Benny Joe Caldwell

Benny Joe Caldwell, 88, died on January 15, 2024. He was born on September 24, 1935 to Archie Royce and Ruby Estelle Caldwell at home in East Point, Texas. He attended several schools in the East Point area and finished the 8^th grade in Winnsboro, Texas.
 
Benny married the love of his life, Estelene Scott on December 24, 1953. They celebrated their 70^th wedding anniversary last month on Christmas Eve.
 
 Benny worked at Piggly Wiggly in January 1954 in the meat market. Piggly Wiggly was bought by Childs Big Chain shortly after that. Benny was soon made Meat Market Manager of the Crockett, Texas store. He was transferred to larger stores over time – Overton, Kilgore, Nacogdoches, and Jacksonville. He later became the Market Manager at Kroger when he and Estelene moved to Shreveport with their two children, Susan and Joe in 1963. Over the years, he managed the markets in several Shreveport stores as he moved to larger stores. Having worked 30 years for the grocery chain, he took early retirement in January 1984. Benny then started his own business, Caldwell’s Pump Out Sanitation Service. He built up a good, profitable business. After ten years and purchase of the farm, he sold the business in November 1993. In 1990, Benny and Estelene fulfilled their dream to live on family land in East Point, Wood, Texas, which had been in his family for over 100 years. He raised beef cattle, cut his own hay, built fences, cleared land, and gardened. They enjoyed their mobile home there on weekends. In the fall of 1993, they sold their business and home in Shreveport to live full time at the farm. They built their dream home, and enjoyed country living, baby calves and visiting friends and family. Benny and Estelene moved to their present home in DeBerry, Texas in 2011 where they could be closer to family. They are members of Grawood Baptist Church in Keithville, Louisiana.
 
 Benny is preceded in death by his parents, Archie Royce and Ruby Estelle Caldwell; his sister, Alline Murphy and his brother, Tuck Caldwell. He is survived by his wife, Estelene and his brother, Nip (Renea) Caldwell, His children, Susan (Paul) McCullough and Joe (Lesa) Caldwell survive him. He is also survived by his five grandchildren: Crystal (Eric) Wibben, Jennifer (Matt) Williams, Laura (Marcus) Taylor, Clint (Kristen) McCullough, and Ben (Lauren) Caldwell. His thirteen great-grandchildren are: John Collier, Caden and Caroline Wibben, George, Olivia and Rachel Williams, Knox, Lawson and Scarlett Taylor, Skylar, Landry and Vivi McCullough, and Josie James and Clara Caldwell. He is also survived by nieces, nephews and cousins.
 
 Funeral services will be held under the direction of Rose-Neath South Funeral Home. The services will be held at Grawood Baptist Church in Keithville, Louisiana on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will be held at Grawood Baptist Church on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Burial will be at Little Hope Cemetery in East Point, Texas. Officiating the service will be Pastor Cody Lewis.