Roll Call Tribute

Published in Victoria Advocate on April 14, 2012

JAMES RAY "JIM" WITTE
YOAKUM - James Ray Witte ("Jim") was born in Yoakum, Texas, on September 2, 1933, to Gerhardt and Marguerite Witte.
On April 11, 2012, he passed away, his devoted wife of 26 years, children, and grandchildren by his bedside, and went home to be with Jesus after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Jim and Louise Witte were married on July 27, 1985, in Yoakum.
Jim is survived by his wife, Louise; son, Scott Witte and wife Jackie of Yoakum; daughter, Natalie Witte Tise and husband Carey of Bellville; step-daughter, Teri Lane and step-son, Jason Mozisek of West Palm Beach, Florida; grandson, Ryan Tise of Houston; granddaughters, Kaitlynn Tise of Bellville, Callie Witte, and Riley Witte of Yoakum; sister, Lillian Yancey, of Conroe; aunt, Alice Witte of Yoakum; niece, Jaynne Weisner of Conroe and nephew, Ken Yancey of Houston.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, and stepmother, Frances Louise Witte; uncles Edmond Witte, Herman "Bo" Witte, and Raymond Witte, and aunt, Irma Witte.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home in Yoakum.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2012, at the Yoakum Community Center.
Pallbearers will be Ryan Tise, John Quast, Bill Lopez, Edwin Steinmann, Ross Plant, Wayne Hollan, Dudley Wayne Garrett, and Clifton Vinklarek. Ushers will be Ross Plant, Alan Sommer, and Tommy Schuette. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of The Rotary Club of Yoakum.
Called Jimmy as a young man, Jim grew up in Yoakum and was a 1951 graduate of Yoakum High School. He was known for being talented and industrious and started working when he was a young teenager doing odd jobs, working at a local hotel, and maintaining the printing presses for a local printer. Jim learned how to fix things at a young age and had a mechanical mind that was second to none. Additionally, Jim worked in the family grocery store, H.P. Witte and Sons, for many years during his youth. Active in numerous activities in school, Jim was an athlete, voted Most Popular in his graduating class, and achieved Eagle Scout.
Jim attended college at Texas A&M, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and graduated with a degree in Industrial Education in 1955. Jim's love of Aggieland continued throughout his life. He was involved in the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association and the Yoakum A&M Club. He has been a member of the Association of Former Students and Century Club donor for nearly 30 years and was a devoted follower of his beloved Aggie sports teams.
Upon graduating from Texas A&M, Jim was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Army and served his country for eighteen months during the Korean War in the Post Motor Pool, Camp Zama, Korea, from 1956-1957.
After completing his military service, Jim began his professional life in Sweet Water, Texas, working for U.S. Gypsum in 1957 as a safety engineer. He also worked for General Dynamics in Fort Worth for a time until U.S. Gypsum lured him back with the offer of a promotion to Personnel Manager in Houston, Texas. While living in Houston, Jim learned of an employment opportunity at Tex Tan Western Leather Company in Yoakum. Jim took that opportunity to come home to Yoakum to raise his family and settle down in the small town that he grew up in and loved so much. Jim had a lengthy and successful career at Tex Tan where he was known for his work ethic, his strong managerial skills, and his innovative ideas, many of which changed the industry. He had risen to Vice President of Manufacturing when he retired in 1984. Always thought of as a guy who "gets things done," it was said by many when he retired, it was going to take at least three people to replace him.
Retirement for Jim did not mean a life of leisure, however. Although he always took time to have fun, loved a good party, was an excellent dancer, traveled extensively, and enjoyed a competitive game of 42 dominoes. Jim was never a man to sit idle and continued his dedication to hard work and community service.
In 1989, Jim was recognized for his years of service to the community of Yoakum when he received the Paul F. Gustwick Award for Citizen of the Year and named the Grand Marshall of the Yoakum Tom Tom Parade in 1989. Among the many organizations Jim was involved in are: The Boy Scouts of America as a long time Scout leader; a lifetime member of the Yoakum Community Hospital Auxiliary; the Friends of the Yoakum Library; a contributing member of the Yoakum Heritage Museum; a Gold Circle Member of the V.F.W.; a 50 year member of the Masonic Lodge; a long-time member of the Yoakum Zoning Board; a supporter of the Sheriff's Association of Texas; a supporter of the George Bush Presidential Library; an advisory director at First State Bank; Director, past president, and current vice-president of YNA Corporation; an honorary member of the American Legion; a member of the Lavaca County Soil and Water Conservation Board; a citizen representative of the State Bar Grievance Committee, and an associate member of the Republican Women of Yoakum. An avid sportsman and hunter and a talented skeet shooter, Jim was also a proud member of the National Rifle Association.
Jim was dedicated to serving the Yoakum Community Hospital and has been the only President of the Yoakum Hospital District Tax Board since its inception in 1988. When the previous hospital was closed, Jim spearheaded the effort to ensure that the community had a new hospital to meet its medical needs. Jim was instrumental in securing the land and was a key player in coordinating the construction effort in 1996. In 2000, he was honored as a Distinguished Trustee by Memorial Hermann Healthcare.
Among Jim's most notable community service came about through his membership in The Rotary Club of Yoakum, an organization whose motto is "service above self." For Jim, these were not just words; he truly lived them. As a local club member, he was active and involved in virtually every community service project that Rotary undertook for more than 30 years. He was also recognized for decades of perfect attendance and served as the local club president. He was a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, a member of the Rotary Bequest Society, and Benefactor. He received the Rotary Roll of Fame award for District 587 and the Rotary International Meritorious Award for Service Above Self in 1987. In 1990-1991, he was named the Governor of District 587. During his year-long Governorship, Jim and Louise traveled extensively across Texas, visiting the local clubs in the District, and organized, coordinated and hosted the District's largest Conference, which included its sister District 413 from Mexico, and recognized as the first Bi-District Conference held in the U.S.
In 1977, Jim and a group of local Rotarians initiated an innovative scholarship fund raising project that became known as Country Music USA. This monthly country music show was supported by local and area musical talent, volunteers, and Jim Witte, as the much-loved emcee. The show was immensely popular and has inspired many similar programs in other communities. People came for miles around by the bus load to see Jim and the Country Volunteers perform inexpensive, family friendly entertainment, and the show was frequently attended by visitors from all over the world. Dozens of Yoakum High School students benefitted from this scholarship program which raised over $350,000 over the years. As emcee, remarkably, Jim never missed a single show in 34 years and became something of a local celebrity with his talent behind the microphone, his quick wit, and his self-deprecating humor. Behind the scenes over the years, Jim and Louise put in many hours of work designing sets, putting together programs and acts, and recording every show to sell to a wider audience.
Always at home behind a microphone and in front of a crowd, Jim was a regular face at Yoakum events and served as emcee at many a Tom Tom parade, Land of Leather Days event, Miss Yoakum pageant, and Chamber of Commerce banquet. He was truly an ambassador for the town of Yoakum and one of its favorite sons.
Additionally, Jim was a self-motivated and hard-working individual who was happiest when he was building something. He was a true craftsman, but he also was widely known for turning trash into treasure. Jim took old out-dated satellite dishes and made them into tiki huts, built a vegetable garden out of a discarded fishing boat, and a motorized portable deer feeder out of an empty 10 gallon water bottle. In 1994, at the age of 61, he built himself a new home using an innovative steel framed construction. He and Louise did virtually all the work themselves from the basic framing of the structure to the fixtures, tiling, flooring, and details in the interior. Later, he provided extensive assistance to several friends in the construction of their own steel-framed homes. Jim's commitment to helping others did not end with small tasks.
No doubt, Jim's natural altruism and his upstanding character stemmed from his strong faith. Jim often said, "If you do good, then good will come to you." He was a lifetime Christian, a member of the local Emmaus Community, an active member of the local First United Methodist Church for nearly 50 years, and attended the First Baptist Church of Yoakum, as well. His church membership, as in all other areas of his life, extended well beyond mere attendance. Over the years, he served on and/or chaired virtually every church committee, was active in the Methodist Men, spearheaded many church fundraising efforts, including the annual rummage sale, year after year, taught Sunday School, did general maintenance work on the building and grounds from time to time, built sets and props for Vacation Bible School, and even filled the pulpit whenever needed. Jim has now gone on to his heavenly reward. His family, friends, and all who knew him have no doubt that when he stood before Jesus, his Heavenly Father looked at him and smiled and said these words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant. Well done."
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rotary International Foundation, the MD Anderson Cancer Center or donor's choice.
Online guestbook may be signed at www.thielecooper.com
Arrangements by Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home in Yoakum, 361-293-5656