Virginia Belle Hancock Lee

The personification of self-reliance: Virginia Belle Hancock Lee

Born, January 26, 1926, just south of the Naconiche Creek in the community of Cedar Bluff, this east Texas native knows what it takes to get the job done. Whether it's driving a tractor, fixing fence, bailing hay, feeding cows, teaching school, making a dress or baking an Angel food cake, Virginia's your girl. "I used to make all of my clothes from feed sacks and I've baked many Angel food cakes including one for Texas governor Allan Shivers," exclaimed Virginia!
Virginia tributes her dad D. L. Hancock with giving her a set of staunch, realistic values based on hard work and a genuine love and respect for family and friends. According to Virginia, her dad bought and sold land, farmed, drove Garrison's first school bus, worked on the railroad, owned and operated a dairy and hauled milk to Pure Milk and Ice Co. in Nacogdoches. Little Virginia was always her dad's "right-hand man" and she, of course, developed her self-reliant traits from the man she admired most. Her conversations today always include a few hundred well chosen words praising her dad for all of the things he taught her including the value of a good education.
Immediately upon graduating from Garrison High School in 1943, Virginia entered Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, but before she could complete her degree she was recruited for the classroom by GISD trustees Watson and Ed Lunsford and Robert Stokes. "I was just eighteen years old," explained Virginia, " and my salary was nine hundred dollars for the whole 1944-45 school year. I loved teaching and I particularly remember Jimmy Payne and Roger Weatherly, two of my very best students that first year."
Virginia finished her Bachelors of Science Degree and her Masters Degree in Education and continued her teaching career to complete a total of 32 years in the classroom. She was a strong teacher with a loving touch for her young students. "I just loved every one of them and I wanted them to learn more than anything," she said.
The day after Christmas December 26, 1943, Virginia Belle married hometown boy James Roby Lee. According to Virginia, Roby who was 14 years her senior was tall, dark and handsome and the Salutatorian of his Garrison High School graduating class. Roby raised cotton, cattle and hogs on the Lee place located on a large track of land south of town. In addition to his farming duties at home, Roby served his community and Nacogdoches county as a committeeman and chairman of the ASCS for a period of 33 years.
Virginia and Roby settled into married life a few years before son Michael Roby Lee came along. Michael inherited his love for learning from his parents and proved to be an outstanding student. He graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 1982 and immediately entered SFA where he completed his Bachelors Degree in science and math. He then received a scholarship to Oklahoma University where he completed his Masters Degree in environmental and chemical engineering. After college, Michael met and married Tammy Van of Plano, Texas. The couple have two sons, Michael Tanner and Houston Hancock. As she talked about her son and his family, Virginia's eyes lighted up with love and excitement telling about their 2008 Christmas celebration in Garrison with a large group of their family members.
When asked to give a little background concerning her affiliation with Garrison Methodist Church, Virginia exclaimed, "I love this church with all my heart and that's all there is to it!" She talked about the beauty of the stained glass windows and the natural glow of the sanctuary promoting a sense of reverence and peace. She then gave a history of the pulpit connecting her family to its purchase and donation. Virginia's first cousins, Leroy, Bert (Jo Ann McDuffie Beard's father), Otto, Tommy, Lewin, Ralph and Louvene McDuffie purchased and donated the pulpit in memory of their mother Jimmie Hancock McDuffie.
Another bit of history connecting Virginia and FUMC is that she slept on three mattresses constructed in our church basement. According to Virginia, Helen Muckleroy (Martha's mother-in-law) and several assistants made the mattresses as part of a federal government project during President Roosevelt's administration back in the 1930's. From a long line of Democrats, Virginia became a Democrat at age 21 and a Methodist at age 24 both of which she expresses great pride and a stubborn, unwillingness to change.
Virginia insisted that this article include the fact that she is hopeful of the future and that she deeply believes that she is a steward of God's beautiful earth. She loves her friends and will not waste even one second of her time in anger toward anyone. She also expressed skepticism toward excessive medical treatment. Her advice is to eat a well-balanced diet, work hard, drink plenty of water, take a warm bath and go to bed.
Virginia Belle Hancock Lee is one of our own and a true personification of self reliance.