Bessie

Bessie Louise Webb Etheredge was born on December 5, 1904 in Oak Grove, Texas. She married Truly Etheredge on May 15, 1926 and they moved to Corsicana, Texas where they had one daughter Billie June who gave them 6 grandchildren.

Bessie was one of the hardest working people I have ever known and she could pinch a penny better than anyone. She could stand toe to toe with Gran when he was ringing chicken's necks and dressing them for the freezer. She pickled beets and pickles and made jelly from their own trees and put up peaches and made the best homemade cream corn I ever tasted. She could out cook the best chef anywhere. She made peach and blackberry cobblers and banana pudding that were slap yourself delicious. And biscuits by the 20 dozen. Her cooking alone put her in the hall of fame for grandmas but she did so much more.

She sewed beautifully without ever having the first lesson and upholstered her own furniture which I find unbelievable. She made doll clothes for Billie June's baby dolls and quilted til she just didn't have the eyesight enough to do it anymore. She loved flowers and planted so many but her favorite was petunias. She worked at everything and did it all day long. I remember one day when we sat down to eat after she had cooked all morning she informed us that the only thing on the table not from her and Gran's hands was the butter. That was an amazing accomplishment.

She loved her family but worried way too much and she could make a mountain out of a mole hill better than anybody. As she neared the end of her life, each of us took our turn at helping take care of her and for me it was an unforgettable experience. I helped and watched Gran serve Bessie with a tremendous amount of dedication and some frustration. But in the end she died peacefully in her own home which is something Truly did not get for himself. And I'm still sorry about that. But there is no doubt that our family wouldn't be the same without our Bessie Louise. And of course Caitlin is named after her and one day she told me it was an honor to her that I did that. One of my funniest memories of her is rounding the corner to find her in her chair in the den holding a magazine in front of her face because Gran had a fire so hot she could barely stand to stay in the room with it. That happened more than one time and it was always funny.

I loved to call her Grandma and Bessie.
She graduated to heaven on March 5, 2001.
She would be 105 today.
Happy Birthday Bessie.

Clearly her hair matches her dress.
And what do we call that?
Yep, a blue hair.


Sitting in the yard visiting.




I absolutely love this picture of her.


And this one as well.


I love this example of her working with her hands.


Caitlin picking her beautiful petunias.


Bessie babysitting and waiting on something she was cooking.


The rare smiling picture. I got this because she wasn't
paying attention at Becky and Keith's wedding.

She was a gem.