Annie Mae Bettge Twist

Ann, who was almost a life-long resident of Kingsville, was born in St. Paul, Texas on May 3, 1923 to William Frank Bettge and Lydia Ann Berthold Bettge. Her family moved to Kingsville when she was two years old and she attended Flato Elementary, where she was a member of the 1935 Glee Club which was featured in 2010 in the Kingsville Record as well as Henrietta M. King High. Annie, who was often called Anna Mae, was married briefly to Jasper J. Sholars and lived in Corpus Christi during that period of her life. At a time when women worked to help the war effort in World War II, she drove airmen in the large transportation buses at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. Ann always spoke with pride that she had contributed her small part in the Great War.

Annie married Ray Andrew Twist in 1947, at which time, they moved to Kingsville where they have resided since. She is survived by Ray, her husband of almost 64 years: one daughter, Dolores Twist Hundley Zimmer, and son-in-law, Robert Zimmer, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; two grandchildren, Jay Reece Hundley (Carmela) and Sheila Louise Hundley-Topp (Matt) all of Santa Fe, New Mexico; one step-son, Martin Ray Twist of Louisville, Kentucky; four step-grandchildren, Tyra Amreine (Jeffery), Tammy Tilchner (Todd), Hunter and Khristoffer Twist of Louisville, Kentucky; three great grandchildren of Santa Fe, New Mexico; one great granddaughter of Austin, Texas; five step-great grandchildren of Louisville, Kentucky and three great-great grandchildren of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Annie will always be remembered as a beautiful, elegant woman who loved her church, family, friends and animals. She was incredibly talented and creative and loved to design and make all types of clothing, especially for her daughter. She was a founding member of ARK, Animal Rescue of Kingsville, and was active for many years in placing animals in loving homes. Annie worked as a real estate agent for Century 21 until her retirement in 1999. She also loved to travel and made many trips to Santa Fe to visit her daughter and grandchildren with her sister, cousins and nieces. Always a practical joker, she made these trips so memorable and fun for all involved.

She especially loved her brothers and sister, who have all preceded her in death – Charlie, Frank, Elmer, Delmer Bettge and Emma Bettge Bynum Smith. She loved their children as her own and planned many family reunions and get-togethers where she was always “the life of the party.”

Annie was also very interested in geneology and spent many years writing family history and memoirs which she passed on to all family members. Annie’s husband, Ray, has written hundreds of wonderful poems about the family, his love of the cowboy, historical moments and other highlights of their life together and Annie took great pride in computerizing all the poetry, memories, and family history, which are such a gift to those who are survived by this exceptional lady.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2011 at the Turcotte-Piper Mortuary, Kingsville, Texas with the family receiving friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Turcotte-Piper Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Gary Clements officiating. Burial will follow in Kingsville at Resthaven Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Brian Coufal, Matthew Schneider, Brandon Brant and Paul Ashby.

Services are entrusted to Turcotte-Piper Mortuary, 205 General Cavazos Blvd., Kingsville, Texas.