Clayton Vance Whiddon

Clayton Vance Whiddon, 53, passed away Friday November 18, 2016 in Gonzales. He was born July 21, 1963 in Gonzales, Texas to Kenneth Plowman Whiddon and Mary Jane Schrieber Whiddon. Clayton graduated from Gonzales High School class of 1982 and resided in Gonzales County all of his life.

During high school, Clay was a member of the Gonzales FFA where he participated in welding. Upon graduation, Clay went to work with David Shelton, hauling cattle, working at the meat market, or anything else that David needed him to do. He then tried his hand in home construction with Doug Tatsch. But it was later that Clay put his learned vocation from high school to work. Clay had a great talent for welding. He first began his career in welding with Henry Condel before moving on to Dollinger Steel, later becoming Gonzales Manufacturing. He spent thirty years there before retiring in 2014. In the evenings after work, Clay went out to the family ranch to help his mom and dad with any work that needed to be done. When Clay wasn’t working, he enjoyed raising show pigs with his daughter Collyn, cooking for the Pilgrim Opry or with his family at the Camphouse, fishing, hunting, camping, and again, welding or refabricating things for his family and friends. Clay married Janice O’Neal in 1985, and their one and only daughter, Collyn Brea, was born in 1989. Clay served on the Board of Directors of the Pilgrim Community Center and was a member of the Salt Flat Wildlife Management Association.

Clayton Vance Whiddon is survived by his parents, Plowman and Mary Jane Whiddon, his daughter Collyn Brea Whiddon, his sister Jackie Lynn Williamson, brother Kenneth O’Dell Whiddon and wife Tammy, and sister Kathy Sue Shelton and husband David, all of Gonzales. He also leaves eleven nieces and nephews and their spouses, twenty-one great nieces and nephews, and his special friend Deana Malatek.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Leslie and Bernie Whiddon, Clifton and Nina Mae Oliver, and Sam Schrieber. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday November 23, 2016 at Seydler-Hill Funeral Home in Gonzales with Rev. Kenneth Hyden officiating. Interment will follow at the Plowman Ranch Family Cemetary. Pallbearers: Jeff Dolezal, J.D. Shelton, Chris Williamson, Jason Tot Whiddon, James (Jim) Clayton Shelton, and Chris Van Kirk. Honorary pallbearers: Blane Schuette and Dustin Schuette. Memorials may be made to the Pilgrim Community Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center. The family will be receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home, Gonzales.