Beth Dent McGee

Beth Dent McGee passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at the age of 94. Beth was born on May 23, 1923, in Trinity, Texas, daughter of Whittier and Hazel (Henson) Dent. Despite the hardships of the depression, Beth's mother had big plans for her children, and enrolled Beth and her sister, Shirley, in dancing classes at a young age. The girls became quite accomplished, performed in numerous recitals, and, as teenagers, worked as instructors.

Beth was an excellent student. After graduating from high school at the top of her class, she briefly attended Sam Houston State University where, according to unverified reports, she dated the quarterback of the football team. She transferred to Rice University as a sophomore and graduated in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in English literature.

In 1942, Beth married Bill Snoddy, an Army Air Corp 2nd Lieutenant who served as a B-25 bombardier in Europe during World War II. She told fascinating stories about life on the home front, about the camaraderie among the squadron wives, the great importance of letters from family and friends who were deployed overseas, and even about her trip to New York City to celebrate VJ Day in Times Square. After the war, Beth and Bill's son, Allen, was born, and the family settled in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and then Laurel, Mississippi. When Allen reached school age, Beth started her teaching career.

In 1963, Beth attended graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, where she met her second husband, George Rothenbach. After the birth of her second son, Bert, the family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin, where Beth taught English at Fox Valley Technical College and struggled to convince her new Midwestern relatives that there are other vegetables besides potatoes and cabbage. You can still find Rothenbachs in Wisconsin who will tell you about Beth's Southern accent, gracious manners, and amazing family dinners.

In 1975, Beth returned to Houston. Even more than today, the odds were stacked against 52-year-old, twice divorced, single mothers. But showing the determination that was a defining part of her character, she opened the next chapter of her life, working as a high school English teacher before beginning a new career as a recruiter for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, where she specialized in church blood drives. Here Beth found a role that matched her talents. Like a guided missile, she would dash to the pulpit, and through a combination of charm and admonition, pound the congregation into submission until the requisite number of blood donors volunteered. She won the recruiter of the year award so many times the rules had to be changed to give others a fighting chance.

It was fitting that after returning to Texas, Beth married another Texan, Don McGee, in 1978. After Beth's retirement in 1988, she and Don moved to Burnet, Texas, and a few years later to Georgetown, Texas. Small town life suited them. Don started an equine appraisal business and Beth organized his notes and wrote the reports. They became members of the Burnet Presbyterian Church, where Beth served as a member of the church session and the choir. She joined a local writers group and wrote a number of articles for the Williamson County Sun. They made many good friends, including Fred and Armour Shin, Bette Roberts, and Rowena West. This group, together with Beth's cousin, Lynne Marie, took many wonderful trips to places like Santa Fe, Port Aransas, and Ruidoso.

After Don's passing in 2011, Beth shared an apartment with Shirley. The sisters had been quietly planning this reunion for years, given the tendency of Henson women to outlive their husbands. They played bridge, watched movies, read books, and called each other "babe," as they did when they were teenagers.

In the last years of her life, Beth's memory got weaker and she had trouble hearing, but her trademark wit and sense of humor were present until the end. When visited recently by one of her sons and his family, she was asked if she wanted to come along with the kids to see Longhorn Cavern State Park. Her response: "I'm not ready to be put underground just yet."

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 11 a.m., at Burnet Presbyterian Church in Burnet, Texas.

Arrangements by Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78628 (512)863-2564.