Wadlington

Bennie Earl Wadlington died peacefully at his home in Ben Arnold Sunday, March 17, 2024, holding the hand of the love of his life, Betty Jo. Funeral services were held Friday, March 22, at Gause Baptist Church in Gause with burial in Gause Cemetery.

Mr. Wadlington was born Oct. 23, 1938, in Sand Grove to Dink and Lucille Wadlington.

He graduated from Milano High School in May of 1956.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Betty Jo Jones, Wadlington on Aug. 6, 1956.

Bennie and Betty first moved to Mobile, Alabama, in search of employment. He was only 17 so it was hard to find a job. Betty found a job being a waitress. Bennie turned 18 in October and found a job on a dredge boat. Their first-born Wesley Wade arrived during their stay in Mobile.

Bennie decided that the oilfield suited him better. Bennie, Betty, and their little boy Wade moved around the East and South Texas oilfields until Wade reached school age.

While they lived in East Texas, their first little girl Tanya Lu was born in Angleton.

They decided that they could no longer follow the rigs from location to location. They moved home to Milam County, where Bennie went to work for Alcoa in the pot plant. He stayed at this job for nine years.

In 1974 they were in for a huge surprise. Their third and final child, Dana Jo, was born in June in Bryan. During this time, they bought land in Gause and started raising kids and cattle.

Bennie loved everything cattle and horses. Bennie and Betty both enjoyed riding horses and working their cattle.

In 1980, Bennie started feeling that old oilfield itch. He decided to go back to the oil patch. He started out as a driller and soon rose through the ranks of company man and consultant.

He and Betty bought property and moved to Cameron. Bennie worked in the oil and gas industry all throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and a few offshore jobs. He retired from the oilfield in 2013.

Bennie loved life; his motto was work hard, play hard. He and Betty enjoyed going on unplanned road trips; they would just go wherever the road took them. They also e njoyed h aving a f ew racehorses for a time.

He and Betty continued raising cattle in Ben Arnold and at their river place in Cameron. Just this past Friday, Bennie enjoyed checking his cattle at both places. He was proud of the new crop of calves.

Bennie was preceded in death by his father, Dink Wadlington, and his mother, Lucille Wadlington.

Survivors are his wife of 67 years, Betty Jo Wadlington; son Wade Wadlington, wife Vicki, daughters Dana Jo Broussard and husband Toby Broussard, Tanya Lu Wood and husband Steve Wood; brother Larry Wadlington and wife Nancy; grandchildren Scarlet Floyd, Todd Dent Jr, Levi Wadlington, Kelly Jo Wadlington, Kodie Jo Sexton, Brodie Sexton, Bradon Sexton, Tandie Wade Broussard, Lacy Griffin, Candice Mcinnis, and Crystal Giford; also, 16 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren Memorials may be made to the Cameron Volunteer Fire Department or the Gause Cemetery Association.

Arrangements by Marek-Burns-Lay well Funeral Home, P.O. Box 225, Cameron, TX 76520, 254-6973661.