Arvel Batterton

Lawrence Arvel Batterton was born April 30, 1920, to Robert Anderson and Martha Whited Batterton in Denton County, Texas, and went home to the Lord on January 2, 2016. He was a gentle, kind man who was greatly loved and will be missed by all who knew him. Arvel married Merle McCall on April 18, 1944, in Hondo, Texas, while serving in the Army Air Corps. He retired from the Air Force in 1969 and moved to Huntsville to begin a new career in Transportation at TDC from which he again retired after many years of service. Arvel’s beloved Merle died in September, 1976. In June of 1979, he married the second love of his life, Louise Yates Anderson. Papaw, as his family called him, and “Batt” to his co-workers was truly a jack of all trades. In the Air Force, where he attained the rank of Master Sergeant, he was an airplane mechanic and later worked in the missile program. He went to school to learn to work on clocks and watches. He could fix or build anything. After his retirement from TDCJ, he spent countless hours working on projects around University Heights Baptist Church where he sang in the choir and ran the sound booth for many years. He also worked with Habitat for Humanity and loved working with the Reynolds family on church building mission trips. He and Louise were members of the Huntsville Community Senior Adult Choir. They were also avid gardeners and were especially proud to win the Huntsville Garden Club’s Yard of the Month in July, 1990. As a child, he lived on a pecan orchard. When he moved into his home in Huntsville he started planting pecan trees in his yard. He and Louise harvested, picked out and gave away hundreds of pounds of pecans in their last few years at home. Arvel was preceded in death by his first wife, Merle, an infant daughter, and four of his five siblings. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Louise Yates Anderson Batterton; sister, Dee Bickley of Denton, Texas; son, Larry Charles Batterton and wife, Susan, of Deer Park, Washington; son, Terry Wayne Batterton and wife, Marilyn, of Huntsville; daughter, Carla Anderson Bell and husband, Sherman, of Huntsville; and grandchildren: Andrea Batterton Watson; Ryan Batterton and wife, Jody; Julie Batterton Durheim and husband, Aloar; Bethany Batterton Helgeson and husband, Eric; Sarah Bell Chatfield and husband, Neal; Amanda (Mandy) Bell Russell and husband, Brandon; and Chief Petty Officer Thomas Bell and wife, Amanda (Manda); 24 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. The family wishes to thank Nurse Jan and her staff at the Assisted Living Unit of Carriage Inn and the wonderful hospice nurses Carol, Setha, Victoria and Emily who took such loving care of Papaw in his final illness. Visitation will be on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The service will be at University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore, Huntsville, Texas, on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to University Heights Baptist Church, Huntsville, Texas; Texas Baptist Home for Children, Waxahachie, Texas; or the charity of your choice. Full obituary may be viewed and memorial condolences made to the family at www.shmfh.com.

Arvel Batterton

April 30, 1920 - January 2, 2016