Bess Herzog
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Bess Herzog was born in Cass County, Texas on October 7, 1935 to James Corbin Midkiff and Lula Griffith Floyd Midkiff. She was the middle of nine brothers and sisters. She is preceded in death by her sisters and one brother, Jewell Blanton Beatty, Gracie Lee Wilson, Linnie May ("Bill") May, James Coleman ("Bo") Midkiff, Mona Sue Miers and Donna Gay Allen and survived by her two younger brothers, S.L. Midkiff and Jerry Wayne Midkiff.
In 1953 she met and married Frank Herzog, and they had four children, Marilyn Joyce Herzog, Stephen Michael Herzog (Cathy), Cynthia Elaine Herzog (Rocky High) and Kerry Layne Herzog (Carroll). In addition to her four children, she is also survived by five grandchildren (Georgia Layne Owen (Matt), Cameron James Herzog (Nydia), Chancellor Alexander Glover-Herzog, Christina Amber Herzog and Magdalena Elise High) and five great-grandchildren (William Parker Owen, Charles Weston Owen, John Marshall Owen, Penelope Rose Herzog and Jude Rawlings Herzog), all living in the Houston area.
Despite her humble beginnings in Cass County, Bess worked tirelessly to become a very successful and respected businesswoman. She worked sixteen years in the oil and gas industry before launching Precision Power in 1985, an electrical contracting company, with her son Stephen. This was followed in 1987 by incorporation of ToplQue Associates, Inc., a multi-faceted corporation that eventually included ToplQue Construction, a commercial contracting division.
Among her many accomplishments were being a twirler at the original Cypress-Fairbanks High School and an active member of the Houston chapter of MENSA since 1975 where she made many lifelong friends. In 1993 she was #162 on the Inc. 500 list of independent businesses and had several years of recognition by the Houston Business Community. Bess worked for many years with the Catholic Youth Organization ("CYO") in Carrizo Springs, Texas, where she raised her family. She received the prestigious Pro Deo et Juventute award from the National Catholic, Youth Association and she served on the commission that developed a catholic youth program that was adopted throughout the nation. In 2019 she was honored by the Carrizo Springs CYO alumni at their 50th anniversary celebration.
Bess' battle with breast cancer began in May 2019 and, like everything else in her life, she met it head on and fought a valiant fight. It will come as no surprise that through the two chemotherapy treatments, radiation treatments and surgery, she missed only one day of work.
The Hashknife Ranch in Rocksprings, Texas, where she spent time surrounded by nature and family will be her final resting place. For those desiring to memorialize her life, contributions may be made to MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77030 or Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 4384, Houston, Texas 77210.