Fae Davis Conner
Mettie ‘Fae’ Davis Conner was born on the Davis family farm in Eldorado, Texas on October 12, 1935 to Emma (Birck) Davis and James Walton (“Buck”) Davis, Sr., the 4th of four children. She passed away on February 17th from a brief serious illness.
She grew up on her family’s Eldorado homestead and attended grade school in a one room, one teacher rural country school in Schleicher-County (Reynolds School) until she transferred to Eldorado Schools. A proud 1954 graduate who still had her basketball uniform and a prom dress she handmade, she always enjoyed the annual Mias Amigas reunions and stayed in contact with her close childhood friends and classmates. The Runge family held a special place in her heart and she dearly missed her best friend May (Runge) Kisko. Throughout life she retained great love for the Schleicher County family farm and loved to hear stories from her sons and nephews from their yearly hunting trips and visits with local friends and neighbors.
Upon graduation, she moved to Austin to work and attend the Univ. of Texas where she earned a degree in Home Economics in 1959. She ran programs at many different Austin Parks and Rec Centers and swimming pools. She moved to Floresville, TX where she worked for Wilson County as a Home Demonstration and Agricultural Extension agent for 8 years.
Fae married Clifford James “Jimmy” Conner in 1961 when he returned from his tour of duty in the Army. They knew each other from their earliest years growing up together in Eldorado. They settled in Lockhart, Texas and had 2 children, Christopher John and Clifford Bryan. She loved it when the boys were growing up and their friends were over riding motorcycles or fishing and hunting at the creek. She would feed them plenty and invite them to come back soon. She had great memories of concession stands and baseball with her boys in Babe Ruth Little League where she even served as first woman League President. Lockhart remains the Conner homestead today.
She taught Special Ed and Home Economics/Life Skills at Lockhart H.S. where she retired after 26 years of service and decades of teaching her students how to sew, craft, make homecoming mums and bake cakes. She shared fond memories of taking her students on field trips to Corpus Christi for their first ever visit to see and touch the ocean.
She spent her retirement enjoying every minute spent with Jim, her sons, family and friends, and most especially her 3 granddaughters Ashlee, Lauren and McKenzie. They were the light of her life and she was happiest when everyone was together at home in Lockhart. So much love and laughter was shared together with storytelling of life in West Texas and family history, going through photos, playing countless hours of card and domino games, baking, crafting, gardening, shopping, and so much more. She loved all the years of memories in Port Aransas and spending as much time as possible there with family stuffed in a small travel camper, beachcombing, making new friends, and cooking up a good catch caught by her sons and shared with everyone.
She was patient, loving, caring and kind. She made new friends everywhere. The comfort of her big hugs let you know that everything was going to be just fine. She always saw the good in everything and everyone. Never in a hurry and always time to listen. Her smile and the memories she made with those she loved and called friends will stay in our hearts forever. As her granddaughter shared recently, “My Grandma Fae, the world was never the same because of you, and it and will never be the same without you”.
A celebration of her life will be held in a graveside service on March 20th, at 11am at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery located at 2800 Hancock Dr, Austin, Tx 78731. Family and friends are invited.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Emma and Buck Davis, her older sister, Mae Davis Cowan, her brother James W. Davis and wife Nina Davis, three nephews Will Cowan, Jr., Tom Budd, Kent Davis and niece Roberta Cowan, and brother-in-law Orville ‘Bud’ Conner
She is survived by her husband Jim Conner of Lockhart, Sons Bryan Conner and granddaughter McKenzie Conner of Corpus Christi, Son Christopher Conner (Michelle) of Jonestown and grandchildren Ashlee Conner-Robinson (Garrett) Fort Walton, FL, and Lauren Conner of Cedar Creek, sibling Jewell Davis Goolsby (Robert), of Austin; nephews James (Tex) Schwobel, Charles Schwobel, Bruce Schwobel, all of Austin, Walter Cowan, and niece, Penny Cowan Rand (Tracy), of Nevada, sister-in-law Doris Conner of Bridge City, Nephews Mark Conner (Arron), Barron Vincent and niece Julie Foster and many great nieces and nephews.
