Fred Felan Jr., of Bertram, Texas passed from this life into eternal life on September 19, 2021. He was born on August 6, 1936 in Rotan, TX, the oldest of three sons born to Fred Felan, Sr. and Eloisa Rodriquez Felan. The family moved to Bertram when he was 18 months old.
Fred was no stranger to hard work. At a very young age he began working at the combination grocery store and gas station across the street from his house. He also worked for his dad in the cotton fields and became manager of a cotton-picking crew at the age of 11, which included driving a truck carrying workers and a kerosene stove in the back. He was an excellent student and tried hard to stay up with his class, even when he had to go to work. He played baseball every chance he could. He excelled as a pitcher, and often his catcher was his own brother, Arthur. He was in the class of 1955 at Bertram High School, but that year he joined the US Army and earned his high school diploma in 1957.
Following his time in the Army, he worked construction, worked for a brick layer, drove a cable dump truck and did sheep shearing. His big break came when he started working in a supermarket. He worked himself up to managerial positions and produce buyer. He eventually had his own wholesale produce business. After retirement, he worked a few years for National Pre-arranged Services becoming their leading salesman both statewide and nationally.
Fred was very active in church, civic and youth activities. He served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher and Royal Ambassadors leader at First Baptist Church Bertram. He was a charter member of Iglesia Bautista Emanuel. He strongly supported The Gideon’s International for many years having been a charter member of the Burnet Camp. He was elected to Bertram’s first City Council, was a charter member of the first Bertram Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Bertram Lions Club and served on the Bertram Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of the Highland Lakes Tourist Association, the Burnet County Hospital Authority Board and the Highland Lakes Health Fund Board. He was chosen by the student athletes themselves as their baseball coach for one period a day in the public school, and he coached Little League Baseball. As the owner of Coats Produce and later Sis-Bro Produce, he enjoyed donating pumpkins to every class at Bertram Elementary School and at Christmas time bags full of candy, fruit and nuts for distribution by his church to the children. He also enjoyed arranging fruit baskets to give as gifts. When perusing the scrapbook that his wife Cathy kept for him, it is quite evident that he was fully dedicated to all these endeavors.
Left to carry on his legacy are his wife of 61 years, Cathy Felan; daughter, Myra and husband David Clendennen; son, Trey and wife Joy Felan; granddaughters, Laura and husband Chase Wilcoxon, Stephanie and husband Jeff Douglas, Andrea and husband Austin Durnell, and Aimee and husband Michael Barnard. Fred loved children, so he was blessed with great grandchildren, Luke and Ava Wilcoxon, Tripp Douglas, Sophia Durnell and Johnny, Caleb, and Brady Barnard.
Preceding him to eternity are his parents and his brothers Arthur Felan and Alonzo Felan.
Those desiring to send a memorial gift may donate to the Gideon’s International, a distributor of Bibles locally as well as all over the world.
Funeral Services will be Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Bertram. (Masks Required) Burial will follow at Bear Creek Cemetery, Bertram, Texas.
Arrangements under Jenkins Funeral Home.
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