Texas City's centennial birthday girl dies

TEXAS CITY — The city’s centennial birthday girl, Thelma Dyess, died Friday. She was 100.

Born in Texas City on April 14, 1911, Dyess came into the world the same year the city of Texas City was incorporated. In fact, it often was said during the city’s 100th birthday celebration that before there was a Texas City, there was Thelma Dyess.

“Texas City has been very good to me,” Dyess said in an interview with The Daily News a few days before her 100th birthday in April.

She was front and center for most of the city’s centennial celebrations, including the Centennial Parade.

Dyess had defied doctor’s orders to check into the hospital to be in the parade. She wouldn’t miss it for anything and signed a waiver she wouldn’t hold the hospital or her doctors responsible if something happened to her.

“I said to her, ‘well Aunt Thelma, don’t you think you should listen to your doctor’s instructions?’” nephew Dale Mitchell said. “She said, ‘No I am going to the parade.’”

While never having children of her own, Dyess treated her nieces and nephew as if they were her own children, Mitchell said.

“We had a special relationship,” he said. “We had that relationship all my life.”

She Was Inspirational
Dyess’ pastor at First Baptist Church of Texas City said the church’s oldest member was one-of-a-kind.

“She was just one of those people who inspired folks,” the Rev. Robert Miller said. “Everyone in this church thought she was the greatest ever. She always supported the church.”

Mayor Matt Doyle said the city lost one of its strongest residents.
“I was so glad she was able to be a part of the entire (centennial) celebration,” Doyle said. “We are going to miss her, but what a life she led.”

Dyess’ parents, John and Sophia Dyess, moved to Texas City so John could find work. The construction laborer thought the growing community that was not yet officially Texas City was as good a place as any.

Thelma Dyess, one of five brothers and sisters, was born shortly after. Five months later, Texas City incorporated.

Dyess witnessed almost every major event in the city’s history since.

Remembering Disaster
The outstanding memory of her time in Texas City came April 16, 1947. Dyess was 36 and worked as an operator for the telephone company. Like all the other operators, Dyess was on strike in a dispute about wages.

Dyess and a few friends were sitting around the dining room table of her mother’s house “talking about the preacher we weren’t too happy with” when the first of two massive blasts occurred.

“Mama got up and started through the kitchen door when she turned around and ordered us all into the hallway,” Dyess said.

So powerful was the blast from the French cargo ship Grandcamp that every rafter in Dyess’ house “broke like matches,” even though each was made from 2-by-6 lumber.

Dyess then rushed to the phone company headquarters, figuring she’d have to go to work.

“Of course, all our equipment was broken down, too,” she said.

“Everybody wanted to use the lines to make calls and tell people what damage they had, but we had to hold the lines open for doctors (and emergency responders).”

Dyess never married and all of her siblings have died.

She had her suitors through the years, including Francis Alexander, an oil field worker and boat pilot who was friends with Dyess’ brother Thurman.

“My brother brought him home one day, and he was always there,” Dyess said. “He eventually became part of the family.”

So smitten with Dyess was Alexander that he created a quilt using 65 yards of material. The handcrafted bedcover, which was on display for Dyess’ 100th birthday party, features a Mason’s symbol and pillars that hold up the heavens with Thelma spelled out across the top.

Alexander eventually moved to Kerrville without ever asking Dyess to marry him.

“Oh, we could have gotten married easily,” Dyess said. “But, he felt like a brother to me, so I don’t think I would have said yes if he asked.”

Only One Regret
While she said she was blessed through her entire life, she did have one regret. She never graduated from high school.

“I wish I could have finished high school and gotten my diploma,” Dyess said. “I had to drop out because of the Great Depression and find work.”

The Daily News story on Dyess and her regret about high school prompted members of the Texas City school board to award Dyess an honorary diploma during the Class of 2011 graduation ceremonies in June.

Dyess said it was one of the proudest moments of her life.

Visitation services are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Emken Linton Funeral Home.

Dyess’ funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Doyle said an honor guard from the city will be on hand to pay tribute to Dyess during her funeral.