LIPAN’S TED SEARS WILL BE MISSED
Lipan Smoke Signals by Winnie Moore
Hood County News dated June 24, 1989
When I visited with Ted and Jerrye Sears on June 12, Ted mentioned two men whom he felt had been real assets to the stabilization and modernization of Lipan through the years. Those two were the late W. B. Byrd and the late Herman Howard. I feel that many in this community will agree that Ted Sears could be included in that capacity along with those two.
As most who read this know by now, Ted Sears died unexpectedly two days after I visited with him and Jerrye. If we did not realize it before his death, surely we know now that Ted Sears was widely known and respected.
Ted was definitely a native of Lipan having been born right here in Lipan. The Sears home is located in just about the exact place where the original Sears home was located when Ted was born there on September 11, 1917.
The Sears family settled near Robinson Creek when they came to this area. One of Ted’s grandfathers was a deputy sheriff in Granbury at one time. The family was originally from Georgia.
One of that family, George Sears, carried mail between Lipan and Weatherford. This was done at a much slower pace than mail is delivered now due to the mode of travel at that time. One day was spent taking the mail to Weatherford and the next day bringing mail from Weatherford to Lipan, etc.
The slow traveling apparently allowed time for Sears to become acquainted with people who lived along the way. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Carrie Hubbard.
George and Carrie Hubbard Sears lived west of Lipan after their marriage. Later, they moved to Lipan.
Ted was one of eight children born to that couple. Two of those children are still living. Bessie Lea Hendrick resides in a retirement facility in Mineral Wells and Esther Ruth Gibson lives in Pampa.
Apparently, the Sears family was a very loving family. Ted was two years old when his mother passed away and four years old when his daddy died. There were other young children in the family also.
An older sister who was already married took the children into her home for a while. Then it was necessary for other older sisters who were school teachers to help with the children. Because of this Ted attended several schools which included Lipan, Nattie Flat, Millsap, and Santo. His senior year was spent back at Lipan.
During the summer months, the younger ones lived in their home in Lipan along with their sister, Marie, who did not teach in the summer months, of course.
In 1943, George Hood came to Lipan to teach school. His daughter, Jerrye, also came and taught school here. So, it was here that Ted met Jerrye. They were married in the Baptist parsonage at Perrin on August 30, 1944.
Jerrye was born in Fort Worth but grew up near the Highland community not far from Dublin. Her parents were George and Bernice McGriff Hood. Hood taught school in the Dublin area before coming to Lipan.
Jerrye attended elementary school at Highland and high school at Comyn where she lettered four years in basketball. One of the highlights of her life during those years was when she sang in a girls group called “Lazy Daisy Girls.” They even sang on radio station KFPL in Dublin. There were three other children in the Hood family.
Ted and Jerrye were blessed with three sons. Danny lives at Cedar Hill and Timothy in Houston. Rodney was killed in an automobile accident in 1974.
The Sears family has maintained a very close relationship with Rodney’s widow Patty, and his daughter, Jackie, who was born shortly after Rodney’s death. Patty is now married to Troy Ranspot and they make their home at Brock. Being the caring family that they are, Ted and Jerrye accepted Troy as one of their own. The child that was born to Troy and Patty was loved and accepted as one of their four grandchildren. Her name was Celene. She passed away last year after a short illness when she was 9 years old.
Ted had definitely not retired at the time of his death. He had worked in the banking business for 42 years. He had been president of First National Bank of Lipan for 34 years prior to his death.
He definitely remembered the “yesteryears” of Lipan — the number of stores including the drug store, a shoe cobbler where he went to have his shoes repaired, and the crowd of people that came to town on Saturdays. This was a time when some of the people brought eggs and cream and chickens to trade for groceries or to sell and buy groceries. The Bean Store was also discussed. This store was located where Karen’s Beauty Shop is now located.
W. B. Byrd was indeed a real asset to Lipan. There was a dynamo located in his building which provided electricity for Lipan.
As has already been mentioned, Ted held Mr. Byrd and Herman Howard in high regard as far as what they did for our community. It has been very obvious, especially in recent days, that residents here feel the same way about Ted Sears. He will be missed.
OBITUARY NOTICE FOR TED SEARS
Hood County News
June 21, 1989
Edwin Hansford (Ted) Sears, 71, died Wednesday, June 14 in Granbury. Sears, a native of Hood County, was born in Lipan on September 11, 1917.
His grandparents settled in Hood County in 1866. His grandfather, John Bryant Sears, was involved in the Point of Timbers Indian fight and was deputy sheriff at the time of Nelson “Cooney” Mitchell’s trial. Sears’ grandfather also served as an early commissioner of Precinct One and was commissioner at the time the present courthouse was constructed.
Sears’ aunt and uncle were among the Class of 1873 at Add-Ran College in Thorp Springs. That institution is now known as Texas Christian University.
His father, George T. Sears, was a mail carrier between Lipan and Weatherford from 1894-1900. He was also a rancher and banker in the Lipan area.
Sears attended Lipan Public Schools and graduated in 1935; he later attended John Tarleton College.
Sears was deputy sheriff under Oscar Campbell and served as vice president of First National Bank in Granbury and was named president of First National Bank in Lipan in 1956 and was serving in that capacity at the time of his death. He also had extensive ranching interests in Hood, Erath, Palo Pinto, and Parker counties.
He married Jerrye Hood on Aug. 30, 1944 in Perrin. Sears, a member of the Baptist Church, was preceded in death by a son, Rodney, in 1974 and a granddaughter, Celene, in 1988.
Funeral services were held Saturday, June 17 at First Baptist Church in Lipan with Rev. Frank Harris and Rev. Tom Couric officiating. Interment was in Evergreen Cemetery.
Pall Bearers were nephews Ben Gilbert, Jack Baker, Jack Sears, Jim Sears, John Hendrick, and Tom Vandiver.
Honorary pallbearers were Bennie Swenson, John Luton, Vaughn Addison, Bob Herrin, E. N. McPherson, Carter Lambertson, A. B. Gilbert, Bill Hurley, Lee Young, Dr. John L. Roan, D. J. and Jo Hall, Bill and Sandra Midkiff, Eileen Wilson, Mildred Neely, Blondie Compton, Averil Harris, Cotton Whitehead, Juanita McCauley, Beck and Louise Allen, and Bobbie Howard.
Survivors are his wife, Jerrye Sears of Lipan; two sons, Tim Sears of Houston, and Dan Sears of Cedar Hill; one daughter-in-law and her husband Patty and Troy Ranspot of Weatherford; three granddaughters, Jackie Sears of Weatherford and Natalie and Amanda Sears both of Irving; two sisters, Bessie Lea Hendrick of Mineral Wells and Esther Ruth Gibson of Pampa and several other relatives.
Martin’s Funeral Home directed the services.
Contributed by J. T. Sears, Son