Person Page - 4557

Fred Sackett, Jr.
Fred Sackett, Jr. died on Sunday, June 22, 1997, at his home in Austin after a brief bout with lung cancer. He was 75.
     Fred was fond of reminiscing about his British immigrant grandfather, Henry Sackett, who arrived on horseback in Coleman County in time to join the Texas Ranger garrison at Camp Colorado, Texas, in their last fight against Indain marauders. After the land was secured, Henry Sackett bought the fort's headquarters building, married the commandant's daughter, Mary McNamara, and settled down to build a sizable ranch and rear eleven children, the second of whom was Fred Sackett, Sr. Fred Jr. was born on hiis grandfather's ranch and grew up in what he considered idyllic circumstances. He always said that it was while lying on his back in the tall grass of the pasture, watching hawks circling gracefullly in the air, that he determined to become a flyer.
     He took flying lessons at an early age and made air acrobatics his hobby to such an extent that he was spotted by Air Corps brass in the days just before World War II. He was asked to instruct flying cadets and later transferred to the Ferry Command, graduating then to service as a pilot in the China-Burma-India Theatre - "Flying the Hump", as it was called. He completed in excess of forty missions.
     After the war he returned to Austin to resume his studies at the University of Texas, graduating with a degree in higher mathematics. While in university he supported himself and his wife, Dell, and small son by going to work for a construction firm, work he found so congenial and profitable that he continued it for many years. But in 1966, the death of his second son, Eric Sackett, in Vietnam, so embittered and saddened him that he decided on a new approach to living. Invited to join an investment firm, Rauscher-Pierce, he went back to school to learn a new business, and made investments his career until his retirement in 1986. He often billed himself as the only liberal stockbroker in Texas.
     A lifelong Democrat, Fred, from his youth onward, had been a champion of minority groups, and was proud of recalling an early triumph when he and a group of his high school friends shamed his school district into admitting black students to the local high school.
     A dedicated preservationist, Fred served on the board of the Austin Heritage Society for many years. Appointed to the Austin Library Commission, he served as its President for seven years, leading the Commission in its successful fight to add a fourth floor to the new Main Library, which planners had envisioned as a three-story building.
     He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Peggy Sackett; his mother, Fay Moneyhun Sackett of Coleman; his son, Fritz Sackett of Austin; his sister, Patsy Hill of Coleman; his niece, Tamara Mills; and his nephew, John Alllen Crockett, both of Coleman.
     Funeral arrangements are being made by Weed-Corley-Fish, and services will be at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 26, 1997.
     Pallbearers will be Paul Brown, Ronald Earle, Harold G. Robinson, Felder Thornhill, Bruce Todd and George Warren. Honorary pallbearers are Gonzalo Barrientos, Philip Bobbitt, Michael Frary, Johnny Huber, Martin Kermacy, Mayo King, Garry Mauro, Scott McBride, Carl Oppenheimer, George Seagert, A.R. "Babe" Schwartz, Will Todd IV and John Tubb.
     In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Austin Public Library, P.O. Box 2287, Austin, Texas 78768.
     Arrangements by Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar, 452-8811.

—Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 26 Jun 1997, p 72

Fred Sackett, Jr. 75
Fred Sackett, Jr., age 75, died Sunday, June 22, 1997 at his home in Austin.
     Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Austin. Funeral arrangements are by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home.
     Fred was fond of reminiscing about his grandfather, Henry Sackett, who arrived on horseback in Coleman County in time to join the Texas Rangers at Camp Colorado. Henry Sackett bought the fort's headquarters building, married the commandant's daughter, Mary McNamara, and settled down to build a sizeable ranch and rear eleven children, the second of whom was Fred Sackett, Sr. Fred Jr. was born on his grandfather's ranch.
Fred Sackett, Jr. took flying lessons at an early age and was asked to instruct flying cadets during World War II. He later transferred to the Ferry Command, graduating to service as a pilot in the China-Burma-India theatre – "Flying the Hump."
     After the war he returned to Austin to resume his studies at the University of Texas, graduating with a degree in higher mathematics. He was an investment broker.
     Fred served on the board of the Austin Heritage Society for many years. He also served as president for seven years to the Austin Library Commission.
     Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Peggy Sackett; his mother, Fay Moneyhun Sackett of Coleman; his son Fritz Sackett of Austin; his sister, Patsy Hill of Coleman; his niece, Tamara Mills; and a nephew, John Allen Crockett of Coleman.
     Pallbearers are Paul Brown, Ronnie Earle, Harold G. Robinson, Felder Thornhill, Bruce Todd and George Warren. Honorary pallbearers include Gonzalo Barrientos, Philip Bobbitt, Michael Frary, Martin Kermacy, Mayo King, Johnny Huber, Garry Mauro, Scott McBride, Carl Oppenheimer, George Seagert, A.R. "Babe" Schwartz, Will Todd IV and John Tubb.
     In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Austin Public Library, P.O. Box 2287, Austin, Texas 78768.

—Coleman Chronicle and Democrat-Voice, Coleman, Texas, June 1997.

Dell M. Sackett Goeres
Dell M. Sackett Goeres tilted at her last windmill and left this world on July 31st 2006 following the quest she'd always called, "Life's last great adventure."
     Much of her life was truly an adventure. She was an artist, a writer, a musician, a newspaper editor, a commercial fisherwoman, a cook in her husband's logging mill in Cordova, Alaska, a proud liberal, and a "Yellow Dog Democrat."
     Dell was born in Coleman Texas to her mother Jewell Hughes Mitchell and father Viron Dell Mitchell on September 12th 1921, and spent much of her early years on her family's ranch near Novice, Texas.
     She was always a defender of the liberties and constitutional rights of minorities and the working class. She was on the front lines of the civil rights struggle and was on the original staff of the "Texas Observer" when the fledging paper was started, working closely with Ronnie Dugger the Observers first editor. She always callled July Fourth, "The American High Holy Day of Liberty."
     She was devastated by the loss of her youngest son Eric Sackett who was killed in Dong Pong Vietnam in 1966. Dell was also predeceased by her daughter in law Rae N. Witter-Sackett who was her primary caregiver after the curse of Alzheimer's drilled smokey tunnels through her once brilliant mind.
     She is survived by her son Frederick (Fritz) Sackett, her sister in law Patsy Sackett, her niece Tamara Crockett Mills and nephew John Allen Crockett. She had four step-grandchildren and eight step-great grandchildren. Dell also loved and considered Bill and Mary Godden to be part of her extended family.
     Wherever he shining light has gone - we hope she is now reunited with her family and old liberal crusaders and defenders of the down-trodden. Hopefully they are all now singing a rousting rendition of "Joe Hill."
     Vaya con Dios, our beautiful lady.
     A memorial service will be scheduled near her old home on the Blanco River at a later date.
     Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com. Weed Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N Lamar.

—Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, 6 Aug 2006, p 21

Marguerite Augusta Porter Lockhart Sackett, known to all as "Peggy", died peacefully at home on March 12, 2012. She was born November 5, 1917 in Bewabik, Minnesota to Mable Johnson Porter and Grenville Alexander Porter. Her younger brother, Douglas Alexander Porter preceded her in death.
     She was beloved by her grandmother, Lenora Augusta Day Johnson and her aunt, Florence Bell Johnson.
     When she was three years old, the little family moved from McKinley, Minnesota to Waco, Texas, where she grew up. She attended the Waco Public Schools, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and in 1939 graduated from Baylor University.
     Marguerite spent the war years in Detroit with her first husband, Byron Lockhart, of Waco, after which they returned to Austin. She met her second husband, Fred Sackett, in the 1950's and they were married in 1964.
     Starting in the mid-1950's, Peggy involved herself in local community events and causes such as the Austin Bicentennial, KLRU Auction, SAVE MUNY (Austin Municipal Golf Course), NOTCHOS (NOTCH Year Baby legislation), and the YWCA. In the late 1960's and 1970's she was involved in the local theatre, performing in plays at the Zachary Scott Theatre, where she was recognized as best supporting actress for her role in the 1968 play "Barefoot in the Park". As the years passed, she continued to be actively involved in Austin's social and political arenas. After many years of dedicated service, she received acknowledgement from the Governor of Texas and the General Land Office.
     Marguerite is survived by her nephew Richard Porter; niece Stephanie Porter Matthews; grand nephew Steven Matthews; sister-in-law Deanna Porter Gotcher; and step-son Fritz Sackett.
     She said recently, "I have been the most fortunate of women - wonderful parents and relatives, two good husbands, and many, many dear friends.
     Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 19th at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home on North Lamar.

—Find A Grave, unsourced

Patsy Sackett Hill, age 86, of Coleman, died Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at Holiday Hill Nursing Home. There will be a Memorial Service in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 10. Private inurnment will be in the family plot in Coleman Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home, 400 W. Pecan Street, Coleman, Texas.
     She was born Patsy Sackett on November 26, 1931, in Coleman, Texas, a daughter of Fred Sackett, Sr. and Faye Moneyhun Sackett. She grew up in Coleman where she attended school and was a majorette for the Coleman Bluecat Band. In 1948, Patsy won Coleman’s first beauty contest at Coleman High School, being named Miss Coleman. She was married to John Allen “Jack” Crockett, Sr. and had two children with him. She was later married to Dan Hill. Patsy was a business owner in Coleman for many years. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
     She is survived by her daughter, Tamara Mills (and husband Bobby) of San Antonio; five grandchildren, Crockett Mills of Pflugerville, Robin Mills of San Antonio, Jack Crockett and Marcus Crockett both of Dallas and Charlie Crockett of Coleman; several great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, her son, John Allen Crockett, Jr. in 2009; a brother, Fred Sackett, Jr., and a nephew, Fritz Sackett.
     A visitation with the family will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 10, and continue until service time at 3:00 p.m.

—Coleman Chronicle and Democrat-Voice, Coleman, Texas, 29 Jan 2018