James Joseph "Joe" Hester, III, 88, formerly of Seabrook, TX, passed
away, Sunday, October 21, 2007, at a nursing home in Rockport, TX. He
was the son of James Joseph Hester and Sarah Amelia (Cocke) Hester.
Joe was born January 9, 1919 in San Antonio, TX, at the home of his
maternal grandparents, William Gabriel & Vanilla (Price) Cocke.
Joe graduated from LaPorte High School and attended Sam Houston State
Teachers College in Huntsville, TX. He served in the United States
Merchant Marine as an Able Seaman aboard the tanker the USS Gulf Gem,
from 1942-1945. He was a lifelong nurseryman and the proprietor of
Hester Nursery in Seabrook, a business established there by his
parents in 1925. The Hester legacy lives on in the Hester Garden
Park, a city park of Seabrook that encompasses the Hester Nursery
grounds on Todville Road.
He was a lover of nature and travel, a devout Christian and an avid
reader. Joe would quote one of his favorite literary characters and
tell us that he is "going on to Aslan's Country." He was looking
forward to being in "that great green garden of Paradise" with the
love of his life, Doris.
Joe married Doris Bennett June 23, 1946, in Seabrook, TX, at the home
of her mother, Anna Bennett. Doris preceded him in death on October
25, 2000. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister,
Ruth Hester Murdock, her husband William Boyd Murdock, Sr., and a
nephew, William Boyd Murdock, Jr.
He is survived by his daughter Dorothy Elizabeth "Beth" Hester and her
friend, Petra Villegas, of Rockport, TX; his daughter Janet Ruth
(Hester) Sherwood and her husband Steve Sherwood of LaPorte, TX; his
nephew Thomas Maurice Murdock and his wife, Patricia (Duncan) Murdock,
of Nella, AR; his niece-in-law, Kitty (Kelly) Murdock, of Clinton, AR;
his granddaughter Doris Elizabeth (Sherwood) Airhart and her husband
Brian Airhart of Rockport, TX; his granddaughter Virginia Kay
(Sherwood) Delear and her husband Stephen Delear of Livingston, LA;
his granddaughter Edith Amelia "Amy" (Sherwood) Pensyl and her husband
Scott Pensyl of Corpus Christi, TX; and his great-grandchildren Kira
Hester Airhart and Michael Stephen Delear. "Uncle Buddy" is also
survived by seven grandnieces and -nephews, 17 great-grandnieces and
-nephews and three great-great-grandnieces and -nephews.
Joe was buried Monday, October 22, 2007, at Seabrook Cemetery. A 3 pm
graveside service was led by his son-in-law, Steve Sherwood. The
eulogy was given by his granddaughter, Elizabeth Airhart. Memorials
in Joe's name can be made to the food pantry at Seabrook United
Methodist church. The Bay Area Chapel handled his funeral
arrangements.
The family would like to thank the staff of Rockport Coastal Care
Center for their compassion.
away, Sunday, October 21, 2007, at a nursing home in Rockport, TX. He
was the son of James Joseph Hester and Sarah Amelia (Cocke) Hester.
Joe was born January 9, 1919 in San Antonio, TX, at the home of his
maternal grandparents, William Gabriel & Vanilla (Price) Cocke.
Joe graduated from LaPorte High School and attended Sam Houston State
Teachers College in Huntsville, TX. He served in the United States
Merchant Marine as an Able Seaman aboard the tanker the USS Gulf Gem,
from 1942-1945. He was a lifelong nurseryman and the proprietor of
Hester Nursery in Seabrook, a business established there by his
parents in 1925. The Hester legacy lives on in the Hester Garden
Park, a city park of Seabrook that encompasses the Hester Nursery
grounds on Todville Road.
He was a lover of nature and travel, a devout Christian and an avid
reader. Joe would quote one of his favorite literary characters and
tell us that he is "going on to Aslan's Country." He was looking
forward to being in "that great green garden of Paradise" with the
love of his life, Doris.
Joe married Doris Bennett June 23, 1946, in Seabrook, TX, at the home
of her mother, Anna Bennett. Doris preceded him in death on October
25, 2000. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister,
Ruth Hester Murdock, her husband William Boyd Murdock, Sr., and a
nephew, William Boyd Murdock, Jr.
He is survived by his daughter Dorothy Elizabeth "Beth" Hester and her
friend, Petra Villegas, of Rockport, TX; his daughter Janet Ruth
(Hester) Sherwood and her husband Steve Sherwood of LaPorte, TX; his
nephew Thomas Maurice Murdock and his wife, Patricia (Duncan) Murdock,
of Nella, AR; his niece-in-law, Kitty (Kelly) Murdock, of Clinton, AR;
his granddaughter Doris Elizabeth (Sherwood) Airhart and her husband
Brian Airhart of Rockport, TX; his granddaughter Virginia Kay
(Sherwood) Delear and her husband Stephen Delear of Livingston, LA;
his granddaughter Edith Amelia "Amy" (Sherwood) Pensyl and her husband
Scott Pensyl of Corpus Christi, TX; and his great-grandchildren Kira
Hester Airhart and Michael Stephen Delear. "Uncle Buddy" is also
survived by seven grandnieces and -nephews, 17 great-grandnieces and
-nephews and three great-great-grandnieces and -nephews.
Joe was buried Monday, October 22, 2007, at Seabrook Cemetery. A 3 pm
graveside service was led by his son-in-law, Steve Sherwood. The
eulogy was given by his granddaughter, Elizabeth Airhart. Memorials
in Joe's name can be made to the food pantry at Seabrook United
Methodist church. The Bay Area Chapel handled his funeral
arrangements.
The family would like to thank the staff of Rockport Coastal Care
Center for their compassion.
James Joseph "Joe" Hester, III, 88, formerly of Seabrook, TX, passed
away, Sunday, October 21, 2007, at a nursing home in Rockport, TX. He
was the son of James Joseph Hester and Sarah Amelia (Cocke) Hester.
Joe was born January 9, 1919 in San Antonio, TX, at the home of his
maternal grandparents, William Gabriel & Vanilla (Price) Cocke.
Joe graduated from LaPorte High School and attended Sam Houston State
Teachers College in Huntsville, TX. He served in the United States
Merchant Marine as an Able Seaman aboard the tanker the USS Gulf Gem,
from 1942-1945. He was a lifelong nurseryman and the proprietor of
Hester Nursery in Seabrook, a business established there by his
parents in 1925. The Hester legacy lives on in the Hester Garden
Park, a city park of Seabrook that encompasses the Hester Nursery
grounds on Todville Road.
He was a lover of nature and travel, a devout Christian and an avid
reader. Joe would quote one of his favorite literary characters and
tell us that he is "going on to Aslan's Country." He was looking
forward to being in "that great green garden of Paradise" with the
love of his life, Doris.
Joe married Doris Bennett June 23, 1946, in Seabrook, TX, at the home
of her mother, Anna Bennett. Doris preceded him in death on October
25, 2000. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister,
Ruth Hester Murdock, her husband William Boyd Murdock, Sr., and a
nephew, William Boyd Murdock, Jr.
He is survived by his daughter Dorothy Elizabeth "Beth" Hester and her
friend, Petra Villegas, of Rockport, TX; his daughter Janet Ruth
(Hester) Sherwood and her husband Steve Sherwood of LaPorte, TX; his
nephew Thomas Maurice Murdock and his wife, Patricia (Duncan) Murdock,
of Nella, AR; his niece-in-law, Kitty (Kelly) Murdock, of Clinton, AR;
his granddaughter Doris Elizabeth (Sherwood) Airhart and her husband
Brian Airhart of Rockport, TX; his granddaughter Virginia Kay
(Sherwood) Delear and her husband Stephen Delear of Livingston, LA;
his granddaughter Edith Amelia "Amy" (Sherwood) Pensyl and her husband
Scott Pensyl of Corpus Christi, TX; and his great-grandchildren Kira
Hester Airhart and Michael Stephen Delear. "Uncle Buddy" is also
survived by seven grandnieces and -nephews, 17 great-grandnieces and
-nephews and three great-great-grandnieces and -nephews.
Joe was buried Monday, October 22, 2007, at Seabrook Cemetery. A 3 pm
graveside service was led by his son-in-law, Steve Sherwood. The
eulogy was given by his granddaughter, Elizabeth Airhart. Memorials
in Joe's name can be made to the food pantry at Seabrook United
Methodist church. The Bay Area Chapel handled his funeral
arrangements.
The family would like to thank the staff of Rockport Coastal Care
Center for their compassion.
away, Sunday, October 21, 2007, at a nursing home in Rockport, TX. He
was the son of James Joseph Hester and Sarah Amelia (Cocke) Hester.
Joe was born January 9, 1919 in San Antonio, TX, at the home of his
maternal grandparents, William Gabriel & Vanilla (Price) Cocke.
Joe graduated from LaPorte High School and attended Sam Houston State
Teachers College in Huntsville, TX. He served in the United States
Merchant Marine as an Able Seaman aboard the tanker the USS Gulf Gem,
from 1942-1945. He was a lifelong nurseryman and the proprietor of
Hester Nursery in Seabrook, a business established there by his
parents in 1925. The Hester legacy lives on in the Hester Garden
Park, a city park of Seabrook that encompasses the Hester Nursery
grounds on Todville Road.
He was a lover of nature and travel, a devout Christian and an avid
reader. Joe would quote one of his favorite literary characters and
tell us that he is "going on to Aslan's Country." He was looking
forward to being in "that great green garden of Paradise" with the
love of his life, Doris.
Joe married Doris Bennett June 23, 1946, in Seabrook, TX, at the home
of her mother, Anna Bennett. Doris preceded him in death on October
25, 2000. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his sister,
Ruth Hester Murdock, her husband William Boyd Murdock, Sr., and a
nephew, William Boyd Murdock, Jr.
He is survived by his daughter Dorothy Elizabeth "Beth" Hester and her
friend, Petra Villegas, of Rockport, TX; his daughter Janet Ruth
(Hester) Sherwood and her husband Steve Sherwood of LaPorte, TX; his
nephew Thomas Maurice Murdock and his wife, Patricia (Duncan) Murdock,
of Nella, AR; his niece-in-law, Kitty (Kelly) Murdock, of Clinton, AR;
his granddaughter Doris Elizabeth (Sherwood) Airhart and her husband
Brian Airhart of Rockport, TX; his granddaughter Virginia Kay
(Sherwood) Delear and her husband Stephen Delear of Livingston, LA;
his granddaughter Edith Amelia "Amy" (Sherwood) Pensyl and her husband
Scott Pensyl of Corpus Christi, TX; and his great-grandchildren Kira
Hester Airhart and Michael Stephen Delear. "Uncle Buddy" is also
survived by seven grandnieces and -nephews, 17 great-grandnieces and
-nephews and three great-great-grandnieces and -nephews.
Joe was buried Monday, October 22, 2007, at Seabrook Cemetery. A 3 pm
graveside service was led by his son-in-law, Steve Sherwood. The
eulogy was given by his granddaughter, Elizabeth Airhart. Memorials
in Joe's name can be made to the food pantry at Seabrook United
Methodist church. The Bay Area Chapel handled his funeral
arrangements.
The family would like to thank the staff of Rockport Coastal Care
Center for their compassion.
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