Yoakum County Genealogy

Graveside funeral services for longtime Fort Davis, Texas, resident, Anna Beth Anderson (Mrs. Jay) Ward, were held on April 2, 2007, at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Fort Davis. Anna Beth died March 30, 2007.

She was the daughter of Walter and Martha Anderson, born 8 Aug 1935, in Plains and spent most of her "growing up years" there among many family members, until her graduation from Denver City High School in 1952. She married John "Jay" William Ward on June 27, 1953 in Denver City.

A well-known and beloved citizen of Fort Davis, she served the community in many capacities. She and Jay moved there in August, 1959, and were teachers for many years at Fort Davis High School, as well as Prude Ranch School and Blue Mountain School.

In addition to being a teacher and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Anna Beth was an active member of the Christian Organization Women's Aglow, a charter member of the Fort Davis Church in the Mountains, a Fort Davis and Jeff Davis County 4-H leader, and a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an organization for women educators. She co-authored, with her friend and fellow teacher, Betty Prude, "The Fort Davis News Column" which was the weekly report from Fort Davis printed in The Alpine Avalanche.

Anna Beth was named Club Woman of the Year, an honor bestowed by the Fort Davis Study Club, and was a graduate of Sul Ross State University with two degrees in business administration. She was also an active member of the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce.

"AB" as she was fondly called by many, had a variety of hobbies, a favorite being "climbing old family trees" and "jumping cemetery fences". She dedicated many hours to tracing "kin folks" in cemeteries all over the country and she usually found that, in some way, she was kin to just about everyone she knew. She could be called upon at the last minute to be substitute pianist at any of the local churches and she never turned away a stranger who came to her front door until she had, at least, given him a place to sleep and something to eat. She was a cheerful neighbor who always wore a big winning smile and was forever feeling "Tippy-Top".

Her lifelong desire was to serve the Lord and to be obedient to His call upon her life. She was and will continue to be, an inspiration to her husband, her children, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as countless others who were blessed to know A.B. and be a part of her journey while with us.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter Earl Anderson and Martha Gwendoline (Camp) Anderson, and grandson, Burke Jay Martinez.

Survivors include her husband, John "Jay" William Ward, of Fort Davis, a sister and her husband, Durwood and Earlene A. Whitefield of Kerrville, four daughters and their husbands, Valynda (Ward) and Greg Henington of Terlingua, Shawn (Ward) and Maurice Zimmerman, of Fort Davis, Tanya (Ward) and Richard Nolen of Big Spring, and Revis (Ward) and Lea Daggett of Needville; grandchildren, Tika, and husband Josh Cannon, of Mesquite; Adana Martinez of Big Spring, Cherish Zimmerman of Austin, Reese Zimmerman of Fort Davis, Dakota Zimmerman of Fort Davis, Casy Nolen of Big Spring, and Brittney, Mason and Cole Daggett, of Needville, great grandchildren: Asher Cannon and Trinity Cannon, both of Mesquite.

Pastor Charles Koch, minister of the Church in the Mountains, presided over the services. Pallbearers were sons-in-law, Greg Henington of Terlingua, Maurice Zimmerman of Fort Davis, Richard Nolen of Big Spring, Lea Daggett of Needville, her granddaughter's husband, Josh Cannon of Mesquite, and her grandson, Reese Zimmerman, of Fort Davis.

Exerpted from the Jeff Davis County Mountain Dispatch, April 5, 2007 issue © Jeff Davis County "Mountain Dispatch" and Yoakum County TXGenWeb