Dorothy Mae (Hawks) Sanders

Dorothy Mae Sanders was born June 22, 1924 in Lubbock, TX to Van Pitts Hawks and Buna Agnes Gibson Hawks and on March 20, 2019 she left home in Brenham, TX to join her beloved family that went before her. Previously deceased immediate family members include husband, Chester Worthy Sanders; sons, Ronald Wayne Sanders, James David Sanders and Carl Alan Sanders; parents, and brothers Ray Garland Hawks and L.T. Hawks.

Surviving family: son, Melvin Doyle Sanders and wife, Dorothy Louise of Industry, TX; grandson, Kyle Sanders and family of Winter Park, FL; granddaughters, Virginia Lynn Sanders of Tampa Bay, FL and Sunnie Dawn Sidera and husband Lou and family of Industry, TX; step grandson Ronnie G. Greenhouse, Jr. and step great grandsons. She also leaves her sister Sarah Pauline King and husband Richard of McKinney, TX; nieces Janet and Susan; nephews Jerry and Boyd.

She is also survived by Ron’s wife Judy Sanders of Montgomery, TX and Carl’s wife, Jeannette Sanders of Wimberley / Port Arthur, TX along with her sons Todd of Wimberley, TX and Rhett Sanders of Port Arthur, TX and their families. Ollie Hollinger and husband Jerry of Denton, TX were very close cousins of Chester and have remained close to Dorothy and her family. Betty Jo Taylor is another very close cousin from the Gibson side of her family.

There are numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren along with very dear nieces and nephews, cousins and many good friends who loved her, and were each cherished by her, over her 94 + year life span. Likewise, she left many good friends from Kruse Village in Brenham and other homes near Conroe, Aldine, and Houston.

Before moving to Houston in 1936 with her parents, the family lived on a farm in Mt. Tabor near Madisonville, TX. Dorothy attended John Marshall Junior High then graduated from Jeff Davis in 1941. She married Chester on February 14, 1942 before he departed for service in the European Theater. Upon his return from service in 1945, they built a home on Maggie (now Carl) Street on the near north side of Houston and attended Trinity Baptist Church on Hogan. In 1957 they moved to Aldine where Dorothy became very active in the PTA and was awarded Lifetime Memberships in the Aldine ISD PTA and Texas PTA Chapter. She was an accomplished seamstress, artist, and loved to travel with Chester on Brown & Root projects- then on cruises with him and her grandchildren during retirement.

Upon Chester’s death in 1984, she moved to April Sound near Conroe then later a retirement community in The Woodlands. Following the losses of Ron and Carl, in 2008, she moved to Brenham to be near Doyle and his wife Dorothy. She had a great life and missed her good friends when they left before her. In her final year, she spoke longingly about moving on “out of this place” to be with her loving husband and previously departed family and friends. She will be missed by her family and friends left behind. The family gives thanks to Mary Hurtado and her family for providing special care to her over the past 11 years and on through hospice care.

Dorothy selected her grandsons and great-grandsons to be her honorary pallbearers: Kyle and son Connor of Winter Park, FL; Todd and son Teddy of Wimberley, TX, and Rhett and son Caleb of Port Arthur, TX.

Visitation will be Wed. March 27 from 9 a.m. until a memorial service begins at 1 p.m. at Brenham Memorial Chapel led by her nephew, Jerry King. Private family burial will be held later in Hollywood Cemetery at 3506 North Main, Houston, TX.

Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX 77833, 979.836.3611 Visit www.BrenhamMemorialChapel.com for details