Bessie Sealy (born Auzston)
Personal
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: February 19, 1929
Date of Death: April 27, 2009
Birth Place: Port Bolivar, TX
Death Place: Houston, TX
Bessie Sealy
Bessie Sealy passed away Monday, April 27, 2009, at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. Funeral Services will held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 2, 2009, at J. Levy & Termini Funeral Home, 2128 Broadway, Galveston, Texas. Burial will follow services Saturday, May 2, 2009, at Galveston Memorial Park Cemetery in Hitchcock, Texas. Gathering for visitation will be held on Friday, May 1, 2009, also at J Levy & Termini Funeral Home. Mrs. Sealy’s family will be receiving friends at the funeral home Friday evening from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Bessie was born on the Port Bolivar Peninsula February 19, 1929. As a lifelong resident of Galveston Island, she and her husband, John Sealy, worked side by side as commercial fishermen. Providing much of the seafood supply to most of the island’s restaurants and seafood fish markets, Bessie and John, furnished their catch to well known island businesses, some of a few to mention, Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant, 37th Street Fish Market, Sampson’s Seafood and Bill Schaaf’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
In her very young life, Bessie and her mother lived on a house barge on the Bolivar Peninsula’s East Jetties. As a coastal resident she and her family experienced different weather situations and on one occasion, were involved in a very severe storm. It was then that their house barge became badly beaten with large wave action and swells and it was then that she, as small as she was, and her mother were washed overboard. In a very diligent effort, Bessie’s mother struggled to save her little girl and herself and found safety behind the rocks of the East Jetties. Waiting the storm out, they were able to bring themselves to safety and as a tribute to their experience her mother carved into the shelter of rocks, “Queen of the Jetties” and this recognition remained with Bessie for all of her life.
Bessie was the mother of a very large family but she always had time for each and every one in her family. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and even great-grandmother who believed in a strong family upbringing. As matriarch, she held together her family in a very loving special way and because of her inspiration, her family will carry on in her ways of love. Bessie believed in and put family first, even before herself, she would care for those around her. She made sure there was everything provided to those around her. There was always plenty of food for everyone, plenty of care for everyone and plenty of love for all. She and her husband John raised their children in the same manner in which they lived. They raised them to be commercial fisherman, good family providers and loving parents to their children. Her memories and lifelong lessons will forever be remembered.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband, John A. Sealy, Sr., her parents, Joseph August Auzston and Gertrude Millard Auzston and also some of her brothers and sisters.
She leaves behind many fond memories with her very loving family, Tommy Baker, Randall Baker, Shirley McVay and husband, William, John A. Sealy, Jr., Billy Sealy, Rocky Sealy, Sr. and wife, Lois, and Nickey Sealy. Sharing in her loss, too, are Bessie’s loving grandchildren, Cody Cole, Angela Cole, Joseph McVay, Jerry McVay, John Sealy, III, Jeremy Sealy, Crystal Sealy, April Sealy and Rocky Sealy, Jr. and also her 8 loving great-grandchildren. Bessie is also survived by two sisters, Violet Harden and Ideal O’Conner and her brother, William Auzston, numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, a host of other loving family and many friends.
Pallbearers will be John A. Sealy, Jr., John A. Sealy, III, Jeremy Sealy, Cody Cole, Joseph McVay and Jerry McVay. Honorary Pallbearer will be Kenneth Auzston.
Published in The Galveston County Daily News, (TX) – May 1, 2009
