Geraldine Watson

Geraldine Ellis
Watson Legacy, Steward and Daughter of the Great State of Texas passed from the flora and fauna she loved so dearly into the heavens on Friday, April 6, 2012. She was born February 8, 1925 in Bon Ami, Louisiana to Herbert Guy Ellis and Retha Goznell Ellis. Her children, sons Marvin E Watson, of Austin Texas, Bobby L Watson of Reno, Nevada, daughters, Retha Regina Watson of Austin, Texas and Maria Eden Williams of Silsbee, Texas survive her. Her son, David Earl Watson and husband, Earl P Watson preceded her in death. She had four grandchildren, six great grand children, loving nieces and nephews and has influenced the lives of millions.
Geraldine's activism and involvement with a large number of environmental causes led her to become a critical part of the effort to establish the Big Thicket national Preserve. She emerged a renown botanist, as her studies became background for legions of authors, journalists and historians who wrote about the area and the State of Texas. She authored books about the wild flowers and plants of Texas as well as contributing extensively to other works by other botanists. Her books, Big Thicket Plant Ecology is now in it's third edition and Reflections on The Neches is peaceful reading and an actual escape from the modern world she despised.
She was also a talented artist and her work depicts the birds and flowers of her botanical preserve she and her family established in 1974 and includes a series called "The Good ol' Days", scenes of local folk, barn dances, juke joints, plowin', fishin', pea pickin' and the places she and her family used to camp, picnic and swim.
Her goals were to make sure the local people's interests were not sacrificed over governmental control and to always show that the Hand of God was the creator of our magnificent and beautiful world. Because of her tireless efforts, Geraldine is one of the 62 Texas Conservationists profiled in The Texas Legacy Project.
There will be a private service on her preserve and the family asks that in lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to any BBVA Compass Bank, account number 2522256016, as a memorial contribution to help the family with continued management of the preserve.