Buster "Buck" Hedrick

Services for Mr. Buster “Buck” Hedrick, of Kilgore will be held on Monday, April 15, 2024, at the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore at one-thirty in the afternoon with Reverend Greg Martin officiating. A visitation will be held an hour and a half prior to the service. Burial will immediately follow the services at Danville Cemetery. Mr. Hedrick passed away peacefully at home in rural Rusk County during the early hours of April 10, 2024, at the remarkable age of 97 years.

He was born January 19, 1927, in Reed’s Spring, Stone County, Missouri to Lemuel Elvin Hedrick and Eva Gertrude Blair Hedrick, the seventh of fourteen children. The depression forced the family from their hardscrabble farm in the Missouri Ozarks to the oil fields of East Texas where there was work to be found. It was there that he spent the remainder of his life.

While still in high School at Leverett’s Chapel, he was drafted into the army, trained at Fort Hood, and sent to Japan as part of the occupation forces. After discharge from the Army in 1947, he returned to East Texas, met and married Clara Bell “Katty” Ellis at Laird Hill, and together they spent the next 68 years, until Katty’s death in 2015, happily married. They were devout Christians and lived their faith daily. They were parents to three sons.

Buster spent his entire working life in the oil fields, first as a gang hand, then as a heavy equipment operator and truck driver for various firms servicing the oil industry. For a time, he owned and operated his own backhoe business. He worked hard every day of his life, often 6 days, and sometimes 7 days a week to provide for his family. He didn’t retire until well into his 70s.

Buster was meticulous in everything he did, whether it be his work, his home projects, or in maintaining his lawn and woodland property. He never left work unfinished or in any condition except well done. He was so skilled with his backhoe that he was often requested by name when excavation around high pressure pipelines was required, and where a single mis-step could mean disaster. Half-way was never good enough and excuses were unacceptable. By his daily example, he instilled his work ethic and attention to detail in his sons.

Buster loved the outdoors. He loved to hunt and fish and spent many days with family and friends in such pursuits. He especially treasured the dogwoods on his property and never failed to mention their flowering in conversations. He had a special way with animals and most of the neighborhood dogs spent more time at his house than at their own home. He was a skilled guitar player, and along with Katty and sister Freda, formed the bluegrass group Pistol Hill Pickers. They played at events all over East Texas for a number of years.

Buster was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Boyd, Jack, James, Lewis, Glen, and Bill; and sisters Ruby Johnson, Edith Allen, Freda Pritchard, Georgia Morris, Jessie Ligon, Patsy Nye, and Barbara Ranney. He is survived by sons Larry (Paula), Dennis, and Terry (Robbin); grandchildren Brian (Crystal), Geoffrey (Nonnew), Mark, and Lance Hedrick, Andrea Patterson (Eric), Holly Jones, and Sunni Ransom (Russ); great grandchildren Aubrey, Emily, Warren, Abigail and Sophia Hedrick; Lizzie, Savanna, and Will Ransom; Christian, Ayden, and Ethan Patterson; Reese and Tate Jones; great step grandchildren Nollia and Ollie Miller, and Draven Daniels; one great-great step grandchild, Charlie Daniels; and a host of nephews and nieces. Farewell Dad, Pawpaw, Big Papaw, Uncle Buck. We loved you dearly.

Online condolences may be left at www.raderfuneralhome.com

https://player.memoryshare.com/memoryshare/video/busterbuck-hedrick-8063332