(September 18, 1935 – May 10, 2025)
With her children holding her hands, Dora Mae [Thompson] Hobbs peacefully left for Heaven on May 10, 2025 leaving an inspiring example of commitment to her faith, husband and family.
On September 18, 1935 Dora’s life began in Carlton Texas where she was born to Zannie Tull Thompson and Mary Ray [Elms] Thompson. She was the fifth of 8 children and born on the family farm in a small frame house which remains in the Thompson family. Growing up, she would ride the horse down the lane to check the mail wearing home sewn dresses made from cotton feed sacks. While picking cotton and hoeing corn in the fields, she would watch the windmill, waiting for it to turn on and signify that mother had dinner ready and the family could leave the fields to go eat.
As her family lived on several farms in Carlton, Dora completed all twelve grades at the local school, graduating as the valedictorian of her class in 1954 having made only a single B in her entire life! In addition to excelling in the classroom, she played on the high school basketball team for four years and was captain her senior year.
After high school graduation, she move to Lubbock, Texas to live with her older sister Wanda’s family. There, she found work as a bank teller and lifetime love at the roller rink when Bruce Hobbs picked her up off the floor. Both 19, they married, moved to Hale Center, TX and raised two children, Russell Hobbs (fiancé Tracy Sun) and Sandra Magar (Bob Magar).
Through life’s twists and turns, the family moved to Henderson, Texas in 1972 and onto 60 acres where they remodeled a small frame house into a large rambling home. They had a membership at the South Main Church of Christ from the start and Dora was very active in the church. She enjoyed leading the Ladies Tuesday Bible Class for several years, producing an astounding church cookbook filed with the church’s history, and overseeing the children’s nursery . Her deep faith remained constant throughout her life.
As a teller for Citizen National Bank for nearly 20 years, Dora enjoyed watching the community grow and even saw their first ATM installed. In 1992, Bruce suffered a tragic fall causing a permanent head injury and leaving him completely disabled.
For over 25 years, Dora was committed to modifying their lifestyle to accommodate Bruce’s significant ongoing health needs. Together, Bruce and Dora amazed family, friends, and health care providers with the high quality of life they achieved despite his injury. They traveled to Alaska and often enjoyed additional adventures traveling in their fifth wheel. When home on the farm, Bruce would continuously find things he needed to get done, and Dora was committed to ensuring he was successful on “his missions.”
After Bruce’s death in 2018, Dora’s life simplified. She deeply missed her husband of nearly 63 years, but continued enjoying her grandchildren, studying the Bible daily, quilting, growing flowers and taking care of her home. Throughout her entire life, she never went to bed leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
She is survived by three siblings Tinnie (Don) Barnett, Jimmy (Janet) Thompson, Tommy (Elaine) Thompson, Jerry Lawhon (brother in-law) ,her two children Russell (fiancé Tracy Sun) Hobbs, Sandra (Bob) Magar, five grandchildren Megan (Andrew) Bostick, Sarah (Andy) Ochsankehl, Tasha (Justin) Peterson, Logan Cravey, Morgan Cravey and eight great grandchildren (all of the children were “the light” of her life) and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Bruce Hobbs, and her siblings Dorothy Rae Davis, Patsy Thompson, Wanda Norris, Sonny Thompson, and Thurman Thompson.
Dora Mae Hobbs’ memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday May 17, 2025 at Harvest Hills Funeral Home, 118 2nd St, Hico, Texas. Private interment will follow at Carlton Cemetery, Carlton Texas.
Visitation for family and friends will be 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday May 16, 2025 at Harvest Hills Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to South Main Church of Christ, Henderson Texas or In Search of the Lord’s Way at https://www.searchtv.org.
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