November 5, 1932 – June 18, 2015 Anna Bess Robinson was born on November 5, 1932 in Pilot Grove Texas. She passed from this life on Thursday June 18, 2015, just days before the 4th anniversary of a major stroke that left her unable to speak and paralyzed on her right side. Just as Anna drew her last breath a beautiful rainbow appeared in the west just outside her hospital room windows, a comfort to the family that her heavenly family was welcoming her home.
Anna was the fourth child of ten born to Vee Ball Neathery and Roy Homer Neathery. Anna graduated from Whitewright High School and married Joe Frank Robinson on November 26, 1949. They were married for 65 years and had three children, Joanna, Steve, and Kim. Joe and Anna belonged to the Church of Christ. They lived in Whitewright while raising their children. Anna worked for several years at Johnson & Johnson, then later owned and operated her own beauty salon in Whitewright. Anna was the type of person that always had to be working on a project, whether knocking out walls in her home, or caring for an elderly person in her neighborhood. After selling the beauty salon she nearly drove Joanna crazy wishing for something to do so they decided to learn how to make cakes for family parties. That evolved into making cakes for friends, then for the public, then that turned into a full blown catering business when they opened Klassy Katering. Anna must have baked thousands of cakes over the twenty years they operated the catering business. Even when declining health forced her to stop baking she still missed the catering business. In fact, until she passed away, Anna got up every day and looked at the classified ads to see what type of job she might apply for.
After their three children were all out of the house, they purchased their dream home on Lake Texoma. They had a beautiful view of the lake and a private boat dock where they entertained family and their grandchildren throughout their childhood. Many happy years were spent on the islands and riding around the lake in the deck boat. In the summer you could always find Anna arranging a picnic and making homemade ice cream on the boat dock for the grandkids. Five years ago Joe and Anna sold the lake house and moved to Denison.
Anna was preceded in death by her parents, brother Maurice Neathery, and sister Mattie Louise Heed. She is survived by her husband, Joe F. Robinson of Denison, daughter Joanna Barnes and husband Dennis of Pottsboro, son Steve Robinson and wife Cheryl of Sherman, and daughter Kim McWhorter and husband Phillip of Denison, grandsons Brian Robinson (wife Christy), Daniel Barnes (wife Stephanie) and Casey Barnes; and granddaughters, Amanda Robinson, Deanna Barnes, Kayla Sliger Chambers (husband Jacob), and 10 great grandchildren. She is also survived by brothers Robert Byron Neathery and Jackie Neathery and sisters, Marjorie Grimes, June Washburn, Jane Bearden, Brynda Clay, and Lynda Knorpp.
A graveside service will be held at Pilot Grove cemetery at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2015. The service will be conducted by Bill Neathery, nephew of the deceased. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Mullican-Little Funeral Home in Bells.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Home Hospice of Grayson County or to the Associate Degree Nursing Program Scholarship Fund at Grayson College.
