Obituaries: Mr. W. B. "Bennie" McNeely, Sabine Parish M-254 Source: Sabine Index, Many, La., Sep 2, 1998 Submitted by: Carl Dilbeck carlrad@earthlink.net ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** W. B. "Bennie" McNeely (Photo) Funeral services for W. B. "Bennie" McNeely, 91, were held at the Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday, August 26, at 2 p.m. Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald, former pastor of the Many First Baptist Church, and Dr. Ed Scott officiated, with burial following in the Many Cemetery. Pallbearers were Les Lites, Dean Lambert, Glen Owers, Alfice Brumley, Tommy Joe Andries, and Grady Cotton. Honorary pallbearers were Hubert Andries, Howard Wright, Bert Smith, Oscar Alford, Lee R. Isgitt, Harold Andries, Dr. Richard J. Oosta, Joe Luster, and Dr. Jack Corley. Mr. McNeely, who had suffered from chronic illnesses for years, suffered a stroke last September. He had remained active in life, though, and was hospitalized Sunday night, prior to his death Monday afternoon, August 24, at Sabine Medical Center. Survivors include his widow, Evelyn P. McNeely; one son, W. B. McNeely Jr., both of Many; one daughter, Bonnie M. Hamilton of Mexia, Texas; one sister, Evelyn McNeely Jordan of Many; and one granddaughter, Casey Hamilton Mitchell of Tyler, Texas. W. B. "Bennie" McNeely was born on January 9, 1907, in Many, to Joseph H. McNeely, and Daisy Cleveland McNeely. He was the third of four children, including the late Joseph McNeely Jr., and Mary Ellen Saxby, and his surviving sister, Evelyn Jordan, who was the youngest. Raised in Many, McNeely completed his education in 1924, from Many High school, and then attended a business school in Port Arthur, Texas. He returned to Many, and went to work for his father at the J. J. McNeely Mercantile Co., where he worked for many years. During the Depression, he served in the Civilian Conservation Corps for several months. In 1942, deciding that he wanted to work outside, he joined the U.S. Postal Service. McNeely, a widower with a small son, had lost his first wife, Doris Logan McNeely, to tuberculosis, when Bennie Jr. was two years old. McNeely married the former Evelyn Price from Arkansas in 1943. Her grandfather, the Rev. J. M. Pate, was the Baptist preacher here for 17 years, and taught Latin and History at the high school. The McNeely couple was blessed with the birth of a daughter, Bonnie, in 1949. Residing on Dillon Street in Many, the couple provided a happy home life, and were faithful to the First Baptist Church of Many. Years later, after their daughter's marriage, they enjoyed their granddaughter. During his 36 year career with the Many Post Office, McNeely earned a reputation of being responsible, and on time. His widow recalled, "He could drive the rural roads when nobody else could. You could set your watch by him, and he loved running the route." She continued, "His job as rural mail carrier agreed with him, because he had his afternoons free to hunt and fish." McNeely retired from the Post Office in 1978. After that, he enjoyed his friends and family, even though bouts with health problems slowed him a little. Bennie McNeely was not a joiner...but he was definitely a doer. He served as "elder statesman" of a group of businessmen in the town, who gathered several times a week for fun and fellowship. Every weekday, the group of men, which was started years ago, met to drink coffee. On Tuesdays, when they were not hunting or fishing, they enjoyed "continuing education" trips, from just riding around to checking storm damage in Texas, to touring the Mansfield Battleground. On Fridays, they gathered at the lake for dinner, and more camaraderie. His buddies, several of whom shared their thoughts about their dear friend, looked to him for guidance. What they will miss most, other than his presence, will be his wit. McNeely possessed a unique sense of humor, as evidenced by the hundreds of stories that have been recalled since his death. There were many stories shared with his family by former mail carriers and friends. One in particular told of the time McNeely sneezed, and blew his teeth across the floor. "He loved life so much", his widow said. "I've never known anyone as excited as he was to get up in the morning." Mornings were looked forward to because McNeely knew he would preside at the 8 a.m. coffee break. When McNeely stopped driving several years age, Les Lites began picking him up at 7 a.m., dropping him off at the gathering site, and then returning him to his home later on. Mrs. McNeely used to tease her husband and his buddies, saying that several drug stores (McNeely's and Horn's) followed by their other coffee drinking spots, Mr. Cooks's and then Hardee's had closed, forcing them to chose another location. She wandered if they were bad luck. The group, once referred to as the "Circle of Wisdom" by Mary Beth Tarver, was founded many years ago. "He was one of those that obtained great knowledge on Tuesdays, and imparts this knowledge on Fridays", Mrs. Tarver wrote in a condolence card. As members met their rewards, others are initiated into the circle. Former members have included Dr. S. F. Fraser, Eldon Dees, Ancil DeLatin, and Wayne Phillips. Today, the group numbers near 20. Andy Tarver recalled his days growing up in Many. "I remember walking from the junior high school to my grandpa's service station every afternoon, to sit in the old cowhide bottom rocking chairs, and tell stories about some of their experiences in life. I enjoyed that time very much, and as I grew older, my grandpa began to include me in some of the activities of the Friday Crew. Tarver continued, "I think that my life has been shaped from the people that I grew up with, and Mr. Bennie has definitely been part of that." Several of his friends shared their memories of McNeely. "Bennie McNeely was a good friend of mine for over 40 years", Joe Luster stated. "We would always arrive early for coffee, and be there to greet the others. He was a humorous fella", Luster continued. "He was nothing fancy...just a good fella...just Bennie". Lites recalled his first encounter with McNeely like it was yesterday. "I was seven or eight years old, and I had gone to the Baptist Encampment at Dry Creek, back in the late 1930's", he described. "I wrote a penny postcard home, asking for money, and I forgot to put the address on it. Bennie was our letter carrier, and he delivered that postcard", Lites laughed. "I still have it." Continuing, Lites said, "He had the reputation of taking care of people's mail. In bad weather, he'd take mail right up to the house." In the 1960's, Lites had completed his education at Northwestern, and had been in the service. "When I returned to Many, there was no one my age around. Buddy Dees and Bennie befriended me and took me into their circle of friends, even though I was much younger. The insisted I call them by their first names, and over the years, they offered guidance and support, and we formed a close friendship." "I learned more history from that group of friends than I ever learned out of a book", he added. "Bennie was a good story teller, who had a good memory, and he knew more history about this area than anyone." "He had a mind like a bear trap. He was quick to call your hand on something if he didn't think it was right", he added. "He lived by a certain set of rules, and that was it." Shaking his head, Lites added, "I've had him all my life. It will be different without Bennie around." "My heart goes out to Bennie's family and friends. This loss is so very great, but at the same time, I feel sorry for those that were not blessed to know him", Many Chief of Police Dean Lambert said. "One thing that comes to mind, is when our group went squirrel hunting. Bennie would stay at the camp, and wait while we hunted. He always gave me a hard time for the numerous times I shot, and the few squirrels I returned with", he added. "I tried to convince him that perhaps some of the shots he heard were echoes, but he, of course, would not believe that, and rightly so." Lambert recalls the every morning coffee sessions with fondness. "He met with us each morning at McDonald's, and the group would discuss events from 1920 to the present. I've often told people that I never heard so much that I could use so little of, but the fact is that I did learn a lot." Continuing, he said, "At 8:30 a.m., Bennie would rattle his cane against the wall to tell us, in very clear terms, that it was time to end the discussion, and for him to head home. I will miss Bennie, just as I miss Burl Harvey. Even though I was quite a bit younger, they both welcomed me into the group, and treated me as kind and generous as any friend I ever had. We appreciate the McNeely family sharing Bennie with us." Mr. McNeely's family requested that any memorial contributions be made to the Many First Baptist Church, where he sat in the right hand corner of the back pew every Sunday.