Archie "PawPaw" Esper Huddleston

Archie "PawPaw" Esper Huddleston

Archie Esper Huddleston (“PawPaw”), age 92, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 24, 2014, in Beaumont, after a brief illness. He was born on October 5, 1921, in Bay City, in Matagorda County. Archie had been a long time resident of Winnie.

He attended school at Nome Independent School District, where he graduated in 1939 as Valedictorian. In 1943, he married Mary Lesley McBride. They were blessed with three sons, Archie Jr., Larry, and Mark; and one daughter, Mary Cristeen.

His career in rice farming began in 1941. He farmed every year before retirement, except 1945-46, which he spent in the Army, in the Pacific Theater and Japan Occupation. Archie experienced the evolution of rice farming, raising sixty-four crops with methods ranging from mules to combines. In addition to farming, Archie was the owner and operator of various local businesses. 

He was one of the founding members of several local organizations, including the Winnie Rice Farmers Co-op in the ‘60’s and the E.C.C. Booster Club. Archie served on the St. Louis Catholic Church Board and financial committee for about twenty-five years. He was a Third Degree member of Knights of Columbus, St. Martin Council 3452. Archie also served as President of the Little League Board; his group built Kiker Park.

He was a key participant in the creation of the Texas Rice Festival founded in 1969.  Thirty years later, in 1999, Archie was named “Pioneer Farmer of the Year”.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Amy Huddleston and Lillie Mae Brown; son, Archie E. Huddleston, Jr; daughter, Mary Cristeen; brother, Roy Huddleston; and sister, Marguerite Hinds.

Archie is survived by his loving wife of seventy-one years, Mary Lesley (‘Pit’) Huddleston; sons, Larry and Mark Huddleston and his wife, Gena Albrecht Huddleston; grandchildren, Samuel Mark “Rusty” Huddleston, Jr.; Lisa Huddleston Stramecki and her husband, Anthony; Jennifer Vaughan and her husband, Anthony; Emily Huff and her husband, Dustin; and Ben Albrecht; great-grandchildren, Ray, Theodore “Teddy”, and Samuel “Sammy” Stramecki, Hank and Jake Huff, Mary and Ed Vaughan IV.

A gathering of Mr. Huddleston’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 6:00 p.m., Monday, May 26, 2014, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at St. Louis Catholic Church, 315 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie.