Rodney Allen Watson

Rodney Allen Watson, longtime and well known resident of Rowena, passed away Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at his residence. He was 79.

He was born December 26, 1928 in Pine Level, North Carolina to Jacob Floyd and Rena (Collier) Watson, the seventeenth of twenty children, and grew up working on the family tobacco farm. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1947 and served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant. He did basic training at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, then served at Nagoya, Japan; Kadena, Okinawa; Chatham Field, Savannah, Georgia; Goodfellow AFB, Texas; Etain, France; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; Incirlik, Turkey; Dauphin Island, Alabama; Can Tho, Vietnam and retired at Perrin AFB, Texas.

He married Emmalene Dorette Goetz at the Evangelical and Reform Church in Rowena on June 3, 1949. She preceded him in death December 17, 2005. After a twenty-year career with the Air Force he retired to Rowena in 1968 where he was the town barber until the early 1990’s. Rodney and Emmalene were very active in the community and were involved with many civic clubs and associations throughout their lives. Rodney was a member of O.D.H.S., the Rowena Protestant Cemetery Association, Lions Club, the Air Force Sergeant’s Club, and the Sons of Hermann.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, eighteen siblings, and an infant daughter, Wendy Henree in August of 1963.

Rodney is survived by his daughter, Emlyn Jansa and her husband, William, of Abilene and by one brother, S. Wayne Watson and wife, Rosemary, and their son, Jason. Also surviving are three grandchildren, Cary and Josh Reid and their son, Joshua Thomas; Tracy and Mike Sorrells and son, Hunter Yearian; Kristi Jansa and daughter, Ariel Cortinez; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Carolyn G. McNelly of Rowena.

There will be a time of visitation for family and friends on Thursday, December 11 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Lange Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Joe Chamness officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Rowena Protestant Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Mike Sorrells, Josh Reid, Eddie McNelly, Bradley Horton, Jason Watson, and Lonnie Murdock.