JB Kattes' Obituary
JB Kattes, 93, of Longview went home to be with his Lord and Savior Tuesday, January 29, 2013, following a short battle with cancer. Funeral services for JB will be held Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 11 AM at Fellowship Baptist Church, 1818 Springhill Road in Longview. The Reverend James Craver, longtime family friend and Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas will officiate, assisted by Brother Galen Herrington, Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Longview. Services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6-8 PM at the funeral home.
JB was born on June 8, 1919, on the Billy Gibbons ranch, a few miles south of Richland Springs, Texas, to John Rex and Ruby Lee Strickland Kattes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 66 years, Jennie Alford Kattes; his sisters Lorena Pauline Smith, Christine Margrette Lanning, Jana Beth Spencer, and Johnnie Lee Taylor; his brothers Arledge Eugene Kattes, and Hugh Harris Kattes; and his granddaughter, Chelsea Annette Jones.
He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law Janette and Sonny Auld of Longview, and Susan and Sammy Jones of Grand Saline; grandchildren Lori Dixon, Lance Kattes and wife Kanetta, Brittany McSchooler and husband Michael, and Matthew Jones; great grandchildren Jordan Alexander and Justin Andrew Dixon, Jara Brilee Little JB Kattes, and Chase Michael McSchooler; sister-in-law Mildred Kattes and brother-in-law Billy C. Benedict, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
JB was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Longview where he served as a Deacon for many years. Prior to that, he was a Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and Sunday School Teacher at Central Baptist Church in Longview.
JB was employed for more than 45 years with Conley-Lott-Nichols heavy machinery company, beginning with them in Dallas as a mechanic's helper and working his way up to parts manager in Longview. When Conley-Lott-Nichols expanded to Longview in 1952, JB built fencing around the new lot and poured the first concrete slap for the new business, located on Highway80 just east of what is now H.G. Mosely. He retired from Conley-Lott-Nichols December 31, 1986.
JB left Conley-Lott-Nichols to join the US Army December 11, 1941, four days after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Following Basic Training at Camp Roberts, California, he spent two years at Elmendorf Army Air Corps Base in Anchorage, Alaska, and the two more years training officers at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was honorably discharged from the US Army as a Staff Sergeant on November 3, 1945. Following his discharge, he returned to Conley-Lott-Nichols to work until retiring in 1986.
Pallbearers will be Mitch Billingsly, John Bryant, Charles Cain, Jerry Lansford, Bill Matthews, and Harold Wright. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Fellowship Baptist Church Deacons and the Men's Sunday School Class, both led by Tommy Williams.
The family wishes to thank the caregivers from Autumn Wood Hospice and Country Trails Care Center in Grand Saline, Texas for their dedicated care of JB during his illness.
Those wishing to make donations in lieu of flowers may do so to the Fellowship Baptist Church, 1818 Springhill Road, Longview, Texas, Autumn Wood Hospice of Grand Saline, or Country Trails Center of Grand Saline.
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