Doris Havens

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Doris Havens, age 97, passed away peacefully August 16, 2024, at the Morada of Temple assisted living facility. Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at the Dossman Funeral Home in Belton. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Nolanville, Texas.

Doris was born in Tolar, Texas on April 20, 1927, to C.R. and Lola Mae (Cummings) Deaver. She was one of eight children in the family, five brothers and two sisters. The family moved to the Taylor’s Valley area of Bell County before settling down on their permanent residence on Hilltop Street in Belton.

Doris met the love of her life, Harrell Havens, when she was sixteen and they were married shortly before he left to serve in the US Army during World War II. She worked at the cleaners in Belton while he was overseas. When he returned home from the Pacific, they were blessed with the arrival of their two sons, Richard and Mickey. Doris was a wonderful mother who managed the home while working at the Miller Heights grocery store. She made sure the boys were diligent in their schoolwork, as well as, their spiritual growth. She was a faithful member of Miller Heights Baptist Church.

When Richard and Mickey were out of high school, Harrell and Doris accepted a job transfer with Lone Star Gas Company to Paul’s Valley, OK. Since Doris had not finished her high school education when she married, she decided to go back to school and get her diploma. At age forty-two, she attended daytime classes with 17–18-year-old kids and earned her high school diploma.  Lone Star transferred them to Garland, TX for the next 21 years. While living in Garland, they were very faithful and active members of Freeman Heights Baptist church. Doris loved to meet and serve people and that led her to deliver flowers for a small florist shop in Rockwall. She loved delivering flowers to all their customers but not so much the driving all over the Dallas area.

After Harrell’s retirement, they decided to move back to Belton to live out the rest of their lives. Doris devotedly stood beside Harrell as he battled colon cancer and then lung cancer. After his passing in 1992, Doris devoted all of her energies to serving her church, her community and her family. She enjoyed playing cards, dominoes and games. She loved her family and lived for the reunions so she could play bingo and catch up on their lives. She always had a table set up to work large jigsaw puzzles in the winter. She loved delivering “meals on wheels” and getting to visit with the people. She loved to work in her yard and flower bed. Her Texas Rangers finally got her a world championship. She was actively pursuing all of these interests up to the age of 91 when she experienced her first stroke.

She is survived by her two sons, Richard Havens and wife, Sherry of Hewitt, TX and Mickey Havens and wife, Jan of Georgetown, TX; grandchildren, Chris Havens of Round Rock, TX, Amanda Sanchez and husband, David of Ft. Worth, Alisa Walch and husband, Dan of Austin, TX, Amy Howell of Robinson, TX, and Al Havens of Garland, TX; great-grandchildren, Christian Howell and fiancé, Faithlynn of Waco, TX, Caden Perez of Robinson, TX, and Naomi Sanchez of Ft. Worth, TX; great-great grandchildren , River Howell of Haughton, LA, Levi Howell of Waco, TX and Leo Espinoza of Waco, TX. She is also loved by nieces and nephews too numerous to list.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or your favorite charity. A special note of thanks to the dedicated staff at both the Morada of Temple and Gentiva Hospice. They worked tirelessly to make the last five years of Doris’s life as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Our greatest expression of appreciation goes out to our dearest cousin, Mary Bales. Her frequent visits, hugs and snacks lifted mother’s spirit every day. You are a saint and true blessing.