December 1, 1935 – May 12, 2022
Pauline was born in Goliad, Texas, and grew up in Asherton. It was common for children born in 1935 small town South Texas to play sports, spend time outside, know how to shoot a gun, and sweat quite a bit! She followed her mother’s, Tillie Bingaman’s, footsteps into education- graduated in 3 years from Southwest Texas State Teachers College, received a masters from University of Mississippi and returned to teaching later in life instructing Braille for special education.
As an outdoor girl, she grew up with deer, racoon, armadillos, road runners, more deer,
coyotes around every bend, and many, many snakes, Her father, Miles Bingaman, was a trapper and hunting guide. His favorite animal was the ubiquitous Texas rattlesnake. One animal stands above them all, Cleo, the bobcat. Miles found her orphaned so he raised Cleo indoor and outdoor; no litter box required. Vacations meant camping needless to say. During car rides Cleo stretched across the car's bench seat with her meaty paw thrown around Miles’s shoulder while he drove. Recently Mom reminded us Miles drove across Texas to California one summer.... never faster than 20
miles per hour....as he watched for animal tracks while Pauline and her sister, Ruth, read, napped, looked out the windows and sweated profusely.
Pauline was a lefty. She skipped 5th grade since she was a super smart sponge soaking up everything. Her handwriting was beautiful and her diction spot on.
All to be expected of a teacher's kid. What wasn't expected was what
happened around 3rd grade when her mother bought a dime store wooden tennis
racket. Pauline found free entertainment in the blazing hot Asherton,
Texas, sun on old tennis courts beside the school building.
She was a true champion of the game and won lots of tournaments with trophies
piled up. Tennis was a life-time sport for Pauline. What one may not
know is how many thousands of hours Coach Brockton (also superintendent of schools) spent on the tennis court hitting balls with Pauline. She had a near perfect aim forehand- long and deep. Her drop shot made opponents want claw their eyes out and a lob that floated overhead for what felt like hours. Her favorite shot was a beautiful one-handed backhand that maximized her reach as a lefty in predominantly right-handed world. Her eye on the ball was unwavering. She never got emotional, loud, side-tracked or rattled by her opponent.
Pauline is survived by her two daughters, Leslie Cleveland and Allen of Raleigh, North Carolina; Hope Miller and Chip of Flower Mound, Texas. Her love of the Lord, outdoors and reading will live on through them and her 4 young adult grandchildren. Pauline lived frugally and had a servant’s heart exhibited by her eternal perspective of life.
Matthew 6:21 “For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
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