Zola Gunn Knowles

Zola Gunn Knowles born in Burnet, Texas on March 5, 1908, to Francis L. Gunn and Cenia Laura Ricketson Gunn. She was the third child of eight siblings, two boys and six girls. They were an exceptionally close family, blessed with longevity: all living into their nineties.

A Memorial Celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 4 at First United Methodist Church in Bryan. A private family interment will be held at College Station Cemetery.

She graduated from High School in the pre-college program at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College, Huntsville, Texas in 1925. She received a Bachelors Degree from Southwest Texas State College, San Marcos, Texas in 1938. She did post-graduate work at STSC, Texas A&M College, College Station, Texas and the University of Houston, Houston, Texas from which she received a Master’s Degree of Education in 1954. She held Permanent Elementary Texas Teacher’s Certificate and Elementary Supervisor’s Certification.

For 31 years Mrs. Knowles taught in Texas public schools in Pleasant Valley, Kingsland, Hoover’s Valley, Mesquite, A&M Consolidated, and Borger. She also taught in elementary schools in Salt Lake City, Utah and Arlington, Virginia. In addition, she taught summer school in the Education Department at A&M College, and Director of Reading Clinics at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas. For a time she was a Reading Consultant for the Economy Company, Education Publisher’s, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Among the professional and fraternal organizations Mrs. Knowles held memberships in are Delta Kappa Gamma, Delta Kappa Pi, Kappa Pi, and the American Association of University Women, Texas State Teachers Association.

Between 1943-1946, During WWII, she was employed by the U.S. Air CRP at Bryan Air Field, Bryan, Texas as a commercial artist. Her duties included climbing into the cockpit of fighter planes and hand lettering the instructions on the dials of the fuselage. In order to do this work, she had to pass a high security check. For her war work she received a high commendation certificate.

Mrs. Knowles was an artist. Her paintings of landscapes and still life were done primarily in oil. After reaching her 90s she concentrated on painting water color greeting cards. She declined many offers to have her work displayed as well as requests from individuals who wished to buy her work. She chose instead to enjoy her painting in a non-commercial manner by making gifts of her art work to a large group of family and friends over a period of many years.

Mrs. Knowles was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Bryan.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Lewis A. Knowles, her daughter Bettye Knowles Moon, an infant grandson, Lewis Knowles, her brothers Roy Gunn and Floyd Gunn, her sisters Birdie G. Burleson, LaRhesa McNair, Oleta Smith and Hazel Jackson.

She is survived by her son and his wife, Dr. Joe H. and Sue Knowles of Amarillo, Texas, son-in-law Wally Moon of Bryan (Bettye Knowles Moon), and one sister Mary House (Rev. Dr. Morris House). She is also survived by nine grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and many devoted nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, former students and family friends.