Gross

We are all basically come into this world the same way. What we do with our life is up to us. I hope that over the last 70-plus years, I have made a difference.

It all began on March 26, 1943 , when m y Mo t h e r Zadie, her sister and a midwife delivered a 10-lb., 14-oz baby boy in a cabin on the old Roark place in the Bethlehem community about 5 miles north of Rockdale. Two days later, Dr. T.S. Barkly and his nurse Sara Bankston finally made it out to visit us and declared me a healthy baby boy. Born to the parents of Oscar and Zadie Gross.

Shortly, thereafter we moved into town in a house on Murray Street. My Dad worked for a short time as an insurance agent, this was during World War II. I was three years old when I got a very hard spanking because I followed our new puppy under the fence. That was only the beginning of many spankings to come.

After the war ended, we moved back to the country into the old Gross place near Bethlehem. Mom and Dad began farming 77 acres of cotton, corn and watermelons.

At about the age of five, I was assigned chores, such as working in the garden and slopping the hogs. My older brother Charles taught me to run the Popping Johnny Deer Tractor. Since we did not have running water at home, we had to haul water from a mile and a half away. This was a slow process, and I learned very early on how precious clean water was because without water, there was no life.

Living and working in the country was both challenging and rewarding. I feel that this prepared me with a solid foundation for my future.

Once a week, we would come into town so Mom and Dad could stock up on supplies. If egg money was good, Mom would give me $.25 and I would go to the Dixie Movie Theater—$.11 for the movie and the rest was for popcorn and a drink.

Dad would get a 50-lb. block of ice so we could keep our milk and butter cold. I picked cotton in the summer so I could order my school clothes from the Sears and Montgomery catalogs. I rode the school bus, the stop was about a mile from the house, and I carried a sack lunch.

Then my world changed big time. We moved back into town to 532 College St. I was a city slicker now. I slowly adjusted to the city life, but I still had to work.

My very first job was mopping floors at Halley’s Café, which is now the China Buffet.

Rockdale formed Little League Baseball and I got to play on the Cardinals team. That year we won the town championship.

By the time I was in the eighth grade, I must have read every book in the school library.

High school was fun and pretty easy for me even though my father passed away right after my 14th birthday. I had to grow up really fast because Mom did not know how to manage the finances. My Brother Charles guided Mom and I and we made it through that first year.

I was very fortunate to hardly ever miss any school. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to complete 12 years of a fine education from the Rockdale Independent School District. I graduated in 1961.

After, I attended South West Texas University in San Marcos, where I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology and chemistry.

My first job after graduating from college was with the Sinclair Oil Refinery. Then moving onto working for the Texas Water Control. After working for the State of Texas, I decided to spread my wings and I started my own company in Houston, designing and building water and wastewater treatment plants.

I was young, single and walked a little on the wild side. I liked pretty women, traveling, partying and just having fun. My motto was “Work hard, play harder.”

At my 20th-year class reunion, I met a very beautiful woman that I had graduated from high school with. Barbara lived in Idaho at the time, which was just too far away for this party man; although she never really left my thoughts.

Several years later we did reconnect. I was living in Lake Tahoe at the time. She was just as breathtaking as I remembered her. Long story short, we got married on May 4, 1984, in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho.

Not only did I get a wonderful lady, I got the extra bonus of inheriting three fine sons that I loved like they were my own. The two older boys were already grown, Terry was in college and Kurt was a senior in high school. Then there was Craig, the youngest who was in the fourth grade.

It has been an honor and a privilege to help raise Craig, for 35 years he has been a son to me. No Father could be any prouder of a son, watching him grow into the man he is today, a loving family man where his family always comes first, hardworking, honest, and respectful.

Craig married Amy, my beautiful “Double Diamond Daughter-in-law.” Together they had Nicole, who will always be the apple of my eye. I was there when she was born and have never been very far away from her. We are like two peas in a pod.

I love all my inherited sons and their families. They have always lived in other states, so I did not get to see them as often as I would have liked. But when we had the opportunity to visit, we picked up right where we left off.

I spent all of my professional career in some form of the utilities sector, mainly water. As I said at an early age “water is life.” My last full-time job, before retiring, was Director of Utilities Construction for the City of Galveston.

Barb and I moved back to Rockdale in 1996, where we have enjoyed living the smalltown life close to family and our many lifelong friends.

As I come to the end of my story, there are some things that I want to say. I was blessed with a loving father and mother, brother and sisters, nieces, nephews, sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I have the greatest friends, some who have already passed on. Daily, I think of how special they were and the wonderful times we had together. Other friends that are still with us, you know who you are, I want to thank you for your friendship over the years and all the support and compassion you have poured out to me and my family.

So, in closing, I’d say to you it’s not about how much wealth you have amassed, the fancy cars or the big homes you might have, it’s about the legacy you leave behind. A loving family, great friendships and leaving the world a little better place than when you came into it. Those are the things that really matter the most.

Preceded in death: father, Oscar Gross; mother, Zadie Gross; grandparents; sister, Ann Parish; sister, Marie Gross Story; sister, Mildred Gross; brother, Jacob Arthur Gross; niece, Sherri Gross; nephew, Ron Story.

Survived by: wife, Barbara Gross of Rockdale; three special sons, Craig Collins and wife Amy of Rockdale, Kurt Draper of Las Vegas, Nevada, Terry Baker and wife Veronica of Albuquerque, New Mexico; brother, Charles Gross and wife Lindy of Marietta, Georgia; grandchildren: Nicole of Rockdale, Chelsey and Ethan of Spokane, Washington, Travis and wife Andrea of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lucas and Sienna of Albuquerque, New Mexico; great-grandchildren: Sylas, Chloe and Paisle; niece, Pam Parish Padraza; niece, Robyn Carlson and husband Richard; great-nephew, Jake; nephew, Lee Story and wife Rosy, their grown children Johnmichael and wife Kelsey, Ashley Maria Story; nephew, Bob Gross and wife Jenne, their grown children Sarah and Kassie

I could never leave out my precious dog Roxy, my faithful companion.

My request there will be no funeral. There will be a celebration of life at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department or the Rockdale Senior Center Meals on Wheels.