OBITUARY

Elizabeth Hortense “Polly” Houston Fink

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Elizabeth Hortense “Polly” Houston Fink, 94 years 10 months, passed away Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at Dornburg Center of Compassion of Hospice of South Texas.  

Polly was born November 14, 1927 in Gonzales to Howard Hayes and Lena Robinson Houston.  She married Marvin Albert Fink October 18, 1946 and is survived by her four children and their spouses: Sandra Mauldin, Brenda (Harold) Grauke, Kenneth (Doreen) Fink, and Caroline Elizabeth “Carobeth” (Denver) Cloer.  Also surviving her are six Grandchildren: Andrea (Jason) Sieben; Erica (Scott) Friedrich; Christi (Martin) Yackel; Shelly (Kevin) Hemann; Travis Fink; Crystal Moore; and 13 Great Grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother and sisters, and a son-in-law, Lynn Mauldin.  

Polly’s creativity in flowers and food was completed when she purchased Turk Florist, and re-named it Polly’s House of Flowers.  Thirty-five years of weddings, parties, and catering events brought her great love and immense pride with each event being very special in her life and each event was a family memory as she solicited the help of her children and grandchildren in each one.

She loved her family heritage from those who settled and developed Texas, to those who fought and died in the Alamo.  She was extremely proud of her 3rd Great Grandfather, George Washington Davis, for burying the Come and Take It cannon in his Peach Orchard and for all his accomplishments in Green DeWitt’s Colony.

Polly was a 29-year member of the Gonzales Chapter Daughters of the Republic of Texas always fulfilling their goal of teaching the history of The Republic of Texas era.  She was active in preservation and the promotion of tourism in Gonzales planning and hosting Historic Homes Tours, a Soiree under the Stars, and recreating the Runaway Scrape to name a few. She worked with the Kennard and Johnson families to pursue grants for the McClure-Braches House and Sam Houston Oak.  From 1992 she donated hours/months of work at the J. B. Wells House.  She was an organizing member of the first Tourism Committee of the Gonzales Chamber and was actively involved in the promotion and growth of tourism in Gonzales.  She was a recipient of numerous awards including the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce Community Service award in 2014.  At 94 she was still coming up with new thoughts and ideas of how to promote Gonzales.

The Family will welcome everyone at the Monthalia United Methodist Fellowship Hall for lunch to be served at 12:30pm with Graveside Services to be held at 2pm conducted by the Reverend Jo Ann Leifeste Ret.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Gonzales Chapter DRT Wells House Preservation fund, 1706 Saint Louis Street, Gonzales, Texas 78629 to fulfill her dreams for the Wells House and property.  The family extends thanks to Dr. Tyson Meyer, M.D. Executive Director and the loving staff of Hospice Center of South Texas for their excellent care.  

Her life was honored with a Rose Ceremony of Remembrance and the following poem:

“The Rose” 

written by member Larry Grimes.

A ROSE WAS TAKEN HOME TODAY

BY THE FATHER UP ABOVE,

TO PACE IT IN HIS CRYSTAL VASE

OF MERCY, GRACE, AND LOVE.

AS THE ROSE IS LIFTED UP,

WHAT PERFUME IT LEAVES BEHIND;

THAT OF PRECIOUS MEMORIES,

AND THAT OF PRECIOUS TIMES!

SO, IF YOUR HEAT IS CRYING,

TAKE A PETAL TO SAY,

THE FRAGRANCE OF OUR LOVE

WILL NEVER FADE AWAY.

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