Pearl Ella Francis Elley (1918 - 2008)

Born 6 Dec 1918 in Hilda, Mason, Texas, USA

Ancestors

Died 8 Jun 2008 at age 89 in Claremore, Rogers, Oklahoma, USA

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Biography

Buried 2008 Seguin, Guadalupe, Texas, USA.

FSFTID L283-2LX.

Note: Pearl Elley Bethune 1918 - 2008 Pearl Elley Bethune, longtime resident of Austin, Texas, and author of two books recounting her Texas family's colorful history and childhood reminiscences through poetry, completed the final chapter of her earthly life on June 8, 2008, at the Claremore Nursing Home in Claremore, Oklahoma. She traveled instantly and peacefully into the awaiting arms of her Lord and Savior, never to glance back or know the ravages of age and suffering again. After 89 full and happy years here, she is now transformed - eternally young, healthy and naturally blond - at her brand new permanent address, Heaven, after temporarily residing in Claremore this past year! When not dancing around the Throne, Pearl's family predicts she will be busily converting one of her new mansion's bedrooms (John 14:2) into a home office where she can resume her seat by the window, sip fresh hot black coffee, and write of her most recent and exciting travel experience ever to convince all of us down here that Heaven is THE place to be! Born at Hilda, Texas, on December 6, 1918, Pearl Ella Frances was the daughter of Eugene Louis and Ella (Blumberg) Elley. As one of four Elley children growing up in the rolling hill country of Guadalupe County, she often lovingly recalled the scenes of her childhood and life within her close-knit family. Those memories were enshrined in the poems of her first book, A Texas Child's Harvest, for Anyone Who Has Ever Been a Child , privately published by her own Bethune Publications in 1988. It was written, she said, "...to celebrate a delightful season of my life too filled with love and wonder to be forgotten...." Pearl graduated from McQueeney High School, where she excelled in both academics and sports. Her experiences there led to her life-long pursuit of education and writing, and a fondness for swimming, music, and dancing, all of which she enjoyed throughout her life. An added passion was certainly travel, and Pearl accumulated many road and frequent flyer miles visiting her sons and their families from coast to coast. Air travel was made even more accessible for her when two sons chose airline careers, much to her delight. She traveled to her ancestral homeland of Germany multiple times with "favorite cousin", E. J., and made many new friends there. In the last decade she visited both Paris and London, lifelong "wish list" destinations, with good friend, Helga. No one adored "First Class" more than Pearl and she often cajoled seatmates, who were "captive audiences", into purchasing her two books! She knew how to "close a sale" like no one else! "Adopted mother" to countless beloved dogs, cats and birds, plus many of Austin's Ruth Avenue neighborhood kids, Pearl did not slow down for middle age nor retirement. Her "golden years" found her an active member in a local square dance group, the Austin Banjo Club, and the Texas German-American Society. She took golf lessons in her 70's, enjoyed walking and bicycling, incessantly researched Texas and family history, photographed and wrote of every adventure she undertook, and rose at 5:00 a.m. each morning to devour the Austin Statesman and later the Houston Chronicle , from which she clipped hundreds of articles featuring "middle son", Gordon, former Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines, naturally her favorite airline! Each theater season she proudly attended Austin's Continental-sponsored Broadway Series in her beautiful new silver Cadillac El Dorado, an 80th birthday present from Gordon, which she saved for those "special occasions" while driving her little blue 1980 Datsun station wagon for "everyday"! Sunday, coincidently the day of her passing, was Pearl's favorite day of the week when she received her much-anticipated weekly telephone calls from all three sons, no matter where in the world they were! If one was even 2 minutes past his "appointed time", she would call him to see what the delay was! Visits from her boys were beyond-special and always celebrated with her legendary lemon meringue pie, chocolate brownies and enchiladas! In 1938, she was married to Waford Levi ("Jack") Bethune and the couple had three sons; but, alas, the marriage was not to last and in 1943 Pearl found herself a single mother and the family's breadwinner. She pursued a career in sales as an educational publishing agent and, in 1960, won the Americana Corporation's "Presidential Award," being one of the first women in the nation to earn that honor. She went on to marry three more times before deciding she was "better off single and independent"! To follow her interest in writing in the late 60's, she enrolled at the University of Texas, where two of her sons were attending. Majoring in Journalism, Pearl wrote and reported for the campus newspaper, The Daily Texan . As a fifth-generation Texan whose maiden name "Elley" was anglicized from "Von Elterlein" during the mid-19th century, Pearl developed a strong interest in family genealogy, which culminated in the 1990 publication of her second book, Forward to the Past! In it, she recounts the arduous travels of her Prussian ancestors, their settlement in early Texas German communities, service in battles for Texas independence, and their many contributions to Texas history since. It has, she wrote, "...a special significance for any American whose immigrant ancestors sailed the immeasurable ocean and had to conquer the raw wilderness with their bare hands." Pearl is survived by her three "fine" sons, the true loves of her life: Jack Bethune of Sarasota, Florida; Gordon Bethune of Houston, Texas, and wife, T. J.; and David Bethune and wife, Karen, of Oologah, Oklahoma, who she left Austin to be near when her health and memory began to wane in 2007. She is also survived by eight of the "smartest grandchildren in the world" who called her "Texas Granny", two great-grandchildren, plus numerous cousins, nephews and nieces, longtime friends and neighbors, and the many, wonderful memories that will remain with them forever of this most unique and definitely one-of-a-kind, intelligent, spirited, humorous, highly opinionated and strong-willed (!), energetic, heritage-conscious, family and animal-loving, multi-talented, coffee-drinking matriarch, "Renaissance" woman and proud daughter of Texas. Rice Funeral Service in Claremore, OK, is making local arrangements, after which Pearl's "earthly shell" will board her last Continental flight back to her beloved Texas. She will be laid to rest on June 12th, 2008, beside her parents at the San Geronimo Cemetery in Seguin, TX under the direction of Palmer Funeral Home. The family requests no flowers, but covets the prayers of friends as they raise their cups one last time to toast a life well-lived with her beverage of choice, fresh hot black coffee, and bid her, "Bon voyage", on this final trip--destination Heaven--for which she's held her one-way "First Class ticket" in her heart since childhood. Published in Austin American-Statesman on June 10, 2008 - See more at: http:/www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesmanobituary.aspx?pid=111274889#sthash.ZSBVhqYo.dpuf.

Sources

• Source: S2 Internet findagrave.com Certainty: 2 Master Listing Source: Yhttps://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=33912152 Certainty: 2

• Source: S316 Nachruf Nachrufe, Obituaries etc. Master Listing Source: Yhttps://www.legacy.com/obituaries/Statesman/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=111274889

• Source: S452 Pearl Elley, „Texas Marriages, 1966-2010“ Note: "Texas Marriages, 1966-2010," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VT1L-CKW : 6 December 2014), Carl G Schmill and Pearl Elley, 10 Nov 1969; citing Bexar, Texas, United States, certificate number 114046, Vital Statistics Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin. Master Listing Source: YFSFTID 9V4W-KX5

• Source: S453 Pearl Elley, „Texas Marriages, 1966-2010“ Note: "Texas Marriages, 1966-2010," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VTPD-P7D : 6 December 2014), Carl Glenn Schmill and Pearl Elley, 28 Jun 1968; citing Harris, Texas, United States, certificate number 055064, Vital Statistics Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin. Master Listing Source: YFSFTID 9V4W-KMC

• Source: S454 Pearl Ella Francis Elley, „Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997“ Note: "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V83K-RBJ : 1 January 2015), Pearl Ella Francis Elley, 06 Dec 1918; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services. Master Listing Source: YFSFTID 9V47-KC9

• Source: S455 Pearl Elley Bethune, "Find A Grave Index" Note: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVKH-XQT9 : 13 December 2015), Pearl Elley Bethune, 2008; Burial, Seguin, Guadalupe, Texas, United States of America, San Geronimo Cemetery; citing record ID 33912152, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. Master Listing Source: YFSFTID 96PZ-ZXF