Della Hester

A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY

DELLA ANN HESTER WAS BORN TO THE PARENTAGE OF PAUL GILL AND RUTHIE RIDLEY WHOSE CELEBRATION OF LIFE WAS ON JUNE 26, 1936 IN BLOSSOM, TEXAS. SHE WAS THE SECOND CHILD BORN TO RUTHIE RIDLEY AND WAS REARDED IN BLOSSOM TEXAS BY HER MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS; PAPA LOUIS AND MAMA ORA RIDLEY; FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC DEATH OF HER MOTHER.

DELLA CONFESSED HER BELIEF IN CHRIST AT A VERY EARLY AGE AND WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL SHE WORKED ON HER GRANDFATHER’S FARM. AT THE AGE OF 15 SHE COMPLETED HER SECODARY SCHOOL EDUCATION.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER SHE MARRIED GEORGE W. HESTER WHO ENLISTED IN THE ARMY IN 1954 AND TOGETHER THEY LIVED BRIEFLY IN PARIS TEXAS.

TO THAT UNION THREE CHILDREN WERE BORN, CARRIE RUTH, LESSIE JO, AND GEORGE WASHINGTON HESTER, JR. WITH THE HELP OF GOD DELLA REARED HER THREE CHILDREN IN CHRIST AND JOINED THE PHILLIPS CHAPEL C.M.E. CHURCH IN EL PASO TEXAS WHERE SHE FAITHFULLY SERVED FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS. SHE CONTINUED TO LIVE IN EL PASO, TEXAS UNTIL HER HEALTH STARTED TO DECLINE IN 2017 AND HER DAUGHTERS MOVED HER AND GEORGE JR. TO DALLAS, TEXAS.

DELLA WORKED AT FORT BLISS ARMY BASE FOR 37 YEARS AS MANAGER OF GUEST SERVICES UNTIL SHE RETIRED IN 1998. WHILE WORKING FULL TIME AS GUEST SERVICE MANAGER SHE ALSO WORKED PART TIME WHILE ATTENDING CLASSES AT THE LOCAL BUSINESS COLLEGE. SHE EARNED THE REPUTATION AS A HARD WORKER NOT ONLY IN THE SECULAR WORLD BUT IN HER CHURCH AS WELL AS HOME. SHE LOVED COOKING AND FELLOWSHIPING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SHE TRULY LOVED GOD AND HER FAMILY!

ON FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021 AT 5:00 AM, DELLA MOVED FROM THIS EARTHLY HOME TO HER HEAVENLY HOME. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, PAUL AND RUTHIE GILL; DAUGHTER, LESSIE JO SMITH, BROTHER RAY PAUL GILL, AND SISTER ORENE GUINN SIMMONS.

THE GIFT OF LOVE IS A CHERISHED TREASURE THAT CANNOT BE DIMINISHED BY THE SEPARATION OF THE SOUL.

DELLA LEAVES BEHIND SUCH TREASURE IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF HER REMAINING CHILDREN; CARRIE(KENNETH), GEORGE W. HESTER, LOVINGLY CALLED JR.,

SEVERAL GRANDCHILDREN, 8 GREAT GRANDS, ONE GREAT GREATGRAND CHILD, TWO GOD-DAUGHTERS, LABRITA AND LACHRISHA, AND A HOST OF NIECES, NEPHREWS, COUSINS AND FRIENDS.