Howard Roland Hyden

Howard Roland Hyden of Groesbeck died at the Limestone LTC on Wednesday morning July 6, 2016 at the age of 95 years. Howard was born in the Box Church community of Limestone County, Texas, on May 20, 1921. He was the son of Myrtie Wilkinson and Roland Hyden. He is survived by his wife Alta Waits Hyden and her children: Madlyn Heaton, Verna Hicks and Roger Waits. Howard is also survived by brother Rex Hyden and wife Cappie of Groesbeck with daughters Ricky, Janeese and Bonnie; brother Bailey Hyden and wife Patty of Edna with daughter Beverly and son Brian; Nelma Toney Wilkinson with daughter Moya Jan Wilkinson Green of Georgetown. Howard leaves behind a son, David L. Hyden of Dayton with granddaughters Dana and Christina and grandsons David Hyden and Wesley Hyden; a son, Ron Hyden and wife Phyllis of Gastonia, NC with granddaughter Rhonda Hyden Morton and husband Michael of Gastonia, NC and grandson Clint Hyden and wife Sara of Charlotte, NC; daughter Carolyn Hyden Adams and husband Tommy of Alvin with child Iris; and daughter Connie Hyden Schneider of Lockhart with grandson Jeffrey Schneider and wife Beth Foreman. Howard also leaves behind 7 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. Howard graduated from Groesbeck High School where he played football for the Goats during the late 1930s, earning All-District as a Linebacker. He was baptized into Christ during a revival in the early 1930s in the Box Church area. The Church and Christ were dear to his heart the remainder of his life. It was in Colorado Springs that Howard met a young lady at church, Neva Jean Weide, that later became his wife. Howard and Neva were married in March of 1943 in Colorado Springs. They were married for 69 years until Neva’s death in 2012. Howard worked for 10 years as a rough neck on drilling rigs across South Texas. He started working at the La Gloria Oil and Gas Refinery near Premont about 1956 and worked until the early 1970s when he transferred to Lockhart, Texas. Howard fished often at Baffin Bay near Riviera, Texas where he caught many a trout, reds, and drums. While still living in Premont, Howard took up bowling with his close friend Howard Daily. Howard Hyden won the men’s Texas State Handicap Bowling Championship one year at Corpus Christi. Both he and Neva bowled often thereafter from Falfurrias to Alice, to Kingsville, to Corpus, to Luling, to Waco, Texas. Howard worked for Mobil/Exxon Oil at Lockhart for several years until he transferred to a platform in the Gulf of Mexico where he worked and fished until he was 65. After the first couple of years off shore, Howard trained new workers on the platforms. After a couple of days the worker would take over watching the computers while Howard would fish using a ski rope as his fishing line. His biggest catch was a 250 lb. grouper. Howard retired from Mobil/Exxon at age 65 and later moved back home to Lake Limestone. It was here where he brought fishing to a new high. Howard would fish constantly at the lake mostly with jugs often catching many catfish which he would share with everyone. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, July 10, 2016 at the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel with visitation at 2:00 PM with the service following at 3:00 PM. Brothers Glenn Easterly and Richard Williams will be officiating. Roger Waits will do the closing prayer. Michael Morton will lead congregational singing. While Howard will be buried at Cobb Cemetery, there will be no service at the graveside. The family will meet at the Old Union Church of Christ after the funeral service. Later, the family will travel to Cobb Cemetery along with anyone else that wants to view the grave.