Elena Brineman

Elena Lockwood Brineman died peacefully on the morning of March 22, 2006, surrounded by music and family, having lived a wonderfully full life that touched the lives of many around the world. Born in Havana Cuba of American parents on August 27th, 1918, she lived there until 1931. She was the youngest of four children, having three older brothers, Fred, Scott and John Lockwood. She attended eight schools in two countries and four states, starting in Cuba and finishing in San Diego California, passing through schools in Chattanooga Tennessee, Miami Florida, Tampa Florida, Saint Petersburg Florida, and El Paso Texas. She was a model for Eastman Kodak in Saint Petersburg and met one of the great mentors in her life in El Paso, Captain Hugh Slater, aidedecamp of General Pershing in World War I, newspaper editor, sculptor, writer, intellectual and poet. Captain Slater fostered her lasting love for art and sculpture, which she pursued throughout her life. She graduated from San Diego High in 1936 and went to San Diego State College. There she joined Pi Beta Phi sorority, opening yet another network of friends to be made whenever she landed in a new spot. She met John Jack Hower Brineman on a blind date, married him six months later on June 22, 1940 and immediately left for two years in Caracas Venezuela. There she helped Jack write his Spanish lectures as he opened the first Venezuelan graduate school of geology. Daughter Margaret Anne Brineman was born in Caracas. With the start of World War II she and Jack moved to Bogota Colombia to search for oil. There, daughter Elena Louise Brineman and son John Lockwood Brineman were born. She lived through the revolt of 1948, the Bogotazo that destroyed the town of Bogota. After 6 years it was off to Dallas Texas where Thomas Scott Brineman was born. In 1952 Elena and Jack joined the Unitarian Church, opening yet another rewarding link to new friends. From there the adventures continued as she and Jack moved to Guatemala, Calgary Canada, Houston Texas, where Elena became a travel agent, and Tehran Iran. Then it was back to Houston where she took up real estate and where June McAshan suggested that she and Jack retire on the river in Hunt Texas. Jack retired in Hunt in 1980, but Elena immediately became fully engaged in real estate, where, as she said, she helped people find, not just houses, but homes and community until her retirement in 1998. She thoroughly enjoyed everywhere she lived, absorbing history, culture, and geography with her insatiable appetite for knowledge, people and life and trying to add something to each place. She was guided by her mothers doctrine, Anywhere you settle, do something to make it a better place to live, because you have passed through there. So she organized Girl Scouts in Bogota, the first Branch Library in Dallas Texas, Big Sisters in Dallas, youth groups in Guatemala, a UnitarianUniversalists Youth Group in Calgary, Docent groups in Tehran, and wildflower talks in Kerrville. She helped Susan Sanders find the site and organize the Riverside Nature Center founders, organized the development of the Murals on the wall of Jack Moores Lumber Company in Ingram and helped with various groups for children in West Kerr. She always said that everything she did was combined as she and Jack always did things together Communities have recognized her contributions everywhere she has been. In our community she received the Community Builder Award from Kerrville Masonic Lodge, the Womens Division Beautification award of the West Kerr County Chamber of Commerce, and with Jack the West Kerr County Citizens of the Year. She is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, three step grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. A friendly gathering will be held to celebrate her life at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2006 at Riverside Nature Center. Graveside services will follow at 2:00 p.m. in Japonica Cemetery in Hunt, Texas. Open visitation with viewing will be 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 31, 2006 at Kerrville Funeral Home.

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