Biography for Tressa Cowen Finnigan

I was Tressa Cowan in Milburn, Texas on December 9, 1938--the eight child of Sterling and Virgie Cowan. According to my siblings, I was a fat, healthy blue-eyed brat. Being the youngest of eight, they were probably right about the brat.

I was always called a "country hick" or "hillbilly" and a few other choice words. I always thought that I was being tormented, but as I grew older I realized that was a compliment.

The first two years of school I attended Mercury School. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade was all in one room, so you can imagine how small the school was. My mom couldn't keep shoes on me when I was young. I was a tomboy and I hated shoes. I had some of toughest feet in Mercury! The bus ride to school was about 15 miles. I would leave home with shoes on, but they always stayed on the bus!

Our family moved to Brownwood in 1947 where I started the 3rd grade at Woodland Heights Grade School. When I entered the 4th grade, I attended Central Ward School, which no longer stands. The school was located at 301 Main where the Texas Department of Human and Protective Services now sits. Most people still remember the building as the old Montgomery Ward Department Store. I was always telling tall tales and would tell them as if it happened to me. When my dad would ask me when these things happened, I knew that he was trying to catch me in a lie, so I would tell him that I was just dreaming so as not to make it look so bad.

I next attended the 5th, 6th and 7th grade at South Ward School on Avenue K, then Brownwood Jr. High. I played Volleyball in 7th grade, and I had a real hard serve. My coach, Mr. Roger Sweeney would always start me out serving and sometimes we won. I usually served the whole game. I was known as "muscles" which I hated, but Mr. Sweeney loved it.

While attending Brownwood High School, my dad bought me a '38 Ford Coupe. In those days we didn't have to have insurance. I drove that ole Ford to school and work for two years before I got my driver's license. Mr. Turnbo, the driver's education teacher knew I didn't have my license, so he told me if I would take his class, he would help me get my license. That was 1957, the year I graduated from Brownwood High School in 1957.

My best friend was Gerrie Havner. She died in 2006 after having battled cancer and emphysema for many years.

After graduation, I went to work as an operator at the Telephone Company on Brown Street in Brownwood. Two years later I married Joe Hill, a country boy from Blanket, Texas. We have three children: Sterling, Tammy and Rhonda. After all my children started school, I began work again at J. R. B Food Store in Brownwood. I worked there 10 years. Joe and I divorced 1979.

In 1980 I went to work at 3M. I married the supervisor of my department, Danny Finnigan and inherited his two boys, Derek and Doug. Danny dreamed of owning land and ranching and I dreamed of a new home. Both our dreams came true. We bought land and built a new home. In fact, I think this land once belonged to the grandparents of one of my classmates, Pitt Sikes.

We are both now retired from 3M, but I decided to go back to work part-time at the Wash-Brite Laundry on Coggin Avenue in Brownwood. Together we have 18 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, one of which was born Christmas Day 2006. A 5th great grandson was born 2005, but sadly died at birth. We are expecting four more great grandchildren this year which will include a set of twins.

I have a close-knit family and now see that my parents taught me the true value of family. The best way I can thank them is to instill the family values in my children and grandchildren. We have family gatherings often on Sunday's after Church. This I believe is very important--not just twice a year on Thanksgiving and Christmas. God is a very important part of my life. God performs miracles everyday, but I will always witness to His goodness and share the miracle he performed in my family.

February 9, 2001, my daughter-in-law was planning on celebrating her 39th birthday. None of us realized what this day had in store for us all. My 12-year old grandson, Chance Hill, was buried alive in a sand pile. He was trapped for two hours before he was found--not breathing and no heart beat. As a matter of fact, my son and his wife knew from just looking at him that it was not good. His dad administered CPR while his mother called the ambulance. When paramedics arrived they continued with CPR as well as used shock paddles in hopes to restart his heart. They did this several times more on the ambulance on the way to the hospital. After arriving at the hospital doctors continued CPR but Chance stayed flat-line and was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later. The doctor told the family that the family could be with him once he was cleaned up and the monitors were taken off. We were all in shock and just wanted to wake from the nightmare, but it was real and something we would have to face but not willingly. After the monitors were taken off the nurse picked up his arm hanging from the table to place beside him. As she did this her fingers just happened to grasp his wrist and she felt a faint thump. It was so faint in fact she wasn't sure that was what she felt. She waited and then she felt it again. She called for the doctor and they began working with Chance again. His heart slowly began beating again. After he was stabilized he was flown to Fort Worth at Children's Hospital. He was there 4 days and released. He is a healthy 18 year-old young man who suffered no brain damage what-so-ever. Doctors were amazed, but our family gives all the glory to God and always will. Chance's story has been featured on the PAX TV program "It's A Miracle," The "Dallas Children's Magazine," and on the Maury Povich show.

I have a "Christmas angel' a Great Granddaughter, BORN Dec. 25, Kamery Lynn Thompson, great granddaughter of Tressa & Danny Finnigan

God has truly blessed me in my life. I've had a lot of valleys in my lifetime, but life has shown me that I needed to go through those valleys so that I could be on the mountain that I am today.

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