Roy Earnest Erwin Obituary
Roy Earnest Erwin was born Jan. 29, 1945, and passed away on Feb. 5, 2022, at the age of 77 at Falls County Community Hospital in Marlin due to Pulmonary Fibrosis and complications of Pneumonia.
He was the 5th child of 13 to Henry and Lorene Erwin of Gause. He was born in the middle of a cotton patch in Mumford. As the family made their way through the farmland around the Brazos River Bottom, a new family member would mark their progress between Gause, to finally Navasota.
Roy joined his sons, Joseph Erwin and Timothy Erwin in Heaven and is also preceded in death by his parents Henry and Lorene Erwin and siblings, Floyd Erwin, Adele Dirickson, Paulie Erwin, Rosa Erwin Rood, Hardy Erwin, Troy Erwin, Sue Erwin Shelton and two baby sisters.
Roy is survived by the love of his life for 50 years, Louise Storemski Erwin, and daughter Mandy Erwin Schaefer and husband, Steven and grandchildren Rose and Dean of College Station, as well as his daughter from a previous marriage Cathy Jo Erwin-Brown and husband Jimmy of Vincennes, Ind., and grandchildren Ron Allen Charlton of Vincennes, Ind., Rachetta Charlton of Vincennes, Ind., Damon Kemp (Katie) of Wheatland, Ind., Dustin Kemp of Wheatland, Ind.; and great-grandchildren, David Hawkins, James Hawkins, Mark Jones and Samantha Jones, all Vincennes, Ind., and step-grandchildren, Dylan Brown and Breanna Brown of Vincennes, Ind.
He is survived by only three siblings, Ruthie Roberts and husband Robbie of Hearne, Roger Erwin and wife Gayleene of Caldwell, an Roland Erwin and wife Amy of Gause; along with several nieces and nephews.
Roy grew up mostly in and around Navasota working on Allen Farm for the Moore Family. While Roy had a rough upbringing by picking cotton and manual labor, his hard work ethic, determination and drive persevered and are some of his most admirable characteristics. He found a love (or at least an honest living) of being a mechanic later with a specialty as a diesel mechanic. He worked for International Paper Company as a welder; Hackney (now Trinity Industries) as a forklift mechanic; Navasota Farm and Ranch with Thomas Finke as a tractor mechanic; Navasota ISD as the bus barn foreman; WW. Nichols Powerline Contractor as a diesel mechanic and finally retired from Falls County Road and Bridge in 2007.
He was a “jack of all trades” and of course for Roy, it was hard to stay retired, so he un-retired several times by running heavy equipment at various places around Reagan and as a bulldozer operator for Nelson Coker and other land clearing businesses in and around Robertson and Falls County. He spent the last 25 years on his “heaven on Earth” farm in Reagan especially riding around the pastures watching his cows. He loved the outdoors especially attending chili cook-offs with good friends and watching tractor-pulls telling stories and jokes with an occasional beer in hand and cigar. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend and will be missed by many.
A visitation is set for Friday, Feb., 11, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. at Bremond Memorial Funeral Home with the rosary at 7 p.m. Mass will be Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 10 a.m. with Father Celso Yu and Father Will Straten officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.
Pallbearers: Larry Slafka, Bradley Slafka, Johnny Duhr, Steven Schaefer, Robbie Roberts, and Donnie Yargo.
Honorary Pallbearers: Gerald Nowaski, Al “Winky” Knapik, Daniel K Storemski, Thomas Finke, and Marvin Struckmeyer.