NATHAN "MAMA SUGAR" JEAN (WHITAKER) SANDERS

Nathan Jean Whitaker was born  on June 6, 1939 in Nacogdoches, Texas to the parentage of Lillie Mae Glenn and Reverend Ellis Haddie Whitaker.  She grew up in the Upshaw/County Line  Community in Douglas, Texas where she was raised by her uncle, Deffie Whitaker and aunt, Vada Yabrough.  They taught her the ways of country life from the age of 10.  After graduating from C.L. Simmons High School in Cushing, Texas, she moved to Nacogdoches where she worked at Mrs. Grant’s Boarding House, and learned to cook.

At the age of 19, she met and married Lonnie Earl Sanders and they moved to Houston, Texas in search of a different lifestyle.  Later, as a single parent, she raised five daughters in the fast-paced city.  Known as “Mama Sugar”, she became a member of the First South Main Baptist Church where she nurtured her girls and served as a devoted member.

In 1978, professional bull rider Myrtis Dightman, Sr., alomg with Mark Hatfield and Ted Hightower, introduced her daughters to the world of rodeoing and trail riding, rekindling Mama Sugar’s connection to the country lifestyle she had left behind.  In the early 1980’s, she became involved with the Sugar Shack Disco Club in Arcola, Texas, owned by Ron “Sugar” Mitchell.  There, she  conducted country and western dance classes and introduced numerous African-Americans in Houston and the surrounding areas to country and western dancing.

Mama Sugar partnered with Ronald Mitchell  and in 1981, founded the Sugar Shack Trailblazers, a registered, family-oriented group under the Southwestern Trail Riders Association.  After moving to Fresno, Texas, she emerged as a leading black history educator in western culture, giving lectures in the Houston and Fort Bend Independent School Districts.  She joined Mount Corinth Baptist Church where she dedicated her time to volunteer activities, providing entertainment for youth and seniors, alongside Mollie Stevenson, owner of the American Cowboy Museum, and participating in several black heritage projects, and serving as the president of the Pastor’s Aide Committee. She remained a faithful member of Mount Corinth until her demise.

Mama Sugar received numerous honors and awards in her community, including resolutions from the State of Texas and Fort Bend County, recognizing her as an Outstanding Community Leader.  She and her girls were featured by Ron Stone on The Eyes of Texas in the late 80’s.  Notable awards     include being named “A Living Legend” by the Black Heritage Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1998, and by the Black Professional Cowboys and Cowgirls Association in 2002.  In 1995, she was honored as one of Houston’s Top Twenty Women of Distinction.

As a mother to many trail riders, Mama Sugar taught countless individuals how to survive with little, stay warm around a campfire and prepare delicious meals over an open flame.  Her culinary talents were featured in the June 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine, which highlighted her Juneteenth Celebration and showcased her recipes.  In 2013, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foodways Texas Barbecue Symposium for her renowned country-style cooking and exceptional  recipes.  Her recipes can be found in local libraries within Texas cookbooks.  She always believed that the key to being a great cook was to cook with love.

In 2014, Mama Sugar was inducted into the National Multi-cultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, recognizing her unwavering dedication to preserving western heritage through her outstanding efforts and accomplishments. 

Nathan Jean “Mama Sugar” Whitaker Sanders entered her heavenly home on September 23, 2025.  She will forever live on in our hearts as a beautiful mother, grandmother, and God-fearing black woman who cherished her family and friends, and the mother who made the BEST BEANS EVER!

She was preceded in transition by her parents, daughter (Alisa Marie Sanders), grandson (Demetrius “Ouncie” Mitchell; and three god-daughters (Hazel Elaine Jones, Rhonda Ayala, Andrea Lynell Foley).

Left to honor her life and cherish her memory are her children: Beverlyn Sanders, Cheryl Sanders, Vanessa Sanders, Kathy Sanders, Lasagne Brown, Demetrius Mitchell; grandchildren: Talicia Howard (John), Nathan E.R.Sanders, Venetta Baines (Gary, Jr.), Russell “P.J.” Hebert, Jr., Shaynia Mitchell,   Rotasha Sanders, DeAndre Stubblefield, Terrae Stubblefield, Ryan Ayala, Mark Boone, Jakayla Brown, Brooklyn Howard; great-grandchildren: Za’Rhia, Gary “G3”, Elyce “LeLe”, Johnna “JaiJai”, Joshia, Ryle, Raegan, Amethyst, Kayla, Jermaine; sisters-in-law, Ida Mae Burgess. Renee Levy; cousin, Joyce Hooper; The Sugar Shack Trailblazers Family, the 5 Bar S Family, and a host of extended family and friends.

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