Gloria Mittie Speights

1929 - 2016  (86 years)

• Name	Gloria Mittie Speights  [1]
  Born	17 Nov 1929	Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Died	29 Jul 2016	Houston, Harris County, Texas
  Buried	4 Aug 2016	Houston National Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas
  Notes	Sabine County Reporter July 12, 2006 Hemphilll Elementary School Fifth Grade -1939-1940 Eighteen students from a larger group, pictured, graduated from Hemphill High School's Class of 1946 who recently enjoyed their 60th class reunion. Blake Eddings, Nadine Easley, LaNell Slay, Robert Earl Gray, Gladys Hogue, Wayford Jones, Jack Chisum, Reba Arnold, Lexie Mae Wood, Berintha Maund, Helen Rushing, Evelyn Wright, Dorothy Sterle, Wilma Lawrence, Joe (Gwen/Quinn) McGown, Doris Anderson, Paul Huffman, Eloise Inman, Archie Jones, Vermell Anderson, LaVern Wright, Lois Paudert, Billy Edgar, Sutton Ware, Jessie Lee Harper, Wynell Elliott, Jack Jones, Doris Jennings, Burtis Earl Moore, Hattie Pearl Kelly, Imogene Carlton, Kathryn Curry, Marcus Huffman, Jimmie Procell, Emma Clark Fuller, Marjorie Crawford, Louise Crnkovic, GLORIA SPEIGHTS, and Herman Chop. Obituary copied from obits.dignitymemorial.com Also published in the Houston Chronicle Gloria Speights McBeth, age 86, of Houston, Texas, passed away on July 29, 2016. The youngest of nine children, she was born in Hemphill, Texas to Tom and Arley Speights on November 17, 1929. She was preceded in death by her parents, all siblings except one dear sister, and her beloved husband, Ted McBeth. Gloria had a joyful spirit and was rarely without a smile on her face. Her father passed away when she was three-years-old, and Gloria was raised by her mother during the Great Depression. She was voted "Most Popular" and played on the Hemphill High basketball team. She was proud of her Hemphill heritage and returned often for family and school reunions. As a young career woman, Gloria worked at a bank in downtown Houston in the '50s. It was here where her future husband was encouraged by an aunt to meet a pretty girl she knew at church when he visited from his studies at A&M. She was right. Gloria and Ted were soul mates who held hands every day of their long marriage. Bless you, Aunt Mildred. Gloria's banking career was put on hold to work at home as a wife and mother to two daughters. She enjoyed entertaining, gardening, cooking, traveling, reading and was an excellent Bridge player. Gloria's greatest joy in life was her family which extended from her husband and two daughters to three grand-daughters and a great grand-son. "Gigi" as she was affectionately known, taught her granddaughters the lost art of cooking and sewing as well as to seek adventures in life. She gave them unconditional love and the most amazing Christmas stockings a child ever knew for which she shopped all year long. Her home was filled with love and endless support, helping them become women of strength and substance. Always stylish, Gloria's inner beauty and loving personality far outweighed the exterior. But outings to Neiman's and Sakowitz with her growing up -with lessons on how to work the sale rack '96 will never be forgotten. Gloria was also a woman of strong faith, counting bible studies and volunteering at church among life's rewards. She led by example in her endeavors. Perseverance to overcome obstacles included swim lessons as an adult since she wasn't taught as a child. Though she learned to swim, she never took to water. Her aversion to water extended to dietary choices. Seafood was off limits and she often told people she was "allergic" to avoid further questions. This was the one area in which she was known to take license with the truth. She had no known food allergies. As the wife of a Chemical Engineer, Gloria learned to move from city to city. From Lake Jackson to Odessa to Lake Charles and finally back to Houston, Gloria made each transition as easy as possible for her family. Not one to complain, we never knew West Texas wasn't to her liking until years later. Gloria returned to her banking career upon arrival in Houston in the early '80s when she inquired about a job at her new bank and was hired on the spot. Her financial prowess continued as she enjoyed investing in the stock market with her husband and recently instructed at age 85 that her "bond man" be called from her hospital bed. Her mind was as sharp as her spirited wit. Gloria is survived by daughters, Patricia Chandler (Robert), Mary McBeth (Jim Crump); granddaughters, Michele Reed, Jillian Pennington, Charlotte Pennington; great-grandson, Cameron Reed, and countless friends whose support is much appreciated. You will be missed, Gigi.
  Person ID	I6945	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	22 Apr 2017

  
  

  Father	Thomas Green Speights,   b. 15 Feb 1885, Texas ,   d. Abt 1933, Texas  (Age 47 years)
  Mother	Arley Emmaline Bennett,   b. 16 Mar 1885, Texas ,   d. 3 Oct 1964, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas  (Age 79 years)
  Married	12 Jul 1905  [2]
  Family ID	F709	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lloyd Theodore "Ted" McBeth,   b. 20 Dec 1929, Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas ,   d. 27 Apr 2012, Houston, Harris County, Texas  (Age 82 years)
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006
  Family ID	F3411	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 17 Nov 1929 - Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas Died - 29 Jul 2016 - Houston, Harris County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S564] 1930 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com. database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002., (Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Containing records for approximately 123 million Americans, the 1930 United States Federal Census is the largest census released to date and is the most recent census available for public access. The census gives us a glimpse into the lives of Americans in 1930, and contains information about a household?s family members and occupants including: birthplaces, occupations, immigration, citizenship, and military service. The names of those listed in the census are linked to actual images of the 1930 Census.), Texas, Sabine County, Justice Precinct No. 1, ED 202-3 SD 1 9th Sheet 20A Stamped 42 (Reliability: 3). [S461] White & Toole, "Sabine County Historical Sketches and Genealogical Records" c. 1972.