James Thornton Watson

James Thornton Watson was born in Austin, Texas on September 4, 1926. His father, Thornton Blocker Watson, was working as bookkeeper for the Austin newspaper, but soon was transferred to the newspaper in Laredo. James then grew up in Laredo, attending elementary, junior high, and Martin high school there. Then the family moved back to Austin, which they made their permanent hometown. They moved into a house on Avenue G, where James soon met the pretty girl next door, Ruth Carleen Jones, who he would later marry.

In Laredo, his father Thornton took him hunting and fishing in the South Texas brush country at every opportunity. James developed a love for the great outdoors, which became a large part of his life. After marrying and having 2 sons in Austin, he sought out hunting leases in South Texas, where the deer are bigger, the quail are fatter, and the wildlife more plentiful. He and his friends had many hunting leases, and he took his sons to them, passing on to them his love for the great outdoors. But his dream was to buy his very own ranch, and he worked very hard to reach that goal. In 1961, when he was 35 years old, he was able to buy his first 250 acres, near Leander, Texas. Improving that land became a long labor of love for the family, and I remember years of cedar clearing, brush pile burning, fence mending, posthole digging, pond digging, house fixing, and building hunting stands. There was even some plowing and planting, when Dad wanted to try his hand at growing grain or oats for the deer. But I also remember a lot of fun. I remember Dad teaching me to drive a Jeep when I was 8 years old, I remember a lot of fishing and swimming, I remember foot-long goldfish in our best pond, I remember riding motorcycles, I remember learning to shoot from Dad. My brother and I became almost as good a rifle shooter as he was. He tried to teach me how to shoot doves with a shotgun, but I could never bring ‘em down like he could, even when he was 80 years old. My brother Steve also put me to shame shooting doves. And I remember the three of us calling up varmints at night. Dad loved to call up foxes at night, but as a young boy I found it a little scary. Dad blew that wounded rabbit call with great skill, and it raised the hair on the back of my neck. But when he turned on the spotlight and found red eyes shining in the beam, the chills went away and the fun began.

As Dad was able to buy more land, the ranch expanded to 720 acres, and there was much more work to do and more fun to be had. Dad was not selfish with his land; he shared it generously with relatives and friends. Many people enjoyed the land with him. Everyone in the extended family visited the ranch. The church boys group, Royal Ambassadors for Christ, or RA’s, held several campouts there. The National Guard held a military exercise there. The sheriff’s department conducted shooting practice there, invited by my brother Steve. The Austin Motosports Association held a motorcycle-riding day there, invited by me, with about a hundred riders enjoying the trails.

Dad enjoyed sports as well. He played for his church softball team for many years, taking his family to games and tournaments all over Texas. He loved tennis, and even built a tennis court in his back yard. He enjoyed tennis for decades, until his knees could no longer support the strain. Then he enjoyed watching tennis on TV, as well as football. Dad’s favorite ranch activity was shaping the land with his bulldozer or front-end loader. He cleared cedar, dug ponds, cleared cedar, repaired roads, and cleared that cedar! He said that when he knocked down a cedar bush, he imagined it to be a bureaucrat from the City or County. And he had plenty of experience dealing with bureaucracy, in a career of over 60 years in surveying and engineering. He designed many subdivisions in the Austin area, and dealt with many bureaucrats, both friendly and unfriendly. He knew how to get his project approved, but he also knew how to fight an unreasonable requirement. He won his share of bureaucratic battles, disproving the old adage that “you can’t fight City Hall.” He did fight City Hall when he needed to, and sometimes he won the fight.

James joined the Army in 1945, and was selected to become a pilot in the Army Air Corps. He was sent for training to Scott Airfield, Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri. Carleen traveled there to marry him, thinking he would be sent to war. But then the war ended in a great victory, James was discharged, and they bought an old wreck of a car to drive back to Austin. The clutch of the car was broken, and James could not stop without killing the engine. They took back roads and made it home with much adventure, but no mishaps. James and Carleen returned to Austin to start a new life and a family. With great love and support from Carleen, James worked full time and studied his way to a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Texas. While at UT, he worked at the University Coop on the Drag. Then he worked on surveying crews for the Texas Highway Department and City of Austin. He also played in the Longhorn band. He became the youngest licensed surveyor in Texas, and started a great career surveying land and engineering subdivisions for new homes in the ever-growing city of Austin. For surveying help, he often recruited family members, such as his wife’s grandfather Walter Keene, his brother John, and his sons Steve and Stuart.

Carleen had been a member of Hyde Park Baptist Church since her childhood in the 1930’s, and James joined her in the Lord’s work of that great church. James was a deacon for many years. He was a player and manager of the church softball team. He developed many dear friends at Hyde Park, and they remained friends for life. Many of them preceded him to our heavenly home, and we know they are rejoicing now in spiritual reunion. It was difficult for James and Carleen to watch so many of their friends and family die before them, but that makes for a multitude of loving spirits to welcome him home!

James was suffering for the past 14 months, with a persistent case of intestinal troubles, with little help from doctors. For over a year prior to that, he suffered from internal bleeding and hiatal hernia surgery. He tried to carry on bravely, until he fell from weakness off of a tractor shredder and broke his femur on June 1, 2013. He passed away on the night of August 3, 2013.

James is survived by his wife Carleen, two sons, Stephen and Stuart, their wives Marcia and Penny, and four grandchildren, Michael, Pamela, Jordan, and Nicholas. Also a nephew James, his wife Lupita and their son John.

Family and friends are welcome to sign the guest book for Mr. Watson at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The family has elected to have a private family graveside service.

Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.