Edwin Earl Drake

Edwin Earl Drake, 95, passed away Wednesday, June 8, 2016.

Edwin was born to Earl Garland Drake and Birdie Irene (Puckett) Drake, at home in Pumphry, Texas. (Runnels County)

Edwin married his sweet heart, Ollie Evelyn Jones August 10, 1940 in Ballinger, Texas. They were married for 72 years before she passed away in 2012. They had two girls, Margaret Ann and Sandra Jean. He worked for the Cabot Gasoline Company in Wickett, Texas and they transferred him to Glenrock, Wyoming and he fell in love with the country. Then they transferred him back to Wickett and he left that company after 24 years to go to work for Gary Energy in Belle Creek, Montana to get back to the country he loved. They transferred him to Roosevelt, Utah, to be the supervisor over the Blue Bell Gas Plant, and that is where they were living when he retired in 1985. They moved back to Ballinger in 1993 to be near family. He was a member of the Seventh Street Baptist Church.

Ed loved to hunt and fish and loved to share his many memories with everyone he could. He had many stories including several from his growing up years. Let’s just say Ralph Jones learned a lot he didn’t know about his Dad, Curtis Jones, from Ed as they spent a lot of their growing up years together. Some of the stories are pretty funny and some are pretty enlightening. Ed was a proud Life Member of the NRA. He was a wonderful husband, father, granddad, provider, and friend.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn; daughter, Ann; son-in-law, Jimmie Stephenson; granddaughter, Jammie Stephenson; grandson, Wade Sutphin; his parents; a brother Jack Drake; two sisters, Trudie Holrooks and Helen Miller.

Ed is survived by his daughter, Sandy Stephenson; son-in-law Jesse Paul; five grandchildren, Jay Paul and wife Janis of Greenville, TX, Kari Blomberg and husband Brian of Moreno Valley, CA, Shay’Ann Sutphin of Coleman, TX, Jerry Stephenson of Upton, WY, and Michael Stephenson and wife Jo-Lin of Parker, CO; 18 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Saturday, June 11th at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger. Services will be held on Sunday, June 12 at 4:00 pm at the 7th Street Baptist Church in Ballinger with Myron Halford officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Ballinger.