – she was waiting for her great love, Brizz Sliger, to return from his service as a Marine in the Pacific. After the war, they married and had three children, living in Oklahoma and New Mexico before settling in Midland in 1963. She had a long career as a civil servant at the Veterans Administration and IRS.When her beloved Brizz died in 1983, her faith sustained her, as it would throughout her life. She devoted herself to being a wonderful mother, grandmother, friend, and dedicated member of Midland’s Baptist community. She is survived by her daughter Janice Sliger of Midland, and her son Kris Sliger of Moscow, Russia, and his wife Natalia. She was preceded in death by her son Monte Sliger in 2015. She is also survived by her grandchildren, who will always miss going to their Mimi’s house for treats, her thoughtful cards for every occasion, and her loving nicknames: Alexandra Thomas and husband Christian Burset of South Bend, Indiana; Luke Thomas and wife Joan of Houston, Texas; and the newest addition, arriving when she was 90 years old, “Sugar Baby” Ekaterina Bertine Sliger.Her family and all those who knew her take comfort in the fact that she has achieved what she long desired: to “get my pilot’s license”, as she often put it, and travel to be with her Savior. After years of limited mobility, how wonderful it is to imagine her say, in the words of her favorite hymn: “This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise/to seize the everlasting prize/and shout while passing through the air/’Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’”A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at 2 pm at Fannin Terrace Baptist Church.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center or to the Wounded Warrior Project.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be offered at www.npwelch.com.,
