She was the fourth of four children, six years younger than her sister, Bernice; 10 years younger than her sister, Dorothy; and 12 years younger than her brother, Frank. Her father, a native German, arrived in Texas as an infant by way of Nebraska. Her mother migrated from Arkansas.
Thelma attended Sacred Heart schools for eight years, then transferred to Muenster High School, where she was one of six graduates of the class of 1944. She entered the U.S. Nurse Cadet Program and studied at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Fort Worth. Had the war not ended in 1945, she would have been inducted into the U.S. Army upon graduation.
She finished nurses training in June, 1948, then began her career working in the nursery at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Around that time, she met Hollis V. “Pete” Hawthorne through a mutual friend. They married on Dec. 12, 1948 in the rectory at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Muenster. A year later, she gave birth to the first of her four sons.
Pete’s work required that the family move from Fort Worth to Shreveport to Corsicana and finally to Longview. In 1962, Thelma joined the nursing staff at Good Shepherd Hospital, working mostly nights in the obstetric ward. She was one of the few registered nurses on staff.
In 1968, the family moved from Pine Tree to White Oak where three of her four sons graduated high school. Pete died in August of 1982. In 1987, she married Ed Heisel, a heavy equipment operator for Brown & Root. Tragically, he died in February, 1989. Thelma remained single the remaining years of her life.
Thelma was known for having a keen intellect which remained with her to the end. With this, she also modeled a commitment to her personal convictions and opinions which she was more than willing to share. She drew strength and comfort from the Bible and her confidence in her Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Mostly, Thelma was a survivor. She survived the worst of the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights, Woodstock, Watergate and all sorts of social upheaval since. She survived the death of two husbands and multiple major surgeries. She survived four rambunctious boys who seemed to delight in throwing rocks and driving cars – both through windows.
Thelma was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and is survived by those four boys: Dale Hawthorne of Gladewater, and his wife, Victoria; Bobby Hawthorne of Austin, and his wife, Mary Keller; Jerry Hawthorne of Carthage and his wife Kay; and Kenneth Hawthorne of White Oak, and his wife, Cheryl.
She is also survived by grandchildren: Jennifer Cizek, Erica Hawthorne, Ashley Hawthorne, Rance Hawthorne, Skye McLain, Sarah Cain, Griffin Hawthorne, and Rebecca Hawthorne; and seven great grandchildren: Mason & Madolyn Cizek, Violet and Robert Cain, Thomas Hawthorne, Jett McLain and Blaze Bess.
She also leaves behind countless loving nieces and nephews, cherished friends, Beverly Brou and Doniece Creighton both of White Oak, along with the dogs she is with now: Nugget and Little Bit, the dog she adopted: Daisy, and all the other dogs, that adopted her.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at Lakeview Funeral Home, with interment to follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens.
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