August 21, 2015 (Friday)
Wanda’s father, Louie J. Sadler, was a man I deeply respected. He loved his family, his home place (now in and around Lake Limestone) where he was born and where he loved to spend time, grow gardens, raise cattle, and clear land for pasture. Before the lake was built, it was bottom land of the Navasota River, with plenty of opportunities for hunting and fishing. “Mr. Louie” was a school teacher, along with his wife, Berta, and became Superintendent of Schools in Concord, Texas, and later in the Leon County Independent School District, where the schools were built between Marquez and Jewett on Highway 79. He was the first Superintendent of that district. His ancestors were Texas pioneers and one of them fought at the Battle of the Alamo and another at the Battle of San Jacinto. He died in 1987 at 83 years of age. “Miss Berta” preceded him in death in 1985 at age 81. She was raised in Lovelady, Texas, and her maiden name was Holliday. Her mother’s family name was McPhail, and the McPhails came to America from Scotland.
This week a plaque was placed in the new Administration Building of the Leon County School District. My grand niece was there at the ceremony and photographed the plaque:
Mister Sadler was a dedicated school teacher and administrator. He loved to share stories of boys and girls he had helped find their way to successful lives.
He also had another love: ranching. He loved to hang his coat and tie in the closet, put on his khakis, work shirt and work boots and go to the acreage on the Navasota River bottom where he was born and raised. He dearly loved clearing land and creating pasture. Every so often he would sell his cattle, and each deal was sealed with a handshake. Honesty and integrity were watchwords of the days in which he lived.
The Scriptures call upon us to be honest people of integrity. They urge us to treat others as we want to be treated. Mister Sadler lived a life consistent with those ideals. His family is happy and grateful for this recognition of a wonderful educator. His wife, Berta, was also a great teacher and served her students and families of her community in marvelous fashion all her adult life. She ordered her gravestone to be engraved with these words: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Their descendants and an army of former students rise up and call them blessed.
