Chapter one: I was born, on September 11, 1946, in Comanche, Texas, just about 9 months after my dad came back from the Pacific. He was in the Navy, and proud of it. He was also proud to be a Texan, so I had to be born in the old home town. Three weeks later I was on a train to Key West, Florida, accompanied by my mother and big sister Gwen. Over the next fifteen years we lived in Charleston, S.C., Norfolk, Va., Dallas, and San Diego, where Dad retired. We moved back to Texas, naturally, where I graduated from South Oak Cliff High School. I went for two years to Navarro College, then finished my B.A. in Psychology at Texas Tech. On September 2, 1967, I married Don Alan Wetzel, who grew up in Houston but whose family was also from Comanche. After we graduated from Tech, I earned a P.H.T. (Putting Hubby Through), working at Goodwill Industries and the Waco V.A. Hospital while Don went to law school at Baylor University. Don stayed one step ahead of the draft board – his lottery # was 26, we knew it was just a matter of time. In Feb. 1970 he joined the Army Judge Advocate General Corps. We were stationed at Fort Eustis, Va., where our first son, Christopher Baylor Wetzel, was born. Next we went to Bangkok, Thailand, where we had lots of adventures, bought lots of cool stuff, and had our second son, Jeffrey Alan.
We moved to Houston in June, 1974. Don clerked for a federal judge, joined Baker & Botts Law Firm for a short while, worked for other firms and for himself. I started graduate school in the Anthropology Dept. of Rice University, and our marriage broke up.
I’ve been lots of places, done lots of interesting things. I met Arlo Guthrie in 1989, and I can say he’s a friend of mine. I have been to Kinky Friedman’s ranch in the Texas Hill Country, and when I see him around he knows my name. I am proud to say that Nancy Parker-Simon and her husband Tony, who runs kinky’s Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, are good friends. They are two of the finer human beings I’ve ever known.
I did not finish my Ph.D. work, due to funding and personal issues. I started as a student worker in the Fondren Library at Rice, later became a staff member, later still got a degree in Library and Information Science, and 25 years later I am still at Rice.
I love travel, music, specifically folk music and that old time rock ‘n roll, and reading, writing, and reviewing mysteries. I am proud of my sons – Baylor is a computer geek and is working on a Ph.D. in Artifical Intelligence in Minnesota. Jeff is a musician and worship minister at a church in Sugar Land. Sometimes I wonder how 2 kids with the same parents can turn out so different … I am still close to Baylor’s ex-wife Lisa, and I adore their 3 daughters, Ashley, age 13, and twins Amber & Autumn, just turned 12. I love Jeff’s step-daughter Maddie and his wife Ronna too.
I am a mild-mannered librarian at Rice University, Houston, Texas. This is a work assignment designed to teach old dogs new tricks. So far, so good.
Hi! Shirley
Wow! such a life: so much excitement, full of happiness and heartache. I envy you!
Be proud of yourself and your wonderful friends, family.
Dao is one of my wonderful friends. She introduced me to Don when we were in college at Texas Tech, and for that I am grateful. She went back to Vietnam after college, and we lost her for awhile. We tracked her down while we were stationed in Thailand. She and her husband Tuan were diplomats for the government of South Vietnam, stationed in Tokyo. We stopped off to see them in June, 1974, on our way home. We kept in touch, and as things heated up between North and South Vietnam, she wrote to me about how it felt to be losing one’s country. Finally in 1975 came the day when she and her husband watched on tv as their flag was lowered, replaced by the flag of North VN. We sponsored her family to come to Houston, and despite troubles and sorrows we as Americans can’t even imagine they made a good life here. Last summer Dao and her daughter Hien went to VM – Dao’s first trip since 1975, Hien’s first trip ever.
My daughter was brought up “American”, she was amused but not impressed with things Vietnamese, I am sad to say, but I am also so americanized that I do not try to impose my thinking on anyone else…my heart still yearns for long lost golden days, but am grateful for kindness showered upon our family. We haven’t achieved anything much, but happy to be useful nuts (me and husband) and bolts (the rest of the family) in this great American system.
this is pretty neat!
Hello Cousin!
What a wonderful blog you have! I found you by accident while researching my family tree. I think we may have met before but I am not sure. I am the son of Charles Stewart and Marilyn Wilson. My sister is Wendy. I see you know my dad by reading your blog about memorial day.
My dad and I do not speak and have not seen each other face to face since 1985. I ran away from home in 1983 and he has basically disowned me.
As I said, I am researching my family and I am so glad to have found your blog. If you are planning to come to Okema this year I would like to meet you. I am also considering coming to the Robertson family reunion too.
Hope to hear from you!
Scott
Hi Shirley. No I didn’t get a copy of the essay of the trip to Wales and would love if you send it to me at my email addr.
I don’t remember much of childhood before about age 10, after we returned from Alaska. It was interesting reading your history. I was at Baylor also in the 60’s, lived in Wisc, Mich, Boston in the 70’s and was in Houston 9 years in the 80’s. We may have run across each other without knowing it. After 18 years in NY from the 90’s to the 00’s, we retired in 2004 to West Texas and will be moving to Austin in the next year or so. We hope to visit Taylor’s Chapel and areas around Comanche soon.
Thanks again for the world of information.
Ron
Hi Nana! I found a comment thingy!
Now me and Amber are 13. Oh no, teenagerdom! 00 I’m scared, but so far I have not gotten the urge to buy shoes. Thank goodness! Also, I couldn’t find Uncle Jeff on google. :< No fun, no fun. I shall keep up to date with your blog! ^^
No, how can you be 13 already!! I’m still so young. I’ll look for Uncle Jeff’s webpage. He has a “stage name” – Jeff West
love,
Nana
Dear Shirley,
Enjoyed scanning your blog. I’m really into genealogy and know that I am indirectly related to the WETZEL’s and LOW’s of Comanche County. My GGGM was Julia WETZEL LOW daughter of Jacob and Melvina MURRY WETZEL. I believe the Comanche County WETZEL’S are descended from Warren WETZEL of Georgia. Any chance you could make some introductions to the existing WETZEL family to pursue my genealogy passion?
Ed Bolden
Grapevine
Hi Ed,
Wetzel is my ex-husband’s family, and they aren’t much on genealogy. I did some research, and yes, my ex is descended from Warren Wetzel – George W. Wetzel – Charles Ethan Sr. -Charles Ethan Jr. The lady you need to get in touch with is the amazing Margaret Waring, librarian at the Comanche County library, and also a descendant of Warren Wetzel. Ask her nicely, and she’ll give you all the help there is to give. Tell her Shirley says hey.
http://www.comanchepubliclibrary.com
Good luck!
Shirley,
Thank you very much (especially considering the family tie is an “ex”). Like the blog.
Warmest regards,
Ed
You’re welcome, Ed. I’m still close to some of his family – and we had two sons together, so they are Wetzels, as are my grandchildren, so the Wetzel genealogy is important to me too. I hope you were able to get in touch with Margaret and find what you needed.
Shirley!
I didn’t know you have a blog! I’ve enjoyed reading it, and tried desperately to keep my eyes from leaking over Sweet Uncle Sterling and Papa. Hope you’re doing well!
Love ya,
Rauni
Oh no, now you’ll find out all my secrets 🙂 I’m glad you found me. It has helped me through some of these rough times to write about it, and share it with friends, family & strangers who might want to be friends, or are touched by something I’ve written. Dad would have been 90 next Monday … each “first” is hard, as you know. On my birthday last week, for the first time in 64 years there was no one to call me his baby girl. Don’t try not to cry, it hasn’t even been a year since those two old friends went up to Heaven, and it will take a long time for the pain to get easier to bear.
I am trying to reach t shirt cathy, is their any contact info plz.
She’s on Facebook, Cathy Woolsey