Dixie Lee (Harmon) Gardner passed away December 9, 2022, at Brookdale Redmond. She and her husband of 62 years, Buz, called Prineville home for 46 years. Together, they raised two children, helped raise three grandchildren and were eventually blessed with four great-granddaughters. Dixie was devoted to her family, gathering them about her like a hen gathers and protects her chicks.
Dixie was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 6, 1942 and often referred to herself as an "Okie." Most people will remember her though, as "the Hostess with the Mostest," as she lived out her gift of hospitality. She didn't know a stranger, and her smile and energy illuminated her surroundings. She and Buz were always champions of the underdog.
Dixie had a sweet countenance, a lovely singing voice, was clever at table games and helped numerous women decorate their homes during her many years with Home Interiors & Gifts. She was a great cook, often making up her own recipes and later lamenting, "I should have written that one down!"
What she will be most remembered for, though, is that she was not ashamed to speak the name of Jesus Christ. And EVERYONE was invited to church!
A celebration of Dixie's delightful personhood will be held at Eastside Church in Prineville on May 6 at 11 a.m. Contributions in memory of Dixie may be made to the KIDS Center in Bend.
