Tom Gosdin

Tom Gosdin was born in Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas, due to the fact at that time there was no hospital in Glen Rose that delivered babies. His parents were J. B. and Veda Loree (Garner) Gosdin. J.B. was a peanut farmer and later a Somervell County Commissioner, while Veda worked in a sewing factory, and later ran their store and gas station in the Rainbow community. Tom lived his whole life in Somervell County, and his first grade teacher was Mrs. Modina Turner. He participated in 4-H and Ag in high school and graduated third in his class of 36 in Glen Rose in May of 1962. Tom first attended college at Tarleton, which was only a two year college at that time. He attended his first two years of college there, and then transferred to Texas A & M where he studied Agricultural Engineering, graduating in January 1967 with high honors.

During college Tom met Betty on a blind date in November 1965, when visiting at his roommate’s home in Pasadena, Texas. One of Betty’s best friend’s brother was Tom’s roommate. This began a long distance romance which culminated in their marriage on September 2nd of 1966. Their home upon their marriage was one of the old reconverted army barracks that were used for poor married students at Texas A & M. The walls had been sheet rocked, but had never been taped and floated, and were painted by rolling paint directly over the cracks and nails. Those have since been torn down.

After Tom’s graduation, he was interviewed and offered jobs by Caterpillar Company, Allis Chalmers, and Humble Oil and Refining Company. He chose Humble Oil and Refining Company because it would be in Texas, beginning work there during the Vietnam War. Tom worked for Humble Oil for about a year to a year and a half and then transferred to Baltimore, Maryland. They were in Baltimore for a little over a year, and Brian was born there just before they were transferred to Virginia. They moved when Brian was 4 days old to Staunton, Virginia. They bought their first home there not far from Waynesboro and Sky Line Drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were there a little over a year when they were transferred back to Baltimore and they bought a home in Fallston, Maryland. They weren’t there very long before Brad was born. They lived in Baltimore for about 4 ½ years this time, before being transferred back to Houston, Texas. The family was all glad to have them home, and they bought a small house on 10 acres in Magnolia, Texas. Tom rode the bus into Houston each day to work, while Betty worked at the Post Office in Magnolia. Brian started school in Magnolia, and at the end of his Kindergarten year, Tom was offered a job with Texas Utilities as the PR man for the power plant.

In 1989, Tom was transferred to Tyler, Texas with Texas Utilities. Brad was a Senior in High School that year, and of course did not want to change schools, so Brian, who had married and his wife, moved into the house at the farm in Glen Rose with Brad so that he could graduate from Glen Rose High School. While Tom and Betty moved to Tyler, Brian was in college at Tarleton.

Betty secured a job in Jacksonville, Texas teaching Kindergarten, and worked there 2 ½ years while Tom drove to Tyler each day to work. In about 1991, Tom was transferred to the Dallas office and they again moved, this time to Waxahachie, Texas. Tom drove to Dallas to work everyday, and Betty drove to Hillsboro every day where she was teaching 4th grade. At this time, they missed Glen Rose so much that they decided that Tom could commute from Glen Rose to Dallas to work, so they moved back home to the farm.

Tom commuted to work in Dallas for 12 years, and in 2006, due to a bout with cancer, retired from Texas Utilities. Tom spent his time tinkering on the farm, and taking care of many animals that reside on the farm. Due to several bouts of cancer and several surgeries, he had to curtail many of his activities.
Tom always had a love of family, and encouraged Betty to work on the family genealogy, taking her all over the United States to do research. Tom lost his battle with cancer on November 18, 2018. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, December 14, 2018 at First United Methodist Church, Glen Rose. A reception will follow and a meal will be provided. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Tom is survived by his wife: Betty Gosdin, sons: Brad Gosdin and wife Ann and Brian Gosdin and wife Mandy, grandchildren: Garrett Gosdin and wife Kasey, Emily Gosdin and Chris Boyd, Mary Gosdin, Brenna Bulat, and Gabe Gosdin and siblings: Jim Gosdin and Judy Shipman.