Edward Nelson Patton

Edward Nelson Patton, 81, of Vidor, went to join his Heavenly Father on June 20, 2023. He passed away in Baptist Hospital in Beaumont due to covid pneumonia. He was born on July 18, 1941, in Liberty, Texas, to James Nelson Patton and Jewell Tanner Patton. A memorial service will be held on July 1 at 1:00 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6198 N Hwy 105, in Vidor.

A 1959 graduate of Liberty High School, he attended college at Texas A&M, Lee College in Baytown, and graduated from Lamar in Beaumont with a double major in English and history. His dad liked to joke that Edward was the only person he knew who crammed four-years of college into eight years.

A much-loved teacher, he taught in Cleveland (Texas), Bridge City, Deweyville, and Vidor. His fate as a teacher was sealed when, shortly after graduation, he went to Houston and applied for a job at a savings and loan where he was told with no uncertainty that he would not be able to wear his cowboy boots. He immediately told her no thank you and on the way home, on impulse, stopped at Cleveland Elementary where he was hired on the spot. He wore those same cowboy boots in the classroom for many years.

For a good part of his teaching career, he taught Texas history and instilled in his students the same passion for history that he felt. A true son of Texas, he took pride in his ancestor, A.B. Hardin, who came to Texas in 1825 and was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Edward grew up on a 90-acre tract of land in Liberty County that had been purchased by his grandfather in 1890. There he was surrounded by his Patton kin—his own family along with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmother. He acquired an extensive collection of World War II memorabilia.

During a hiatus from teaching, he owned a construction business from the late 70s to the mid 80s, applying the same degree of perfection to his customers’ projects that he did to everything else.

Edward was a can-do kind of guy—repairing, restoring, and installing anything that needed doing, for his own family and anyone else who needed his help. His proudest achievement was building a hot rod using a 1931 Model A Ford body and a modified 1957 Chrysler chassis. He and his soon-to-be wife Charlene often rode around in it when they were dating and attracted the attention of every teenage boy around.

He and Charlene met in a German class at Lamar in the fall of 1966, and he liked to tell people that it was love at first sight. They were married in December, 1967, and their marriage lasted until his death, for fifty-five years.

After spending much of his life as an unbeliever, late in life he underwent a spiritual transformation and, in 2015, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There, he taught the priesthood class. Many commented on his wisdom and the depth of his insights. He was inspired by the role models and childhood teachings of his beloved grandmother, Mattie Patton, and aunts Rosie Booth and Nellie Means. For several months before his death, his greatest pleasure was the weekly visit from the missionaries, the young men sent out by the church.

He loved his grandchildren and took tremendous pride in their accomplishments. He was an animal lover and felt a special fondness for his cat Andy (Little Orphan Andy) and his little terrier-mix dog, Baby Leeroy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Carol Ann Patton Wiggins, and his grandmother, Mattie Patton.

He is survived by his wife, Charlene Hanks Patton, of Vidor, two sons, Todd Morrow of Dallas and George Patton and wife Gaitree of Vidor and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, three grandchildren, Nelson Morrow of Austin, Grace Ann Morrow of Sherman, and Nathan Morrow of Lubbock, a brother, Donald Patton of Bryan, a sister, Lauren Patton Curylo of Leander, and daughter-in-love, Dawn Morrow Wilson of Dallas, along with brothers in law Robert Hanks and wife Connie of Bridge City, John Hanks and wife Jane of Vidor and Don Hanks and wife Beth of Jefferson.

He was loved by many, and he reciprocated that love. He will be missed.