Florene Wood Mcknight

Florene Wood McKnight, age 87, of Pasadena and formerly of Ballinger, passed away Thursday, March 18, 2010 in Houston Hospice surrounded by her family. Although she lived in Pasadena for many years, she never stopped calling Ballinger “home.”
She was born July 4, 1922 in Henderson County, Texas, the second of twelve children born to Edward and Lorena (Bagwell) Wood. Florene and Ray Burton McKnight were married August 24, 1940 in Ballinger.
R.B. (Beezer) and Florene and their family lived in Ballinger for many years, where she was employed as the bookkeeper for Ballinger Tire Store until health issues caused her retirement in 1997. She moved to Pasadena to live with her daughter, Kay.
Florene was an endearing, loving and proud mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and beloved aunt whose family came first. She will always be remembered for her gentle and caring manner and pleasant disposition. She enjoyed bowling, camping, painting and playing games of all kinds. She had a beautiful voice and enjoyed singing gospel and music of the 40’s.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, R. B. (Beezer) McKnight; sisters, Edith Loretta Boatright, Mae Bell Grantham, Betty Lee Myres, Donna Atkinson, Mary Linda Burns and Sandra Joy Tillery; and brothers, Edmund Douglas Wood and Aubrey Earl Wood.
Florene is survived by her loving, devoted family; daughters, Kay Wilkes and husband, Ray Wilkes, of Pasadena and Judy Rodgers of Houston and her husband, Terry Rodgers, of Galveston; son, Danny McKnight and wife, Elizabeth, of Porter, Texas; five grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving is sister, Effie Jewel Engbrock of Houston; brothers, W.G. Wood of Bay City and Doyle Wood and wife, Susan, of Justin; and many nieces and nephews.
Special thanks to the kind staffs of Mission Care Nursing Home and Houston Hospice in Houston.
Visitation for Florene McKnight will be held Sunday, March 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger. Funeral service, officiated by Reverend Ferris Akins, will be Monday, March 22 at 11:00 a.m. at Lange Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Old Runnels Cemetery near Ballinger.