Belle “Jim” Hoke Pearce, formerly of Sutherland Springs and Austin, Texas, died September 24, 2014 in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was the last surviving child of Jesse Keesler Hoke and Hattie Bay Hoke raised in the Bays Chapel community in Montgomery County, Texas.
If you met Belle Hoke Pearce, you probably noticed her sweet spirit and those bright blue eyes. If you spent any time with her, you became a better person for the experience. Her sweetness and wit brought joy to so many.
She was born Minnie Belle Hoke on April 30th, 1922 on the family homestead in Bays Chapel. She was the twelfth child of thirteen, but became the youngest after her brother Joe Bennette died of diphtheria.
She never cared for the name Minnie, but due to her fondness for a family friend, everyone began calling her Jim. In 1940, she graduated from Richards High School and attended Sam Houston State College in Huntsville. When WWII broke out, she left the comfort of her large family and, with her sister Loyce, moved to San Antonio, Texas to help the war effort at Kelly Air Force Base. It was quite an adventure for two young ladies from the Piney Woods.
After the war, she married the love of her life, Jack Alwyn Pearce, and settled in San Antonio, Texas after Jack re-enlisted in the Air Force. She continued to work at Kelly, earning a rank of G6. She was so proud of her service, earning top-secret clearance, and felt honored to have such a high degree of responsibility. After the births of daughter Sherry and son Gary, the family began a new adventure with Jack’s transfer to Okinawa, Japan. She loved the people, her job, her house, and almost everything about the experience except for the weather.
After several years, the family returned to San Antonio, Texas and Belle had a third child, Jackie. After Jack retired from the Air Force, they moved to Houma, Louisiana and Belle decided to continue her college education at Nichols College. Returning to Texas, she finished her education degree at the University of Houston while taking care of a home, a husband, three children, and many animals (including a cow named Sister Suzie).
Longing to be closer to San Antonio, Texas, they moved to Poth in 1970, where Belle began her teaching career. She loved teaching second grade because “second grade is where students really learn to read”. Of all her accomplishments, the fact that the majority of her second grade class was reading far above their grade level was her proudest educational accomplishment.
She retired after 20 years of teaching, and the death of her husband Jack. Though lonely at times, she focused her energy into improving the farm in Sutherland Springs that she and Jack bought in 1976. She raised cattle and drove a tractor to shred the weeds and plant oats, all while in her 70’s. Belle worked to help the people of Sutherland Springs through the community center and her church.
Belle moved to Austin, Texas in 2001 to help raise her grandchildren. Needing more care, in 2010 she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to be near her daughter, Sherry. Belle continued to touch the lives of those around her with her sweetness, goodness and a beautiful smile that warmed many hearts.
Belle is survived by daughter, Sherry and Danny Rizzo of Corpus Christi, Texas; son, Gary Pearce of Baytown, Texas; daughter, Jackie and Ken Whalen of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Jack Whalen and Bennett Whalen of Austin, Texas; and many members of her extended family.
Services will be held graveside at Section 16, Site 1341 of the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
If you met Belle Hoke Pearce, you probably noticed her sweet spirit and those bright blue eyes. If you spent any time with her, you became a better person for the experience. Her sweetness and wit brought joy to so many.
She was born Minnie Belle Hoke on April 30th, 1922 on the family homestead in Bays Chapel. She was the twelfth child of thirteen, but became the youngest after her brother Joe Bennette died of diphtheria.
She never cared for the name Minnie, but due to her fondness for a family friend, everyone began calling her Jim. In 1940, she graduated from Richards High School and attended Sam Houston State College in Huntsville. When WWII broke out, she left the comfort of her large family and, with her sister Loyce, moved to San Antonio, Texas to help the war effort at Kelly Air Force Base. It was quite an adventure for two young ladies from the Piney Woods.
After the war, she married the love of her life, Jack Alwyn Pearce, and settled in San Antonio, Texas after Jack re-enlisted in the Air Force. She continued to work at Kelly, earning a rank of G6. She was so proud of her service, earning top-secret clearance, and felt honored to have such a high degree of responsibility. After the births of daughter Sherry and son Gary, the family began a new adventure with Jack’s transfer to Okinawa, Japan. She loved the people, her job, her house, and almost everything about the experience except for the weather.
After several years, the family returned to San Antonio, Texas and Belle had a third child, Jackie. After Jack retired from the Air Force, they moved to Houma, Louisiana and Belle decided to continue her college education at Nichols College. Returning to Texas, she finished her education degree at the University of Houston while taking care of a home, a husband, three children, and many animals (including a cow named Sister Suzie).
Longing to be closer to San Antonio, Texas, they moved to Poth in 1970, where Belle began her teaching career. She loved teaching second grade because “second grade is where students really learn to read”. Of all her accomplishments, the fact that the majority of her second grade class was reading far above their grade level was her proudest educational accomplishment.
She retired after 20 years of teaching, and the death of her husband Jack. Though lonely at times, she focused her energy into improving the farm in Sutherland Springs that she and Jack bought in 1976. She raised cattle and drove a tractor to shred the weeds and plant oats, all while in her 70’s. Belle worked to help the people of Sutherland Springs through the community center and her church.
Belle moved to Austin, Texas in 2001 to help raise her grandchildren. Needing more care, in 2010 she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to be near her daughter, Sherry. Belle continued to touch the lives of those around her with her sweetness, goodness and a beautiful smile that warmed many hearts.
Belle is survived by daughter, Sherry and Danny Rizzo of Corpus Christi, Texas; son, Gary Pearce of Baytown, Texas; daughter, Jackie and Ken Whalen of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Jack Whalen and Bennett Whalen of Austin, Texas; and many members of her extended family.
Services will be held graveside at Section 16, Site 1341 of the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Belle “Jim” Hoke Pearce, formerly of Sutherland Springs and Austin, Texas, died September 24, 2014 in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was the last surviving child of Jesse Keesler Hoke and Hattie Bay Hoke raised in the Bays Chapel community in Montgomery County, Texas.
If you met Belle Hoke Pearce, you probably noticed her sweet spirit and those bright blue eyes. If you spent any time with her, you became a better person for the experience. Her sweetness and wit brought joy to so many.
She was born Minnie Belle Hoke on April 30th, 1922 on the family homestead in Bays Chapel. She was the twelfth child of thirteen, but became the youngest after her brother Joe Bennette died of diphtheria.
She never cared for the name Minnie, but due to her fondness for a family friend, everyone began calling her Jim. In 1940, she graduated from Richards High School and attended Sam Houston State College in Huntsville. When WWII broke out, she left the comfort of her large family and, with her sister Loyce, moved to San Antonio, Texas to help the war effort at Kelly Air Force Base. It was quite an adventure for two young ladies from the Piney Woods.
After the war, she married the love of her life, Jack Alwyn Pearce, and settled in San Antonio, Texas after Jack re-enlisted in the Air Force. She continued to work at Kelly, earning a rank of G6. She was so proud of her service, earning top-secret clearance, and felt honored to have such a high degree of responsibility. After the births of daughter Sherry and son Gary, the family began a new adventure with Jack’s transfer to Okinawa, Japan. She loved the people, her job, her house, and almost everything about the experience except for the weather.
After several years, the family returned to San Antonio, Texas and Belle had a third child, Jackie. After Jack retired from the Air Force, they moved to Houma, Louisiana and Belle decided to continue her college education at Nichols College. Returning to Texas, she finished her education degree at the University of Houston while taking care of a home, a husband, three children, and many animals (including a cow named Sister Suzie).
Longing to be closer to San Antonio, Texas, they moved to Poth in 1970, where Belle began her teaching career. She loved teaching second grade because “second grade is where students really learn to read”. Of all her accomplishments, the fact that the majority of her second grade class was reading far above their grade level was her proudest educational accomplishment.
She retired after 20 years of teaching, and the death of her husband Jack. Though lonely at times, she focused her energy into improving the farm in Sutherland Springs that she and Jack bought in 1976. She raised cattle and drove a tractor to shred the weeds and plant oats, all while in her 70’s. Belle worked to help the people of Sutherland Springs through the community center and her church.
Belle moved to Austin, Texas in 2001 to help raise her grandchildren. Needing more care, in 2010 she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to be near her daughter, Sherry. Belle continued to touch the lives of those around her with her sweetness, goodness and a beautiful smile that warmed many hearts.
Belle is survived by daughter, Sherry and Danny Rizzo of Corpus Christi, Texas; son, Gary Pearce of Baytown, Texas; daughter, Jackie and Ken Whalen of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Jack Whalen and Bennett Whalen of Austin, Texas; and many members of her extended family.
Services will be held graveside at Section 16, Site 1341 of the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
If you met Belle Hoke Pearce, you probably noticed her sweet spirit and those bright blue eyes. If you spent any time with her, you became a better person for the experience. Her sweetness and wit brought joy to so many.
She was born Minnie Belle Hoke on April 30th, 1922 on the family homestead in Bays Chapel. She was the twelfth child of thirteen, but became the youngest after her brother Joe Bennette died of diphtheria.
She never cared for the name Minnie, but due to her fondness for a family friend, everyone began calling her Jim. In 1940, she graduated from Richards High School and attended Sam Houston State College in Huntsville. When WWII broke out, she left the comfort of her large family and, with her sister Loyce, moved to San Antonio, Texas to help the war effort at Kelly Air Force Base. It was quite an adventure for two young ladies from the Piney Woods.
After the war, she married the love of her life, Jack Alwyn Pearce, and settled in San Antonio, Texas after Jack re-enlisted in the Air Force. She continued to work at Kelly, earning a rank of G6. She was so proud of her service, earning top-secret clearance, and felt honored to have such a high degree of responsibility. After the births of daughter Sherry and son Gary, the family began a new adventure with Jack’s transfer to Okinawa, Japan. She loved the people, her job, her house, and almost everything about the experience except for the weather.
After several years, the family returned to San Antonio, Texas and Belle had a third child, Jackie. After Jack retired from the Air Force, they moved to Houma, Louisiana and Belle decided to continue her college education at Nichols College. Returning to Texas, she finished her education degree at the University of Houston while taking care of a home, a husband, three children, and many animals (including a cow named Sister Suzie).
Longing to be closer to San Antonio, Texas, they moved to Poth in 1970, where Belle began her teaching career. She loved teaching second grade because “second grade is where students really learn to read”. Of all her accomplishments, the fact that the majority of her second grade class was reading far above their grade level was her proudest educational accomplishment.
She retired after 20 years of teaching, and the death of her husband Jack. Though lonely at times, she focused her energy into improving the farm in Sutherland Springs that she and Jack bought in 1976. She raised cattle and drove a tractor to shred the weeds and plant oats, all while in her 70’s. Belle worked to help the people of Sutherland Springs through the community center and her church.
Belle moved to Austin, Texas in 2001 to help raise her grandchildren. Needing more care, in 2010 she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to be near her daughter, Sherry. Belle continued to touch the lives of those around her with her sweetness, goodness and a beautiful smile that warmed many hearts.
Belle is survived by daughter, Sherry and Danny Rizzo of Corpus Christi, Texas; son, Gary Pearce of Baytown, Texas; daughter, Jackie and Ken Whalen of Austin, Texas; grandsons, Jack Whalen and Bennett Whalen of Austin, Texas; and many members of her extended family.
Services will be held graveside at Section 16, Site 1341 of the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
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