Bennie Mae Younger
 June 20, 1909 - December 1, 2005


Born: June 20, 1909
Place of Birth: Morris County, TX
Death: December 1, 2005
Place of Death: Plano, TX

Bennie Mae Traylor Younger was born on June 20, 1909, in the Shady Grove community of Cason, Texas. 
She was the second child and first daughter of Lewis and Pearl Ross Traylor. She had six brothers and one 
sister.

She was educated in the Cason and Mount Zion schools. She completed 10th grade, which was as far as 
the local schools went in the 1920?s. When Bennie Mae was younger, she worked in the sweet potato fields 
for the Justiss Farms. When the Justisses sought a housekeeper, Bennie was hired for the position and was 
employed by them for many years, not retiring until she was 79 years old.

Bennie Mae took pleasure in being a homemaker. The discipline of her children and grandchildren was of the 
utmost importance to her; she did not believe in sparing the rod. She enjoyed cooking and knew what each of 
her children and grandchildren enjoyed eating and would cook it for them whenever they visited or she traveled 
to visit them. She also enjoyed canning, quilting, and growing vegetables and flowers.

Bennie Mae enjoyed people and was very social. Her children said that she visited family and friends almost 
every evening when they were children. She also enjoyed helping people. She learned to drive in her mid-50's, 
after her husband died. She enjoyed picking up her friends and relatives, driving between Longview and Mount 
Pleasant to take them to church, doctor's appointments, and shopping. She also was very active in the Eastern 
Star.

Bennie Mae and Nolan Everett married. In 1927, they had a daughter, Mable (Mae); this relationship ended in 
divorce. Bennie married Earnest Younger and to this union Henry, Margaret, and Harold (also known as H.V. 
or Snook) were born. After 31 years of marriage, her beloved husband, Earnest died.

Bennie Mae enjoyed a relationship with the Lord. She read the Bible daily; Bennie Mae said that she had read 
the Bible completely through at least six times. In the past 15 years, reading the Bible and religious programming 
on television gave her great joy, especially after she was no longer able to attend the Senior Community Center 
in Pomona, California. She liked sharing her views on faith, especially with her children and grandchildren. She 
would admonish them to spend as much effort on spiritual matters as they did on secular ones. Bennie Mae 
accepted Christ at an early age. She loved Mount Zion C.M.E. Church and was an active member until she left 
Daingerfield. She especially enjoyed teaching the Senior Youth in Sunday School. After she moved to California, 
she joined St. Stephen Baptist Church in La Puente, California, where she was a proud member of the Mothers' 
Board. She also was a member of the Senior Sunday School Class.

Bennie Mae was preceded in death by her eldest and youngest children, Mable G. Everett Blue and Harold V. 
Younger, Sr. She was also preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Leonard, Wilbert, Norman, T.M., 
Cranford, and O.V. and her sister, Opal.

Bennie Mae is survived by: her brother, Earnest Traylor, and his wife, Mary, who reside in Kansas City, Kansas; 
her son, Henry Younger of Daingerfield, and her daughter, Margaret, with whom she lived in Plano, Texas. Bennie 
Mae is survived by 16 grandchildren, Mable?s son Lester E. Blue, Jr., Ph.D., Henry?s children, Henry Earl 
Younger (Margaret), Sedrick Younger, Sharon Younger, Jacqueline Keller, Earnest Younger (Belinda), Rosalind 
Walker (Harold), Monica Lindwood (James), Jimmy Chism (May Joyce), William Chism (Janet), Willie Rodgers 
(Diane), Ronnie Charles Smith (Charlotte), and Tammie Crane; Margaret?s daughter, Halfreda F. Anderson, 
Esq.; and Harold?s twins, Bessie Yvonne Younger and Harold Von Younger, Jr. (Brenda). In addition, she had 
32 great grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, 
who she dearly loved. A son-in-law, Lester E. Blue, Sr. (Gloria), and daughters-in-law, Bessie C. Younger Byrd, 
Mandy Faye Younger, and Etta Younger survive her as well.

Funeral  will be Sat. December 10, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church.  Burial will follow at Springhill 
Cemetery