Elizabeth Ragnhild Sykes

She was born October 22, 1918, in Portovello, Ecuador, a small town in the Andes, her father serving then as General Manager of a gold mine there. Her father was Andrew Mellick Tweedy of Knickerbocker, Texas; her mother Florence Dahl Tweedy, an R.N., was a third generation Norwegian-American of Washington State. Elizabeth's childhood was filled with fascinating experiences, including travel through Indian country on a tributary of the Amazon River. In childhood she developed partial deafness, thought to have been secondary to anti-malarial medications. She became exceptionally proficient at lip reading. Her education in Ecuador was through the Calvert Course, designed for the children of American parents serving overseas. It was taught by a teacher brought to Portovello from America. For high school, she was sent to Hartridge School, a private girl's school in Plainfield, New Jersey, hometown of the Tweedy family. She was President of the Student Council and recipient of the "H" Medal awarded to the outstanding member of her graduating class. She graduated from Vassar College, Class of 1940.

She had a strong interest in anthropology and in the 1930's identified several significant Pre-Columbian artifacts in the American West.

Her grandfather, Joseph Mellick Tweedy, was a pioneer West Texas rancher who, in 1877, established with three New Jersey friends, the Tweedy-Knickerbocker Sheep and Cattle Ranch in Tom Green County. It is still operated by Tweedy family descendants. He was an organizer and first president of the Wool Growers Association, antecedent of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association.

During World War II she returned to Texas where she met Captain Edwin M. Sykes Jr., Medical Corps, stationed then in the hospital at the San Angelo Army Air Force Bombadier School. They were married January 29, 1944, at St Marks Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Dr. Sykes' home town. After the ending of World War II and the completion of his surgical training, they settled in San Antonio. Upon his retirement in 1992 they moved to San Angelo and the Knickerbocker Ranch.

She was pre-deceased by her son, Thomas James Sykes, her brothers Andrew Mellick Tweedy, Jr. and John Bayard Tweedy, a sister-in-law Maria Margaret Sykes and her beloved cousins Katherine Tweedy Waring and Joseph Lord Tweedy of San Angelo.

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, four children, ten grandchildren, one great grandchild; a sister-in-law, Louise Morse Mrs. Andrew Tweedy; and a brother-in-law Dr. John H.J. Sykes of San Antonio.

Her surviving children are daughter Anne Bayard Sykes Reese & husband Morris Marcus Reese Jr, and their daughters Elizabeth Nickelson Reese Mrs. Christopher Haine, and Rachel Lantrip Reese Mrs. Michael Trulove; son Edwin Meredith Sykes III, his former wife Linda Moody and their children Sally Dahl Sykes Mrs. Owen Brainard, Edwin Meredith Sykes IV, Elizabeth Anne Bayard Sykes Mrs. Brent Rains, and Mary Janice Moody Sykes Mrs. Eric Reisdorf; son Dr. Mellick Tweedy Sykes and wife Barbara Taylor and their children Taylor Meredith Sykes Mrs. William Bowles, Mellick Tweedy Sykes, Jr., James Maestri Sykes and Anne Riordan Sykes; and son Andrew Drew Greenhow Sykes.

In San Angelo, she was a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church and the Junior League. In San Antonio, she was a member of Our Reading Club, Military-Civilian Club, and the Junior League of San Antonio. She was a volunteer at Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and Sunshine Cottage, a school for deaf children. She also served on the Board of the Good Samaritan Center of San Antonio.