What's in the Water in Midland, Texas?

Written by Eric Moore with the aid of Beth Moore

After retiring from Exxon Red became a Realtor and he and Jean had a successful real estate business for many years. Red went in for back surgery when he was 63 hoping to improve his quality of life so he could enjoy his retirement years, but unfortunately a blood clot formed in his lungs and he passed away before he could even come home from the hospital. Jean continued to work the real estate business for several years, retired and continued to reside in Midland until she passed away in 1999 while still living at the home the Moore family loved and cherished – 2701 W. Louisiana.

Charles attended Texas Tech University and the University of Texas and settled in Midland with his wife, Betty Melzer Moore. They had a daughter and a son and both attended Texas A&M. Charles fought a courageous battle against prostate cancer for over two years but lost the battle on November 30, 2014. Betty stayed in Midland but also has a second home at Lakeway In Austin.

Eric married his first wife, Susan, while he was attending Texas Tech University and they had a daughter. After he received his architecture and advertising degree, he moved his family to Houston, where a son was born. He had a successful career in advertising for over 35 years. In the late 1970s he and Susan divorced. Then, in October of 1991 he married his second wife, Beth Evans, who also graduated in his class from Midland High School. With a downturn in his business he changed careers in 2001 and got into the construction business working for a builder, which led to his accepting a foreman position at a large property in Kenney, Texas (just outside of Brenham). He and Beth left there in 2016 to freelance managing properties and now live in Brenham.

John attended the University of Texas, became a Realtor, and settled in Austin where he had a very successful career in real estate. He had two sons and one daughter, and got to marry his sweetheart, Prissy Pense Moore, on April 1, 2017 (on the anniversary of their first date 22 years prior), but he lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma cancer only 25 days later on April 25, 2017.

It was devastating, especially for Eric, to lose both of his brothers to cancer in less than three years. Not a day goes by that Eric doesn’t miss his dad, mom, Charles, and especially John. Their friendship was unique and special, and Eric’s fondest memory of John is that he was ALWAYS around him and rode on Eric’s coat tails their entire fife. They shared a room growing up and it wasn’t until high school that they had separate rooms, but they were still ALWAYS together.  That friendship lasted throughout their entire lives, even as older adults. Living in different towns never kept them apart or got in their way. John often came to Houston to sub on Eric’s softball teams, they went fishing, kayaking, and skiing together. They talked on the phone almost daily, and every vacation was spent together because if John found out Eric was going ANYWHERE he usually showed up, especially if it was to the family cabin in Ruidoso. As a result, Beth and Prissy formed a special bond as well, and the last trip the two couples took together was a cruise to Alaska in July of 2014. Shortly after John was diagnosed with cancer.

Eric participated in several sports well up into his late sixties, and his favorite sport, just like his dad Red’s, was softball. He began to play Senior Softball as soon as he turned 55 years of age and getting to play in the Senior Softball World Finals in the Houston Astrodome in the early 2000s was one of the highlights of Eric’s sports career. When he moved to Kenney it was too far so he reluctantly gave it up in the spring of 2011. Dancing has always been a huge part of Eric’s life and he taught country and western dance lessons for over 25 years. Even last year he and Beth taught a group of people how to two-step, polka, and waltz, but sadly, the dancing days may be over for Eric. In February of 2018 Eric was diagnosed with prostate cancer and he is now fighting a difficult battle with cancer just like both of his brothers. Less than a month after removing his prostate, the cancer had metastasized into his lower spine. He began taking Lupron shots and that seems to be holding the cancer at bay for now, but the downside is he will have to take Lupron shots every three months for the rest of his life. The side effects are tremendous and have left him very weak and he’s no longer able to work or dance, so that’s probably the most difficult thing for him now. We feel like every day is a gift to be cherished and to make more memories, so right now we take things one step at a time and one day at a time.

Being able to grow up in Midland was unique, and such a privilege! The memories of those days are fun to reminisce over and are implanted deep in Eric’s brain, never to go away!!! There’s nothing better than being able to proudly say that you’re from Midland – one of the best places in Texas OR in the world.