Dessie Covington Obituary

Our beloved matriarch, Dessie, also known as wife, mom, Mamaw, sister, Aunt Dessie, Miss Dessie and faithful friend graduated peacefully from this life into her eternal life on May 6, 2026. Her 98 years of footsteps on this earth were marked by accomplishments too vast to enumerate herein, but her greatest boasts were twofold --- that of her steadfast faith in Jesus Christ and the love she had for her treasured family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. And if ever she had extra time on her hands after reading and studying her bible, or talking to her grandchildren when she could get them on the phone, she would likely be studying the latest hairstyles and/or color techniques in the world of hairdressing. After all, as she would frequently say “well I was a hairdresser for 70 years and after that time, it just stays in your blood.” Her favorite motto about hair still resonates in the memories of many “if your hair isn’t becoming to you, you should “be coming” to us to help you correct it.” True to her quick wit and sense of humor, she often teased the women in her family with comments such as “who cut your hair?” or “how long has it been since you were at the hairdresser?” Or her favorite “Oh how I wish I could show that hairdresser on TV how to hold the scissors at the right angle”. Dessie was born the third child in a lineup of twelve, and because of that privileged place in the birth order, she along with her younger sister Frances, assumed the role of tending to the subsequent eight siblings born over time. She was so attentive and loving that many of them grew up calling her “momma”, a term that always made her smile with joy. Perhaps one of the reasons her home was always a gathering place for all to congregate and enjoy a home cooked meal around her kitchen table was because she was so accustomed to cooking for a clan of hungry mouths throughout the years. Dessie’s sense of humor defined her. Everyone who has visited her and “sat a while” will relate to the head tossed back in a bellywash laugh about something entertaining shared among friends. It could be a comment she recounted from the mouth of one of her precious grandchildren, or a joke she wanted to share. She loved to laugh. And she wanted others to laugh too. It seemed to work because when she walked into a room, the first reaction that others had was always to smile big and bold! She always claimed that it was far easier and healthier to make your face smile than to pucker it up in a frown. No one who knocked on Dessie’s door was turned away. She was a woman of exceptional compassion who literally could not tolerate seeing one in need. Whether it was hunger, financial depravity, emotional turmoil, career crisis, or even puppies abandoned under basements, she was there with a helping hand, a dollar to spare, wise counsel to disperse (whether they wanted to hear it or not). At times we all wondered if there was some neon blinking light on her front porch that flashed “all are welcome here” that brought the multitudes. However, the reality is that this was just Dessie – her heart for others, her deep desire that needs be met, her fight for justice in an unjust world. To her last breath she ministered and encouraged others to the sacrifice of her own needs. Life was full from start to finish. There were siblings to steer in the right path, marriage and children of her own to raise and provide for, hair salons to manage, cosmetology students to train, grandchildren and great grandchildren to love and shepherd, quilting and sewing gatherings to master, beans and peas to can, and above all else, her beloved bible studies with her pastor’s wife each week. She absolutely thrived on the Word of God and the hope it provided. She would often comment “how in this world does anyone survive without the grounding that God’s Word brings?’ She would often be found praying in her apartment, or praying at night with her sweet husband of 60 years as they fell asleep. She would often boldly ask “how can I pray for you?’ Mom prayed constantly for everyone else, and reserved a special set of prayers for herself. They were simple but significant to her and she asked God every day in recent years to bless her if it was His will. She would often say “but I do recognize that His ways are not my ways, His thoughts are not my thoughts”, followed by “but I’m gonna keep asking.” Today those prayers have been answered. *Lord, make my life worthy to your glory; (an amazing testimony to a life of faith) *Lord, preserve my mental ability and memory; (sharp and focused to the end) *Lord, give me the strength to be able to walk on my own, with no wheelchair needed; (last steps were with a walker the day prior to passing) *Lord, when it is time to take me home, hit the gas pedal. Let’s not delay!! (He heard you mom) Well done good and faithful daughter of the King. Your prayers have been answered today. Your 98 years on this earth will be marked by a legacy that you have asked the Lord to instill in your children and grandchildren – we will carry your legacy forward – to God be the glory. Dessie is survived by her husband of 60 years, Clifton; her daughter and son-in-law Sharon and Don Castle, her younger brother Bill Hammer and wife Kathy of Pampa, sister-in-law Nancy Hammer of Bowie, younger sister Glenda Jessup and husband Claud of Cisco, stepson Bryan (Tammie) of Wichita Falls, 4 grandchildren (Stephanie, Truitt, Britani (Brandon), Troy (Caroline), 8 great grandchildren (Corbin,Payslei, Cade, Edyn, Kane, Cooper, Harper and Parker), along with over 140 nieces and nephews. She is now reunited in heaven with her beloved son and daughter-in-law Randy and Linda Gattis, her parents William Jess and Jessie Hammer, her 2 sisters and 7 brothers, stepson Monte Covington, along with many other extended family members. Services were held Saturday May 9 at Kimbrough-Jacobs Funeral Home. Burial was at Oakwood Cemetery.