I met Uncle Robert when I moved to Waller, Texas back in 1945. He lived north of our store in Waller just 1 block. He had met and married Clara E. McConnell and they had several children.

He worked for the City of Houston in the Parks Department before moving to Waller. His Brother-in law, Charlie McConnell, had a business called the Waller Hatchery where he sold baby chickens and eggs and feed. Uncle Charlie lived kiddy-corner from the our store and just north across the street from his Hatchery.

Uncle Robert would go fishing with any body that came along. I remember one time when he and my Uncle Giles Haney and his son Robert and I went to Brookshire to go fishing. We drove just a little south of Brookshire a ways to some lake and rented a row boat. I took my rod and reel that belonged to my dad and when we got out in the middle of the lake. They all put there lines in the water and I stood up and was going to throw my line out in the lake. I forgot to take the brake of the reel and the line didn't go any where except it wrapped around Uncle Giles's head and the hook caught him in his ear. I thought that Uncle Robert was going to fall out of the boat laughing at me and Uncle Giles. He really got a kick out of that. I can still see it today in my mind.

Uncle Rober and Aunt Clara had bought the first television in Waller that I knew about. They would let me and my father and mother come to there house and watch wrestling on Friday nights. That was a big event. The teleivision station was Channel 2. It started it's programming, I think at 6 pm. Then it went off the air at about 11:00 pm We could hardly believe our eyes to be able to see someone miles away on a little round screen in someones living room. There was only one channel then.

Robert E. Goodwin was a very good man. He was a Christian and he was a member fo the First Baptist Church of Waller, now known as The Waller Baptist Church. He raised a fine family.

When he passed away I attended his funeral. Rev. Bill McDaniel who was pastor of the church and a good friend of his conducted the service. Alton and Gertrude McWilliams who owned the McWilliams Funeral Home handle the arrangements.

Robert E. (Uncle Robert) Goodwin lived to be 64 years of age.

Submitted by J.B.Haney