ODESSA - Tonya McAlpin Artzer died suddenly in her sleep at her apartment in Odessa, on Dec. 9, 2019. She was 55 years old.
Born in Abilene, on Oct. 3, 1964, She grew up with her mother, father, and brother in Spur. When her father, Jerry Don McAlpin, died in 1982 when she was just a teenager, she was devastated by the loss of someone that supported her in everything she did. She had a big responsibility to take care of her little brother and mother, all while dealing with the huge loss herself.
She took pride in her small hometown of Spur and could always recall a great story of her youth and had many memories of the dear friends she had made there. For college, she attended McMurry University in Abilene as an English major, with aspirations to write for Texas Monthly magazine.
She met Thomas Artzer while working as a dispatcher in Lubbock. They moved to Fort Dodge, Iowa and got married in 1989. On Aug. 11 1991, she gave birth to her son, Ryan Michael Artzer, and on Jan. 30, 1995, to her daughter, Tiffany Janet Artzer. Right after her daughter’s birth, the family returned to Texas and that’s where she lived until her passing.
She is survived by her husband, daughter and son, as well as her mother, Frankie McAlpin, and her brother, J Don McAlpin.
She had a never-ending passion for listening to music, particularly the groups she’d listened to growing up. Artists like Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin were amongst her favorites. She always had a song in mind for every occasion. In addition to music, she adored pop culture of all kinds, she loved the TV show Seinfeld and the movie The Big Lebowski.
Throughout every job she’d have, she was always an astute employee, and worked hard in everything she did, with an impeccable work ethic and attention to detail. At the time of her passing, she worked as a dispatcher at FDF Energy Services, and had a great enthusiasm for the innerworkings of the oilfield business.
On top of having a magnetic, friendly personality and great sense of humor, most of all, she was a wonderful mother.
She always said that the thing she was most proud of in this life was having her two kids. She will be missed so very much.
Arrangements were under the direction of Stanton Memorial Funeral Home and Chapel.