Dorothy Belle Watson

A private graveside service was held August 5, 2019 in the Kilgore City Cemetery for Dorothy Gilliland Watson. Mrs. Watson was born February 9, 1923 in Allen, Texas to Willie French Gilliland and Nettie Hagins Gilliland. The family moved to Kilgore from Mexia, Texas in 1931. She attended Kilgore schools and was in the class of 1940.

She worked as an assistant photographer at Knights Studio until she married the love of her life J.B. Watson, Jr. on March 21, 1942. Dorothy was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Kilgore and was member of the Messenger’s class. She taught children’s Sunday School and helped with vacation Bible School in her earlier years.

Being a charter member of the Evergreen Garden Club was big part of her life. She loved making flower arrangements (with the help of her friend David Reeves) for the annual flower/rose show. In 2003, she was honored with a lifetime membership in the Texas Garden Clubs, Inc, District III and in 2006 was honored by the club. She was proud to be a life member of the Kilgore Historical Foundation. One of Dorothy’s favorite pastimes was to create scrapbooks of her family’s pictures and she was extremely passionate about Kilgore’s heritage and she created many books with some of Kilgore’s most well-known personalities and events.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, two sisters, Frances G. Bird and Willie Mae Ward.

Those left to cherish her fun-loving spirit and memory are son Bennett J Watson and wife Pat; granddaughter, Nancy Watson Riley, grandson, Robert Jonathan Watson; great granddaughter, Kamryn Watson, great grandson, Zackery Watson and nephew, Mike Fleming and wife Nancy.