Otela Marie Davis Patterson, better known as Tela or Mur, was born on Oct. 21, 1917, in Gonzales to Joe Davis and Otela (Lockhart) Davis. She passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Kerrville, at the age of 99. The family moved to Uvalde when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Uvalde High School, and then from Tyler Commercial College. After graduation, she went to work in Uvalde, where she began dating Jack Hamilton Patterson. They were married on June 22, 1937. Together, they moved to Rio Frio, and she and Jack began ranching. Tela was involved in all aspects of the operation, stopping just long enough to give birth to three children. Daughter Allyne was the first-born. She married Dole Crider and had one son, Mark, and one granddaughter, Madison. Madison is married to Joseph Failla. Mark later married Cenisa, adding Houston and Kaitlynn to the family. Her second daughter, Rena Joe, had two daughters, Lindsay and Lanie. Lindsay is the mother of Luke and Sarah. Lanie and her husband, Cully, are the parents of one son, Cade. Rena Joe later married Red Johnson. Tela’s youngest child and only son, WB Patterson III, married Ginger Rimkus. They are the parents of three children, Sheryl, WB IV (Cuatro) and Jack. Sheryl and her husband, Jim, are the parents of Duane, Jamie, Whitney, and Max. Duane and his wife, Elly, are the parents of Tri and Autumn. Whitney and her husband, Kerry, are the parents of Sutton and Saxon. Max has one daughter, Adilan. Cuatro and his wife, Kendall, are the parents of two sons, Hunter and Riley, both currently at Texas A&M University. Jack and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of Morgan, Jack Wilson II, and Grady. Tela also loved the Cravey Sisters, whom she referred to as her “other daughters.” The love between the two families was something she cherished. Mur was very proud of her family and felt very blessed to have all of them living nearby. Having her family visit her was one of her greatest joys in life. Tela was a very proud Texan, telling all those that would listen about her grandfather fighting in the Battle of San Jacinto. She was a charter member of the Caddel- Smith Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Tela was also a proud member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Leakey United Methodist Church, Tela was preceded in death by her parents; two siblings; her husband, Jack; her daughter, Rena Joe; two sons-inlaw, Doyle and Red; and sister-in-law, Doris Langford. Pallbearers were Mark Crider, Cuatro Patterson, Jack Patterson, Jim Wilson, Cully Vickers, and Ruben Navarro. Honorary pallbearers were James Pate, W.B. Sansom Jr., Bill Greenwalt, Ray Baker, Jim Jackson, Carl Chisum, and Don Tumlinson. Funeral services were held on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, at 2 p.m. at Leakey United Methodist Church. The Rev. Walter Prescher officiated. Interment followed at the Rio Frio Cemetery. The family requests that memorials be made to the Rio Frio Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 247, Rio Frio, TX, 78879, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements were under the care of Nelson Funeral Home of Leakey.
THE PRECEDING IS A PAID OBITUARY.