Obituary of Bess Green

Bessie Beatrice (Hufstedler) Green died Wednesday, April 23rd, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. She was born July 5th, 1909, at home on the Hufstedler Farm near Bennett, Missouri, the third child of Sam and Phenie (Ollar) Hufstedler. She was a preemie at birth, weighing less than two pounds, but lived an amazing life - 104 years, 9 months, 18 days. Bess graduated from Doniphan High School in 1927, and began teaching one-room rural schools shortly thereafter. She married Hillard "Jack" Green in 1930 and they had two children, Wyatt and Beth Ann. Bess continued teaching in rural Missouri until the late 1950s when they moved to Florissant, Missouri. She gradually attained her college degree via summer school/night school, and completed her teaching career with the Hazelwood school district in Florissant, retiring in the early 1970s. She had special talents for reaching a wide range of student abilities, and art and crochet work as well. She was preceded in death by her husband, her daughter Beth Ann Green, her son Wyatt Green, and five of her six brothers and sisters. She is survived by one brother, John Hufstedler of Cave Creek, AZ; four grandchildren, Judy Nierman of St. Louis, MO, Beth Johnsen of St. Peters, MO, Diana Green of Calhoun, GA, Wyatt Green, Jr. of Doniphan; six great-grandchildren, James Massey, John Massey, Rocky Nierman, Brandi Nierman, Elizabeth Keevan, Monica Nierman, Anthony Nierman, Joshua Johnsen, Angela Johnsen, and Jeffrey Green; plus twelve great-great grandchildren. Bess Green long ago requested that her body be left to science, in lieu of burial services; thus her remains were transferred to Washington University. A host of family, friends and former students remember her with deep appreciation and fondness.