Hazel Frances Stanley

Hazel Frances (Bettis) Jackson Stanley January 1, 1934 – January 2, 2021 Our mother, Hazel was born to Alva Franklin and Hazel Laverne Bettis in the small farming community of Bagwell Texas. She was the 4th of 9 brothers and sisters. Her parents were not only poor sharecroppers, but they were very fertile and filled every available space with another child. On mom’s birth certificate, she was shown as ‘Baby Bettis’ and throughout her life was affectionally nicknamed "Tootie". At the ripe old age of 15, she married our father, Jerry Jackson and eventually relocated to Mesquite Texas to begin their own family. With 2 daughters, Cleonne and Babbett and son, Dewain, mom taught herself to cook delicious meals, maintain a spotless home and was an excellent seamstress. During the early 50’s, the small community of Mesquite experienced a residential housing boom, complete with new schools, roads and a significant increase in population. Soon thereafter, mom was hired as the police departments first ‘Police Woman’ based on her official police identification. The department became a state-of-the-art agency. Mom had the responsibility to manage phone calls from a corded telephone switchboard and dispatched from a tubed radio. Mom had an abundant list of personal attributes and virtues. To name a few, she truly adored her family and friends and always welcomed visiting guests with a fresh pot of coffee or iced tea. She loved to read and always kept her yard manicured to perfection. Mom also had a reputation as being a good listener, determined, a hard worker with a soft heart for the underdog. During the 50’s and 60’s, in a time when women were more inclined to stay at home, raise children and manage a household, mom would wake in the middle of the night to a phone call for wrecker service. She responded in appropriate wrecker driver attire, a freshly starched set of tailored white coveralls to tow vehicles for her family-owned paint & body shop, complete with a magnificent black & turquoise wrecker. She managed all of this without breaking one fingernail! After retirement in the 80’s, mom relocated to east Texas and settled near Tyler State Park. She soon discovered all of the native wild life of the area and inherited dozens of hungry racoons every evening on her back patio. Each week she would fill the trunk of her Cadillac with day old bread to feed all of her racoons. Although mom was not a member of any specific church in her area, she truly enjoyed attending Sunday services held in the State Park. During our talks as a teen and adult, when our hearts were broken, mom would remind us that God put us on this Earth, not for ourselves, but for the people who love us, which included Him. Mom is survived by her husband Roy, her brother Lynn Bettis and wife Marjorie, daughters, Cleonne Midgett and husband Dennis, Babbett Bradshaw and husband Mike, grandchildren, Jason Midgett, Kelly Madry and husband Jared, Patricia Johnson and husband, Richard, Colton Bradshaw, Hailey Dalrymple and husband Matt, Landon Bradshaw, and wife Kebby along with nine great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Mom also had numerous nieces and nephews. Mom was preceded in death by her parents, 7 sisters and brothers, her son, a great grandchild and first husband. Due to the pandemic, a small family gathering was held at Grove Hill Cemetery in Dallas.