 1934 - 2017 (83 years)
-
| Name |
Eva Mae MORTON |
| Born |
24 Feb 1934 |
San Antonio, Bexar Co., Texas  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Died |
30 Sep 2017 |
Glen Rose, Somervell Co., Texas |
| Person ID |
I36403 |
Main Tree |
| Last Modified |
2 May 2024 |
| Father |
Leslie Bright MORTON, b. 22 Jan 1902, Bronson, Sabine Co., Texas , d. 20 Apr 1964, -----, Orleans Parish, Louisiana (Age 62 years) |
| Mother |
Estella Mae “Kitty” RIAL, b. 2 Aug 1910, Bon Ami, Beauregard Parish, Louisiana , d. 3 Jun 2003, Mesquite*, Dallas Co., Texas (Age 92 years) |
| Married |
Abt 1927 |
| Divorced |
1935/43 |
| Family ID |
F12917 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 |
Alfred John BISTANY, b. 5 Oct 1927, Lawrence, Newton Co., Mississippi , d. 23 Mar 2004, Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida (Age 76 years) |
| Married |
13 Jan 1955 |
| Divorced |
30 Aug 1979 |
Dallas Co., Texas |
| Children |
| | 1. Todd Lee BISTANY, b. 14 Mar 1964, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas , d. 6 Feb 2004, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas (Age 39 years) |
| | 2. Living |
|
| Last Modified |
2 May 2024 |
| Family ID |
F25146 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Thomas R. HANKE, b. 7 Nov 1939, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma , d. 15 Mar 2001, Garland, Tarrant Co., Texas (Age 61 years) |
| Married |
10 Dec 1984 |
| Divorced |
31 May 1989 |
-----, Dallas Co., Texas |
| Last Modified |
2 May 2024 |
| Family ID |
F9627 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
| Notes |
- Eva Rae Hanke
Feb. 24, 1934 — Sept. 30, 2017
GLEN ROSE—A Celebration of Life for Eva Rae Hanke will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Rainbow Baptist Church.
Eva was born in San Antonio, Texas and spent much of her childhood traveling to different cities and states with her parents that were in the carnival industry.
As an adult, Eva spent 30 plus years living in the Dallas, Texas area. Eva had a special interest in beauty pageants and spent many years as the owner of Internal Miss, a beauty pageant for young girls. She turned her love of pageantry into a retail business when she opened a store called the Pageantry which specialized in pageant clothes and modeling lessons. She also directed several local pageants for the Miss Texas Pageant.
Eva also enjoyed acting and had several small roles in locally shot television programs such as Dallas. For many years, Eva had a wedding chapel and was an ordained minister.
After retiring from the Wedding business, Eva moved to Glen Rose, Texas where she met her dearest friends. Eva was well known around town as the Teddy Bear lady for her passion of collecting Teddy Bears to distribute to local children at Christmas time. She participated in many local activities such as the Red Hatters and the Lunch bunch. Those who knew her well knew her biggest passion was searching for treasures at thrift stores and garage sales.
Eva is survived by her Daughter Tammy Nicholson and her husband Mark. She is survived by 4 grandchildren, David Nicholson, Christopher Bistany, Matthew Nicholson and Spencer Nicholson. She is also survived by her Nephew Michael Cockerham and her Niece Deidra Cockerham who loved her dearly and care for her with love and compassion. She was preceded in death by her beloved son Todd Bistany.
In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of Eva’s love of animals, the family is requesting donations of food and blankets for the local animal shelter.
http://www.yourglenrosetx.com.
Posted Oct 25, 2017.
‘Teddy Bear Lady’ Eva Hanke dies at 83
The Glen Rose woman who brought smiles to the faces of countless children in her volunteer role as “The Teddy Bear Lady” passed away Saturday morning.
Eva Hanke, 83, recently had been living in a Fort Worth nursing home — the Arlington Heights Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was moved into hospice care because of complications following hip surgery, according to her close friend, Jeanette Hawkins of Glen Rose, and her niece, Deidre Cockerham of Fort Worth.
A memorial is being planned, but the date and location have not been decided.
“She was very special,” Hawkins said.
For a period of five years, starting in 2011, Hanke gathered hundreds of stuffed Teddy bears and other stuffed animals that were distributed free of charge to children at the annual Glen Rose Christmas parade downtown.
A note Hawkins wrote by hand for the community and sent to the Glen Rose Reporter reads:
“Glen Rose has many great citizens; among them was Eva Hanke. Many of you knew her as the ‘Teddy Bear Lady.’ It wasn’t uncommon for her to collect 800 or more Teddy Bears to be passed on to the children after the Christmas parade. She was also instrumental in helping to create a Christmas spirit in Heritage Park.
“She was known for her ‘hugs’ all over town. She not only loved the citizens of Glen Rose, but they loved her back. Everywhere she went people would shout ‘Eva, Eva’ and then the hugs began. Her passing will be felt by many. She will be greatly missed. A memorial service is in the planning.”
Hanke turned over what is known as The Teddy Bear Express to Karen Anderson at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church last year because of health issues.
“She was my best friend,” Hawkins said. “People thought we were sisters because we went everywhere together. It was a difficult time (toward the end). She was in terrible pain. She had a broken hip, and had surgery.”
Hawkins said everyone knew Eva, especially after she started being more recognizable among the public as “The Teddy Bear Lady.”
“Everywhere we went, people would call out, ‘Eva, Eva,’ and (children) would run up and hug her.”
Cockerham, whose husband Michael Cockerham was Hanke’s nephew, said Hanke had moved to Glen Rose from the Dallas area in 2004.
“She was spunky and full of life. She loved her Dallas Cowboys,” Deidre Cockerham said. “Everybody loved her. She had lots of friends.”
Cockerham said that Hanke was an ordained minister, and used to perform weddings. She produced beauty pagents in Dallas. When the television series “Dallas” was in production, she was a stand-in on the set several times, Cockerham said.
Hanke became a member of the Rainbow Baptist Church in March 2013. She formerly attended Country Fellowship Church.
http://www.yourglenrosetx.com
Posted Oct 3, 2017.
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