Edward W Westbrook
May 9, 2015 ~ August 16, 2008
Edward W. Westbrook, 93, of Linden, Texas passed away peacefully Saturday, August 16 after a brief illness. He was born May 9, 1915 on the family farm which his ancestors from Georgia homesteaded in 1838. He loved this land with all his heart and took great joy in raising cattle, timber, farming, and hay production, all of which he was able to do until a few years ago. Mr. Westbrook attended Cass County schools through the 11th grade, and then rode his horse to Naples, Texas, his senior year as Marietta did not have a 12th grade. He then graduated from East Texas State University in 1937 with a degree in social studies. He taught school and coached at Laney and Bivins, and then attended Sam Houston State University to obtain a Master of Agriculture degree under the Smith-Hughes Act. While in college, he joined the National Guard and later enlisted in the U.S. Army where he was a soldier in the 36th Division. He was selected for officer training school at Fort Benning, Georgia and Gainesville, Florida and ultimately rose to the rank of Captain. He was stationed at Camp Brownwood and was at a movie with some of his fellow soldiers when they got the call to return to base immediately as Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese. One week later, his division was split, and he was assigned to the 84th Infantry, also known as the Railsplitter Division. He was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico to guard the Norden bombsight. After D-Day on June 6, he was shipped out of Brooklyn, New York with 6000 soldiers to land in Liverpool, England. He was then shipped across the English Channel, landed on Omaha Beach and went through Paris to the front lines in the Ardennes Forest for six months. He was wounded by German fire at a battle in the Hurricane Forest during the Battle of the Bulge. His comrades took him back to company headquarters, and when the medics pulled his shoes off, his feet were frozen. He then came home on an army hospital ship and recalls the joy of seeing the Statue of Liberty as they entered New York Harbor. After a long recovery, he was honorably discharged and received the Purple Heart as well as numerous other awards for his service to the county he so dearly loved. He married Dale Law of Huffines on March 5, 1943 in Texarkana, and they were married for 58 years, until her death in 2001. Mr. Westbrook happily returned to ranching and teaching after World War II. He taught at several Cass Country Schools and was principal at Linden Elementary School. He later served as Cass Country Superintendent of Schools until his retirement. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Linden, the American Legion, the Lions Club, and the Masonic Lodge of Marietta. He was preceded in death by his wife Dale, his parents Edgar and Minnie Westbrook, and his sister, Mary Lou Westbrook. He is survived by his two daughters, Marsha Lindsey of Atlanta, and Sandra Skoog of Longview; his son-in-law, Eric Skoog; his grandchildren, Hunter Skoog of Longview, Cecily Lindsey of Dallas, and Amber Lindsey Raymond and her husband, Joshua Raymond, of Little Rock, Arkansas. Services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Linden at 2 pm on Tuesday, August 19. Burial will follow at Linden Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be at Reeder-Davis-Schindler Funeral Home in Linden on Monday from 6 8 p.m. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Linden, Linden Cemetery Association or Good Shepherd Medical Center Linden. The family wishes to extend special thanks to Terry Elders and Dr. Kathleen Sharp of Good Shepherd Medical CenterLinden, his church family at First Baptist Church Linden, and his wonderful Linden neighbors.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
Sandra, Eric, & Hunter … We are SO sorry to hear about the loss of Mr. Westbrook. He will be truly missed by all … Please know we are thinking about you. Our love to you all … elyse & Steve
Marsha and Sandra,I loved the wonderful memoriam written about your father. It makes me understand you and what makes you special. I am sorry for your loss but it sounds like he had a wonderful and full life. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.Kathy Allen
We both loved and respected Mr. Westbrook as our teacher and Principal when we were both in elementary school. He, like so many others of the "Greatest Generation", never mentioned his WW II days in our presence. We honor him for his life, his service to country, and his dedication to all us school kids.
Sandra and family, my thoughts and prayers to you at this time.
We are sorry to hear about your father's death. One thing someone told me after my parents' deaths was that their life on earth lives on not only in our memories but in the fabric of our being. Your parents' morals, work ethic, personalities, etc. are all a part of who you are. As an educator I'm sure your father also touched the lives of many other people.You are in our prayers.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time of loss. Mr. Ed was a great man and he will be missed.
I was terrified of being in Mr. Westbrook's 7th grade math class at Linden Elementary. But, I did get there and I'll never see a multiplication table or multiply manually that I don't think of him. He was a wonderful teacher, one that I have admired all these years. We need more educators like him. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
It's been many years but I still remember Mr Westbrook,he made a impression upon me. Very sorry for the loss. R Paulette
My prayers are with you Sandra and the rest of your family. Remember the many good times you spent with your Dad.
Marsha and Sandra, Your family has always held a very special place with my family. Some of my fondest memories is Aunt Minnie's strawberry patch. I would like to share with you words that were spoken at my Dad's services by a family friend. "The foundation of any structure is its most important part. The same is true with life. If we are properly prepared from the beginning and lay the groundwork with proper beliefs, we will be able to withstand the ravages of life. While others may fall about us, we can survive." May you find peace and comfort in your memories….
We are sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
Sandra and Family:So sorry to hear of your loss. I know how upset you and your sister were over your Dad's sudden illness and how to handle the situation. God is always with us and we learn to lean on him and let him take of things for us. You and your sister can be support and comfort for each other..just hold tight to the lifetime of wonderful memories!! God Bless you all,LEE ANN & JEFF
We will miss our neighbor. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of loss.Bruce and Berny Harris
Sunday mornings at FBC Linden will never be the same. I'll miss seeing your Dad come in at 10:15 AM and take his seat…you could set a clock by his promptness. He and my daddy were the oldest men in the church until Dad passed away 2 years ago. Be strong, have faith…the Lord will get you through this. God bless you and your families.Love,Patti