March 20, 2007, Cecelia writes:
It was such a surprise to hear from you---and it
was great. I have navigated the whole website,
and I love it. I was saddened to see who all we
had lost. I knew about Ray, of course, and
about Nick. I had missed the other losses.
It was interesting to see the reunion
photos---who are all those senior citizens?
Everyone looks great, and prosperous.
I am sending our photo, taken last November,
and will try to add some of our family later.
I received my B.A. in Secondary Education,
English, and Journalism from Baylor University.
Right after, I worked for the Corpus Christi
Caller-Times, the Austin American-Statesman,
and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. After 5 years
of newspaper work, I combined my education
and journalism background and worked as a
curriculum editor for the state department of
education in Austin, and then for the Region
XIII Education Service Center, also in Austin.
It was such a surprise to hear from you---and it
was great. I have navigated the whole website,
and I love it. I was saddened to see who all we
had lost. I knew about Ray, of course, and
about Nick. I had missed the other losses.
It was interesting to see the reunion
photos---who are all those senior citizens?
Everyone looks great, and prosperous.
I am sending our photo, taken last November,
and will try to add some of our family later.
I received my B.A. in Secondary Education,
English, and Journalism from Baylor University.
Right after, I worked for the Corpus Christi
Caller-Times, the Austin American-Statesman,
and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. After 5 years
of newspaper work, I combined my education
and journalism background and worked as a
curriculum editor for the state department of
education in Austin, and then for the Region
XIII Education Service Center, also in Austin.
| Cecelia's Page |
| Cecelia and her husband, Ewell, November, 2006. |
In 1976, I married Ewell, who was state director of health, physical education, and recreation
at the Texas State Department of Education. The first time I met him, I said, "I've heard your
name. Why is it so familiar to me?" After some discussion, we figured out that he was football
coach at Salado while I was still in school. He brought Salado from 6-man to 11-man football.
He also coached at Rule, Taft, and Fredericksburg before moving into driver education
equipment sales. Later he went on to the Texas Education Agency.
We lived in Austin until he retired in 1982 and we moved to Brady, his hometown. We lived
there for 17 years. Ewell ranched until he turned 70. I started with the school district as a
teacher aide, then worked as Brady coordinator for Central Texas College. During that time, I
was driving the 75 miles to and from San Angelo to earn my M.Ed. as a Reading Specialist. I
worked in Brady for 10 years as a reading and journalism teacher, retiring in 1997 at age 55.
When I retired, we moved to Buchanan Dam and had 5 happy years there. In 2000, we joined
four other couples and trailered to Alaska via the Alaska Highway. I could spend hours boring
you with the wonderful sights we saw and the interesting people we met. It was a wonderful
experience.
As Ewell began to have some health problems, we found ourselves traveling the 2-1/2 hours
to San Angelo more and more. In 2003 we moved there and have really enjoyed living in this
small city with West Texas friendliness and lots of big-city amenities.
Ewell and I have no children, but he has a son, Steve, who is the dentist at Ozona and
Eldorado. We have two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. I am 64 and Ewell is
now 80, and we are both in good health, though we are slowing down some. We enjoy our
large friendly Sunday school class of 100 members. I sing alto in the senior choir, which sings
at nursing homes and assisted living centers. I have joined a quilting club and am learning to
quilt. I had hip replacement surgery last June and am still recovering, which limits my ability to
exercise. I am always fighting the weight battle. I have found it is really hard to overcome
inherited tendencies. My sister still lives in Belton, and my brother Vernon lives at Salado and
runs Eagle Oil Exchange at Belton. I come over every few months, usually for rushed, short
visits. I would love to hear from any and all.
Cecelia
at the Texas State Department of Education. The first time I met him, I said, "I've heard your
name. Why is it so familiar to me?" After some discussion, we figured out that he was football
coach at Salado while I was still in school. He brought Salado from 6-man to 11-man football.
He also coached at Rule, Taft, and Fredericksburg before moving into driver education
equipment sales. Later he went on to the Texas Education Agency.
We lived in Austin until he retired in 1982 and we moved to Brady, his hometown. We lived
there for 17 years. Ewell ranched until he turned 70. I started with the school district as a
teacher aide, then worked as Brady coordinator for Central Texas College. During that time, I
was driving the 75 miles to and from San Angelo to earn my M.Ed. as a Reading Specialist. I
worked in Brady for 10 years as a reading and journalism teacher, retiring in 1997 at age 55.
When I retired, we moved to Buchanan Dam and had 5 happy years there. In 2000, we joined
four other couples and trailered to Alaska via the Alaska Highway. I could spend hours boring
you with the wonderful sights we saw and the interesting people we met. It was a wonderful
experience.
As Ewell began to have some health problems, we found ourselves traveling the 2-1/2 hours
to San Angelo more and more. In 2003 we moved there and have really enjoyed living in this
small city with West Texas friendliness and lots of big-city amenities.
Ewell and I have no children, but he has a son, Steve, who is the dentist at Ozona and
Eldorado. We have two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren. I am 64 and Ewell is
now 80, and we are both in good health, though we are slowing down some. We enjoy our
large friendly Sunday school class of 100 members. I sing alto in the senior choir, which sings
at nursing homes and assisted living centers. I have joined a quilting club and am learning to
quilt. I had hip replacement surgery last June and am still recovering, which limits my ability to
exercise. I am always fighting the weight battle. I have found it is really hard to overcome
inherited tendencies. My sister still lives in Belton, and my brother Vernon lives at Salado and
runs Eagle Oil Exchange at Belton. I come over every few months, usually for rushed, short
visits. I would love to hear from any and all.
Cecelia
8/27/07 - Cecelia writes: I'm finally sending a photo of the little quilt I finished in June for my brother's new granddaughter Kennedy. It is the pinwheel pattern, an old design, put into newer colors to match Kennedy's decor. This was the largest quilt I have pieced and quilted from scratch. This one I quilted on the sewing machine. I have other quilts started, some of them large, but not finished. I'm really slow. People who used to eat with me in the school cafeteria will remember how slow I am. (Jan's note: I asked if the photo was taken in her home.) Yes, that is my living room. The painting of a cutting horse at work in a real pasture, cutting a calf from the herd, is entitled "Far From the Futurity." We bought it from the artist, Laura Butler, then of Stephenville, years ago and have really enjoyed it. The quilt design really is an easy one. I learned how to speed myself up: large pieces and large blocks. It's just as pretty and goes much faster. Ha. |
| Some of Cecelia's milestones are on the Beach Boys-BHS Timeline. |
| 12/07: Happy family at Christmas. |
Cecelia's at left in red shirt; Ewell is next to her in black shirt. In the
black hat behind Cecelia is Ewell's son, Steve. His wife, Eva Jo, is
kneeling in front with one of C&E's great-grandchildren. Benny, in the
gray vest, is the husband of granddaughter Staci. They have three
children, the blondes, Payton, 10, Stevi, 3, and Drew, 2. The other
granddaughter, Stormi, is divorced and has the mixed-race little
beauty Charli, 2.
black hat behind Cecelia is Ewell's son, Steve. His wife, Eva Jo, is
kneeling in front with one of C&E's great-grandchildren. Benny, in the
gray vest, is the husband of granddaughter Staci. They have three
children, the blondes, Payton, 10, Stevi, 3, and Drew, 2. The other
granddaughter, Stormi, is divorced and has the mixed-race little
beauty Charli, 2.
Jan. 15, 2012: SAN ANGELO Ewell Sessom, 85, of San Angelo, educator,
realtor and rancher, left for his heavenly home Saturday morning. He
was born July 26, 1926, at Longworth, Texas, to Joseph Oscar Sessom
and Annie Laura Fisher Sessom. A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16, at Southland Baptist Church with Pastor Taylor Sandlin
officiating. Services will be under the direction of Johnson's Funeral
Home. Burial will follow in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens. Visitation will
be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, at Johnson's Funeral Home. Pallbearers
will be Steve Justice, Lewis Isaacs, Greg Stewart, Mike Sessom, Dan
Sessom, Kevin Justice and Clayton Stewart. Honorary pallbearers will be
members of the Friendship Sunday School Class of Southland Baptist
Church.
Ewell started to school in Menard then moved with his family to Brady. At
Brady High School he was quarterback of the football team and a track
star. He won second place in the 440-yard sprint at the 1944 state meet
at a time when all sizes of schools competed against each other. Soon
after graduation in 1944, he joined the Army and served in the Army Air
Corps as a radio operator in the Philippines. Upon his discharge, he
attended Southwest Texas State College, now Texas State University and
received the B.A. in education. He and Mildred Leigh Hayes were
married in 1948. Their son, Steven Mark Sessom was born in 1950.
Ewell taught school and coached football and other sports at Salado,
Rule, Taft and Fredericksburg. He then sold driver education simulators
before joining the Texas State Department of Education in 1974 as state
director of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. In that role, he led
in the creation of outdoor adventure programs in many Texas schools.
He established teacher workshops at H.E. Butt Foundation Camp that
continue today, now sponsored by the professional association for
health and physical education teachers. He partnered with the Safari
Club International to hold wilderness leadership schools in Wyoming and
British Columbia for outstanding high school juniors from across the
nation and provided team training for teachers, administrators and parks
and wildlife leaders from various states.
In 1976, he married Cecelia Claburn, an education editor and teacher.
They lived fully and adventurously in Austin, Brady, and Buchanan Dam
and, since 2003, in San Angelo. Ewell retired from the State Department
of Education in 1982, and for 17 years in Brady lived his dream of
ranching full-time and selling ranch real estate. Ewell loved his family
deeply and loved to "pick and grin" with his brothers. He spent many
hours hunting and fishing with the apple of his eye, his son, Steve;
soaking up the sweet love of his granddaughters and
great-grandchildren; and traveling and living a quiet and happy life with
Cecelia.
Surviving him are his wife of 35 years, Cecelia; his son Steve Sessom,
D.D.S., and his wife, Eva Jo Blaylock Sessom of Eldorado;
granddaughters Staci and husband Benny Lockhart of Eldorado and
Stormi and husband Quay Oglesby of Ozona, great-grandchildren Payton,
Stevi and Drew Lockhart and Charli and Attley Ann Oglesby. Survivors
also include his brothers, Jerry Sessom and wife Norma of San Angelo,
Don Sessom and wife Carol of Lake Ivey and sister-in-law Martha Jane
Sessom of San Angelo. He was preceded in death by his parents; his
older brother, Douglas Sessom; older sister Marjorie; and
granddaughter Mitzi Sessom. Family and friends may sign the online
register book at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com.
realtor and rancher, left for his heavenly home Saturday morning. He
was born July 26, 1926, at Longworth, Texas, to Joseph Oscar Sessom
and Annie Laura Fisher Sessom. A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 16, at Southland Baptist Church with Pastor Taylor Sandlin
officiating. Services will be under the direction of Johnson's Funeral
Home. Burial will follow in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens. Visitation will
be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, at Johnson's Funeral Home. Pallbearers
will be Steve Justice, Lewis Isaacs, Greg Stewart, Mike Sessom, Dan
Sessom, Kevin Justice and Clayton Stewart. Honorary pallbearers will be
members of the Friendship Sunday School Class of Southland Baptist
Church.
Ewell started to school in Menard then moved with his family to Brady. At
Brady High School he was quarterback of the football team and a track
star. He won second place in the 440-yard sprint at the 1944 state meet
at a time when all sizes of schools competed against each other. Soon
after graduation in 1944, he joined the Army and served in the Army Air
Corps as a radio operator in the Philippines. Upon his discharge, he
attended Southwest Texas State College, now Texas State University and
received the B.A. in education. He and Mildred Leigh Hayes were
married in 1948. Their son, Steven Mark Sessom was born in 1950.
Ewell taught school and coached football and other sports at Salado,
Rule, Taft and Fredericksburg. He then sold driver education simulators
before joining the Texas State Department of Education in 1974 as state
director of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. In that role, he led
in the creation of outdoor adventure programs in many Texas schools.
He established teacher workshops at H.E. Butt Foundation Camp that
continue today, now sponsored by the professional association for
health and physical education teachers. He partnered with the Safari
Club International to hold wilderness leadership schools in Wyoming and
British Columbia for outstanding high school juniors from across the
nation and provided team training for teachers, administrators and parks
and wildlife leaders from various states.
In 1976, he married Cecelia Claburn, an education editor and teacher.
They lived fully and adventurously in Austin, Brady, and Buchanan Dam
and, since 2003, in San Angelo. Ewell retired from the State Department
of Education in 1982, and for 17 years in Brady lived his dream of
ranching full-time and selling ranch real estate. Ewell loved his family
deeply and loved to "pick and grin" with his brothers. He spent many
hours hunting and fishing with the apple of his eye, his son, Steve;
soaking up the sweet love of his granddaughters and
great-grandchildren; and traveling and living a quiet and happy life with
Cecelia.
Surviving him are his wife of 35 years, Cecelia; his son Steve Sessom,
D.D.S., and his wife, Eva Jo Blaylock Sessom of Eldorado;
granddaughters Staci and husband Benny Lockhart of Eldorado and
Stormi and husband Quay Oglesby of Ozona, great-grandchildren Payton,
Stevi and Drew Lockhart and Charli and Attley Ann Oglesby. Survivors
also include his brothers, Jerry Sessom and wife Norma of San Angelo,
Don Sessom and wife Carol of Lake Ivey and sister-in-law Martha Jane
Sessom of San Angelo. He was preceded in death by his parents; his
older brother, Douglas Sessom; older sister Marjorie; and
granddaughter Mitzi Sessom. Family and friends may sign the online
register book at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com.
