Bena Bob Genoway

Bena Bob Hardin Genoway Bena Bob Hardin Genoway, age 91, of Smithville, TX, passed away in Smithville on December 30, 2015. She was born in The Grove, Coryell County, Texas, on November 5, 1924, to Elizabeth Jane Brown and Richmond Lee Hardin. She moved to Denton, Texas, as a child. Bena graduated from Denton High School. She went to beauty school with her sister Fannie and worked as a beautician until she married. Bena married Glenn Edward Genoway May 8, 1945, in Denton, Texas. They had three children, Glenn Edward II, Adella Elizabeth, and Steven Charles. As she moved about the state, first following her husband’s job, then to be with her daughter, she was a member of these churches: First Baptist Church in Denton, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis, Morgan Avenue Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Westbury Baptist Church in Houston, Travis Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Calvary Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Calvary Baptist Church in Bastrop, and First Baptist Church in Smithville. Bena was known as a great and prolific cook who was not satisfied until everyone was stuffed. She baked beautiful and delicious wedding cakes and Christmas cookies -- masterpieces. She continued to use her skills as a beautician as she cut and styled hair for relatives. She was also an amazing seamstress, making many of her daughter’s clothes and her wedding veil. She became a garage-sale aficionado in the 1970’s and 80’s, shopping for and selling all kinds of goodies, including Avon bottles and antique glass. She would buy second-hand furniture and re-upholster and refinish it for her own use or resale. She adored babies, little kids, small dogs, and hummingbirds. She loved music, especially hymns and the songs of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s and could sing every verse of every song she ever knew. She involved herself in her children’s lives, serving as room mother during their elementary years, teaching children in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School in various churches, cooking at youth camps, helping in PTA, and leading Cub Scouts and Blue Birds. Bena was preceded in death by her husband Glenn Genoway I, her grandson Lawrence Smith, her parents, all her brothers and sisters, and some nieces and nephews. Bena is survived by son Glenn (Aileen) Genoway II, his children -- grandsons Glenn Genoway III and Clifton (Rhonda) Genoway, granddaughters Kristen Genoway, Allison Genoway, and Elizabeth Genoway; daughter Adella (Larry) Smith, her children -- grandson Jeremy (Barbara) Smith and granddaughter Elizabeth (Tim) Evan; son Steven (Jenny) Genoway, his children -- granddaughter Sarah (Dietrich) Knabe, grandsons Steven (Stephanie) Genoway II and Christopher Genoway, and granddaughter Cassandra (Patrick) Adams; her great-grandchildren Cullen Adcock, Brittany Smith, Faith Genoway, Ty Genoway, Eryn Genoway, Alyssa Genoway, Case Genoway, Nathaniel Evan, Joshua Evan, Sarah Evan, Logan Knabe, Brennan Knabe, Sophia Genoway, and Dillen Esquivel; her great-great-grandchild Ava Smith; and many devoted nieces and nephews. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00pm Friday, January 1, 2016 at Bastrop Providence Funeral Home. Celebration of Life Services will be 4:00pm Saturday, January 2, 2016 at First Baptist Church, Smithville, TX. Interment will be held 1:00pm Sunday, January 3, 2016 at Seaside Memorial Park, Corpus Christi, TX.