Class of 1959

From Lubbock in the Rearview Mirror to Learning to Fly by the Seat of My Pants!

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Written by Sharon Watts Brown


Though Sharron and I have not lived near each other for the last forty eight years, it is still difficult to
write a biography of early years as “I” and not “we.” Please bear with me as “we” begin this bio.
Seven months after the 1940 Texas vs OU (BOOMER SOONER) Cotton Bowl game the result of
our folks fun time that weekend came in the premature arrival of not one baby girl but twins! Plus we
arrived on our older sister, Jean Ann’s 5th birthday!
We were born in Midland, third generation Midlanders. Our daddy, Ed Watts, was the youngest
District Landman ever hired by Sinclair Petroleum Company. His whole career was as a landman. He
passed away quite suddenly in 1974 of an aorta! aneurysm. Our mother, Jean Watts, was known by
many of you as she volunteered at Club 15 and also at the Youth Center when we were in MHS.
Mother passed away this past May 9th at age 95. Our parents were divorced in 194 7, a rare thing
back in that day and time.
We grew up at 909 West Kansas, down the street from Andy Elliott, around the corners from Ruth
Ann Erskine, Mike and Margaret Scobey, and not far from Paula Crites, Suzanne Martin, Wade
Parks, Mary Jane Aldridge, Susan Jones, Deborah Dixson, Patsy Aday, Betty Jane Walden, Charles
Guisey, Hope Russell, and others. A core group of our friends were the children of friends my folks
grew up with. After reading the bios of other classmates we feel blessed to have spent all of my early
years in one place. We attended North Elementary 1 st through 3rd, 4th at MHS, 5th -6th grades back at
North Elementary, then on to San Jacinto Jr. High and finally MHS.
After graduation from MHS we attended Texas Tech where I studied art and Sharron studied football
players! I returned to Tech for my sophomore year while Sharron stayed in Midland working for
Kniffin’ s Jewelers. Sharron “hated school, hated _having to work, and felt her life began when she
became a ‘kept woman,’ as the wife of Lt. David Caruso in 1961, and she has enjoyed being a ‘kept
woman,” for the past forty-eight years!”
In 1960 I was introduced to my future soul mate, Charlie Brown, by Paula Crites. Our first date was
on Halloween of 1960; later I was to learn I was Charlie’s third date for the day! Third time charm! .
Six months later I got my Mrs. Charlie Brown degree! After we married we headed back to Midland,
leaving Lubbock in the rearview mirror of Charlie’s 1956 Chevy Del Ray, VS. Our daughter,
Shirleyanne, was born in Midland. In 1962 we moved to Beaumont for Charlie Brown to finish his
EE degree at Lamar State College. After graduation we began our life as “gypsies,” moving twenty
seven times following Charlie Brown’s interesting and varied career path, before settling down in
1980 in Edmond, Oklahoma. During our “gypsy,” years I worked as an assistant in an optical shop, a
dental office manager.
In 2003 after twenty-three years since I had painted anything, I decided to try my hand at pet
portraits again. As the scanned image of the first portrait I painted came up on my computer monitor
my vision became blurred with tears and I gasped at the beautiful essence I had captured in the eyes
of my dog Keeper. All of my life experiences were revealed to me at that moment and my future, as a
pet portrait artist was re-ignited. I immediately began my pet portrait business, Pets Brushed With
Love, http://www.pbwl.us. My love for all animals has blessed me with the gift of capturing the essence of
pets from their photographs. I have touched the lives of many wonderful people as I have painted
their pets.

My life is broader than just my paintings. I’m a trained Stephen Minister and Leader, Elder, Healing
Prayer Minister/ Healing Touch Minister, and sing alto in the chancel choir at First Christian Church
Edmond. Grief and ministry to the elderly are where I have been called to serve.
Our daughter, Shirleyanne is assistant property manager and receptionist for GBR Properties and our
son-in-law Don Johnson, is a gifted mechanic and trim tech for South Pointe Chevrolet in Tulsa. We
have one granddaughter.
My life has been blessed many times over.

Karen Veazey King

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Written by Karen Veazey King

I moved here from Shamrock, Texas during the last part of my 6th grade year. Went
to Lamar Elementary and thought my life had come to an end. However, when I went
to San Jacinto the next year I loved being in Midland, and so my life in Midland
began.
I met Ron King in 1964 here in Midland. He graduated from TCU and had gone to
work for Midland National Bank. We were married in 1965 and have been together
ever since. (Some of that time good and some bad, mostly good, however.)
We were gone from West Texas for 12 years, living in Mobile, Ala, Dallas, and
Shreveport, La. I couldn’t wait to leave West Texas and look for new adventure, and
Ron couldn’t wait to get back. We did have a lot of fun traveling around and meeting
new people, however.
There is nothing really interesting or notable about our life together. We were never
blessed with children, so we have made do with what we have.
We own a small land company and Ron does the land work and I keep the books and
Ron going. We both play golf, but not together. He keeps talking about retirement and
I keep ignoring it.
We enjoy our friends and family and our life together here in Midland very much.
We neither one can think of any place else we would rather live.

Linda Kester Carson Sanders Kester Fox

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Linda Kester Carson Sanders Kester Fox – yes that’s correct!

As you can see, I’ve been busy getting married and divorced – not as bad as it looks on paper! After graduating from MHS, I attended Texas Tech for 2½ years as a music education major – graduated with my “M. R. S. Degree” as one of my AF ROTC commanders told me.

After he graduated, my husband joined the Air Force; I really loved the military life, but was too young .to get married, much less become a mother. Nonetheless, we had three sons – all of whom are happy, healthy and still love their mom. After my first divorce I came home to Midland to “heal” and then made a disastrous short marriage of which we won’t speak again. After that, I again came home to Midland, took back my maiden name and was re-introduced to one of my parents’ friends (but not as old as they were) who took me out just to get me back into circulation. Over nine and a half years later, we married – he hates to make quick decisions!

I worked for a couple of oil companies and an independent landman, and then was a legal secretary at a law firm until Stan and I married in 1985. I “retired” but continued to temp for the lawyers until we moved to Manor Park, a retirement community in Midland, early in 2008. Too many activities begin before office hours are over – you know how early all old people go to bed (LOL) – so I quit working for good. I volunteer at the Recording Library of West Texas, accompany children’s choirs at my church, where I also sing in the choir. Music, reading, crossword puzzles and being with my husband are my main hobbies. Cooking and cleaning, etc. are VERY secondary.

All in all, it’s been a good life – my health is good and I don’t even begin to feel

as old as I am! For that and for my family, I’m very thankful.

Carol A. Leake Grimes- Class of 1959

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In the spring of 1948, our family “blew” into Midland with a sandstorm and rolling tumbling tumbleweeds. Houses were scarce, we were thankful to find one, the First Baptist Church parsonage built in the early 1900’s with 10 foot ceilings and large wooden beams in the living room.

The house had been moved to North Whitaker several years before my parents purchased it. Our house was much taller than the others in the neighborhood. We enjoyed climbing the Chinaberry tree, in order to reach the peak of the steep roof, to see all over town. Bored was not in our vocabulary. We were too busy having fun. I especially liked skating on the large wrap around front porch. For me, I thought it was exciting to live in a house that had housed many preachers and was no doubt a house of faithful prayer. Our family attended First Baptist Church when it was located across the street from First Methodist. Once a week after school, I walked to First Baptist to attend a program called “Sunbeams” for grades 1-3. I still remember the theme song: “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam”.

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Jerry Reese (RIP)

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Written by Jerry Reese

(Jerry passed away April 4, 2020. Rest In Peace.)

I was born in Wink, Texas the sixth child of Alice and A. C. Reese. I can neither confirm nor deny, but my recollection, based on relatives’ stories, is that my Mother and Dad both quit school when they were very young. My Dad died when I was 7, so I remember little about him. My Mother was way too old to have another baby when I was born, and I fear my birth contributed to her being almost housebound with illness until she died during our senior year. My folks were wonderful but unremarkable in terms of worldly achievements.

My family moved from Wink to Odessa, and then in the summer between the 7th and 8th grades, we moved to Midland. I met the cutest girl I had ever seen while riding a bicycle somewhere on Cuthbert Street. I remember her feet being dirty but they were attached to movie star legs, and I fell in love with Jackie Garrett. We both had separate lives for 30 years, but in 1997, I achieved the highest honor of my life and married Jackie.

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Griffith Henson

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SERIOUSLY FOLKS…

Throughout my years at MHS I knew I wanted to teach history. Three days after graduation I enrolled in North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas). I went straight through college and finished my bachelor’s in January 1963, with majors in history, education and psychology, and minors in English and sociology. By the time I graduated I had already begun work on my master’s; by the time I obtained that degree (January 1965) I had already been accepted into the doctoral program. I married in December 1962 to a woman who had two children (this marriage would break up in 1991).

After graduating with my bachelor’s, I found a teaching position (English) in a small, rural high school (Era, Texas) thirty miles from Denton; this allowed me to work and continue my graduate degrees. I spent two good years at Era-I got “my feet on the ground” with my teaching and developed many friendships which continue to this day. One of my best honors was to be invited back as the graduation speaker the year after I left. Two years ago, my wife and I went back to the fortieth class reunion of what was the tenth grade class the first year I taught there.

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Gwen Gibson Armstrong

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Pleasssse, pull my fingernails out, smash my foot, but don’t make me write a biography! All of the bios I have read sound so “educated”, exciting, serene, worthwhile by contributing to the public good, or all of the above. I have just lived life MY way.

After graduating MHS I attended TCU and went into total shock. I was NOT prepared for college. I did not know how to study, or make new friends, or be a good sorority sister. I realized I had grown up in a glass bubble in Midland … over-protected and insulated from reality. After two years of floundering through classes I returned to Midland and went to work for Humble Oil & Refining Company with a starting salary of $240.00 a month. I was RICH! After four years in my hometown I finally broke the apron strings and moved to Houston where I worked for another oil company. After two years of too many people and two much traffic I moved to Santa Fe, NM. FREE AT LAST! The late bloomer burst forth as a flower child. (I still don’t think pot is a drug, but no longer do I play with it … darn it.) My work in Santa Fe was as guest manager of an exclusive guest ranch where we had Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Shirley Jones, Audrey Hepburn, and many more notables stay for weeks while they made movies.

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Nelda Walker Nelson

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I surely can’t be writing a bio for my 50th high school reunion, but I guess time has a way of marching forward and taking me with it!

Upon graduation I went to Texas Tech for summer school; of course I was following a good looking “older man” whom I later married. After Tech it was off to TCU and my wonderful roomie Ann Mackey Williams. To this day we are still “best friends”.

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Shirley Mahan McBryde

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It has been great reading what everyone has been doing the last fifty years. I have trouble believing I am way over fifty in age. I keep telling my children are catching up to me. I would love to see everyone. It seems that every reunion I have either lived out of state and couldn’t come or something has come up to keep me from going. I really was hoping to get to make it this time.

On Tuesday June 2, 1959 right after we got out of school, Carl and I got married and I knew I had a winner when I fell in love with him. We had three wonderful children Carl Jr. (Bud), Mary Ann and Margaret Lynn. They were all born in Odessa, Texas.

Mary Ann had a lot of health problems and we lost her after 13 years of her teaching us the true meaning of love and strength.

Bud, 48 now gave us two beautiful grandchildren — Drew 23 working for longhorn road construction in Gilmer Texas, and Sherry 20 going to Eastman College in OK. She will be a sophomore next Sept.

Margaret married Coach Buddy Blair and they have given us three grandsons, Brice, Brock and Beau. As you can guess, they are very much in sports — they didn’t get a choice. Brice 25, went in the army as soon as he finished school and has been to Iraq twice. When he first went in service and went thru training one of the boys asked him if he was scared of his sergeant. Brice told him, he was ok, reminded him of his father. (As a coach, he was harder on his own children, which was good) stupid and dumb ass was just part of daily living. Brice will be coming home July 8 to Seattle, WA from Iraq, and in Oct will be out after five years. Has decided not to stay in. Planning on getting married June 11, 2010.

Brock 21 got the Ford award in football his senior year played in the backfield. They also went to state in baseball and came in 2nd, which was great and he was good in all sports. But I’m afraid he took his height from his mother’s side of the family, and is short like us.

Now Beau is the baby nearly 6 ft like his dad, plays on the line, goes at Gilmer High School, makes all A’s and in top 10 of his class. He will be a senior next year. Enough about my grandchildren. 

We own a home in DeSoto, Texas and also stay at Horseshoe Bay in Marble Falls. (I am really homeless.) I don’t stay in DeSoto or Marble Falls long enough to unpack. I guess that’s why I’ve been with the same man for 50 years. We’ve lived in Texas, New Mexico, ILL., CA., Georgia. Played, partied, gambled like no tomorrow, grew up, went back to college. Carl became a Church of Christ minister. Now I must say some of you have had more than one spouse, me, now I only had one spouse, but with many hats. It’s like I have been married to about three or four different people. Now on the other hand, poor Carl married a little woman, had a huge woman, then little wife and never knew what color hair or what weight. -Just a 4’11” woman. It’s been fifty good  bad, sad, wonderful years, that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And on Sat. July 11, I will have all of my family with me, and my 91 year old father who is fit as a fiddle will walk with me in church down to Carl, and again we will renew our vows to one another.

God has blessed us with a wonderful family and friends.

To all of you my love and friendship and know that I will be thinking of you at the reunion. Have a

wonderful and safe time. God Bless

Shirley Mahan McBryde