Betty Jean Hassell

Funeral services for Betty Jean Ferris Hassell, 83, of Winnsboro, LA, will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in the chapel of Dennard First National Funeral Home, with Rev. Craig Beeman officiating. Interment will follow in New Winnsboro Cemetery.

Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Wednesday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Jean was born on November 26, 1942, in Winnsboro to the late Lewis Ferris and Betty Bacle Ferris. She passed from this life on October 17, 2026, in Monroe.

Lovingly known as “Gee” by her grandchildren and their friends, Jean was a woman of many talents. She was a gourmet cook, an exceptionally talented seamstress, and an avid quilter. Over the years, she handcrafted countless heirloom dresses and outfits for her grandchildren, as well as beautiful quilts for her entire family.

Jean and her beloved husband, Lefty, spent many wonderful months camping in Mountain View, Arkansas, where they shared a passion for listening to nightly bluegrass music and making lifelong friends from across the country.

A devout Christian, Jean was a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Winnsboro, where she sang in the choir and served faithfully on the hospitality committee. She was also active in her local community, playing for several years in the Winnsboro Women’s Tennis League and participating as a member of the Garden Gate Study Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, William Doyle “Lefty” Hassell, and her son, Chris Hassell (1988).

Those left to cherish her memory include: her children: William Doyle Hassell, Jr. and his wife Laura of Monroe, LA, and Mary Ellen Middleton and her husband Paul of Keller, TX; grandchildren: Payton Middleton, Allie Beth Middleton, Lauren Hassell-Smith and her husband Damon, and Chris Hassell; great-grandchild: Margot Jean Smith; siblings: Alice Boyte and her husband Dennis, Linda Hamilton and her husband Aubrey, Jo Payne, and Ralph Ferris; sisters-in-Law: Joy Ferris and Grace Ferris; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.

Pallbearers will Payton Middleton, Paul Middleton, Chris Hassell, Damon Smith, Matt Boyte, and Wesley Boyte.