Mary Bernice Hassell

Mary Bernice Hassell went to her Heavenly home after a brief illness on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.  A celebration of her life will be Monday, October 21, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Eastside Baptist Church, 400 Academy Street, Rusk, Texas with the Reverends Rodney McDuff and Charles Nunally, officiating.  Visitation will be Sunday, October 20, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Wallace Thompson Funeral Home.  Graveside service will be held at Russell Cemetery, FM 23 W, Rusk.

Mary was born January 26, 1930 in Alto, Texas to James Bernice Morgan and Willye Eunice Morgan. She was raised in the Jones Chapel Community before moving to Alto. She married James Leahmon Hassell August 9,1952, and they made their home in the Bulah Community, outside of Rusk, where they raised their 4 children while operating the J.L. Hassell Poultry Farm and the J.L. Hassell Timber Company. 

She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, James Leahmon Hassell; grandson, Daniel Mark Woodruff II; parents, Bernice and Eunice Morgan; mother and father-in-law, Tidy and Mart Hassell; sister- in-law, Mary Lawana Hassell; brothers-in-law, Bill Peacock and Joe Wade Vining; nephew, Keith Wallace; niece, Vickie Barnes; great nephew, Travis Wallace, and Loyal (Galboy) Barron, the most loyal, life-long friend to the Hassell family.

She is survived by her children, Mary Ann and Ronny Perry, Danny and Weida Woodruff, Anita and Jerry Ocker, Sonny and Jennifer Hassell;  grandchildren, Leigh Ann and Kyle Dawson, J.D. and Emily Woodruff, Clint Perry, Josh and Jennifer Woodruff, Luke and Melissa Ocker, Jake and Jessica Ocker, Kimberly and Chad Linder, Candace and Tracy Gore and Caleb Hassell; step-grandchildren Tyler and Amelia Clark, Penni Dryer, Paige and Clayton Eggleston; great grandchildren, Macy, Madalynn and Miles Woodruff, Shelby and Will Dawson, Josiah and Samantha Woodruff, Nolan and Max Linder, Jasper and JoJo Ocker, Owen and Quinn Ocker, Olivia Gore;  step great grandchildren,  Levi Wilcoxson, Crew Dryer, Brantley Clark, Ariel Flores, Ryder Eggleston, and Lawson Hemphill.

She is also survived by her sister, Nelleva Vining, sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Bob Wallace; brother and sister-in-law, Hilton Hassell and Emmie Peacock, numerous nieces and nephews; special friends, Johnnie Barnes and Angie Wright.

Mary was a lifetime member of Beta Sigma Phi, Red Hatters, Library Study Club, active member of Adams Chapel Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church.  She worked alongside her husband as the bookkeeper in both of their businesses for 48 years. She loved the outdoors, gardening, deer hunting, working on the farm and watching all sporting events, especially the Houston Astros and the Rusk Eagles. Her favorite things were being a mother to her children and Memaw to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

She loved giving of herself in any way and enjoyed hosting many special events throughout her whole life up until the week before she passed away. She devoted her life to her family, taught Sunday School and was an active leader in 4-H Clubs.  She and her husband were the founders of the Rusk Athletic Booster Club Best All Around Female Athlete Award which began in 1970.  She also served as secretary for the Rusk Rural Water System, and she and her husband were instrumental in getting it started in their community.  

God blessed her with the greatest sense of love, and He used her as one of his angels her whole life.  Everyone who knew her felt that love, and always relayed that message back to her family.  She touched many, many lives over her 94 years of life.  

The family would like to extend a very special thank you to Hospice Plus for their excellent care of Mother over the past ten months.  A special thank you to Jessie Hackett and Jackie Blakeney who lovingly cared for Mother. A special thank you to Lily Juarez for the friendship and work she provided for Mother.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hospice Plus, 100 Willow Creek Parkway, Suite B, Palestine, Texas 75803; Rusk Athletic Booster Club, P.O. Box 292, Rusk, Texas 75785  or Samaritan's Purse U.S. Disaster Relief.

Grandsons will serve as pallbearers: J.D. Woodruff, Clint Perry, Josh Woodruff, Luke Ocker, Jake Ocker, Chad Linder, Tracy Gore and Kyle Dawson.