Mrs. Bessie Tomlin Taylor Hale

Bessie Louise Tomlin Taylor Hale, 92, passed away on July 12, 2009 in Helendale. She was born December 26, 1916 in Golden, Missouri, and had been a resident of Barstow since 1958. Bessie was predeceased by her parents George and Nora White, brothers Chester, Wilson and George White, sister Virginia, granddaughter Aireca Tomlin and three husbands Shell Tomlin, Nathanial Taylor and Theodore Hale. Surviving Bessie are her children Charles Tomlin and his wife Mary, Robert Tomlin and his wife Laura and Joyce Nichols, stepchildren Harry Taylor and his wife Karen, Thomas Taylor and his wife Thoko, June Devine and her husband Bill, Jane Carson and her husband Rod, Marsha Green and her husband Tim, Jennifer Jaggers and her husband Curt, and Peggy Hillion and her husband Bill, 24 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. Bessie’s work career began early in her life taking care of her brothers and sisters. She sold cosmetics in the 1930’s and 1940’s in Arkansas door to door for Holiday Cosmetics, and was one of Barstow’s first Avon Ladies. During the World War II era Bessie was a “Rosie the Riveter� passing the riveting test on her first attempt. Her work included assembling airplane wings at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino. Bessie was first a homemaker and mother. Later in life she decided to become a cosmetologist, something she always wanted to do. At age 60 she went to Beauty College, completed her GED and received her cosmetology license. She subsequently owned and operated Cornets Beauty Salon and Mr. C’s Beauty Salon in Barstow for several years. Also, during this time she went parasailing in Mexico for the first time. She was a contestant in the Senior Ms Barstow contest, and she enjoyed traveling, camping, cooking, sewing, knitting, and quilting. From the age of ten, Bessie was always active in her church life. She was active in the First Baptist Church of Barstow, teaching Sunday school and Vacation Bible School, belonged to the Women’s Missionary Union, and the Not Done For Yet Choir, and helped any place else the church needed her support.