Annie Belle Schwartz

On March 4, 2009, Annie Belle Kuehn Schwartz, 84, of Brenham, Texas passed away. She was a dedicated wife, mother, and educator. She was born on June 15, 1924 in Burton, Texas.

She grew up in the wide open country and enjoyed the outdoors and athletic events. Her father was a local merchant and occasional constable. As a young girl, she would help keep order at country dancehalls and from time to time ride with the night’s combatants to the county jail in the car driven by her Father.

Annie Belle was Valedictorian of the first graduating class of Burton High School. She graduated from Blinn College and went on to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelors Degree in Music. Shortly after graduation from college, she became the band director at Brenham High School and taught many students not much younger than herself—many of whom became lifelong friends.

After she started her family, she relinquished the band directorship at Brenham High School and taught public school music for many years in the Brenham Independent School District.

Annie Belle was renowned as a great beauty and was a sought-after companion by many of the local gentlemen. It came as a surprise to many that on December 21, 1948, she married Walter C. Schwartz, a man who had just completed his education at the University of Texas and was just coming home from an extended free tour of the Pacific sponsored by the United States government.

After Walter obtained a job at Blinn College teaching returning veterans, the couple rented a garage apartment in Brenham. They threw themselves into community events, going to every public gathering and celebration they could muster. Annie Belle particularly liked to attend the dances, where she would dance and her husband would socialize with his future constituents.

She followed her husband’s lead in civic affairs and she was particularly involved with the Brenham Maifest. Her children served as Monarchs of the Maifest on five separate occasions, and in 1971, she became the first Maifest mother to put on a Junior and Senior Maifest in the same year. Her last Maifest appearance was in 2008 when her grandchild Cole was a member of the Junior and Senior courts.

Throughout her adult life, she was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Brenham.

Mrs. Schwartz is predeceased by her husband of 56 years, Walter C. Schwartz, former Mayor of Brenham, former chancellor and president of Blinn College, and former state representative. She was devoted to her children and spoke with them virtually every day. They were at her bedside when she passed away. She is survived by her children, Charles W. Schwartz of Houston, Ann Schwartz Fuelberg of Austin and Kay Lyn Schwartz and husband Scott Murphy of Dallas. Mrs. Schwartz is also survived by her grandchildren Ben Fuelberg, Annie Schwartz, Todd Murphy, and Cole Murphy, and her sister-in-law, Bertha “Mutzy” Fischer of Burton.

After her husband’s death, her health began to fail and she primarily enjoyed the company of family and friends. She fulfilled her final wish to live out her last years in her home of many years on West Main Street. That would not have been possible without the loving attention of Mattie Kesee, her caregiver and companion of many years.

The pallbearers will be Benjamin Fuelberg, Atwood Kenjura, Charles Moser, Milton Tate, Gus Mutscher, Don Voelter, Ronnie Becker, Leon Toubin, Dr. Henry J. Boehm, Jr. and Julian Weisler II. Honorary pallbearers are members of the Brenham City Council and the Blinn College Board of Trustees.

Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 6 to 8pm and Friday morning from 10am to noon at Brenham Memorial Chapel. Services being held on Friday, March 6, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. The burial will follow at Prairie Lea Cemetery in Brenham, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Blinn College Foundation or the City of Brenham Parks and Recreation Department.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX. 979.836.3611 www.brenham-memorial-chapel.com