Bessie Hatten

Funeral services for Mrs. Bessie Hatten, 93, of Celina, Texas, and formerly of Marietta, Texas, will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Burial will follow at Bethlehem Cemetery, under the direction of Reeder-Davis Funeral Home in Hughes Springs.  Mrs. Hatten will lie in state for a time of viewing from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Friday, September 11, 2026, at Reeder-Davis in Hughes Springs.

Bessie Ruth James Hatten was born on April 6, 1933, in Marietta, Texas to Mance James Sr. and Onie Nickleberry James. She peacefully transitioned to her heavenly home on September 4, 2026, at the age of 93 — the last of her siblings to go home to glory.

Bessie was born, raised, and lived on top of the hill in the Bethlehem community. She graduated from Bethlehem High School, where she loved sports and enjoyed playing on the basketball team.

She dedicated her life to Christ at an early age and was a faithful member of Bethlehem Baptist Church until her health declined. Her love and devotion to Jesus ran so deep that when family needed serious prayer, Bessie was the one they called. Even in her final years, when dementia set in and words failed her, she would still clearly proclaim, “Thank You Jesus,” up until her last days.

Bessie met the love of her life, Carl Hatten, and they spent 61 years together until his passing. They shared a full life together, and those who knew them, knew them as “Honey” and “Baby.”

Bessie worked briefly as a seamstress, but her true calling was caregiving — not in the traditional sense, but in the way she poured herself into others. She cared for her parents as their health declined, for her children, and for anyone who needed her support. She enjoyed hosting her nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews during the summer, and found joy in opening her home every year for the family reunion. She even ran a summer program that brought all the kids in the area together for lunch and playtime. What she loved most were the babies. She poured so much into her family and community that she became the epitome of “come on by and fix you a plate.”

Genuinely sweet, classy, and caring, Bessie was truly one of a kind — a woman many who loved her will remember as the sweetest person they ever met.

She is survived by her children, Ronnie Hatten and Ebony Brown (Tony), and her grandchildren, Tatum and Tyson Brown. She leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and a very special caregiver, Mary Cortez.

Bessie was preceded in death by her parents, Mance and Onie James; her devoted husband, Carl Hatten; and all of her brothers and sisters.

CLICK TO VIEW MEMORIAL PROGRAM