My Maternal grandfather. Aaron Obediah Beene was born on January 28, 1917, to William Obediah "Obie" Beene and his second wife, Ida Bell Gilliam Foster Beene. He was born into a very large family: at the time of his birth, he had four sisters, five half-brothers, and two half sisters (not including two half sisters and one half brother who died before Aaron's birth). Most of them still lived at home.

The following year (1918), Aaron's mother, Ida, fell victim to the flu epidemic that hit the world at the end of World War I. His father, Obie, tried his best to take care of his large family with help from his mother, Mollie Beene, but after Mollie's death in 1924, he married Lethia (Pipkin) Ray, a widow who already had five children of her own. Lethia became the stepmother to Aaron and his sisters and half-siblings. Together, Obie and Lethia had two more children, giving Aaron a younger half-brother and half-sister.

Some time before 1930, Obie moved the family to Anderson County, TX, where he became a farmer. Obie was also a Primitive Baptist preacher. It was here that Aaron grew up, and he called Anderson County home for a good portion of his life.

The Great Depression ended Aaron's education; he never got beyond seventh grade. He went to work for his family, doing whatever jobs he could out on farms and in the oilfield. In 1935, after he turned 18, he joined the U.S. Cavalry, where he mostly served in Fort Clark, TX. He LOVED horses and kept at least one on the family's farm in Anderson County, TX, for most of his life.

He was discharged from the Cavalry in 1938. The next year, on July 4, 1939, he married Frances Goodwin Sheffield, the daughter of Jasper and Stella Sheffield of Anderson County. Over the years, their family grew to include several children: Stella (b. 1940), Dianna (b. 1946), Frances Ann (b. 1948), William Dixon (b. & d. 1955), Aaron Roy (b. 1956), and Dixie Lee (my mother - b. 1958). A health condition kept Aaron from serving in WWII, although his younger half-brother, Walter Neel Beene, did serve in that war for a little while.

Aaron and Frances moved their family to Houston, TX, where their children spent most of their childhoods. Once again, Aaron was called down to assist with other terrible tragedy: the Texas City harbor explosion of April 16-17, 1947. He was gone for several days helping to clean up and recover victims. It was another experience he did not talk much about.

After their children were grown and married, Aaron and Frances retired to their old country house in Anderson County, TX. While they did live in Brackettville for a little while, they eventually sold their property there and lived excusively in Anderson County.

In October of 1999, Aaron went in to have knee surgery. While recovering from that surgery, he caught pnemonia and was in and out of the hospital for a month. He passed away quietly in his home on the night of Tuesday, November 16, 1999, surrounded by his wife and other family. (His wife also died on a Tuesday, a little over six years later.)

Aaron lived long enough to see all of his grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. He loved to tell stories, and many of the stories he told are kept alive in the minds of his descendants. He is still missed and loved by the many members of his family.