J.L. Hesteande

Funeral services for J.L. Hesteande, 97, of Decatur will be 10:00 am, Saturday, October 1, at First Baptist Church of Decatur with burial to follow at Oaklawn Cemetery in Decatur.  Visitation will be Friday, September 30, 6:00-8:00 pm, at Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home in Bridgeport.  He went to be with the Lord on September 25, 2022 in Decatur.

J.L. was born January 14, 1925, to William Thomas Hesteande and Sarah Frances McCarthy Hesteande in Sycamore.  He married Jewel Arlena Byford on July 25, 1942, in Gainesville, Texas, when they were both only 17 years old. 

Shortly after the wedding, they were separated by World War II; he left to serve in the US Army in Europe in the artillery branch. They reunited after the war and raised three children in Decatur.

J.L. was a contractor by trade and built numerous homes around the Wise County area.  These homes still stand as a testament to his work ethic and attention to detail.

He is survived by son, Keith Hesteande & wife Bunny of South Korea; daughters, Arlena Cude of Decatur, Darlena Hoyl and husband Randall of Decatur; grandchildren, Elizabeth Rubio, Amy Casares and husband Noe, David Cude and wife Kristen, Leslieann Bardin and Harleigh; great-grandchildren, Evangelyhnn, Nehemiah, Jireh, Joshua, and Willow; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of other family and friends.

J.L. is preceded in death by his wife, Jewel Hesteande; parents, Willie and Sarah Hesteande; his first child, Oma Dell; two brothers and three sisters; and son-in-law, Melton Cude.      

© (Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home)

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This obituary is a work protected under international and federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this compiled work may be reproduced, altered or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

The author hereby grants the newspaper the right to publish the compiled work on the dates and location provided in the submission details and further grants to the newspaper the right to reproduce the work electronically in any website or digital medium owned or controlled by the newspaper, provided the copy is not altered or modified in any way. The funeral home’s website domain must accompany any reproduction of the work. The work must not be used for or by any person for direct commercialized gain in competition with the author, the funeral home, or their respective businesses.