EdnaBeene

Edna Lee Northern Beene passed away on Feb. 29^th, 2012 in Dallas, TX. She was born March 27, 1925 near Telephone, TX.  She grew up there where her father was a blacksmith, welder, and later owned a small grocery.  She was one of 8 children.  As a child her family lived miles from school and with only a horse to get there she was unable to complete high school.  She moved to Fort Worth TX during World War II to work.  She met and married a soldier named Forest Bates in 1944 who was leaving for duty in the Philippines.  After his return they lived in McKinney TX and raised two children.  As an adult she completed high school, put herself through business school and worked fulltime while raising her family.  She later took classes at A&M Commerce  (formerly ETSU).   

She later married Charles M. Beene in 1963.  They were married until his death in 1985.  They resided in Grand Saline and later in Greenville TX., where her husband, who had retired from government service with the Veterans Administration, had returned to work as the Veterans Affairs Officer for Hunt County.

Edna worked for many years for the County Extension Service in Collin County and later for many years as the Deputy County Clerk for Hunt County until her retirement.  She lived in Greenville, TX from 1968 until 1995 when she moved to Dallas to be near her family and spoil her daughter’s beautiful first grandchild Lauren, who arrived in March of 1996.  

She was a loving, kind, and patient mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  When raising her children she allowed them every stray dog, bird, and even ducks.  She had a special place in her heart for cats and horses. She made every house a home.  She painted, wallpapered, and built cabinets.  She was a talented seamstress, everything from doll clothes and formals to baby clothes for her grandchildren, drapes and slipcovers for her home and those of her children.  She was a wonderful cook, and loved having her family for holidays.  She played the piano and painted lovely watercolors of wildlife, still life, and likenesses of her grandchildren.  She cut and embellished her own mats.  She always personalized her greeting cards with drawings and special notes and

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never forgot anyone. She loved having a garden and flowers as long as possible, and kept a journal for years with little pencil drawings on the corners of the pages.

She struggled with a lot of illness including leukemia beginning in 1991.  After a broken hip in 2004 she developed congestive heart failure, later glaucoma, kidney problems, and dementia, but she was a fighter.

She was preceded in death by her parents Earnest Northern & Letha Patty Northern, and a step mother Julia Northern, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, her spouse, and a son in law.

She is survived by her daughter Sandy Bates Gattis of Dallas, TX; her son Don Bates and spouse Jeanne Aiello Bates of Berthoud CO.; 3 grandchildren: Colbie Gattis MacPhie and spouse Aaron MacPhie of Leonard TX; Magan Gattis Drane and spouse Colin Drane of Towson, MD.; Erin Bates Shorten of Aurora Co.; 4 great grandchildren, Lauren MacPhie, Jonah Drane, Ian Drane, and Noah Drane.

She also leaves 2 sisters: Loraine Baumler of Denison TX., Faye Lindley of Saginaw, TX. and many loved nieces and nephews. She was greatly loved and will be missed by her family and friends.

A graveside service will be held in Memoryland Memorial Park, Greenville TX on Saturday, March 3^rd at 11:00AM. Cards or flowers care of Coker Mathews Funeral home, Greenville, TX.