LEE AND HELEN FEGETTE

 The following bio was taken from page 198 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled

And edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

 Lee Fegette was born January 23, 1923, in Gatesville, Texas to Jasper Lee and Claudine Fegette.  When he was six years old, his father died of tuberculosis.  His mother supported him and his sister by working for the Singer Sewing Machine Company.  She worked in many small towns throughout Central and East Texas.

 Lee spent summers with an uncle, Gordon (Bill) Graham in Gatesville, helping on his cattle ranch and dreaming of the day that he, too, might raise cattle.

 While Lee was in high school, his mother was transferred to the Singer shop in Texas City, where they met the B. C. (Dick) Hunter family.  Lee enjoyed fishing with Dick and many other father/son activities he had never known.  Two years later when his mother moved again, he decided to stay in Texas City to finish school  and become a part of the Hunter family.  After graduation, Lee went to work at the Pan American (Amoco) Refinery.  Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving the majority of his time in Oxford, England area.

Returning to his old job after the war, Lee began dating a co-worker, Helen Hewitt (born April 10, 1927 in Cornell, Wisconsin).  They married February 1, 1947 and reared four fine children:  Claudine Jean, born May 3, 1947; Steven Allen, born April 1, 1953; Marcia Louise, born June 11, 1954; and Denice Renee, born May 30, 1957.

In 1967, Lee bought the J. W. Neely estate in the Compton Community.  Mr. Neeley was the grandfather of Dick Hunter.  Lee’s dream of having a place in the country where he could raise cattle grew nearer.  He and his family continued to live in their Dickinson home, with trips up to East Texas whenever possible.

 With the youngest child out of college, Lee retired from Amoco Refinery in 1979 to become a full-time resident of Rusk County.

 Submitted by Helen Fegette