Obituaries

Ola Mae Smith went to be with Jesus on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, in Lake Jackson, at the age of 88. She was born on Oct. 3, 1934 in Neelyville, MO, where she spent her childhood. After marrying, she moved to Bronson, and she lived most of her adult life in that East Texas community before moving to Lake Jackson in her final years. She is preceded in death by her parents, Irene and Edwin Hoffmann. She is survived by her husband of 67 years Art, her son, Dennis Smith (Melinda) of Pittsburg, and her daughter Kathy Pickering (Greg) of Lake Jackson, her grandchildren, Michael Pickering (Noelle) of Georgetown, Jeffrey Pickering (Chelsea) of Washington, DC, and Kathryn Smith of Las Cruces, NM, her great grandchildren Haddon, Liam, Lincoln, and Madelyn, and her brother Don Hoffmann, sister Mary Shults (Louis), sister Minnie Gillam, and brother Jim Hoffmann (Mary).

Sue Ann 'Susie' Clark, 71, of Milam, passed away Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 in Lufkin. She was born in Hemphill, on Aug. 14, 1951 to Ross Evans Vickers and Blanche Paunee Lord Vickers. She was a lifetime resident of Sabine County and a member of The Refuge Church. She had worked Deep East Texas Electric Coop for 42 years. She graduated from Hemphill High School where she served as drum major and flutist for the Hornet Band. She continued her love of music by singing and playing her flute in church. After high school, she attended Kilgore College and was a member of the Kilgore band. She loved watching Hemphill Hornet Football on Friday nights, and if she wasn’t in the stands watching, you better believe she was listening on the radio. She was a talented artist who enjoyed drawing and painting and she also loved to sew and do cross stitch.

Richard Lee Rice, 60, of Whitehouse, passed away Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at UTHealth of East Texas in Tyler. He was born in Center, on Feb. 16, 1962 to Lee William Rice and Melba Sue Retherford Rice. He grew up in Sabine County and was a member of Hemphill High School Class of 1980. He later moved to Whitehouse, where he had been employed for the past 28 years as a general contractor for Stepping Stone School in Tyler.

Moore and Devan Newman. Joseph Michael Hogan, affectionately known as 'JoJo' to his family and friends, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2022 as the result of an accident in Many, Louisiana.

Connie Jeanne (Shutter) Shaw of San Augustine passed away Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, at the age of 55 years, 4 months, 5 days. She was born May 25, 1967, in Beaumont to parents George Andrew Shutter and Bennie “Jody” (Dickerson) Shutter. She was a longtime resident of San Augustine. She found great pleasure in cooking and sewing. She always loved playing a game of chess or 42 and enjoyed arts and crafts projects. She could light up a room with her radiant personality. She was the most loving, caring and unselfish person… if she liked you!

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, Dorothy Jean McBride, was called to her heavenly home. She was surrounded by her family at her home in Bronson, when the roll was called up yonder. She was born in Bon Wier, on Jan. 21, 1939 to William Wesley McBride and Laura Bea Dickerson McBride. The youngest of 3, she learned early on that if she was going to get far in life, she needed to get tough. On the exterior, she exuded gentleness and grace. Inside, there was a fierce strength of will and determination that only those closest to her could recognize. She owned and operated DJ’s Grocery for 39 years, in Bronson. That is when the world learned of her heart of gold. She’d help anyone that had fallen on hard times. Rain or shine, you could be sure that she would be attending church at Sandy Creek Baptist Church whenever those doors were opened. She had the voice of an angel, so it is no surprise that she’d always be in the choir singing praises to her savior. She was an avid reader and enjoyed working in her yard tending to her many flowers. Her favorite thing to do was watch the San Antonio Spurs play basketball.

Johnny James Ford, 61, of Bronson, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Sabine County Hospital. He was born in San Augustine, on Dec. 10, 1960, to Paul Gene Ford and Eva Dell Bragg Ford. He was a graduate of West Sabine High School and later worked for almost 25 years for Deep East Texas Electric Co-Op as a lineman. He was a lifetime resident of Sabine County and he was the type of man who never met a stranger. He was an avid outdoorsman that enjoyed fishing and all kinds of hunting. He also enjoyed working in his garden and spending time with his grandson, Dalton and he attended Riverside Gospel Assembly Church in Milam.

On Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, Reta J.