Rita French Williamson

Rita Jeraldine French was born February 4, 1930 in Thalia, Foard County Texas to Alfred Bryan and Zelda Estalene Hopkins French. When she was about three months old her father was employed by the Texas Gulf Sulphur Company and the family moved to Matagorda on the Texas Gulf Coast. Within a short time he was transferred to the TGS facility in Newgulf, and Rita attended K-3 at Newgulf Elementary School; then the family moved to Fredericksburg, TX, where she attended grades 4-7 at Live Oak Elementary School. While living in Fredericksburg Rita obeyed the gospel and was baptized by Church of Christ Minister Luther Norman. In the summer of 1942 the family moved to Kerrville, TX, and Rita attended 8th grade at Kerrville Elementary School for a few months; then the family moved to Round Rock, TX, where she completed her elementary and high school education, graduating from Round Rock High School in May, 1947. She and Kail Tom Williamson, Jr. were married on September 7, 1947 by Minister W.D. Black at the Round Rock Church of Christ. While living in Velasco they were blessed with the birth of daughter, Sharon Louise. K.T. and Rita purchased their first home in late 1949. In the early 1950’s Rita took advanced shorthand and typing courses through the Austin High Night School Program, and then enrolled in an Administrative Secretaries Training Course through the University of Texas Evening School.

Rita was employed at National Life and Accident Insurance Company as a clerk-typist from about 1954-1956 then resigned to accept a position with Trinity Testing Laboratories as secretary/bookkeeper where she worked until about 1961 when she resigned in order to be at home with her young daughter. She purchased an electric typewriter and did secretarial work at home for several engineers and architects and did thesis, dissertation, and other typing for the University students for about a year and a half. In January 1963 she was employed by State Senator Murray Watson as administrative secretary/office manager and continued in that capacity throughout his Senate tenure which ended in December 1972. In 1973/74 she served as State Senator Raul Longoria’s administrative secretary and office manager. Rita did temporary work in several political campaigns including the Kennedy-Johnson Presidential Campaign and Crawford Martin’s Campaign for Attorney General; the State Democratic Executive Committee; and several State Departments including The Consumer Credit Commission and The Texas Rehabilitation Commission during some of the interims when her services were not required in the Senate offices and after she left Senate employment in 1974.

In 1978 Rita took courses at the Academy of Real Estate and obtained her salesman’s license. She went to work at Gray and Company Realtors as a Sales Associate and worked there for several years then moved her license to Knippa Properties where she worked until she retired December 31, 1992. During her real estate career she received many awards such as Sales and Listing Agent of the month; Sales and Listing Agent of the Year; Grand Sales Award Winner; and in February 1983 she was selected by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Austin as one of twenty-eight salespeople in the City of Austin to receive “Distinguished Sales Awards” for outstanding sales achievement.

Rita was a faithful member of the “Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ.” She was a charter member of the congregation which began on September 14, 1952 as “Brentwood Church of Christ” and the name was later changed after the congregation built a new building “among the oaks” off North Lamar.

Rita took pride in her family and was a loving, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother! Her major hobby was genealogy and she spent much of her time researching and preparing genealogy and picture albums to leave as a heritage for her descendants.

Rita leaves to cherish her memory her husband of 67 years, K.T. Williamson, daughter Sharon Andrewartha and husband Rick, Sister Lou Baker, grandchildren Jeff Andrewartha and wife Stacey, Jennifer Boehm and husband Troy. Great- grandchildren Raffe Andrewartha, Rhenn Andrewartha, Reese Andrewartha, Gage Boehm and Garet Boehm and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at 10:00 AM at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, 14501 N IH-35, Pflugerville, TX 78660.

Please visit Rita's memorial at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com