Bessie Maurine Watson Childress, 79, of Dyersburg, TN passed away on Monday, July 2, 2018 at her residence.

She was born on June 26, 1939, in Dyersburg, TN, to the late Joe Watson and the late Louise Adkins Watson. Bessie was retired from the dietary department at Methodist Hospital, where she worked for 25 years. She was also a member of Lenox Baptist Church.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 10, 2018 in the chapel of Dyersburg Funeral Home with Chaplin Brent Pearce officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.

The family will receive visitors from 5-8 p.m. Monday, July 9, 2018 at Dyersburg Funeral Home.

Survivors include her son, Clarence Childress, Jr. and special friend, Lisa Gatlin, of Dyersburg; a daughter, Johnnie Sue McDaniel and husband, Kenny, of Flint, MI; two sisters, Margie Hayes and Lois Paschal, both of Dyersburg; nine grandchildren, Dustin (Christia) Childress of Newbern, Nicole Childress (Todd Reynolds), Ashley Childress (Devon Ford), Ava Childress, Barry Childress and Misty Childress, all of Dyersburg, Tyler Johnson of Radcliff, KY, Stefanie (Sam) Webb of Morristown, TN and Kimberly (Bob) Sweeny of Kalamazoo, MI; and eighteen great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Clarence Childress, Sr.; two sisters, Josephine Tipton and Vernice Aklin; and two brothers, Robert Watson and Daniel Watson.

Pallbearers will be Dustin Childress, Barry Childress, Andy Baker, Tony Riggs, Mike Thedford and Danny Fowlkes. Honorary pallbearers will be Andy Anderson, Jere "Topper" Blalock, Allen Walker and her great-grandchildren.