May 8, 1939 – February 4, 2021
81 Years, 7 Months, 27 Days
Mattie Carolyn Yeates Bentley went to her heavenly reward February 4, 2021, at the age of 81 after a hard-fought battle with her health. Born to Joe Allen Yeates and Mary Harriet Biggerstaff Yeates in the Biggerstaff farm house south of Nacogdoches where the Fire Tower Road meets Hwy 59, more recently known as the Byrd Farm. She was raised in part in Woden. In her early years while her father was ill and then passed away, Mattie and her brother Joe lived with their Uncle Bill & Aunt Lois Rector Biggerstaff and cousins Joe Edward Biggerstaff and Jean B. Boatman in Woden. Jean has always been more of a sister than of a cousin. Her mother then moved the family to Dallas following her father’s untimely death and she was a graduate of Dallas Crozier Tech High School. Dallas is where a 16 year old Mattie would meet James Lawrence Bentley, a handsome army soldier she met on a blind date. In 1956 she married Jim, of Parlier California, and traveled west to live with his family while Jim completed his tour in the army. He was the love of her life and after 35 years of marriage, he passed away in April of 1991. Her husband’s family quickly became as close to her as her own, and they welcomed the addition of another daughter and sister, wondering what little hillbilly their son and brother had married and sent to them. It was there they had and raised four children, James Allen, Richard Waynn, Adrianne Kathleen, and Timothy Keith. The family made their home in Nacogdoches in 1972.
Mattie was a seamstress and worked at the Mize factory and Banita Laundry, later retiring from Parker Industries.
Mattie was preceded in death by her parents and her loving husband, Jim. She is survived by her 4 children, sons James Allen and daughter in love Sandra Bentley of Nacogdoches, Richard Waynn and daughter in love Sandy Bentley of Joaquin, Timothy and daughter in love Tricia Rudisill Bentley of Pearland and daughter her Adrianne Bentley Kerr and son in love Joe Kerr of Lufkin. She is also survived by her sister Rebecca Yeates Tucker of Arlington, TX; sisters in law Georgia Yeates of The Woodlands, Tx., Vurlea and husband Ray Vasquez of Fresno, Ca., and Leaphia Senteno of Parlier, Ca.; and her sister/cousin Jean Biggerstaff Boatman of Woden. Mattie also leaves behind her eight grandchildren, Bobby and wife Corey Snodgrass of Idleyld Park, Or., Christine and husband Chad Wells of Lufkin, Jessica Renfro of Lufkin, Taylor Bentley of Lufkin, Tyler and wife Ashleigh Bentley of Lufkin, Dayna Horton of Austin, Daniel Bentley of Nacogdoches and Callie and husband Bert Higginbotham of Arlington, TX. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom meant the world to her. She is preceded in death by her husband Jim Bentley, her parents, brother Joe Allen Yeates, baby sister Clarkie Mae Brookshire and sister-in-law Christine Bentley.
The family will receive friends at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 9, 2021, with a service to follow at 2:00 PM, Cason Monk-Metcalf Sunset Chapel, conducted by Rev. James Boatman. Pallbearers will be grandsons Bobby Snodgrass, Taylor Bentley, Tyler Bentley, Chad Wells and great-grandsons Jacob Wells, and Jacob Renfro. Honorary pallbearer, Daniel Bentley.
Cason Monk-Metcalf is directing the arrangements.
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