Harland Watson

1939 - 2026

Raymondville - Harland Andrew Watson (1939-2026)

Harland Andrew Watson died on February 12, 2026, at home surrounded by his family. Harland was born on December 15, 1939 in Raymondville, Texas, to Dale and Lee Ellen Watson. He grew up in Lasara, where his family owned the town's general store founded by his grandfather in 1926. His family also ran Lasara's post office and its water system. Watson's Store was the hub of the small farming community, and it was here that Harland's future role as a local merchant took root.

He graduated from Raymondville High School in 1957. At just 17 years old, he went on to attend Southwestern University in Georgetown where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, graduating with a BS in Chemistry in 1960. His minors in philosophy and economics reflected his deep natural curiosities about life. After Southwestern, he moved to Austin to become a proud University of Texas Longhorn, graduating with a Pharmacy Degree (now called Doctor of Pharmacy) in 1964. His burnt orange blood ran strongly until the end, and "Hook 'em" were among his final words.

It was during a car ride home from UT that Harland realized he was in love with his lifelong friend Cissie Rowland who was in college at TWU in Denton. After that fateful car ride, Harland and Cissie wrote letters daily and married in the fall of 1964. They were married for 61 years and have known each other for 80.

Harland and Cissie began their married life in Plano, where Cissie finished her final year of college. After her graduation, they moved to Hubbard, a small town two hours south of Dallas, where Harland was a partner and pharmacist at Keitt Drug and Cissie taught dance classes at the local parish hall. Their first three children, Monette, Suzanne and Angie were born in Hubbard.

In 1972, Harland and Cissie moved their young family back to their hometown of Raymondville where Harland bought City Drug in a foreclosure auction, and Watson's City Drug was born. He worked 16-hour days, breathing new life into the store alongside a team who were as much family as employees. Soon the store was not only a thriving pharmacy, but a local meeting spot where farmers and others caught up over coffee that always cost a dime. Some of them even had keys to the store so they could get the coffee going before Harland got there.

In 1980, the family was complete when their youngest daughter Sally was born. Shortly thereafter, Harland added another business, Robo Carwash to his portfolio which included numerous rental properties in town. The grand opening of Robo, one of the earliest fully automatic carwashes, was an exciting day for Raymondville, complete with a live radio broadcast and t-shirts emblazoned with Take It All Off at Robo!

Always an innovator, Harland was the first store in the Rio Grande Valley to computerize its pharmacy in 1981. That first computer system required floppy disks and a central processing unit so large it could fill a small room.

In 1987, American Druggist magazine profiled him, highlighting his success in bolstering his business to fend off two big chains, Walmart and Revco, which both moved in to Raymondville in 1986. His efforts were successful, with Revco closing down completely and Walmart closing its pharmacy within two years.

In 1991, he was named an Independent Superstar by Drug Topics magazine and in 1993, he filled his 1,000,000th prescription. In 1994, he sold the store to Matthew Keifer who had worked for him since his high school days. Harland continued to work in the store on Sundays and as a relief pharmacist. In 2006 Harland was named one of America's top independent pharmacists by the Consumers' Research Council of America.

Harland was an active member of the community, supporting every local group and team that asked for a donation. He was a member of the Port Mansfield Navigation District board and the fraternal order of Freemasons, like his father. Harland and Cissie also served as Parade Marshalls of the Raymondville Christmas Parade.

When he was 40 and had a little spare time, he took up running. While he never ran an official marathon, he ran marathon distances, 26 miles round trip from Raymondville to Delta Lake, with a stop in Lasara to visit his parents. He also won his age division in a local Raymondville race in the early 1980s.

Harland could fix anything, and like his inventor father before him, would create something if the right item didn't already exist. He spent many hours of his retirement in his workshop, barn and rustic outdoor kitchen, often feeding cookies to the resident peacock Clyde.

Harland was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Llewellyn Cooper and Lee Ellen Simpson and by his daughter Angie Jordan.

He is survived by his beloved wife Cissie as well as daughter Monette Chilson, her husband Greg and grandchildren Andie and Jack; by daughter Suzanne Rodriguez, her husband Mike and grandchildren Zane, Zoe and Faith Perkins; by son-in-law Keith Jordan, Angie's husband, and grandson Tate; and by daughter Sally Watson and her husband Apache Baxley.

He is universally remembered as a smiling face who welcomed all from behind the counter at Watson's City Drug. His family has more memories than can fit here, but is especially grateful for the many family vacations he planned. Summer visits to Bandera's Twin Elm Guest Ranch were filled with horseback riding, listening to the juke box around the pool, floating down the river and eating dinner out of the chuck wagon. From a three-week cross-country train trip to snowmobiling and sleigh rides in the Colorado snow to balmy weeks along Mexico's Caribbean coast, Harland left work completely behind on vacation and focused on making memories and magic for his family.

Harland has chosen to be cremated and, in keeping with his wishes, there will be no service. Instead the family will scatter his ashes as a bagpiper plays Amazing Grace at a later date.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Duddlesten Funeral Home, 604 W. Hidalgo Ave., Raymondville, Texas.