Ann Baum Cross, 87, of San Angelo, passed away February 7, 2020, at New Haven Assisted Living and Memory Care.

Graveside services will be held at Cross Plains Memorial Park, Cross Plains, Callahan, Texas, on Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 11:00 AM, directed by Higginbotham Funeral Home of Cross Plains.

A lifelong Texan, Ann was born January 26, 1933, in Big Spring, Texas, to Parker and Vera Baum. She attended Cross Plains High School, Howard Payne University, and Angelo State University, where she earned her master’s degree.

Ann taught school in Ballinger, Santa Anna, and Graford. She retired from teaching in 1992 and moved to San Angelo in 1994. She was a member of the Newtimers Club and participated in their bridge group, book interest group, and the style show. She was a voracious reader and enjoyed a well-turned phrase. She was known for her ability to keep track of several storylines at once, and she usually had at least two books going at the same time. To Ann, books were a “passport to everywhere you wanted to go but lacked the pocket book to take you.” She enjoyed a prodigious vocabulary and was a formidable and cutthroat Scrabble player.

Ann is preceded in death by her parents, Parker and Vera; her two brothers, Billy Parker Baum and Harrell Clark Baum; her late husband Wilfred A Cross and former husband, James R (Bob) Henderson (father of her three children).

She is survived by her sister Martha Baum Killough and husband Warner of Weatherford; her children: Lisa Henderson Baetz and husband Charles of Bedford, Mark Henderson and wife Sharon of Keller, Todd Henderson and wife Beth of San Angelo, Raymond Cross and wife Andrea of Abilene, James Cross and wife Leslie of Coleman, Teri Coburn and husband Bob Clarkston of Colleyville. Her enduring legacy is her grandchildren: Stephen Cross and wife Brenda of Canyon, Karen Cross Gordy and husband Clay of Lubbock, and Mark Gordy of Bedford; Carly Henderson Morrow and husband Riley of Abilene, Laney, Zachary, and Nathan Henderson of Keller; Jake, Matt, and AnaClaire Henderson of San Angelo, Aaron Willman and wife Kayla of Midland, Brandon Willman and Clayton Willman of San Angelo; and eight great-grandchildren.

The family requests that any contributions in Ann’s name be made to New Haven Assisted Living and Memory Care of San Angelo, St. Gabriel’s Hospice and Palliative Care of San Angelo, Cross Plains Senior Center of Cross Plains, or a favorite charity.