Bobbie Monaghan

Bobbie Lou Hillger Monaghan was born November 26, 1929, and passed away August 18, 2020.

We couldn’t have picked a better person to call Mother, Nana, Aunt Bobbie, and friend. She was the most caring and loving person her entire life. Her 90 years on earth are hard to put down in a short space. She loved bowling, playing dominoes – 42 was her game, the beach, her cats (and the strays), making plum jelly from her own plum trees, working crossword puzzles, her Texas Rangers and being a mother and grandmother.
Bobbie Lou was born in Tool, Texas on November 26, 1929 to Albert and Susie Lou Hillger. She grew up as the baby sister to three brothers, Ralph, LD and Delmar. She went to school in Tool and Mabank through the eighth grade when they moved to Dallas where she graduated from Forest Avenue High School in 1946 and then attended Draughon’s Business School. She was a member of Bethel Baptist Church for over 51 years and loved the Lord and her Church family. She also loved being a secretary. Her and Daddy were lucky enough to be able to take early retirement at the age of 55 with her having 30 years of service with Texas Utilities.

She stayed busy during retirement, enjoying traveling, more bowling leagues (that she of course was the secretary of), taking care of her grandchildren and even took classes to make specialty birthday cakes for them. They had many years of retirement together before my Dad passed that they enjoyed to the fullest. She carried on with her bowling and hobbies with some water aerobics thrown in to fill her time.
Mother and Freddie and our families have known each other for years and their friendship helped each other through some hard times they both had to live through. The friendship became companionship over the next 16 years that lasted the rest of her life. They too enjoyed their retirement years together, game nights, trips, date nights that became the norm and so much more………….actually I’m pretty sure if Mother suggested they do it, Freddie would make sure they did it and she was happy.

Over the years, the dementia set in and her short-term memory was affected, it was slow to progress and she tried her hardest to keep doing what she wanted, but the time came to leave the home my parents built in 1964. She needed to be somewhere without the responsibilities she could no longer handle. We landed at the very pretty Waterford independent senior living apartments and it couldn’t have been a better move. Wasn’t long before she needed a little more help and we met her caretaker, Tina Martin, who has been with her and us throughout this part of Mother’s journey. Her name became Momma Bobbie and Tina brightened her day. My family and I are forever grateful for Tina’s compassionate care and the love she had for my Mom.

All through this time, Freddie was there, date nights ended up being him bringing dinner in instead of them going to their favorite restaurants. That worked just fine for them both, they watched the Ranger games and played dominoes after dinner. Her eyes still lit up when he walked in the door with a “how’s my girl”? Or how about “are you my girl” – “I better be” and that one was just the other day, the giggles still happened. And, as you can tell, she never lost her wit! The love they had for each other lasted through her journey and I cannot ever thank him enough for never leaving her side. If you are lucky enough to have Freddie Ransom in your life, consider yourself blessed!

My Mother never ever forgot who we were and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Her time was getting closer and she was getting weaker; her journey is now over and now ours must begin differently. We all love you Mother and will miss you so very much.

As you probably will remember, she said “Take Care” when hanging up the phone or leaving your house. I know she would love to tell you all how much you’ve meant to her, but I hope you already know, so for now how about a Take Care and I Love You All! There’s a 42 game about to start and they’re holding my place!

She was preceded in death by her husband Jim of 40 years. Surviving are her daughter Kelly, grandsons Jeremey and Cody; son, Casey, granddaughters Amy and Holli, great-grandson, Gabe; a host of nieces and nephews; companion and friend, Freddie Ransom; her life-long friend Reba Jeter; and caretaker that became family, Tina Martin.

A visitation will be held for family and friends on Friday, August 21, between 10 a.m. and Noon in the Chapel at New Hope Funeral Home in Sunnyvale. There will be plenty of room, so please stay for a bit, if you can, and enjoy our memories in pictures of her wonderful 90 years and share a story or two with her family.

Private Interment will be at Tool Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to her Church, Bethel Baptist, [email protected], 9314 Ferguson Rd., Dallas, TX or the Alzheimer's Association.