Elizabeth Jane Hendley's Obituary
Elizabeth Jane Hendley was born on February 28, 1928, in Kemp, Oklahoma, to Charles Freeman Beaty and Florence Tennessee Tadlock. She passed from this life peacefully with her grandchildren by her side on April 9, 2021, in Kingwood, TX.
In her youth, Mrs. Hendley attended Russell High School and SOSU secretarial school in Durant, OK. Although she never received her degree, she spent the entirety of her life embracing the idea “never stop learning” wholeheartedly and made it her mission to ensure her daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren had the opportunity to earn the degree she felt was so important.
Mrs. Hendley married the love of her life, Hoyle Edward Hendley, on July 15, 1946, and welcomed their only child, Suzanne Hendley, on February 6, 1949. Hoyle and Elizabeth raised their daughter along with Elizabeth’s siblings, Randolph, Gail, and Jeanie, in Cement City, TX., and Dallas, TX. She spoke of the years they spent in Cement City, as some of the happiest of her life, living across the street from friends and family members in the housing offered only to those who worked at the Lone Star Cement plant.
To say that Mrs. Hendley led a full and active life would be an enormous understatement. She was a member at Steven’s Park Methodist Church in Dallas where she sang in the choir and served on several committees for 49 years. She was an assistant Campfire Leader with her best friend, Katie Maloney, and together they led their daughters’ Campfire troop on many adventures such as camping, bowling, and participating in many charitable events in the community. Elizabeth loved gardening, playing piano, reading, sewing, painting, home improvement, and playing all kinds of games. She often enticed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play Hearts, Charades, Chicken Foot, and Dominos. She loved outdoor games as well and could give anyone that challenged her to a game of Badminton or Croquet a run for their money. She was well known by her great-grandchildren as a chocolate drop cookie extraordinaire, their own private costume designer, the mender of britches and buttons, and the master of the mystery casserole.
Elizabeth will be most remembered for her loving devotion to her family. Early on, she served as a parental figure to her siblings. Later, she helped her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with homework and spent hours sewing costumes and clothing. No matter the task, she displayed her love in every minute detail. In a world of texting, instant messaging and emails, she sent handwritten birthday cards, Christmas cards, and letters. Each were made special with her own personalized version of Palmer Method cursive. However, she wasn’t completely old school. She learned to use email, Facebook, and even Facetime to keep up with family members when distance would not allow a face-to-face visit.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by her husband, Hoyle Edward Hendley; her daughter, Suzanne Hendley Herman; her sister, Gail Blythe; her brother, Randolph Beaty; brother-
in-law, Don O’Neal; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Joyce and Jackie Rhodes. She leaves behind sister, Jeanie Lee; grandchildren Christina Lynn Bell and husband Jim Bell, Amy Brooks Gordon and husband Michael Gordon, and Ben Edward Herman and wife Crystal Herman as well as great-grandchildren Reid Fuller, Elizabeth Fuller, Jesse Gordon, Madison Gordon, Zachary Gordon, William Herman, Ashton Herman, and Lauren Herman.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Elizabeth’s favorite charities: National Federation for the Blind, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
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