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Donald Dean Mechling
KERRVILLE — Born to Clarence Mechling and Opal Emery Mechling in Hammond, Ill., he was the second of six children.
Dean graduated from Neoga High School in 1946. He married Shirley Coe Roberts in 1949. They had three daughters together: Leea, Michelle and Dawne.
Dean joined the Navy as an airman in 1951, and was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After leaving the Navy in 1956, he lived and worked in Buda, Ill., until 1962, when he relocated his family to Corpus Christi, Texas.
After divorcing in 1974, he moved to Central Texas and met his perfect match and love of his life, Bessie Coldwell Spradling, marrying in 1981 and acquiring the sons he’d always wanted: Bill, George, Mike and Donnie Spradling. He lived his dream life of ranching on the Coldwell Ranch in Kerr County near Center Point, Texas. Lover of life, family, outdoors and UT football, Dean was the definition of a true Texas cowboy.
Dean spent several years working for H-E-B in Kerrville, where he made many friends and gave lots of hugs.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Duane; sisters, Delores and Carol Ann; wife of 27 wonderful years, Bessie; son, Donnie; son-in-law, Ben Myers; and brother-in-law, William Coldwell.
He is survived by his brother, Dale (Jean); sister, Shirley Sugars (Gene); daughters, Leea Mechling (Henry Gonzalez), Michelle Myers, Dawne Perez (Mark Patterson); sons, George Spradling (Beverly) and Mike Spradling (Kristi Pugh); sisters-in-law, Lula Mae Coldwell and Cynthia Coldwell; brothers-in-law, Neal Coldwell and Charles Coldwell (Vicky); grandchildren, Ben Gonzalez (Margaret), Coree Gonzalez (Michael Alvarez), David and Skyler Perez, Jordan and Evan Spradling, Katherine Chemsky, Matt and Hayley Meador; and his much anticipated great-granddaughter, Beck Ava Gonzalez, born July 2007. As part of a large family, Dean is survived by many nieces and nephews and a host of friends — very much loved, each and every one.
Many thanks to Dean’s special friends, Joe Williams, Cotton Thompson, Dean, Tweety and Ashley Reese, Jim Wood, Donna and Kenny Brown, Consuela and Silver Guel, Cody Martin, Justin Tinnin, Jeannie Andrews for their love and support. The family also would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff in the ICU at Peterson Regional Medical Center for their care and comfort of our loved one.
Visitation will be Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Grimes Funeral Chapels.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m., Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, at the family home on the Coldwell Ranch in Center Point.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Peterson Hospice or favorite charity.
The family invites you to send condolences at www.grimesfuneralchapels.com by selecting the “Send Condolences” link.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Grimes Funeral Chapels of Kerrville.
Published October 3, 2009
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