Willie Mae Sandifer

Willie Mae Aswell Sandifer, age 90, of Cedar Creek, Texas, passed away on August 5, 2026, in Austin, Texas. She was under the care of Beacon Hospice.

Willie Mae was born April 12, 1936, in Jonesville, Louisiana, to William Huey Aswell and Odell Minerva Brazzell. When she was 18 months old, her mother died. She and her older sister Elva went to live with her grandparents, John and Elizabeth Brazzell, while her brothers, Bo and John, stayed with their father. At the age of twelve, Willie faced another devastating loss when 17-year-old Elva died.

Willie attended local schools, and her grandmother made sure she attended church every Sunday. From a young age she worked on the farm, in the garden, helped her grandmother can food, and she picked cotton to earn a little money. By the time she was in high school, she had become an excellent seamstress, a skill she carried throughout her life. On March 20, 1954, nearing the end of her senior year, she married Van Roy “Sandy” Sandifer in Bunkie, Louisiana. Later in life, she earned her GED.

Her life with Van Roy was quite adventurous as he eventually made a lifelong career in the offshore oil industry. The latter took them and their four sons to numerous locations throughout Louisiana, Texas, California, and Oregon. They owned and operated Sandy’s Oilfield Services in Houston, Texas, and, at one point, ran an upholstery business in White Castle, Louisiana. Willie was active in both of these businesses, but her pride and joy was her four boys, whom she instilled with a good work ethic, honesty, and integrity. Some of their most enjoyable times were spent fishing and having reunions with extended family. Willie enjoyed gardening, growing flowers, reading, and dabbling in art. She was good at heart, willing to help anyone in need, loved a lively conversation, and never met a stranger.

After Van Roy retired from the oilfield industry in 1994, he and Willie moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he engaged in farming and ranching with his son Van. In 2012, they returned to Texas and built a home in Smithville. In 2022, with Van Roy’s health failing, they moved to Cedar Creek to be near their son Hershel and his wife Becky. Van Roy passed away on November 4, 2022. He and Willie were married for 68 years.

Willie was preceded in death by her husband, Van Roy, and siblings Bo, John, and Elva. She is survived by her four sons: Van Roy Jr. (Linda) of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Huey Ray (Kristina) of Wimberley, Texas; Kenneth Drew (Mabel) of New Braunfels, Texas; Hershel Lynn (Becky) of Cedar Creek, Texas; and 13 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services to celebrate the life of Willie Mae will be held Monday, August 10, 2026 at Marrs Jones Newby Funeral Home in Bastrop, Texas.

Gathering of Family and Friends will begin at 10:00am and the Funeral Service will begin at 11:00am.