Orville Virden Hess

January 1930 - June 2021

Posted 6/7/21

Born in 1930 on a cold snowy January day in Foster Township, Illinois, Orville Hess grew up in nearby Fosterburg, Illinois.  He was the second of four children that Walter and Hilda raised on a …

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Orville Virden Hess

January 1930 - June 2021

Posted

Born in 1930 on a cold snowy January day in Foster Township, Illinois, Orville Hess grew up in nearby Fosterburg, Illinois.  He was the second of four children that Walter and Hilda raised on a farm.  The family moved to McAllen, Texas for a better climate in 1946. In 1948, he enlisted in the US Army as a private, discharged in 1949 and was in the Army Reserves for six years, achieving the rank of Sergeant.  Orville worked with his dad building houses around McAllen and worked in a gas station before hiring on at Southwestern Bell Telephone (now ATT) in 1951. He retired in 1983 after more than 30 years.

He met his bride, Joyce, in McAllen, and they were married in 1949. Together they raised two sons nearby in Edinburg, Texas, where they also had a small homestead and raised citrus. After the sons moved away, they remained at the homestead until 1997 when they moved to Katy, Texas. They were married for more than 2/3 of a century before her death in 2017.  They were functioning members of Katy First United Methodist Church for many years.  

Orville Hess passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in Katy, at the age of 91.

He is survived by his sons, Stephen W. Hess of Houston, TX, and Martin L. Hess and his wife LeeAnn Hess  of Fulshear, TX; grandsons, Stephen R. Hess of Corpus Christi, TX and L. Zachary Hess of Humble, TX;  and granddaughter, Sarah A. Hess of Fulshear, TX. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce Hess.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at the Schmidt Funeral Home East Avenue Chapel, in Katy. Funeral services and burial will take place in McAllen, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, remit to Katy First UMC - Missions Fund.

For more details and to express condolences, please visit www.SchmidtFuneralHome.net.

Funeral services held under the direction of:

Schmidt Funeral Home
1344 W. Grand Parkway South
Katy, Texas  77494
281) 391-2424

Orville Virden Hess, Orville Hess, Joyce Hess, Obituary