John B Hendrick

John Hendrick was born on April 28, 1935 in Santo Texas. His parents were Bessie Lea and Hoyt Hendrick. He had one older brother, George Hendrick. While he was a baby, his mother was very ill and his dad took him to his service station where his dad and customers took care of him. At a very early age he worked in the service station but his parents emphasized the importance of education to him. John loved school and learning and he graduated from Santo High School as valedictorian of his class in 1953.

His love for agriculture was cultivated in high school under the leadership of the late E.D. Chastain. He earned the Lone Star Farmer Degree and the American Farmer Degree while in the Future Farmers of America.

He had a great love of sports and excelled in basketball and baseball while in high school. His appreciation of sports further developed throughout his life. The late Bill Smith was one of his mentors in high school.

He attended Tarleton State University for two years, then transferred to Texas &M. Between his junior and senior years at A&M he married the love of his life, Myrna Adams, in 1956. Myrna worked at A&M while John completed his BS degree in Agriculture. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, in May of 1957 and went on active duty.

After his tour of duty in the U.S. Army, it was back to Texas A&M to work on a master degree. While at A&M it was discovered that Myrna was expecting their first child and John had to go to work. A move to Perrin, Texas as a Vocational Agriculture teacher was made in 1958 where they became acquainted with longtime friends, the Jim and Janie Carter family. Kevin was their first child born in 1958. John and Myrna loved Perrin and made many friends. John’s students won many honors under his leadership. His students went on in life to make ranchers, firemen, policemen, teachers, veterinarians, military officers, preachers, factory workers and other successful occupations. A daughter, Lorri, was born in 1960.

John left the teaching profession in 1961 and joined the agricultural department of Texas Power and Light Company (a great family-oriented company). He loved this company and the new challenges. In late 1961 John was recalled to active duty with the Army for a year, then it was back to TP&L in Mineral Wells.

In 1964 John was promoted to Farm Service Supervisor and the family moved to Waxahachie. A year later, the family moved to Irving. It was in Irving that John, Myrna, and the children became members of the First Baptist Church. They were active as teachers in Sunday Schol and in 1970, John was ordained as a deacon. John changed jobs within TP&L several times and in 1973 he was appointed Assistant Manager in the Irving District where the new airport and Texas Stadium were being built. Jay was born in 1970 and James Kyle in 1973. In the Irving District he learned the operations of a large district with rapid growth. He learned the importance of good employees and effective leadership. He had a great teacher in the late Mark Gordon, other mentors were the late Fred Skelton, the late Jay Green, the late James Gregory, Robert West, the late Bob Rogers and the late Tom Blakey.

In 1975 John and Myrna moved to Terrell, Texas where John became a District Manager. This was a large rural district with very little growth but John learned to be an effective District Manager. He believed in promoting his employees who did a good job and his former employees went on to work great jobs in the company. Many new and lasting friendships were made in Terrell. Kevin and Lorri graduated from Terrell High School and went on to Texas A&M. John’s mentor during this time was John Wills Smith.

In 1979 John was promoted to the corporate office in Dallas as Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Administration. There were many opportunities to learn a new facet of the company’s business. Many hours were spent in Austin working with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The family moved back to Irving in 1980. In the corporate office, John’s mentor was the late Louis Howard.

In 1981 John became Assistant Division Manager of the Central Division in Irving. He had some great teachers as mentors in the company. They included the late Bob Rogers, the late James Kerbo and the late Don Hampton. Kevin graduated from A&M in 1981 and began his Army career; Lorri graduated from A&M in 1982 and began a teaching career in Longview. In December of 1982 Lorri was called home by God, this was great tragedy in John and Myrna’s lives.

In 1984, John was appointed Division Manager of the company’s Northern Division in Sherman, Texas. He was later appointed Regional Manager over the company’s Northern Region. John had great mentors in Robert West and the late Tom Blakey. Jay graduated from Sherman High School and the University of North Texas. James Kyle graduated from Sherman High School and Texas A&M where he was in the famous Fighting Texas Aggie Band.

Through his working career John was involved in many activities: Vice President of Irving Chamber of Commerce, Board member of Irving YMCA, District Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America, President of Terrell Chamber of Commerce, President of Terrell Rotary Club, President of Terrell Industrial Foundation, Chairman of United Way, and served on every major committee of the Baptist Church.

John led a task force in TP&L to evaluate the corporate organization and recommend major changes. He was a leader in developing the employee appraisal process in the company. He was instrumental in combining districts within the company to make them more effective and he was a leader in promoting service within his company.

John was a very outspoken person. If you didn’t want his opinion, you had best not ask. He was a team player and loved his company, his employees and his customers.

In 1992, John retired from Texas Utilities after 36 years. He and Myrna built their first new home on their ranch near Lipan Texas and became reacquainted with long-time friends, the Bob Wilson family. After a few months of adjustment John became active again. He served as President of the Palo Pinto County Farm Bureau, Chairman of the Palo Pinto Soil Conservation District, President of Lipan’s Chieftain and Squaw Club, President of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, Director of First National Bank at Santo, and Chairman of Deacons at First Baptist Church of Mineral Wells.

John was active in making the ranch a more productive operation. He bought a bulldozer and went to work clearing land and planting grass. John and Myrna were selected as the outstanding conservation ranch in Palo Pinto County in 1996 and was runner up in an 80 county area. In 2008 the Hendrick Cattle Company was established to produce Registered Black Angus Cattle. The operation was in co-operation with his wife Myrna and his youngest son, James Kyle. John and Myrna retired as active partners in 2015. The ranch is now managed by Kyle who is a fourth generation owner and manager.

After several years of being out of the cattle business, John acquired a small herd of Registered Black Angus in 2024.

John loved his grandchildren, Amanda, Ross, Wesley, Paige and Nathan and traveled the country to see them participate in different activities.

As the years went by John and Myrna expressed the great love they had for each other.

They were extremely proud of their children and daughters-in-law.

John was also an active Gideon for over thirty years. He loved to speak in churches and made over 250 presentations through the years.

Throughout his career with TU he was a champion for the employee’s investment plan. At nearly every opportunity he encouraged employees to participate in the plan and prepare for the future. He also encouraged his employees to get involved in church and in the communities where they lived.

He was very goal oriented and believed everyone should have written goals and to follow up on them.

John wishes to thank those who encouraged him throughout the years: To his partner, best friend and love of his life, the late Myrna Hendrick, who went to be with the Lord in 2016, special family friend, Caroline McCarty, his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, his parents, his teachers, his coaches, his mentors, his friends, his pastors and his employees who worked hard to make him a success. May God bless you all.

John was predeceased by:

• Daughter Lorri Janeau

• Parents Hoyt and Bessie Lea Hendrick

• Brother George Hendrick

• Wife, Myrna Mae (Adams) Hendrick

Survived by sons:

• Colonel (Retired) J. Kevin Hendrick and wife Terri of San Antonio

• Jay Hendrick of Dallas

• J. Kyle Hendrick and wife Allison of Keller

Grandchildren:

• Major (Promotable) Amanda Hendrick and husband Ryan Winstead of Colorado Springs, CO

• John Ross Hendrick of Austin

• Wesley Hendrick and wife Hannah of Belton, Texas

• Paige Hendrick of Keller and Student at Texas A&M

• Nathan Hendrick of Keller and a High School student

Great Grandchildren:

• Celeste Winstead of Colorado Springs

• Ezra Winstead of Colorado Springs

• Lunch will be served following graveside ceremony. Patillo Baptist Church, 4791 FM 2803 Lipan, TX 76462.

• In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Meals on Wheels, in Santo Texas. 

• Santo Area MOW- P.O. BOX 159 Santo, TX 76472