Bitsy Hanna

Bitsy Hanna passed away peacefully in Austin, Texas with her daughter Margaret Putney by her side, but celebrated her 99th birthday just a few weeks prior with a big slice of chocolate cake. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at Shultz Funeral Home in Jasper.

Bitsy was born, the only daughter among two brothers, to Tom and Doris Hart on July 1, 1925, in Port Arthur, Texas before spending most of her life in Jasper, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Dewey, her husband William H and her son Bill. She will be greatly missed by her brother Tom Hart (Debbie) of Austin, TX; daughter Margaret Putney of Austin, TX; daughter-in-law Mali Hanna of Marble Falls, TX; granddaughter Kristin Paull (Jason) of Austin, TX; and great grandsons Nathan, Jackson and Gavin Paull.

Bitsy graduated from Jasper High School where she was a cheerleader and cherished alumnus, attending reunions for her class as long as they were hosted. Bitsy met Bill at Southwestern University after the war. They were married on June 22, 1945. They would move around over the years as Bill pursued his medical career from Kirksville, MO to Palo Alto CA, but always returning to Texas (Kerrville, Rusk, Galveston) and finally back to Jasper. Bitsy lost count of the moves, but she supported her young family as they had first Margaret and then Bill II along the way.

While Bill was the dreamer, Bitsy was the grounding force in their family. From their adventures with a lake house and houseboat to a home in Galveston on the bay. Bitsy was a life-long learner and creative spirit. She was an avid seamstress, creating treats for her granddaughter as distractions from surgeries in her youth. She took cake decorating classes and even created many wedding and birthday cakes for family and friends. She was an accomplished artist and fine china painter with a particular focus on flowers. Bitsy went on to become famous for her tea rose garden and was a member of the Jasper Rose Club. In her later years, she became fascinated with genealogy and her ancestry. She traveled the country and even to the United Kingdom in pursuit of her research. She wrote a book on the homes built in East Texas by her grandfather. Bitsy was a life-long member of First Baptist Church of Jasper. If nothing else, let her life prove that you should always seek to create and nurture beauty while trying and learning new things.

In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society ( www.donate.cancer.org ). Bitsy will be laid to rest in Jasper alongside her husband William H. Hanna. Condolences can be posted at www.shultzfuneralhomeofjasper.com , on Facebook at Shultz Funeral Home &Crematory, or on Instagram at Shultzfh.