Cornelia "Sam" Sue Arhelger

Cornelia Sue Phares was born in Austin on February 19, 1948 at the original Brackenridge Hospital to Leslie Graham and Clara Leah Phares. She was named after the mother’s sister, Cornelia Adamcik of Smithville, Texas. Her family attended Central Christian church at 12th and Guadalupe in Austin.

Sam grew up in South Austin and spent many weekends and summers with her Aunt Cornelia in Smithville, having tea parties and fancy fashion shows with “Aunt Sister” and her Smithville friend, Frances. They could also be heard mooing back at the cattle as they grazed on the ranch.

Cornelia acquired the nickname “Sam” while in the 3rd grade at Zilker Elementary School. A friend of her father had trouble saying Cornelia so he just called her “Sam” and the name stuck.

She went to Porter Junior High and graduated from William B. Travis High School in 1966 where she was part of the Future teachers Organization and a VMCA group known as the “Willing Workers”. But her favorite high school memories were those in her Drama Group “the Knights of the Scarlet Mask”. Sam loved working behind the scene backstage, making the props and learning everyone’s lines and to prompt the actors while on stage. As a teen she worked summers at Barton Springs Pool in Zilker Park.

Sam graduated from S.W. Texas State University in 1970 to become a teacher. She got her kindergarten degree and started teaching at Govalle Elementary School in East Austin. She stayed at Govalle until she retired in 1999 when they dedicated and named the library after her.

Sam was dearly loved by all of her students and was treated like family. She was invited to weddings, christenings, quinceaneras, and loved to watch her former students graduate from high school. She decided it was time for her to retire when she was teaching the grandchildren of her 1st class of students.

After retiring, Doug and Sam moved to Bastrop where she continued volunteering with children at the Bastrop Public Library. She was named citizen of the year in 2003. Sam loved each and every child as if they were her own and they loved her back. She believed that with her whole heart.

Sam was a fantastic artist with an imagination to match. She was always sharing her arts & crafts with her loved ones, always made from her heart with special meaning. Always making the recipient feel special. She was an artistic cake maker and certainly well known for her amazing cakes given to her family and friends.

Sam was a member of Eastern Stars Creedmoor Chapter #607 for over 20 years. She loved the arts and was a great supporter of the Bastrop Opera House.

Sam and Doug loved music from the 60’s and most of all classic country which they played at their fabulous and famous parties. They loved to dance and that is how they met, at a country dance hall in South Austin, and they were the perfect match. Sam had finally found her “Soulmate”.

She had many physical and health problems but always kept her loving and joyous spirit forever thinking of others. She drew pictures for her nurses, raising their spirits with her art, jokes and attitude. We should all be more like Sam.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Doug Dohmann; her father and mother, Leslie and Clara Phares; her aunt, Cornelia Adamcik.

Sam is survived by William D. Dohmann II and wife Rachel and their daughter, Lucy; and also her friend, caregiver and guardian angel, Judy Gray, who was Sam’s everything for the last years of her life. She truly was Sam’s saving grace and we can all be thankful of her loving care of Sam.

Visitation 9:00 am – 10:00 am Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home 2620 South Congress Avenue with Funeral Service to begin at 10:00 am.

Interment will follow at Forest Oaks Cemetery.