   Richard Herman Belz was born October 8, 1936 to Rosella Brown Belz and Herman E. Belz in St. Louis, Missouri. He took his last breath and went to be with the Lord Saturday, October 13 in a home hospice in The Woodlands, Texas. He had just turned 82. His life changed dramatically when doctors found a tumor in his esophagus on September 7th. Later that month, after many doctor visits, he found that he had stage IV cancer that had spread over his entire body and he was too weak for treatment. After an initial hospital stay in Denison, he was moved into a nursing home in The Woodlands on October 2nd. He was there a week before being moved into a home health cottage on October 9 where he was being cared for by hospice. Richard is survived by his wife, JoAnn, whom he married July 2, 1960. They had two sons, Richard Michael Belz of The Woodlands and John Benjamin Belz of Houston. He also had one granddaughter, Brittany, who is attending the University of Arkansas. Kenny Langer came into the family when Richard's father married Kenny's mother. Richard and JoAnn were member of Howe United Methodist Church since 1978. Richard served 3 years in the U.S. Army. In the fall of 1962 he and JoAnn moved to Cuba, Missouri. He graduated from the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in Rolla, Missouri with a Mechanical Engineering degree in the spring of 1965. They moved to Arnold, Missouri and Richard worked 3 years at Monsanto. He then was employed by Texas Instruments in Dallas as a mechanical engineer. While at Texas Instruments he attended SMU and earned an M.S. degree in Engineering Management. He worked for TI for 32 years until retiring in 1999. He was active with his boys in Boy Scouts and volunteered with Hospice for several years. He was a loving husband and father, who provided all his family ever needed and more and lived a life well lived. He came from very humble and tough beginnings. His mom and dad divorced when he was just a child. That marked him for the rest of his life. It led him to working hard at everything he did, including his marriage and raising his two boys. He was the greatest man his family will ever know. Funeral services were held Saturday noon on October 20, 2018 at Scoggins Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Tom Medley officiating. Services were under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home.  JoAnn Cartwright Belz was born June 6, 1934, the oldest child of Florence Elizabeth Scholle Cartwright and John Franklin Cartwright, Jr. in Otto, Arkansas. She took her last breath and went to be with the Lord Monday, September 23, 2019 in a home hospice in Willis, Texas. She was 85 years old. Her life changed dramatically last September when the love of her life, Richard, whom she had married July 2, 1960 at Mount Carmel church in Otto was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He passed away on October 13, 2018. She stayed with her son, Benji, from that time onward, but the effects of that loss were always present. JoAnn is survived by her 2 sons, Richard Michael Belz of The Woodlands, Texas; and John Benjamin Belz of Houston, Texas; one granddaughter, Brittany Renee, who is attending the University of Arkansas. Additionally she is survived by her 2 younger brothers, Jerry Cartwright and Lynn Cartwright, and 2 younger sisters, Patsy Kahn and Mary Tankersley. Her younger sister, Betty Cartwright, passed in 1986. JoAnn and Richard were members of the Howe United Methodist Church since 1978. JoAnn graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College, Conway, Arkansas in 1956 with her teaching degree. Her first job brought her from the small town of Otto all the way up to House Springs, Missouri where she taught home economics at Northwest High school. This is where she met Richard Herman Belz and they began a lifelong journey together. In the fall of 1962, they moved south to Cuba, Missouri where she continued teaching to help put Richard through engineering college at Rolla. In 1968 they moved to Plano, Texas when Richard began working for Texas Instruments. JoAnn was devoted to her children and took time away from teaching to ensure both boys were cared for until older. She resumed teaching, this time special education, at both Tioga and Collinsville, and retired in 2000. JoAnn was the most sweet, gentle and caring woman, as well as a devoted wife and mother. Her upbringing in rural Arkansas instilled strong roots in both family and God which she carried with a simple grace and strength. Some of her fondest memories were growing up in Otto, helping out around her parents' general mercantile store, and spending time with her extended family on their farm. She never let her family down and tried to care for them until the last. She quietly affected and changed lives with students she taught and lifelong friendships she made while teaching. Now reunited with Richard in Heaven, the rest of us eagerly look to the day Jesus calls us home to be with them. A graveside funeral service was held at Hall Cemetery in Howe, Texas on Sunday, September 29, 2019. Services were under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home.   Hall Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |