Bennie Rex Bridwell

He attended The Nacogdoches Demonstration School and graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 1951. From 1951-1953 he attended Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College. Bennie entered the United States Army through the volunteer draft in 1954 where he began training at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He was then stationed 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, at Eielson Air Force Base for 2 years. He was part of an eight-man team for one gun which was pointed toward Russia. While at Eielson, his appendix burst, and he was in the hospital in Fairbanks for 41 days. The runway at Eielson Air Force Base was five miles long to accommodate planes with long needle noses that contained spy and surveillance equipment. In 1956, Bennie left the army. He returned to SFA and in 1958 finished his B. S. degree in Physical Education with a minor in History.

After graduation, Bennie began working for Nacogdoches Wholesale Grocery where Clear Springs Restaurant is now. In 1959, he went to work for Southern Pacific Railroad (SPR) as an at-will employee and was assigned to various positions as needed. He was hired by SPR as a full-time clerk in 1966 and retired from there in 1988.

Bennie was forever the “eligible bachelor.” He is survived by nieces and nephews who loved him and cared for him until his death. He was predeceased by his parents and his three siblings: Willis Durward Bridwell, Lendon Thomas Bridwell, and Martha Maxine McMillan.

Bennie Rex was an avid horticulturist, farmer, horseman, cattle man, and hunter. He was known to have a yard full of desirable flowers, plants and produce such as pears, sweet potatoes, peaches, plums, apples, black walnuts, and pecans.

A graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park, located at 5127 North St, Nacogdoches, TX, 75965, on December 6, 2025, starting at 11:00 am.