In Memory

Mr. S. R. Permenter VIEW PROFILE

Mr. S. R. Permenter

Serices for Sam Ray Permenter, 86, of Timpson were held Friday, September 6, 1991 at Taylor Funeral Home Chapel.  Officiating minster was Dr. James Hoffpauir, Pastor of First Baptist Church. Interment in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Center with Masonic Rites.

Mr. Permenter was born November 14, 1904 in Joaquin  and died September 5, 1991 at Methodist Hospitalin Nacogdoches.  He was a retired school teacher and served as School Superintendent for Timpson ISD from 1940-1968.  He was a member and deacon of First Baptist Church of Timpson and a member of the Masons for 65 years.

Survived by his sister-in-law, Marianella Permenter of Beaumont, TX.

Pallbearers were, Ben Goolsby, T.M. Hooper, Arthur Horton, Mack Taylor, Herbert Eakin, Jesse Lee Ross, E.E. Phelps and Quiton Thames.

Services under the direction of Taylor Funeral Home.

Obituary courtesy of Timpson Area Obituaries Books (/TAGHS)

 

 

 

 

S. R. Permenter

                                                                                                                  

Sam Ray Permenter was born on November 1, 1904 in the Day Community near Joaquin, Shelby County, Texas to parents James Archibald Permenter and Mary Childress Permenter.  Grandmother Childress passed away the day Ray was born.  About 1911 he began his education at the Day School.  Around 1919 when he was in the 8th grade his father enrolled S.R. in the Timpson School but he only stayed a few days (Homesick) before he caught the train back home.  The rest of the year was under Miss Annie Rhodes at Day School.   About 1920-1921 he attended school in Joaquin.  Senior year of 1922/23 was at the Center school where Ray graduated.  He entered Sam Houston College.  Around 1948 he received his Master’s Degree.

Sam Ray had at least two brothers, James and Roy Arch Permenter.  Roy became a Superintendent in Beaumont so Ray’s family must have felt education was important. On June 2, 1929 he married Addie Lou Manning.  They had no children.  A side note to Addie Lou Manning.  She was a sister to Rushing Manning.  Rushing taught in the Weaver Community.  Later he taught Ag at Timpson High and Rushing was also elected to the Texas legislation.

It is believed that Mr. Permenter began teaching at Timpson High in the mid-1930s and retired in the spring of 1968 as Superintendent. In his early years at Timpson he taught agriculture before eventually becoming Superintendent.

In 1971 his wife, Addie, passed away at the age of 63. Mr. Permenter died in 1991 at the age of 87. They are buried in the Oaklawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Center, Texas. In order to fill in the blanks we have asked people to send us their memories of him.  These stories paint a picture of a very regal, proud man who cared about the students and people in the community and they admired and respected him.   What more could a person aspire then to have this legacy?

 

 

Virginia Goodrum-The best thing about getting out of class to go to the little girls room was that if Mr. P was putting cokes in the machine you could get one free. I drank many cokes between classes. Ha. I think they were 5 cents!!   Virginia Pate Goodrum-Class of 1969 –Email dated January 6, 2014

 

 

Danny Crawford-The year was about 1966.  The FFA had gone to Shreveport to the big Ag. Show in the state fairgrounds (like we did every year) and just before leaving to head back to dear ole THS in the big Yellow Dogs (bus) I was trying to get on the bus and some of the older fellows there shut the door and wouldn’t let the freshman in.  I then went to the back and same thing.  So I went back to the front doors and still closed.  Well I just kicked the glass on the door and you know what??  It burst into a spider web.  Mr. Wharton came and I think he knew who did it. He gave me a chance to come clean.  Well I didn’t I lied through my teeth. He seem to buy the story.  Then the next day or two S.R. called me into his office along with Cecil. And I spilled the beans.  S.R. told me I had to pay for the window, it was like $100.  That might as well had been a $1,000,000.  So a few weeks went by and S.R. called me to his house. That was odd.  He and I talked and he made me promise not to tell anyone but the window was fixed and I didn’t have to pay the $100.    S.R.  Was My Hero after that…  He and I always got along real well. Still think of him when I smell a Cigar…

 

Another time was when I was a long haired Rebel. (hair was touching my ears) a Senior or two tried to cut Sonny Tippet’s hair at school . When they did “their thing” with him they came after me. Well as luck would have it I was in the door way of S.R,’s office and a couple Seniors tried to cut my hair. I still don’t know why they choose that spot with S.R. sitting at his desk watching the whole thing but being Smart Seniors like they were we tussled right there. Well S.R. called us in (which was like 10 ft away) sat us down and started to find out Why? It ended up with S.R. sending the Seniors to town to get their hair cut and not me or Sonny. S.R. was one fine Fellow. I remember S.R. being larger than life to me, with Gray hair and always had a Cigar. He was quiet and not really feared but well respected.  Danny Crawford-Class of 1969-Email dated January 6, 1969.

 

Ralph Corry-Several memories of Mr. Permenter was that you knew that he was in charge of the school even though he never raised his voice.  I remember him standing in the hallway close to his office watching us scramble around in the hall.  He was always dressed in a suit.  I cannot ever remember seeing him without a coat and tie.  I know he smoked cigars but my memory of when and where he smoked them eludes me.  Guess it was in his office.   Years later we would wonder what brand he smoked.  Gloria Stilley Eakin from the Class of 1955 solved this mystery for us.  He had given her an empty box of cigars which she still has to this day. The box was Roi Tan.  She served as his secretary from the late 1950s until he retired the spring of 1969.

One memory in particular that stands out is of him asking me if I had caught any fish lately out of our lake as we had a relatively large lake on our farm.  He asked me this several different times during my years in high school…..it finally occurred to me to invite him out to fish in it.  Guess what…the next day he pulled up to our house in his car to let us know he was going to our lake to fish.  After about an hour my dad and me went down to the lake to see if he was having any luck…He was fishing on the dam but him and my dad got into a boat and went out to fish. My dad was used one of his reels since we did not bring anything down to lake to use to fish.  What I remember was when they were getting out of the boat from fishing, a fish took that opportunity to latch on to the reel my dad was holding….the fish took the line under the boat and the rod snapped.  Mr.Permenter told my dad not to worry about because it was not his fault….the funny thing is to this day I cannot remember what Mr. Permenter wore fishing….I just cannot still picture him in anything but that gray suit…..Ralph Corry-Class of 1966-Dated January 6, 2014.

 

Bernice Holmes Galbreath-I'm not sure you want to put this in his bio, but it is a funny story.  When the class of '64 went on their Senior trip to Galveston, we stopped by the Perminto's beach house.  As usual all the girls needed to use the bathroom.  When it was my turn I went in and closed the door.  Imagine my surprise when I saw a RED NIGHTGOWN on the back of the door!  My innocence little brain thought that was scandalous!!   We were all so sheltered at THS.  Bernice Holmes Galbreath-Class of 1964

 

Elaine Phelps Tucker-I remember Ray and Addie Permenter very well.  They went to our church and were good friends with my parents.   Addie (who was quite a good cook-always did chicken spaghetti for school suppers) opened a gift shoppe in a small building in front of their home.  She had a very good “eye” for merchandizing.  In another time and place she could have been very successful.  She died first-of a stroke I think.  The gift shoppe has been torn down-probably their home too.  It was located on Hwy 59 just north of town.  He was very mild mannered, quite, but was a large man and carried a lot of authority about him.  He was big cigar smoker-not at school of course.  I seem to remember my father mentioning that he played golf but not sure about that. Daddy did take him fishing some after his wife died.  I remember Daddy thought he stayed by himself too much and tried to think of things to get him out and about.  Other than that I really don’t know anything else about him.  I do think he had relatives in Center.  After his wife died, he lived pretty much as a loner I think.  If I remember more I will email you. I don’t think I have any pictures left.  Elaine Phelps Tucker-Class of 1959-Email dated January 7, 2014

 

Bill Bryce-I remember he was the Superintendent in 1946 Timpson High School. We called him Speed because he walked so slow and quite.  One time he caught a boy smoking and took him by the nap of the neck and shoved him in the study hall while I was there.  I am sure he got a whopping.  We did in those days.

He was nice to us most of the time.  We were mischievous at times but he fair with us.  I didn’t have to go to his office for a talking to and I was glad for that. Billy Bryce-Class of 1946-Email dated January 7, 2014.

 
Carl Riley Smith-My Mother, Katherine LaMerle Swann, told several stories about Mr. Pememter.  She graduated after the old school burned down and Mr. Permenter was one of her teachers at the time.

 The main thing that about him was how he inadvertently made me look much closer into life itself.  I was a Junior at Timpson when this happened.  We were beyond "dirt poor" and unfortunately I had a pretty bad chip on my shoulder because of it.  On Thanksgiving Day, 1960, Mr. Permenter drove all the way to where we were living at the time.  I'll never forget that as he walked up to the front door, he was carrying a very large food basket with him and gave it to us for our Thanksgiving Supper (there was my Mother and her 7 children).  He said it was put together by the Members of his Church.  That singular moment in my life taught me what "pride" was and how every now and then you need to swallow it.

 Within a week or so after I moved back to Timpson, many years later, a Tornado came through town and created quite a bit of damage.  I heard that Mr. Permenter had a 6 foot diameter Post Oak that had blown onto his house.  As soon as I could, I went to his house and helped cut it off, with some great help from other folks.  He wanted to pay me and he was rather surprised when I told him that he had already done that many years before.

I will always remember Mr. Permenter with total respect!!!

Carl Riley Smith-Class of 1962-Email dated January 15, 2014

 

 

David Shepherd-Even today, almost fifty-five years after my graduation from Timpson High School, the most vivid memory I have of  “Mr.” Permenter (SR) is of a man in a freshly-starched white shirt tucked neatly into suit trousers…tall, erect, with perfectly groomed but graying and thinning hair, smoking a cigar with a deliberate grace, moving at a measured pace and with a bearing of great authority.  A man of few words but when uttered listened to by all in earshot.  I also believe that under that iron-clad image was a man of human dimensions.  Though respect is the first emotion his visage summons, I believe that he was also liked by most and in my opinion ran a first rate school.  Looking back on my education and career, I remain thankful for the education I received at the Timpson school.  There were gaps, but the ones that mattered were quickly filled with a little diligence on my part.  I remember my interest in the sciences and SR arranging for Tommy Mack Hooper to teach a physics course in our senior year…as TM said, “we learned together” as he was a biology major.  I remember SR coming down to the class room to see how we were doing and observing experiments we had concocted.  I remain grateful to this day for that effort on his and TM’s part.

 

SR was always at the football games selling tickets from that little white kiosk and keeping that watchful eye on things.  He and Mrs. Permenter, Addie, lived in the red brick house just east on the school on US59 and I always suspected he kept an eye on more things than we knew.  Anyway, it felt good to have him at the helm.

 

SR was the AG teacher before being superintendent, though that was before my time, and I remember my father telling me that SR was also a surveyor and had laid out the terraces on our farm.  I never could conjure up the image of a younger SR with transit, boots, and field notebook tromping through the briars and brush…I always saw him as described above and wondered how on earth he surveyed dressed like that.

 

My favorite (though personally embarrassing) story about SR takes me back to the 5th grade when I was in Miss Lydia (Liddie?) Williams’ class.   The hot-shot trick of the month then was for a boy to cup his open palm under his armpit and squeeze to expel air…making a somewhat rude noise when Miss Lydia’s back was turned.  She was not amused.  One day, I made a similar noise in class but in “the natural” way.  The kids around me erupted in laughter.  Boy, was Miss Lydia mad…she said “who did that” while mockingly and vigorously pumping her arm.  Of course the class was laughing uncontrollably with the boys in the back pointing at me.  I was devastated.  She scolded me severely and sent me to stand in the hall outside the classroom…the punishment de jour.  Then, horror of horrors, here comes Mr. Permenter striding purposefully from his office (where it was once rumored that he kept an “electric paddle” locked away).   My heart jumped to my throat.  He walked up and casually said, “why David, what are you doing out here?”  The only thing I could think of to say was “I stepped on a frog and I am very sorry”.   Through stern looks of disapproval, I saw a slight, wry smile.  I think we somehow became connected that day and remained so.   S. R. Permenter was my “go-to” man for a reference on every resume I ever wrote until his death.

 

SR and Addie were steady members of our church, The North Side Baptist as it was then called, and Addie and my mother attended Sunday School together and participated in church social activities and the Permenters were frequent customers at Shepherd’s Café.  They had no children of their own that I am aware of but I remember their fondness for Milton and Betty Bradford’s young son Milt.  Milton was pastor of the Baptist church at that time and Betty taught 3rd grade.  Milt was a pistol and I am sure challenged SR’s patience at times.  This memory ends after Addie’s death when SR was retired and alone.  In retrospect, SR was human after all.  May he rest in peace.-David Shepherd-Class of 1959-Dated January 25, 2014

 

Gloria Stilley Eakin-Mr. Permenter was a very kind and reserved man.  I began working for Timpson ISD in 1957, for Mr. Permenter, and worked with ten years as the secretary and bookkeeper for the school.    After he retired, I continued working as the administrative assistant to the superintendent the next 25 years, with Richard Vernon Higginbotham.

 

There was only one phone in the office and that was behind Mr. Permenters desk.  I would have to go into his office behind the desk to answer the each time it rang.  If anyone wanted to use the phone they had to come into his office to do so.  This included teachers, coaches, students, etc.  We operated on this one phone for the 10 years as his secretary.  The school had little money and supplies were very minimal.  All work was performed by hand.   Technology as we know it today did not exist!  Timpson Schools at that time had such a limited budget but it still provided a good education.

 

I remember when I first started working with Mr. Permenter, he and his wife took me under their wings, and treated us like we were family. Money was scarce at this time in our young married life.  I remember Mrs. Permenter taking me to Shreveport on a shopping trip where I bought furniture.  Mrs. Permenter paid for the purchase and allowed me to pay her back over time.  Mrs. Permenter opened a little gift shop at the front of their property, and some afternoons I would go down there and visit with her.  She was such a sweet and kind lady, and was a joy to be around.  Mr.and Mrs. Permenter had a beach house in Bolivar on Crystal Beach.  Each summer they lent their to us for our family vacation.

 

When my husband, Harlon Eakin, ran for the office of Shelby County Tax Assessor and Collector, Mrs. Permenter took the time to drive me to the community where she grew up just outside Center introducing me to her family, friends and relatives.  This was just another example of kindness that Mr. and Mrs. Permenter always exhibited.  This was also a big help in my husband’s election campaign.  He won!  I have very fond memories of both of them. It was a privilege to know and work with someone of his caliber.  Gloria Stilley Eakin-Class of 1955 and Secretary & Bookeeper to Mr. Permenter-February 28, 2014.

 

 





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