Sybil Beck Sitton

Sybil Dene Beck Sitton passed away on November 24, 2018, at Harbor Hospice in Beaumont. She was a devoted daughter, wife and mother, aunt and cousin, daughter- and sister-in-law, and friend.

Mother was born October 20, 1926, in Cushing, Texas, to Georgia Libbye Lawrence and Ellis Dene “Honey” Beck. A brother followed in 1928, but sadly lived only a few hours. Her childhood in Cushing was filled with playing with her cousins, sleeping over at her Gran Lawrence’s house, and spending time at her Big Daddy Beck’s drugstore where she could always have as much ice cream as she wanted.

In high school, Mother played the saxophone in the marching band. She was also one of The Gang of Seven – a group of girls who grew up together in rural east Texas, finding joy in swimming in the river or climbing the fire tower just to enjoy the view. They found their life mates together, and remained friends throughout their lives.

Mother and Daddy were high school sweethearts, and after receiving a telegram telling her to “get your wedding dress ready. Your sailor boy is coming home!” she married Joseph Henry Sitton on her nineteenth birthday in 1945 while he was home on leave from the Navy. Her father-in-law always said that she was the prettiest girl in Cushing.

In 1949, Mother and Daddy moved to Pt. Neches so that Daddy could go to work at the Pure Oil Refinery. In 1950, they moved to Beaumont after welcoming the birth of their only child Becky Lind. Mother was a stay at home mom for many years, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t busy! She took pride in making sure her home was always clean and inviting, and a home cooked meal was always on the table when Daddy got home from work. Our family was always at South Park Baptist Church when the doors were open.

Mother’s main job though was taking care of me. She was a seamstress beyond compare. Until I went to college, she made every dress and pantsuit I ever wore – and my dolls frequently had a matching outfit. She taxied me to music and dance lessons on almost a daily basis until I was old enough to drive myself. She spent hours at her sewing machine making the costumes for my dance recitals, gathering yard upon yard of netting for the tutus and sewing hundreds of thousands of sequins on them by hand.

As I grew older, Mother began substitute teaching for the South Park Independent School District where she was in high demand for her skill and discipline in the classroom. Later she worked as secretary at MacArthur Junior High School, first for A. M. Holloway and later for Milton Allardyce. She continued to work for Mr. Allardyce at South Park Middle School until her retirement in 1991.

After they retired, Mother and Daddy discovered a love for travel. They enjoyed many trips and cruises with family and friends, and Mother often noted that they had visited nearly every state in the union including Alaska and Hawaii. They also enjoyed working around their home where Mother tended her patio filled with plants and Daddy worked his garden. They always had a freezer filled with peas and corn that they had gathered and “put up” together.

After Daddy’s death just eleven days shy of their 68th anniversary, Mother moved to Collier Park where she made many friends and took part in many of the activities that were offered. In time, every other Saturday became “nail day” for Mother and me. Mother enjoyed getting out, and our outings always included eating out at Schlotzski’s or Monterrey House. Those outings remain precious memories.

Mother was preceded in death by her parents; husband; her cousins, Dot and Harold Neill and Marjorie Lind and Victor Wilson; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Leona and Herman Sitton; her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Dagma and Allen Wiggins; her brother-in-law, Taylor Ross; and her niece, Carolyn Wiggins.

She is survived by her daughter, Becky Sitton of Beaumont; her cousin, Mildred McCormack of San Angelo; her sister-in-law, Twink Sitton Ross of Carthage; her nieces, Lisa Wiggins of Jasper and Susannah Romero and her husband, J.W., of Carthage; two great-nieces; and a great-nephew; as well as many other relatives and friends.

We are eternally grateful for the care Mother received from her doctors, Dr. Jeremy Huff, Dr. Mohammad Siddiqui at Harbor Hospice and especially Dr. Scott McKenney, from the nurses on 4 Southeast at St. Elizabeth and at Harbor Hospice, and most especially her long-time care givers, Loraine Mansfield, D’Lyssa Bush, Belinda Dill, and Nina Williams-Adams.

A gathering of Mrs. Sitton’s family and friends will begin at 9:00 a.m., with her funeral service to follow at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 28, 2018, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A graveside service will follow at 3:00 p.m., at Cushing Cemetery, Cemetery Circle, Cushing.