Mable Kathleen Hess

Mable Kathleen (Waddell) Hess, known lovingly to some in her family as "Mema or Grandma Hess," passed away on June 20, 2026 peacefully at Haven Hospice in Chiefland, Florida. Born on September 4, 1927, in Galax, Virginia, Mable lived a long, full life devoted to her family, her faith, and the simple joys that made every day meaningful. Mable grew up in the hills of Virginia, where she met and married the love of her life, Bill Hess. The two built a life together that would take them across the country and back again. As Bill worked, Mable traveled alongside him, making a home wherever they landed. She was a homemaker in the truest sense of the word, raising five daughters, providing a warm kitchen, and a heart big enough for all of them. After years of traveling, the couple retired to Virginia for a time before eventually relocating back to Gilchrist County, Florida, where they would put down their final roots. Mable had a gift for making the world around her grow and bloom. She loved raising a garden and tending to her flowers. She was also an accomplished country cook that was known for her sourdough bread. When she wasn't in the kitchen or the garden, there was a good chance Mable had a fishing pole in her hand. She loved catching trout during her years out West and took just as much delight in pulling in bream and catfish once she was back in Florida. Mable was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 78 years, Bill Hess; two daughters, Dianna McQuaig and Jean DeGraff; her sister, Betty Thompson and her brothers, Don Waddell and Bobby Waddell. She is survived by her three daughters Suzanne O'Steen, Betty Bussey and Lori Collins, along with multiple grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and extended family members who will carry her memory forward. Above all else, Mable was a woman of devout Christian faith. She served the Lord with a quiet and unwavering devotion that shaped every aspect of her life. Her faith was not something she simply professed; it was something she lived, day in and day out, through the love she showed her family and the grace with which she met each new season of life. Those who knew her best will tell you that her relationship with God was the foundation upon which everything else was built, and it is in that faith that her family now finds comfort, trusting that she has been welcomed home into the arms of her Savior. Funeral services will be held 11:00 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at Mt. Horeb Church, 3449 NE County Road 340, High Springs, FL . Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. The family welcomes all who knew and loved Mable to join them in celebrating a life beautifully and faithfully lived. Arrangements have been placed under the care of the Rick Gooding Funeral Home Chiefland Chapel, with locations in Cross City 352-498-5400 and Chiefland 352-493-0050.

Mable Kathleen Hess

September 4, 1927 - June 20, 2026