Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries


The Teague Chronicle
Feb. 25, 2010 issue

EDWARD WATERS

A memorial service for Edward Waters, 89, formerly of Houston, Texas, will be held
at the Church of Christ, 1001 N. 8th Avenue in Teague on Saturday, February 27, 
2010.

Edward was born on January 10, 1921, to Willie and Janie Waters near the community
of Woodcliff, Georgia, the second of their five children--Warren, Tom, Lester and
Zell. Edward enlisted in the Georgia National Guard on September 16, 1940, and his
unit was absorbed into the United States Army after December 7, 1941. He 
subsequently underwent training in Officers Candidate School and joined the Army 
Air Force after he was commissioned. He was stationed at Bassingbourn, England 
with the 322nd Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. A B-17 bomber pilot,
Ed flew 24 successful missions over Germany and France. On his 25th mission, his 
plane, The Sleepytime Gal, was shot down on June 21, 1944, in northern Germany on
a bombing run en route to Berlin. He was taken prisoner and sent to a POW camp, 
Stalag Luft 3, near Sagan in then-eastern Germany (today in Poland), and spent the 
remainder of the war in captivity. He and his fellow prisoners were evacuated by 
the Germans in the face of the approaching Red Army and marched on foot in the
winter of 1945 down into southern Germany where they were eventually liberated by 
General Patton's Third Army. Like many veterans of his era, Ed did not speak much 
of his wartime service until much later in life, which only made his family and 
friends all the prouder of him for what he had done. He received a Purple Heart,
an Air Medal with three Oak-Leaf Clusters, an EAME Theater Ribbon with two Bronze
Stars, two Overseas Service Bars, an American Defense Ribbon and a Good Conduct 
Medal. After the war, Ed attended collage at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia,
graduating in 1950. He was the first member of his family to attend college and 
earn a degree. Thereafter, he worked in sales throughout the Southeast, finally 
setting in Texas in the early 1960s. He enjoyed reading, television, fishing and 
cooking, especially barbecue, Texas and Cajun food. In his retirement he enjoyed 
traveling, visiting family and attending military reunions. He was an active 
member of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War. Mr. 
Waters passed away on February 16, 2010, at the Golden Living Center in 
Morgantown, West Virginia.

In addition to his parents and his brothers Warren, Tom and Lester, Ed was 
preceded in death by his beloved wife of 43 years, Betty Jo Waters, on August 19,
2008.

He is survived by his daughter and eldest child Victoria Goodykoontz and husband 
Jack of Morgantown, West Virginia; his sons Brian Waters and wife Gail, Howard 
Waters, Phillip Waters and wife Susan, Steven Waters and wife Gerry, Mark Waters,
John Waters and wife Angela, James Waters and wife Wendy and Michael Waters; his 
grandchildren David Goodykoontz and wife Erin, Adam Goodykoontz and wife Erin, 
Scott Ferguson and wife Sandra, Victoria Ferguson and Ashley Waters and husband 
Martin; his great grandchildren Kylie Ferguson, Annabelle Goodykoontz and Messiah
Waters Lopez; his sister Zell Holland and several nieces and nephews.

The dedicated care given him by the Golden Living Center is deeply appreciated. 
His body was donated to science through the West Virginia University Human Gift 
Registry.