Child of Cornealious Allen Lilly and Ellen Melinda Hopkins
Mother of Billy Eugene O'Brate (1930-1986);Anthony Allen "Tony"-to friends/"Buddy-to family"; Helen Lee

Syracuse (KS)-Bessie Martha O'Brate Post, 77, died Sept 1, 1988, at St Catherine's Hospital, Garden City. Born Bessie Lilly, April 12, 1911, at Sparks, Okla., she married Merrill O'Brate Oct 8, 1928, at Chandler, Oklahoma. He died Aug 31, 1975. She married Lloyd Post in July, 1983, at Syracuse. A homemaker, she was a resident of Syracuse for 15 years, moving from Stanton County.
She was a member of First Christian Church and the Very Important People Organization, both of Syracuse.
Survivors: husband, of the home; son, Tony O'Brate, Syracuse; daughter, Helen Lee Cook, Ozark, Arkansas; brothers, Charley, Prague, Oklahoma, Arthur of Houston; sister, Faye Price, Okla City; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. MDT Saturday at First Christian Church, Syracuse, Bruce Sneed officiating. Burial will be in Syracuse Cemetery. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Greene Funeral Home, Syracuse. Memorials may go to Hamilton County Rest Home, Syracuse.

~Ode to our mom~
by
Buddy & Helen Lee

Bessie was born to Cornealious Allen Lilly and Ellen Malinda Hopkins on April 12, 1911, on a farm near Sparks, Lincoln Co, Oklahoma. She attended Bethel Grove, a one room school near her home for eight years. When Bessie was eleven years old her mother passed away leaving her the eldest daughter in the home. She and her sister, Faye assumed the duties of caring for their father and younger brothers, working long hours in the house and fields. She was proud of the fact that she could pick 100 pounds of cotton a day. Her only social activities at this time were several church services on Sundays, beginning early and ending late. During the harvest season they would travel to Arkansas to pick strawberries. Bessie was to meet her future husband on a harvest trip to Oklahoma. On October 8, 1928, she became the bride of Merrill Lee O'Brate at Chandler, Lincoln Co, Oklahoma, thus beginning a 47 year marriage. To this union were born three children; Billy Eugene in 1930, Tony Allen in 1931, and to her parents' surprise and her brothers' dismay- nine years later, a daughter, Helen Lee, arrived.

After enduring the depression years in Oklahoma, life became easier when Merrill and his brother Elmer began custom harvesting. Bessie would go along and cook for the crew. In 1944 they took up farming in Hamilton County, Kansas and continued custom cutting. Bessie did the cooking many times for as many as 47 harvest hands three times a day with a minimum of help. No one was ever known to leave her table hungry. If a half cup of cream made it good, a whole cup made it delicious! She would vary her day of cooking by making frequent 32 mile dashes to Syracuse for groceries and supplies. Her record time for reaching Syracuse on dirt roads was 20 minutes. This record was set the day she rushed Merrill to the hospital for a black widow spider bite. Driving advice was frequently given by her husband and children - and seldom heeded.....

One of the most exciting adventures of Bessie's life was upon her return from a long fishing trip with Merrill and discovering their house had been overtaken by rattlesnakes. With pistol loaded with bird shot ever handy she was determined to stay, but her house guests eventually won. An exterminator was called, and she was back within the week.

Bessie and Merrill's hired help were often young men in need of a job, a good meal and a place to sleep. Many returned later to thank them and remained close friends. In addition to helping these people, she became part-time mother to her grandchildren, who loved her dearly. Her generosity was well known by all who knew her. She would give you anything she had, never asking anything in return. Bessie and Merrill retired in 1972 and moved to Syracuse. She became a full time nurse to Merrill who became totally disabled and cared for him at home until his death in 1975.

She became interested in the senior citizens center, working wherever she was needed. In 1983 she married Lloyd Post of Syracuse and continued to live in her home at 321 Gardner. In 1986 she lost her eldest son, Bill, to lung cancer. Her own health began to fail almost immediately following his death. She became a resident of the Hamilton County Rest Home on Oct 7, 1987, and lived there until her death Sept. 1, 1988.

She leaves to mourn her: a son, Tony, her daughter, Helen Lee Wilbourn Cook, two brothers, Arthur and Charley Lilly, her sister Faye Price, ten grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and many close relatives and friends.

I DO NOT GO ALONE
(poem read at mom's service)

If death should beckon me
With outstretched hand
And whisper softly of "An Unknown Land",
I shall not be
Afraid to go,
'Er though the path I do not know.

I take Death's hand
Without a fear,
For He who safely brought me here
Will also take me
Safely back.
And though in many things I lack....

He will not let me
Go alone
Into the "Valley That's Unknown",
So I reach out and take Death's hand
And journey to the "Promised Land"!