C.R. "PeeWee" Watkins

1930 - 2011

On Friday, July 22, 2011, C.R. "PeeWee" Watkins, our daddy, went home. He was embraced in the light of the Lord when he boarded that train at the depot to heaven. To welcome him aboard with open arms and a beautiful smile stood the love of his life, the mother of his children and his wife of 42 years, Patricia Duval Watkins. Nearby, his parents along with his brothers and countless family and friends beamed in the beautiful splendor. Funeral: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Mount Olivet Chapel. Interment: Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Mount Olivet Funeral Home. Daddy was born in Fort Worth the ninth of 11 children, grew up in Poly and was a Proud Poly Parrot. He was the catcher for their baseball team when they went to state in 1945. Many a weekend when Dad and his fellow Parrots were not playing ball or watching the pretty girls, they were teaching lessons to those Paschal boys. Daddy served in the 351st TRUST Infantry Brigade, U.S. Army, in Trieste, Italy during the Korean War. From New Jersey he shipped out on the US Upshur, which was a 45-day trip to Italy. He had never been on a boat before much less a ship and he never wanted to get on one again and he didn't. Dad was in charge of the field house where he trained boxers and refereed matches as well. He set up the first boxing match between two countries on his own and though warned he could be in hot water for doing such, the Big General loved it and all was well. Dad was also the catcher for the Army's baseball team, the Spearheads, and the first baseball game ever played in Austria was between the Spearheads and Austria. Daddy worked for 39 years at Bill Sodd's Grocer at the same time he worked at the T&P, Missouri-Pacific, and Union Pacific Railroad. At the age of 14, dad started at the railroad and just shy of 50 years later, retired as Carman car inspector in 1993. Dad's hobby was fighting cock roosters. He got it in his blood from his daddy and he went on to create his own breed that was requested from all over the world as well as selling his special feed mix for $50 a pound. He won countless derbies and appeared in Grit magazine. Daddy loved his sports and season tickets for four; the Cowboys were part of our life growing up. From Dandy Don in the Cotton Bowl to Troy Aikman in Texas Stadium, Sundays were all about football and without him it will be far too quite. Daddy was a Papa too and he was IT. His grandchildren and great- grandchildren adored him and they each had their own special connection to their PaPa. He was very proud and happy for them all. Simply put, our daddy was a man's man; hardworking and God fearing; a proud American man. He dances now with Mama and he was and always will be our hero. Survivors: Daughters, Charla Shurbet, Judy Bell, Terri Richard and husband, Mike, Gail Vines and husband, David; sons, Billy Watkins and wife, Donna, Bobby Watkins; 15 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sisters, Sandra and Gwendolyn.