John Mewis

John Arthur Mewis was born in Bellville, Texas on January 3, 1961, to Leon and Alma Schiller Mewis. He loved them and talked about them throughout his life. His father was a cattleman and farmer. One of John's favorite things as a child was going to the auction barn with his dad. In many ways this set the dream of his life, to be a cattle rancher, especially in the mold of his grandfather. John and his father sold beef to the wholesale market. His uncle, Jesse Mewis, let them use his butchering facility to dress out the cattle they sold. After his father's passing in 1990, John could no longer continue with the meat business. Throughout his life, John always thought of himself as a cattle rancher.
John attended school in Bellville. He graduated from high school as an Honor graduate and National Honor Society member.
John loved the outdoors and the hunting and fishing life and would often go back to the family homeplace to pursue those activities. Don Allphin was his "fishing buddy". John loved getting together with his family on Sundays and at holiday gatherings. He never left without a plate of food to take home.
Hew was very dedicated to going to church. When he couldn't drive, he would call his Aunt Katie or Buck Eckermann and ask them to take him. He always went to church in his boots and his cowboy hat. There is a coat rack at the Methodist Church which was purchased to make sure he had a place for his hat during worship.
He was very generous, had a sense of humor, and loved talking. He was not afraid to call you and if you didn't answer he would tell your answering machine all he had to say.
John loved with his mother Alma on the farm until her death in 2008. Janice Kokemor became his first guardian. She helped him with so many things and went well above and beyond standard guardian duties. John Harle became his second guardian and when John Mewis was unable to live independently, he landed at A Place for D.A.D.S. in Houston where he received special care afforded by Ms. Birdie McShan and her daughter.
While he was still living in Bellville, if you couldn't find him at home or at church, odds were he was at Newman's Bakery. He would walk that way whether it was raining, hot or cold, or anything in between. If someone picked him up along the way -wonderful- but if not, he was still going, at least once a day.
As we remember John, we celebrate the faith he had in Christ Jesus.
John is survived by many family members and friends.
Donations in John's name may be made to Friends of Lifeline, The American Cancer Society or to NAMI Texas (nameitexas.org)