Willie O. Dodson

Funeral services for Willie Odis “Moody” Dodson, 94 of Daingerfield will be held at 2 PM Saturday, February 19, 2022 in the Chapel of Horn-Nail-Haggard Funeral Home of Daingerfield with Bro. Chad Thompson of South Union Missionary Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow in Daingerfield Cemetery. The family will receive friends beginning at 1 PM prior to the service. He was born on April 17, 1927 in Naples to Otis and Vera Dodson. He passed away on Thursday morning, February 17, 2022 in a Mt. Pleasant nursing facility. He married Sarah Ann Collins on June 7, 1947 and they were married for over 70 years before her death in 2020. Moody enlisted in the Army when he was eighteen and received a World War II Victory Medal for his service. He worked for Brown and Root for many years until his retirement. Moody enjoyed being outdoors. He loved to hunt, fish, and garden. He and Sarah fished together for many years on the Sulphur River and in Atlanta State Park. His garden was filled with many vegetables and fruit like tomatoes, peas and watermelon. A loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Moody was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his daughter, Shirley Swanner; his sisters, Nora Cable and Vannie Mae Dennis and brother Gene Dodson. He is survived by his son Dan Dodson and wife Mary Ann of Belton; sister Frances Elliot and husband Charles of Marietta; granddaughter Kimberly Belew and husband Jason of Austin; grandson Matthew Dodson and wife Veronica of Belton; great grandchildren Isaiah Dodson, Isabella Dodson, Joshua Belew and Benjamin Belew; and several loving nieces and nephews. A word of reflection from granddaughter Kim Belew "Only a few people know him as Willie or W.O. Dodson. Most of you know him as Moody or Bud, but I know him as Grandpa. I have many loving memories of being with Grandpa growing up. Almost every summer, my brother Matt and I would go to Shady Lake in Arkansas with Nana and Grandpa in their motorhome. It was one of my favorite times each summer because we would spend the week hiking, fishing, swimming and playing card games. One of Grandpa’s favorite activities was fishing. Matt remembers getting to go fishing with Grandpa each summer he visited. The great thing about fishing with Grandpa is he was always ready to go. They could get fresh caterpillars off the trees in the yard, load up the boat and head to Atlanta state park to catch catfish. Grandpa was always in charge of getting the boat in the water and navigating us to the best fishing spot. Matt always liked fishing in the lily pads with cane poles because it seemed like he would always pull something up. Being with Grandpa and Nana on the boat, fishing always bring back great memories for Matt. I remember getting to stay up really late when I was a kid and we would come for the weekends to Nana and Grandpas because we were playing cards or dominos. We’d play Hands and Feet, Canasta, Rook, Dominos or Chicken Feet late into the night. Grandpa was so skilled at keeping track of the cards or dominos already played. He could figure out what the chances of the next card being played were and it always amazed me. One thing Matt enjoyed doing with Grandpa was whittling wood. For Matt, that normally just meant making a pointed stick but for Grandpa he was whittling little works of art. He would make me a boot, whistle, or something else creative out of each stick. We were always impressed with what he would make. One of the funniest memories I have of Grandpa relates to Jason and I planning our wedding. Jason and I were trying to decide what wording we wanted to use on the invitation for how everyone should dress for the rehearsal and dinner afterwards. We wanted it to be casual, but not jeans and tennis shoes casual, so we chose Business Casual Attire to print on those rehearsal invitations. While Jason and I were thinking of khakis and button-down shirts, when Grandpa saw the wording, he jokingly said “I would wear a shirt and overalls when I used to work, so if it’s business casual, I guess I’m supposed to wear just an undershirt and my overalls for this.” The last thing I can tell you about my grandpa is that he had a nickname for me. He called me PIG. Yes PIG. I’ve never known why he called me that, but I always knew he was saying it with love. I want to thank all of you for coming today to celebrate the life of my grandpa. I hope today brings you many special memories of times you shared with him."