Lorene Hendon was born September 24, 1921, in Grandfield, Oklahoma to John Milton and Marian Bouslog Battle.  She went to her heavenly home on June 22, 2011.

Lorene was the oldest of six children.  She attended school in Burkburnett, Texas and then went on to the McKinney City Hospital School of Nursing.  After graduation, Lorene moved to New Orleans where she was a Clinical Instructor at Charity Hospital. 

She met the love of her life, Luther P. Hendon, at Ashburn Memorial Hospital, in 1943, where she was a nurse.  After his release from the hospital Luther and Lorene settled back in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri until Luther’s discharge from the United States Army in 1945.  They were married April 8, 1945, in McKinney, Texas then moved to Luther’s family homestead in Woodstock, Georgia.  They shared sixty wonderful years together.

In 1954 Luther and Lorene moved the family to Texas, eventually settling in Beaumont in 1957.  Lorene was his partner in Dixie Vacuum Tanks. She dispatched vacuum trucks, managed the office and anything else that needed to be taken care of, while raising five children.  That small company grew from one truck in 1961 to more than one hundred vacuum trucks stationed from Norco, Louisiana to Bay City, Texas in 1969.  Her ability to organize and multi-task played a large role in growing the company.  Her strong character, values and work ethic was instilled in all of their children.

Lorene was always active in the church. Whether it was Women’s Missionary Union, Vacation Bible School, Summer Camp or any other church functions, Lorene and the kids were always at Amelia Baptist Church.   When they moved back from Crystal Beach in 1976 they joined Calvary Baptist Church where she was always involved with her fellow members of The Hope Sunday School Class. 

It seems our world always revolved around church and food.  Some of our best times were shared around the dinner table enjoying Mom’s Shrimp and Crab Gumbo, Fried Shrimp or Venison Backstrap and cream gravy.  There was always plenty of food and our friends knew they were welcome at our house anytime. She was always saying ‘food is fun’ and that it seemed like the kids always got up from the table with a ‘hollow leg’.

Left behind to cherish her memories are Pierce and Deb Hendon, Christene (Tena) and Mike Warren, Sheri Hendon Irwin and Keith Irwin, Larry and Kathy Hendon and Jimmy Hendon; sixteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren who will always cherish their Mamaw.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Luther Hendon; and their son, William Keith Hendon.   

We would like to extend a special thanks to Ada Thibodeaux, whose loving care and friendship for the last seven years is so greatly appreciated.  We will never be able to repay her kindness and compassion in assisting with Mom throughout her final years.

Her funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 25, 2011, at Calvary Baptist Church, 3650 Dowlen Road, Beaumont with a graveside service at 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery, Woodville under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont.  A gathering of her family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 24, 2011, at Broussard’s.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to the National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Suite B, Centennial, Colorado 80112 or you may make a donation online at www.stroke.org/ or to National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230 or you may make a donation online at www.outreach@nfb.org.

Mom, we will always miss your bright and loving smile, your talent for caring and compassion toward everyone and the strength and resolve that you instilled in all of us.  Thank You.  We Love You and will miss you.