Arletta M. Hendrix, 94, of San Angelo, Texas passed away May 11, 2026, at home surrounded by her family. She was born on April 2, 1932 in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. A beloved and cherished presence to those who knew her, Arletta will be remembered with deep respect for a life marked by steadfast faith, devoted love, and resilient strength.
Arletta was, in every sense, “cut from a different cloth”—a unique woman whose quiet determination and hard-working spirit carried her through each season of life. A faithful Catholic with a special devotion to Mother Mary, she was a long-time member of Holy Angels Catholic Church, where her enduring commitment and reverence were evident to all who worshipped alongside her.
On December 8, 1949, Arletta married Odie L. Hendrix in Lawton, Oklahoma. Their marriage was a devoted partnership that remained strong until his passing in 2013 - days after their 64th wedding anniversary. As an army wife and young mother, Arletta worked tirelessly to support her family—babysitting neighborhood children and selling Avon with the same steady resolve she brought to everything she did. Later, she began a career at Levi Straus, where she retired after 17 years as a machine operator, earning admiration through her reliability, perseverance, and pride in honest work.
Arletta’s love for family was a pillar of her life, and her care was expressed in the everyday moments that become lifelong memories. She delighted in jigsaw puzzles—always with the firm expectation that not a single piece would go missing. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, and teaching her daughters and grandchildren how to crochet, passing along both skill and patience stitch by stitch. She loved playing card games and was an avid reader who read every night to her daughters and later to her grandchildren, offering comfort, closeness, and the gift of time.
In the community, Arletta was a familiar and warmly recognized figure—regularly seen at Zentner's Daughter Steakhouse, Dunbar, Franco's, and later Golden Corral, often remembered for her signature braided pigtails. Even today, people still ask about her, a testament to the impression she left through simple kindness, faithful presence, and a spirit that could not be forgotten. When it was time to part, she had her own cherished way of saying goodbye—blowing kisses, sending love ahead of her even as she left the room.
Arletta’s legacy is carried forward in the lives she shaped—through faith, devotion, and the enduring example of a woman who loved deeply, worked hard, and remained steadfast. Her memory will be held close by her family, and by all who were fortunate to know her.
Arletta was preceded in death by her father, Frank J. Thomas; mother, Mary W. Thomas; husband, Odie; daughter, Mary A. Goff; and son in law, Donald R. Goff.
Arletta is survived by her daughter, Linda Frankum and husband, Paul; grandchild, Christy Grelle and husband Brent; great grandchildren, Samantha Grelle and Jacob Grelle; grandchild, Steven Lane Goff; grandchild, Kathy Muldrew and husband Jason; great grandchild, Benjamin Goff and wife Maggie Goff; grandchild, Beth Frankum; great grandchild, Mel Kennedy and partner Ivonne Muñoz; great grandchild, James Kennedy and partner Dhalia Butchee; and grandchild, Robert Frankum. Arletta also leaves behind her nephew, Michel Benton and wife Soosan; and her nephew, Bill Benton and his family.
The Hendrix family would like to thank Arletta's church family at Holy Angels and long-time friend Fr. Charles Greenwell for their continued prayers, words of encouragement and support; as well as Preferred Home Health and High Plains Hospice for the compassion and care they gave Arletta throughout her health journey.
A memorial mass will be held at Holy Angels Catholic Church on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the Hendrix family asks that a memorial donation in Arletta's name be made to a charity of your choice.
