Bessie Pack

The world seems a little dimmer today, but heaven shines brighter now that another of its precious saints has been called home. Bessie Magdalene Bower Pack, 90, of Jumping Branch, went to be with her blessed Savior, March 8, 2008, following a long illness.Born Sept. 26, 1917, at Jumping Branch, she was the daughter of the late John L. and Effie Bennett Bower. She was the last surviving member of the immediate family.Bessie was a true lady who loved to tinker in her garden, taking joy in the many birds, butterflies and frogs it attracted; go to flea markets and yard sales decades before it was considered the â??thing to doâ??; and collect rocks, colorful glass and countless other things that some folks might have dismissed, but in her eyes, held great beauty.Itâ??s not surprising, then, that she always looked for the good in people. Bessie never met a stranger and she delighted in lending a helping hand to anyone in need. She cared for the elderly, the sick and the shut-ins â?? going on house calls from time to time with her physician, Dr. Stanley Day. As a lifelong member of Bluestone Baptist Church, she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and also sang in the choir for many years. While her health still permitted, she brought flowers she had nurtured and arranged to adorn the church altar with a bit of Godâ??s creation. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend â?? a humble woman who put others before herself and sought only to bring glory to the Good Lord in whom she placed her trust.She was preceded in death by husband, Charles W. Pack; son, Samuel J. Pack; brothers, John, Charley and Earl Bower; sisters, Rosa Simmons and Mary Upton. Survivors include two sons, John L. Pack and wife Sandra of Daniels and James M. Pack and wife Lou of Jumping Branch; daughter, Sally Davis of Jumping Branch; five grandchildren, Terri Harvey, John T. Pack, Sarah Fox, Samuel J. Pack II and Beth Davis; eight great-grandchildren; 12 nieces and nephews.Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at Bluestone Baptist Church, Jumping Branch. Burial will follow at Deeds Cemetery also at Jumping Branch. Although Pastor Bill Fox and Elder Tommy Pack will be officiating, Bessie had already written her funeral message with the life she lived. Friends may call from 6 until 9 p.m. this evening at Ronald Meadows Funeral Parlors in Hinton and one hour prior to services Tuesday at the Church.
Viewing Information: 6-9 P.M. Monday March 10, 2008 at the funeral parlor
Funeral Information: 2:00 P.M. Tuesday at the Bluestone Baptist Church at Jumping Branch.