Hassie Melvina Vandeventer was born on Friday, August 7, 1891 in Jonesville, Virginia (Lee County) to parents Samuel Henderson Vandeventer (1872-1915) and Lela Bell Gilbert Vandeventer [later Brewer] (1873-1948). She was the first of 13 documented children, eight of which reached adulthood, followed by:

Elmer Floyd (1893-1949)
Roy William (1896-1970)
James Ransom (1901-1976)
Jesse Baker (1903-1973)
Minnie Maude (1906-1978)
Opal Mae (1910-1997)
Bobbie Marie (1915-2013)

John E., Milton, L.D. (Duncan), Mary Lee, and Samuel P. were the five additional siblings who died as infants or small children.

Hassie's family relocated from Virginia to Collin County, Texas at some point between 1904 and 1906. At the young age of 16, Hassie married Reuben Elijah Edens in McKinney, Texas on October 4, 1907, and their union produced 12 children between 1908 and 1928:

Thurman Edgar (1908-1962)
Bertha Jewel (1909-1910)
Maynard Henderson (1911-2001)
Ruby Opal (1912-2005)
Kline Henry (1914-2005)
Cathleen Berta (1916-2012)
Simeon Corneilus (1918-2013)
Samuel Enoch (1920-2011)
Martha Jane (1922-2016)
Birdie Pearl (1924-2018)
Dovie Lois (1926-1929)
Amos Leman (1928-)

Four and a half years after her marriage to Reuben, her younger brother, Elmer Floyd, would marry her husband's younger sister, Maude Edens.

Shortly after their marriage, Hassie and Reuben settled down in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas (where Reuben's family had settled from Virginia). Having a dozen children, Hassie was obviously a tireless homemaker, but she also designed and helped to make shoes and ran a second-hand shoe store and repair shop with Reuben.

In her later years, Hassie suffered from severe Alzheimer’s disease (in an era before the disease was well-known) and was placed in a nursing home in Mountain View, Arkansas a couple of years before her passing on October 15, 1979 at age 88. It was the 17th anniversary of the death of her oldest son, Thurman, and Hassie and Reuben had just celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.

Hassie was laid to rest in (what is now called) Freck Cemetery next to where her infant daughter Dovie Lois was buried fifty years earlier in 1929. Reuben survived her for another seven years, passing away in 1986 at age 98, and now rests beside his beloved wife.

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U.S. Census listings (spellings kept intact):

1900 - Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia
   Samuel Vandeventer, Head, M, 27, b. VA
   Lelia Vandeventer, Wife, 26, b. VA
   Hassie Vandeventer, Daughter, 8, b. VA
   Elmer Vandeventer, Son, 6, b. VA
   Roy Vandeventer, Son, 4, b. VA

1910 - Lincoln twnshp, Madison Co., Arkansas
   Reuben Edens, Head, M, 22, b. VA
   Hassie Edens, Wife, 18, b. VA
   Thurman Edens, Son, 1, b. AR

1920 - Hasty, Newton Co., Arkansas
   R. E. Edens, Head, M, 31, b. VA
   Hassie Edens, Wife, 28, b. VA
   Thomas Edens, Son, 11, b. AR
   Manard Edens, Son, 8, b. AR
   Ruby Edens, Daughter, 7, b. AR
   Cline Edens, Son, 5, b. AR
   Catholine Edens, Daughter, 3, b. AR
   Corneford Edens, Son, 1, b. AR

1930 - Liberty, Marion Co., Arkansas
   Rubin Edens, Head, M, 41, b. VA
   Hassie Edens, Wife, 38, b. VA
   Manard Edens, Son, 19, b. AR
   Cline Edens, Son, 15, b. AR
   Catholine Edens, Daughter, 14, b. AR
   Cornelius Edens, Son, 12, b. AR
   Sam Edens, Son, 10, b. AR
   Martha Edens, Daughter, 7, b. AR
   Birdie Edens, Daughter, 5, b. AR
   Amos Edens, Son, 1, b. AR

1940 - Hampton, Marion Co., Arkansas
   Ruben Edens, Head, M, 52, b. VA
   Hassie Edens, Wife, 49, b. VA
   Cline Edens, Son, 26, b. TX
   Sam Edens, Son, 20, b. AR
   Martha Edens, Daughter, 17, b. AR
   Birdie Edens, Daughter, 15, b. AR
   Amos Edens, Son, 11, b. AR

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