Biography of Ramona Brown Wood from Brownwood

Isn't it amazing that some of us have lived in eight different decades and yet we are still in our sixties! Another amazing fact is that the decades seem to get shorter and shorter. Oh my goodness—I have been retired longer than we were in high school! Another amazing revelation!

Decade Number 1 - the 1930's
I was born January 20,1939 in Brady, Texas. My wonderful, loving parents were Charlie Howard Brown, a grocer man, and Juanita Holland Brown, a nurse. When I was nine months old, we moved to Brownwood where my daddy became manager of the "M" System Grocery.Decade Number 2 - the 1940's.  In 1942, we went to San Angelo for Daddy to train for a promotion in his company, and my brother Lloyd was born. After a few months we moved back to Brownwood. The country was in the middle of World War II, and Daddy, who had been in a car wreck and had had a broken back, was "4F", so his civilian, patriotic second job was produce manager for the PX at Camp Bowie. We lived on the edge of town in a beautiful little rock house at 3905 Austin Avenue. Yes, Brownwood more than played its part in the war. Camp Bowie trained soldiers and even held prisoners of war only a few miles past our home. I can still remember seeing the young men on the other side of the barbed-wire fence when I went to the PX with my daddy. My 5th birthday party guest list included three members of the Class of '57—Cullen Johnson, Jane McCulloch, and Linda Traylor. Just before first grade, we moved to 1606 Avenue K which was separated from the South Ward playground by a tall hedge. I certainly can't brag to my grandchildren about "walking all those miles to school—." One of my dearest memories is getting to walk part of the way home with my new best friend Terry Waisman on the first or second day of school. The next year I attended Coggin Ward and made several new friends like Brenda Stuteville and Dianne Evans.. Notice I didn't include Billy Boysen, who lived just across the street from me and considered little Ramona a prime target for teasing! Finally, our new house had been built and third grade was about to begin back at South Ward. That year and the next brought more very best friends—Sarah Weatherby, Ed Longcope, Paula Hoyle, and Tommy Stalcup definitely come to mind.

Decade Number 3 - the 1950's
Just before 7th grade, my youngest brother Eddie was born. Then, we moved to 10th Street where we continued to live throughout my teen years. I won't enumerate all that happened during that wonderful/fearful, fast-moving/slow-paced, happy/sad, joyful/excruciating, exciting/boring time. I identified those years with Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." After all, I was a teenager, wasn't I! After high school, I got a scholarship to Howard Payne. When my dad sold his grocery store in Brownwood, my family moved to Odessa where Daddy managed another store.. In 1959, my junior year of college, I moved down to Houston and entered The University of Houston.

Decade Number 4 - the 1960's 
I met Logan Walter Wood in the spring of 1960, and I was in love. The "best of times" had just begun! I soon became Ramona Brown Wood and our first son Stephen was born less than a year later. I stayed home with little Stephen for a few semesters while Logan finished his degree and became an Athletic Trainer for Houston ISD. Then, in 1964,1 graduated and began teaching high school English. In 1966, we bought our first home. Two years later, our second son Scot was born, and I stayed home for another two years.

Decade Number 5 - the 1970's
I remember the 70's with great affection. For me it was a time of real spiritual growth and a time when my boys and their daddy and our church and our church school were the center of my life. It was a time when I knew I was in the center of God's will for my life. I taught 4th grade, then 6th grade, and then was principal of Temple Oaks Baptist School; where I served for almost eleven years, until God led me back into public school. In 1976, we had bought a new home outside of Houston in Jersey Village in the Cypress Fairbanks School District.

Decade Number 6 - the 1980's
In the fall of 1980, we joined Jersey Village Baptist Church which was about four blocks from our house, and I began teaching in Cy-Fair ISD. I also received my Masters of Education in administration and supervision. During this decade, I taught 8th grade English—yes, ten years! I also served as English Department Chairman. It was a decade of work, work, work!

Decade Number 7 - the 1990's
A new decade and time for a change!. I went to Cypress Creek High School, and for the next 11 years I taught 9th grade English and served as the team leader. This was another "best of times, worst of times". Both of our sons got married, and I finally had two loving "daughters." In 1991, my mother died of cancer. In 1995, our first grandchild Logan Walker Wood was born.In 1996, my daddy died from a stroke. But once again, the joy that a small child brings and getting involved in singing and worship at our church is what
made this mostly a really great decade.

Decade Number 8 - the 2000's
Well, I thought it was definitely the worst of times—Logan had prostate cancer, but after a successful surgery he was cancer free. By May of 2000 all was THE BEST again! Logan retired and our granddaughter Mikelle was born. The next year I decided it was time for me to retire. Logan and I did some traveling and lots of playing with grandchildren. All was great! We even had a new grandson. Hunter. Three months later, June 2004, Logan was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Until the very last, he and I both thought God was going to perform another miracle and let him live, but he died on August 12,2005. We had been married almost 45 years. Then, only two months after Logan's death, my brother Lloyd passed away. During the last year and a half, I have enjoyed playing and babysitting with my grandchildren, singing in our church choir again, taking several Bible studies, playing Bunko, taking my family to Disneyworld (All eight of us went for Thanksgiving this year.), and taking two trips to Europe. Believe it or not, I now know that God has helped me through the very worst of times, and I am looking forward to many more best of times.

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