Loren Sanders

John Loren Sanders, 86, of Woodville passed away peacefully on February 8, 2023 at home.

Born in Arkansas to Arvilee and Tennie Sanders, he grew up on a dairy farm knowing the meaning of hard work.  During his high school days, his family moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas and started the Sanders Ice Cream Company.  He worked in the company and as he would tell his nurses “you don’t know what good ice cream is”.  After graduating college he and the love of his life, Ann, moved to Dallas where they raised their two girls.  He worked as an accountant for an oil and gas company but figured out that he did not like to sit behind a desk so he was an entrepreneur who started several businesses that are still in operation today. 

As the saying goes, you can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy.  After living in Dallas for 53 years, Loren and Ann bought land between Woodville and Chester and started a new life in the pine trees.  They joined the Woodville Methodist Church where they met many people who became close friends through the years.

Loren was preceded in death by his parents, Arvilee Sanders and Tennie Ledbetter Sanders and a brother Delano Sanders.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Ann Sanders; daughters, Karen Frost of Georgetown, Texas and Kim Donahoe of Ft. Myers, Florida; sisters, Jean Rickard and husband, Cecil and Barbara Henderson and husband, David; sister-in-law, Billie Sanders; grandchildren, Robby Frost, Angie McBurnett, Brian Frost, Callan Donahoe and Haley Donahoe; four great grandchildren and a host of other family members and friends.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Thursday, March 9, 2023, from 5 pm until 6 pm at the Riley Funeral Home Chapel.

Memorials may be made in Loren's memory to the Alzheimer's Association.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Loren Sanders, please visit our floral store.