Florence Lillian Hafley Anderson
March 25, 1924 - August 29, 2004
80 years 5 months and 4 days.
Her life’s journey began in a very modest farm house at the edge of Gause, Texas. Florence was the youngest of six children born to Louis Gould Hafley and Ola Etta Walker Hafley. Louis was a carpenter, cotton-ginner and farmer and Ola was a housewife. Florence spent her entire youth in the town of Gause. In her early years in Gause she attended the Gause Methodist Church with her mother.
She lost her father in 1938 during the height of the Great Depression when she was just 13 years of age. Hard times followed with the family seldom having enough to eat and very little money for clothes or shoes. This experience was not unique to Florence’s family as poverty in the cities and on rural farms was great during those dark days as many can well remember. These hard times helped to instill in Florence and her other siblings a sense of being frugal and taught her the true value of a dollar while instilling in her a desire to be self sufficient. For those of us that knew her, this desire was destined to remain with her until the day the Lord called her home.
Florence’s early schooling came in the local Gause School. Upon graduation from the Gause school, Florence spent her high school years in the neighboring town of Hearne, at Hearne High School where she excelled at athletics during the early years of World War II. She participated in volleyball, track and softball or “town ball” as it was then called and was recognized in 1940 as the best girl athlete at the end of the school year. Upon graduation from Hearne High School she felt compelled to leave the small town of Gause and go in search of employment. This brought her to Houston to live with her sisters for a time while searching for work.
Houston was a very different place than the small town of Gause and was a 120 mile train ride from home. Florence adjusted to the change quite well and soon found employment. She worked at various jobs during her long life. She worked for the telephone company for a time and the Weingarten grocery stores and then the local credit bureau. She went to work in the late 1950's at the old Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston where she was introduced to the medical records department. She found the work enjoyable and followed this line of work into the 1960's. She would continue to follow this line of work for the rest of her career in one form or another. After she lost her job due to a hospital closing in north Houston, she worked in Doctor’s offices from that time until her retirement. Unable to keep still for long, Florence, as many of her church friends well know, worked in the church kitchen preparing the evening meal each Wednesday. She always enjoyed the work and was eager to help.
Near the end of World War II Florence would meet Norman Anderson, at that time a member of the United States Air Corps, or Air Force as it is known today. They met through one of Florence’s old friends from Gause. Romance blossomed into marriage on February 12, 1945 at a local Methodist Church. Joy came to Florence and Norman on August 26, 1946 with the birth of their son, Douglas. Florence and Norman were later divorced in the early 1970's and Florence would never remarry.
March 25, 1924 - August 29, 2004
80 years 5 months and 4 days.
Her life’s journey began in a very modest farm house at the edge of Gause, Texas. Florence was the youngest of six children born to Louis Gould Hafley and Ola Etta Walker Hafley. Louis was a carpenter, cotton-ginner and farmer and Ola was a housewife. Florence spent her entire youth in the town of Gause. In her early years in Gause she attended the Gause Methodist Church with her mother.
She lost her father in 1938 during the height of the Great Depression when she was just 13 years of age. Hard times followed with the family seldom having enough to eat and very little money for clothes or shoes. This experience was not unique to Florence’s family as poverty in the cities and on rural farms was great during those dark days as many can well remember. These hard times helped to instill in Florence and her other siblings a sense of being frugal and taught her the true value of a dollar while instilling in her a desire to be self sufficient. For those of us that knew her, this desire was destined to remain with her until the day the Lord called her home.
Florence’s early schooling came in the local Gause School. Upon graduation from the Gause school, Florence spent her high school years in the neighboring town of Hearne, at Hearne High School where she excelled at athletics during the early years of World War II. She participated in volleyball, track and softball or “town ball” as it was then called and was recognized in 1940 as the best girl athlete at the end of the school year. Upon graduation from Hearne High School she felt compelled to leave the small town of Gause and go in search of employment. This brought her to Houston to live with her sisters for a time while searching for work.
Houston was a very different place than the small town of Gause and was a 120 mile train ride from home. Florence adjusted to the change quite well and soon found employment. She worked at various jobs during her long life. She worked for the telephone company for a time and the Weingarten grocery stores and then the local credit bureau. She went to work in the late 1950's at the old Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston where she was introduced to the medical records department. She found the work enjoyable and followed this line of work into the 1960's. She would continue to follow this line of work for the rest of her career in one form or another. After she lost her job due to a hospital closing in north Houston, she worked in Doctor’s offices from that time until her retirement. Unable to keep still for long, Florence, as many of her church friends well know, worked in the church kitchen preparing the evening meal each Wednesday. She always enjoyed the work and was eager to help.
Near the end of World War II Florence would meet Norman Anderson, at that time a member of the United States Air Corps, or Air Force as it is known today. They met through one of Florence’s old friends from Gause. Romance blossomed into marriage on February 12, 1945 at a local Methodist Church. Joy came to Florence and Norman on August 26, 1946 with the birth of their son, Douglas. Florence and Norman were later divorced in the early 1970's and Florence would never remarry.
Florence Lillian Hafley Anderson
March 25, 1924 - August 29, 2004
80 years 5 months and 4 days.
Her life’s journey began in a very modest farm house at the edge of Gause, Texas. Florence was the youngest of six children born to Louis Gould Hafley and Ola Etta Walker Hafley. Louis was a carpenter, cotton-ginner and farmer and Ola was a housewife. Florence spent her entire youth in the town of Gause. In her early years in Gause she attended the Gause Methodist Church with her mother.
She lost her father in 1938 during the height of the Great Depression when she was just 13 years of age. Hard times followed with the family seldom having enough to eat and very little money for clothes or shoes. This experience was not unique to Florence’s family as poverty in the cities and on rural farms was great during those dark days as many can well remember. These hard times helped to instill in Florence and her other siblings a sense of being frugal and taught her the true value of a dollar while instilling in her a desire to be self sufficient. For those of us that knew her, this desire was destined to remain with her until the day the Lord called her home.
Florence’s early schooling came in the local Gause School. Upon graduation from the Gause school, Florence spent her high school years in the neighboring town of Hearne, at Hearne High School where she excelled at athletics during the early years of World War II. She participated in volleyball, track and softball or “town ball” as it was then called and was recognized in 1940 as the best girl athlete at the end of the school year. Upon graduation from Hearne High School she felt compelled to leave the small town of Gause and go in search of employment. This brought her to Houston to live with her sisters for a time while searching for work.
Houston was a very different place than the small town of Gause and was a 120 mile train ride from home. Florence adjusted to the change quite well and soon found employment. She worked at various jobs during her long life. She worked for the telephone company for a time and the Weingarten grocery stores and then the local credit bureau. She went to work in the late 1950's at the old Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston where she was introduced to the medical records department. She found the work enjoyable and followed this line of work into the 1960's. She would continue to follow this line of work for the rest of her career in one form or another. After she lost her job due to a hospital closing in north Houston, she worked in Doctor’s offices from that time until her retirement. Unable to keep still for long, Florence, as many of her church friends well know, worked in the church kitchen preparing the evening meal each Wednesday. She always enjoyed the work and was eager to help.
Near the end of World War II Florence would meet Norman Anderson, at that time a member of the United States Air Corps, or Air Force as it is known today. They met through one of Florence’s old friends from Gause. Romance blossomed into marriage on February 12, 1945 at a local Methodist Church. Joy came to Florence and Norman on August 26, 1946 with the birth of their son, Douglas. Florence and Norman were later divorced in the early 1970's and Florence would never remarry.
March 25, 1924 - August 29, 2004
80 years 5 months and 4 days.
Her life’s journey began in a very modest farm house at the edge of Gause, Texas. Florence was the youngest of six children born to Louis Gould Hafley and Ola Etta Walker Hafley. Louis was a carpenter, cotton-ginner and farmer and Ola was a housewife. Florence spent her entire youth in the town of Gause. In her early years in Gause she attended the Gause Methodist Church with her mother.
She lost her father in 1938 during the height of the Great Depression when she was just 13 years of age. Hard times followed with the family seldom having enough to eat and very little money for clothes or shoes. This experience was not unique to Florence’s family as poverty in the cities and on rural farms was great during those dark days as many can well remember. These hard times helped to instill in Florence and her other siblings a sense of being frugal and taught her the true value of a dollar while instilling in her a desire to be self sufficient. For those of us that knew her, this desire was destined to remain with her until the day the Lord called her home.
Florence’s early schooling came in the local Gause School. Upon graduation from the Gause school, Florence spent her high school years in the neighboring town of Hearne, at Hearne High School where she excelled at athletics during the early years of World War II. She participated in volleyball, track and softball or “town ball” as it was then called and was recognized in 1940 as the best girl athlete at the end of the school year. Upon graduation from Hearne High School she felt compelled to leave the small town of Gause and go in search of employment. This brought her to Houston to live with her sisters for a time while searching for work.
Houston was a very different place than the small town of Gause and was a 120 mile train ride from home. Florence adjusted to the change quite well and soon found employment. She worked at various jobs during her long life. She worked for the telephone company for a time and the Weingarten grocery stores and then the local credit bureau. She went to work in the late 1950's at the old Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston where she was introduced to the medical records department. She found the work enjoyable and followed this line of work into the 1960's. She would continue to follow this line of work for the rest of her career in one form or another. After she lost her job due to a hospital closing in north Houston, she worked in Doctor’s offices from that time until her retirement. Unable to keep still for long, Florence, as many of her church friends well know, worked in the church kitchen preparing the evening meal each Wednesday. She always enjoyed the work and was eager to help.
Near the end of World War II Florence would meet Norman Anderson, at that time a member of the United States Air Corps, or Air Force as it is known today. They met through one of Florence’s old friends from Gause. Romance blossomed into marriage on February 12, 1945 at a local Methodist Church. Joy came to Florence and Norman on August 26, 1946 with the birth of their son, Douglas. Florence and Norman were later divorced in the early 1970's and Florence would never remarry.
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