Andy Hugh "Sonny" Batey, age 87 of Dewville, passed away on February 11, 2020. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2020 from 2-4 P.M. at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 10:30 A.M. at Dewville United Methodist Church with Rev. Roy Collins officiating. Interment will follow in the Dewville Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Dewville United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Sonny was born on July 31, 1932 in Nixon, Texas to Andy Walter "Bud" and Lella Lee (Burns) Batey. Sonny attended the elementary grades at the Dewville School until that school closed, then attended the middle grades at Leesville Public School, graduating from Nixon High School in 1948. He met the love of his life, Grace Barth, while she worked at the soda fountain of Hewell's Drug Store in Nixon. Sonny and Gracie married on September 13, 1952 in the Baptist Student Union at Southwest Texas State Teacher's College, in San Marcos. Sonny began teaching elementary school at Poth in 1953, before graduating with his Bachelor of Science degree from SWTSTC in 1956. After four years teaching the elementary grades, first at Poth, then later at LaVernia and Smiley, Sonny took a job as Driver Education teacher in the Seguin Independent School District; the job he held for the next 32 years. He is remembered fondly by thousands of students who passed through his classroom during those years. He retired from teaching in 1989. Sonny had many close friends in the "school business," among them many school administrators and dozens of teacher friends too numerous to count. Sonny was a dedicated hunter and taught his sons to hunt from an early age. His closest friends from his hunting days were Mr. J. D. Ferguson, of San Antonio, and Mr. Bill Trant, of Nixon, though there were many, many others. A "Cowboy" all his life, he also loved the sport of calf roping. He roped as a young man in the 1950's, before his sons were born, then gave it up to raise his family. He took up the sport again in 1970 and continued for another 28 years. He had many cowboy friends and was acquainted with the calf-roping community throughout Texas. Sonny and Grace loved dancing to country music and in their later years became regulars at the Silver Center's Friday night dances. Their long-time church affiliation was with the Dewville United Methodist Church. Sonny is preceded in death by his parents, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, William Eugene and Myrtle Irene Barth. Survivors include his loving wife of 67 years, Grace Arlene Barth Batey; sons, Andy Hugh Batey, Jr. and wife Carla, Eugene Lee "Uski" Batey and wife Kristy, Richard Miller Batey and wife Kori, and Trant Walter Batey and wife Alena; grandchildren, Taylor Collins, Keegan Collins, Caitlyn Hafer and husband Aaron, Christopher Roach, Grace Batey, Jarrett Batey, Drew Batey, Kaylie Batey, Luke Batey, Ariana Freeman, and Mila Batey; brother-in-law, William "Bobby" Barth and wife Josephine; several nieces and nephews, numerous cousins, other loving family members and many many friends. Serving as pallbearers will be, Jarrett Batey, Drew Batey, Luke Batey, Taylor Collins, Aaron Hafer, Christopher Roach and Wesley Downey. Memorial contributions may be made to, Dewville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 404, Nixon, TX 78140, or Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Hospice, 1215 E Court St. Seguin, TX 78155.
Published by Tres Hewell Mortuary, Seguin, Texas