Bessie Ann Cates Phillips Starnes was my grandmother. She was the daughter of Edward J. Cates and Helen Kurtz. She was born in Sebastian Co, AR, and has many living cousins in Arkansas. Edward J. Cates was the son of Thomas Jefferson Cates, son of Joseph Cates. - Charlie Ward Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Sunday, March 18, 2001 Bessie P. Starnes MATHIS - Bessie Phillips Starnes, a homemaker and member of Faith Temple Assembly of God in League City, and a member of Women's Missionary Council, died March 16, 2001. She was 94. Survivors include five daughters, Bertha Lopez of Bullhead City, Ariz., Hazel Graham of Mathis, June Maxwell of Temple, Laverne Pratt of Yorktown and Dolores Strege of Kernersville, N.C.; five sons, Claude Phillips of Quito, Ecuador, John Phillips of Greenwood, Ark., Leroy Phillips of Victoria, James Phillips of League City and Kenneth Phillips of Stavanger, Norway; a brother, Alva Cates of Russellville, Ark; 33 grandchilden; 51 great-grandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren. Services will be at 10 a.m. March 20 at Dobie Funeral Home. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m., March 20 at Premont Cemetery, Premont. My Eulogy, delivered 3/20/2001, at the funeral: "I have the honor of being the second oldest grandchild. On my way here today, I was thinking that as we go along through life, we are as pebbles in a pond. We send out ripples from our movements. These ripples can be great, sloushing waves or gentle waves. I like to think of Grandma as sending out gentle, loving waves. My earliest memories of Grandma revolve around awakening to the delicious smells of bacon and pancakes coming from the kitchen in Premont. A short, heavy-set woman cooking a meal for a large family and its visitors. Hugs that smelled sweet and totally enveloped you. Many times I sat with her, asking questions about our family -- what nationalities are we? Where are we from? Each question was answered with patience and filled with love. She is entirely responsible for my recently developed love of the research of the history of this family. Her request was simple, to find the grave of her grandfather. Grandma, I haven't found it yet, but I will. That started me on a crusade of finding out about our Cates and Phillips families history. Since the beginning, I have met and corresponded with many new cousins and found family members I didn't know existed. I have traveled to Arkansas and felt the spirits of our ancestors. While there, I wrote 5 poems. Feelings and words I never knew were inside me. I owe this voyage to her. I remember particularly her greatest lesson to me. The source of happiness: Jesus first Others second Yourself last She said that spelled joy, and I've never forgotten it. On behalf of her other grandchildren, great, and great-great, I thank her for being who she was -- a loving, patient woman who will always be my hero."