b. December 23, 1940
Anita Louise (Armstrong) Hinson was born December 23, 1940, in Memphis, Tennessee to Vera Louise (Mooneyham) Armstrong and Robert (Buster) Carl Armstrong. She was the middle child of five children.
After graduating from Southside High School in 1958, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, but her mother refused to sign the permission form (she didn’t turn 18 until December) so she entered the workforce working in various offices.
In 1963 she went on a blind date and met the love of her life, Don Hinson, who was stationed at Mid-South Naval Base in Millington, Tennessee. They were married 6 months later, on November 22, 1963.
In 1965 Don and Anita moved to San Diego, California, where Don was stationed next, driving their Chevy 2 Super Sport. There she worked in a law office until their older daughter, Susanne, was born.
In 1968, they moved to Carrollton, Texas where their younger daughter, Amy, was born. In 1972 they moved to Marble Falls, Texas, where Anita was a stay-at-home mom and school and church volunteer until Amy started Kindergarten. At that time, Anita went back to work in purchasing and personnel.
Anita had many health challenges in her life and she always faced them with strength, patience, and without complaint, no matter how bad she was feeling. She viewed everything in life as an adventure and met life with intense intellectual curiosity, a wonderful sense of humor, a strong sense of justice, and intense love of family. She spent many years tracing our family tree the oldfashioned way, starting her research before so much was online, by traveling the country, visiting relatives and genealogy libraries.
Anita is survived by her daughter, Susanne Hinson-Rieger, and husband, Jamie; her daughter, Amy Hinson, and partner, Marinda Scott; three grandchildren to whom she was their wonderful Big Mama: Claudia Brooks, Jordan Brooks, and Sam Myers; her sister, Sandy Meador; her brother Charles Armstrong; brother-inlaw, James Hinson and wife, Therese. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, cousins, and many loved friends.
Anita was preceded in death by her parents, Vera and Buster Armstrong, her brothers Carl Armstrong, and Don Armstrong. Brothers-in-law, Milton (Jack) Hinson and Jerome (Jake) Hinson; sisters-inlaw Ann Elkins Hinson, and Carol Armstrong.
We are deeply grateful for our time with our mom (Big Mama to her grandchildren, Aunt Sassy to her Tennessee family and Aunt Nita to her Texas relatives), even though it could never be enough, and we are grateful too for all the ways her spirit lives on in our lives and memories, informing how we do so many things, with love and creativity. We know her spirit and memory will continue to live on, generation upon generation.
A memorial service will be held in Riesel, Texas on October 20, 2024.
