Bessie Lee (Henderson) Hale

Rotan - Bessie Lee (Henderson) Hale, 95, died Saturday April 18, 2009 at Fisher County Hospital. Services were held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at Weathersbee-Ray Chapel with Brother Corkey Wells officiating. Burial followed in Belvieu Cemetery under the direction of Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home.

Bess was the youngest of ten children born to Robert Lemuel (Bob) and Allie (Anderson) Henderson. She was born May 12, 1913 in the family homestead in Ivy Gap near Copperas Cove in Bell County. Her father was a school teacher for 35 years and her mother was a homemaker and family caretaker. Her grandfather, James Anderson, fought in the Civil War and her other grandfather Nicholas Henderson was a land owner in the Republic of Texas.

When Bess was four years old, she moved with her family to Burnet County, TX.

Their home was in the Spring Creek Community, named for the wonderful spring close to their house. When Bess was five years old she started school at a one room school, Spring Creek School, where she excelled in reading. She continued to be an avid reader. The family moved to Fisher County in 1925 by railroad and their Model T. Bess married Ervin Hale November 11, 1931 in Lovington, NM. They lived in Fisher County the remaining years of her life. Bess was a Baptist and she enjoyed reading and writing poetry and working crossword puzzles. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, six brothers, three sisters and a son (Larry Hale).

Bess is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Jimmy and Sherry Hale of Rotan and Darrell and Jo Ann Hale of Iowa Park; two daughters, Sharon Hale Waggoner of Wichita Falls and Carolyn (Pooky) Williamson of Iowa Park; twelve grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.