Esther Castellow
Esther Castellow, 100, of Sublime, passed away Tuesday, March 21, 2023, with her daughter and granddaughters by her side.
She was born Dec, 13, 1922 on the “hom place” north of Sublime to Clark and Esther Kelley Brooks.
During her youth, the Sublime native worked cattle with her dad, enjoyed riding horses and fondly told stories about putting on riding pants under her dresses to ride her horse to school. Of course, once reaching school, she was required to be wearing the dress only — no pants allowed for female students. She also told fun stories about helping her father, Clark Brooks round up cows as well as the story of how she bought her first cow at age 17 for $17.
Esther graduated from Hallettsville High School in 1941, and later she attended Baldwin Business College in Yoakum. Her first job was secretary/bookkeeper for J.H. Landrey Car Dealership in Yoakum.
On Oct. 10, 1945, she married O.C. Castellow from Hope. Then she and O.C. moved to Freeport, where she worked as secretary/bookkeeper for Freeport Sulfur Company.
While in Freeport her first child, Ronald Dean, was born. From Freeport, the family moved back to the Castellow home place and farmed in Hope.
In 1951, Esther, O.C. and Ronald moved to Point Comfort, where O.C. worked for Alcoa for 32 years. In 1954, Connie Jean was born.
While the family lived in Point Comfort, Esther was an active member of the Point Comfort Baptist Church serving as secretary/treasurer as well as officers in the local Parent Teacher Association. Furthermore, because of her dedication to children, classroom teachers selected her to serve as room mother for both of her children during the 1950’s and 1960s.
Later Esther was the Point Comfort City Secretary from 1970-1983, before retiring and moving back to the Hallettsville area where she was reared as a child and later adolescent.
After retirement, O.C. and Esther moved back to Hallettsville. Her favorite past times were church, family, and being outside. She was a member of the Sublime Baptist Church in Sublime. She loved visiting and baby-sitting her grandchildren, Cara Brook and Cadee Blaine. As the girls grew and became active in school activities, “Grandma Esther” was an important audience member. An avid fan, she thrilled at putting on the maroon and gray to cheer on the Brahmas and Lady Brahmas in both football and girls basketball and softball.
In her later years, she gave up her horse for a four-wheeler. A great outdoors person, she loved deer hunting in the fall. Even during her 90’s she would sit in her chair in the kitchen and marvel at the deer as they came to the deer feeder in the yard.
Esther is survived by her daughter, Connie Jean Castellow; granddaughters, Cara Brook Castellow Shockley (Jake) and Cadee Blaine Castellow; her sister-in-law, Tonie Sitka Brooks, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Esther was preceded in death by her parents, Clark and Esther Brooks; husband, O.C. Castellow; son, Ronald Dean Castellow; brothers, James “Bill” Hartt, Raymond Brooks and James Howard Brooks; sisters, Johnnie Brooks Aldis and Jannie Lucille Brooks Pustejovsky.
The family would like to thank the staff at Lavaca Medical Center as well as the staff at Stevens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the excellent care and service they provided while Esther was a patient there. A sincere thank you is also extended to Crown Hospice. A special thank you is extended to Dr. Maurice Wilkinson and her staff for always being there with continued care and concern for Esther’s health and well-being.
Visitation began at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 25 at Sublime Baptist Church in Sublime.
Funeral service followed at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 25 at Sublime Baptist Church. Rev. Jeremy Kraatz officiated.
A lunch followed her burial at Willow Creek Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Howard Wayne Brooks, Tommy Parks, Ralph Aldis, Everett Marshall, Larry Koerth, Danny Russell, Charlie Meadows and Leroy Cagle.
Honorary pallbearers were Dan Hairell, Forrest T. Kroschel Sr. and Lee Koerth.
Memorials may be made to a charity of donor’s choice.
Words of comfort and guest book entry may be shared with the family at www.kubenafuneralhome.com