Funeral services for Tennie Mae “Hootsie” Bush Simpson, age 92, of Blanket, will be held at 10:00 am, Saturday, February 8, 2025, in the Heartland Funeral Home Chapel.  Burial will follow in the Blanket Cemetery.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 pm.

On February 5th, God took our precious angel home. Tennie Mae “Hootsie” Bush was born on February 18, 1932, at home, in Blanket to the late Tom and Dennie (White) Bush. She spent the first 20 years of her life on her family’s land just north of Blanket. She spent most of that time on horseback riding the hills and valleys with her beloved grandpa or one of her eight siblings. When World War II called four of her five brothers to serve, she spent her time helping her parents and her sisters on the farm, and picking cotton. Hootsie attended school in Blanket where she met and fell in love with her precious Tommy Simpson. They married on October 16, 1932, and were married for over 60 years. She was his Sweet Hootsie May My Darling. After they married, Uncle Sam took them to Fort Chaffe, Arkansas, Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Knox, Kentucky. While in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Hootsie and Tommy were blessed with the birth of their son, Tommy “Tinker” Simpson Jr. in 1958.  A year later, Tommy and Hoots loaded up their little family and came back to Brown County. In 1962, They were blessed with their daughter, Melissa LaGuynn Simpson. Hootsie worked hard and acquired her GED and graduated from Brownwood Commercial College. She then started a long career as a dental assistant working alongside Dr. Robert H. Johnson for many years.

Hootsie met and made a lot of friends in her 92 years, and she came from a large loving family and was blessed to marry into one as well. She loved getting together with her family. When Tommy and Hoots’ children were growing up, they could be found pulling the kids around the lake, teaching them to ride horses, going camping, or just hanging out together. Some of the family’s favorite memories were of the late night horseback rides they all took and sitting on the front porch just talking. She was known as the best gravy maker, okra fryer, and a banana pudding queen. She loved hamburgers from the Blanket Store, french fries from anywhere and just about any pizza, but don’t dare put a mushroom in front of her. She also made a mean pecan pie, scrambled eggs and french toast. She was an amazing Mom, Mommie, Aunt, friend, horseman and homemaker.

Hootsie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Tommy, son Tinker, grandson Cody Lane Simpson, her brothers, Buck, Jake, Jack, Brian, and Grady, sisters, Veda (Tangie) Ola, and Doris (Darcus) as well as her in-laws and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends as well as her loyal companion of 16 years, her old dog Cinch.

Left to cherish her precious memories are her daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Danny Staggs of Blanket, grandsons and their wives, Justin and Cheyenne Simpson of Talpa, Brandon and Halye Mair of Blanket, Blaik and Caitlyn Mair of Brownwood, Shann and Rio Staggs of Austin, Stephen Staggs of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her partner in crime, her only granddaughter, Kyndal Grace Staggs of Blanket. She also adored her great grandchildren, Tyler, Kelcy, Ambry, Chase, Hayden, Avery, Micheala, Shylah Mae, Braelye, Cody, Keegan, Hunter, Bella, and Mena. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Floyd Kellough and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Condolences, memories, and tributes can be offered to the Simpson family online at heartlandfuneralhome.com