Wilma Ruth 'Billie' Waddill Hester 1913-1993
Autobiography by Wilma R. Waddill, Jan. 1981, compressed/edited by Nancy. L. Townsend Buchan
Wilma Ruth Waddill, was born to John W. Waddill and Cora E. Townsend, arriving on February 18, 1913, in Lockney, Texas. I was one of six children, three boys, three girls.
Just after my third birthday we moved by horse and wagon to Hale County, about 30 miles [from Lockney, Tx where the family was living] to a 1/2 section of virgin grass land. The house was a former school house - one room- that had been moved from the Harmony Community several miles east. Partitions were built to form four rooms and there the family lived. In 1925 the old house was torn down and usable parts were salvaged to build a new modern home.
The first eight grades of my schooling were in the one room, one teacher school. My father had joined neighbors to form School District #32 and actually constructed the building. The Community was named Wilson for the man who was president at that time.
In 1927 with three children ready for high school, plans were made to move into Plainview. I earned my graduation diploma in May of 1930.
During my senior year I had met a young farmer from O'Donnell, Texas and on December 24, 1930 I was married to Ernest Milton Hester. We lived near his parents where he continued to assist his father in Dairy Cattle Management and farming. In November of 1931, we moved to East Texas where we worked in oil field pipe line jobs.
Their sons, David Leon (1933) and Earl Wayne (1936) were born. In May of 1937 our growing family moved to Breckinridge, Texas where daughter Frances Marie was born (1937).
In July of 1939 my husband joined his brother, Willis Hester, in building a business on property on North Main Street in Lovington, New Mexico. My father built the four room house that was to be our home for the early years. Thankfully my husband was not called to services during the war years, although he gave many hours to local support and community service.
In 1945 our son, Dennis Wesley was born. These were busy years building a Tractor and Farm Implement business, church activities, school and community kept us on the go.
Once all children were married and living lives of their own and we felt we could slow down and do some of the traveling and relaxing we had been promising ourselves. We had begun to liquidate business interests when my husband was stricken with a massive coronary and died on January 9, 1975. I continued to operate the business until closing it out in June of that year.
There followed several years of adjustment. Then I married a long time family friend, William Leonard Carr on July 3, 1978. This was a short lived union as Leonard was stricken with cerebral hemorrhage and died November 30, 1979.
These years of family and home have left little time for personal activity. My first love is reading for both information and pleasure, then music, dancing, sewing and needlecrafts, as well as gardening, have made for a full life.
In the beginning of 1981, I am looking forward to traveling and visiting with my friends and family. At this date I have 10 grandchildren and three great-grand daughters.
Wilma passed from this life on Tuesday, July 27, 1993. An obituary was published in the local paper. Her son, Earl wrote a note of her passing and included these words,
"Just a note to advise Mother passed away on Tuesday, July 27, and was buried in Lovington, New Mexico next to Dad on Saturday. She had been ill for some time, finally staying with my younger brother for the past three months. Although in constant pain, she kept her mental facilities and sense of humor, to the end. We will miss her, as will the grandchildren, great grandchildren and a host of friends and loved ones such as you."
Sincerely, Earl W. Hester
Contributor: Nancy L. Buchan
Wilma Ruth Waddill, was born to John W. Waddill and Cora E. Townsend, arriving on February 18, 1913, in Lockney, Texas. I was one of six children, three boys, three girls.
Just after my third birthday we moved by horse and wagon to Hale County, about 30 miles [from Lockney, Tx where the family was living] to a 1/2 section of virgin grass land. The house was a former school house - one room- that had been moved from the Harmony Community several miles east. Partitions were built to form four rooms and there the family lived. In 1925 the old house was torn down and usable parts were salvaged to build a new modern home.
The first eight grades of my schooling were in the one room, one teacher school. My father had joined neighbors to form School District #32 and actually constructed the building. The Community was named Wilson for the man who was president at that time.
In 1927 with three children ready for high school, plans were made to move into Plainview. I earned my graduation diploma in May of 1930.
During my senior year I had met a young farmer from O'Donnell, Texas and on December 24, 1930 I was married to Ernest Milton Hester. We lived near his parents where he continued to assist his father in Dairy Cattle Management and farming. In November of 1931, we moved to East Texas where we worked in oil field pipe line jobs.
Their sons, David Leon (1933) and Earl Wayne (1936) were born. In May of 1937 our growing family moved to Breckinridge, Texas where daughter Frances Marie was born (1937).
In July of 1939 my husband joined his brother, Willis Hester, in building a business on property on North Main Street in Lovington, New Mexico. My father built the four room house that was to be our home for the early years. Thankfully my husband was not called to services during the war years, although he gave many hours to local support and community service.
In 1945 our son, Dennis Wesley was born. These were busy years building a Tractor and Farm Implement business, church activities, school and community kept us on the go.
Once all children were married and living lives of their own and we felt we could slow down and do some of the traveling and relaxing we had been promising ourselves. We had begun to liquidate business interests when my husband was stricken with a massive coronary and died on January 9, 1975. I continued to operate the business until closing it out in June of that year.
There followed several years of adjustment. Then I married a long time family friend, William Leonard Carr on July 3, 1978. This was a short lived union as Leonard was stricken with cerebral hemorrhage and died November 30, 1979.
These years of family and home have left little time for personal activity. My first love is reading for both information and pleasure, then music, dancing, sewing and needlecrafts, as well as gardening, have made for a full life.
In the beginning of 1981, I am looking forward to traveling and visiting with my friends and family. At this date I have 10 grandchildren and three great-grand daughters.
Wilma passed from this life on Tuesday, July 27, 1993. An obituary was published in the local paper. Her son, Earl wrote a note of her passing and included these words,
"Just a note to advise Mother passed away on Tuesday, July 27, and was buried in Lovington, New Mexico next to Dad on Saturday. She had been ill for some time, finally staying with my younger brother for the past three months. Although in constant pain, she kept her mental facilities and sense of humor, to the end. We will miss her, as will the grandchildren, great grandchildren and a host of friends and loved ones such as you."
Sincerely, Earl W. Hester
Contributor: Nancy L. Buchan
Date & Place:
Not specified or unknown.
