Category: Cecil Lewis

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, The Early Days, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We Did Things Much Differently Back Then

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I grew up around construction equipment and trucks. In the 60s when I was in high school, my dad, Cecil Lewis ran a fleet of dump trucks. Among other things we had the contract to haul the blasted rock from the Pure Stone Quarry out south of Marble Falls back to the crusher in town. Even as young and as small as I was at 14 or 15, I would single-handedly pull transmissions and replace clutches in those old dump trucks and did brake jobs. I knew how to do all that then. For sure, there was always a lot … Continue reading We Did Things Much Differently Back Then

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Cec’s Pry Bar

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(This was written by Kenny Lewis) Ronnie and I had our share of mishaps growing up and for that reason, were known by the men of the community as being rather reckless. Among those men was one of Dad’s closest friends, Brown Parker. He always said that “Cec could have been a millionaire had he knocked the two of us in the head when we were pups”. Daddy owned a pry bar that had previously been a truck axle. It was at least six feet long and 1 ½” in diameter. Brown always swore that it was the only thing … Continue reading Cec’s Pry Bar

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, In and Around AustinLeave a comment

The Drunk Lady and a Strange Coincidence

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When I was young, maybe 8 or 9 we lived at Jollyville. One Sunday night my Mom, Dad, Kenny and Me, left our Grannie Ruby’s house late in the evening. As we were heading, up Burnet Road, there was a car driving very erratically. Suddenly it ran up over a curb and came to a sudden stop. Our Dad, Cecil, got out to go check. It was a well to do lady in a very nice car than was extremely intoxicated. She was in no shape to drive. He agreed to drive her home. It was only a few blocks … Continue reading The Drunk Lady and a Strange Coincidence

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Cecil Lewis Wasn’t Always A Patient Man

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It wouldn’t be hard to take away from my previous stories that Cec wasn’t a perfect man in every way. He was hard on us boys. Not just his sons, but all those that worked for him or even just hung out with us. He wanted stuff done and done then. He didn’t take to a lot of foot dragging. For any of his faults he could fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. But as strange at it may seem, if anything broke or got wrecked, he always kept his cool. It was as if at … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Wasn’t Always A Patient Man

Cecil LewisLeave a comment

My Own Take On Funerals

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I don’t want this to sound morbid, but I have attended so many funerals that I’ve almost developed a classifying system for them. There are the personal ones, that you have to attend. Those are family and very close friends. They are mostly sad affairs. Seldom are we ready to lose those people. While they are sad, there can be moments of joy mixed in. There are the ones that are children and there is never a way to put a happy face on that. Those are always sad, heart wrenching affairs. They haven’t got to experience nearly enough of … Continue reading My Own Take On Funerals

Cecil LewisLeave a comment

A Little Insight Into Cecil Lewis

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I hope I don’t give the impression that Cecil Lewis was an outlaw or something. He was, what can I say, he was Cecil Lewis. Truly a one of a kind. If he liked you he’d do anything for you, if he didn’t like you, he’d still do anything for you. He was liked by most people, respected by many but people knew to give him a wide berth. I owe much of my success to him. Not only in the things he taught me to do, but in the things I learned not to do. He was the nicest … Continue reading A Little Insight Into Cecil Lewis

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

1960s Trucking

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Hauling things were much different back when I was young. Many ranchers and cowboys had a set of sideboards they’d put on the back of their pickup and then a horse and sometimes two would be loaded in the back. I can remember how unstable a 1/2 ton truck was with that much weight swaying back and forth and the high center of gravity. Many of the old-timers weren’t very accomplished drivers, either. While we did that some I think of something now that seems much more risky. Hauling a JD 450 loader in the back of a 5 yd. … Continue reading 1960s Trucking

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, On The JobLeave a comment

He Bit My Thumb

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There are a few things in life that really don’t mix. Being really tough and drinking too much are a good example of this. Cecil Lewis was tough guy and he drank a way more than he should have. Back in 80 – 81 I had contracted to build a new state park and campground area down on the Guadalupe River near the little community of Bergheim not far from Boerne, Texas. When I needed him my dad would help me out on projects. On this job he mostly drove a water truck driver. He never drank while on the … Continue reading He Bit My Thumb

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, The Jollyville YearsLeave a comment

My Harvey Penick Story

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This really isn’t about Harvey Penick per se, instead involves his daughter. I used his name because it will grab ahold of just about anyone that has ever played the game of golf or has connection to The University of Texas. Below tells the Harvey Penick Story, and what he has meant to the game of golf: http://www.harveypenickgc.com/about-harvey-penick/ Mr. Penick owed a ranch down the road from us when Kenny and I were growing up down on the Bull Creek out of Jollyville. This would have been in the early 1960’s. I think it was Mr. Penick’s weekend get-away, but … Continue reading My Harvey Penick Story

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, The Early DaysLeave a comment

When We First Moved To Jollyville

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We left Smithwick in August of 1956. My brother, Kenny was ready to start to first grade early the next month. I turned 4 years old that month. Our dad, Cecil had just had a career altering run-in with Skinny Childers at Pure Stone, where he had been from the beginning of its existence. I guess Skinny had seen something in Cecil and had hired him as his right hand man to get the plant built and the quarry started. He even allowed Cecil to own and operate the dump trucks that brought the rock from the quarry into the … Continue reading When We First Moved To Jollyville