Eddie Wendell Gage
May 29, 1931 - May 7, 2024
by Ray Houston

Eddie Wendell Gage, was born May 29, 1931, in Taylor, Williamson County, Texas, the son of Tommie Gage and Artie (Beard) Gage.

Many times Eddie would tell stories about his history in the town of Velasco, Texas. In 1836, following the Battle of San Jacinto - Velasco, Texas, was named a temporary capital of the Republic of Texas. Eddie went to elementary school there when he lived in the Oyster Creek community. The 1943 hurricane wiped out their home and then they moved to Velasco Heights. Eddie went to school in Freeport. His sister and he worked at the Freeport Pharmacy which was a Bowen Bus Station. Eddie's Dad worked in the Dow Chemical Magnesium Plant. The family left that area in 1946, and moved to Houston. Eddie attended George Washington Junior High School. In 1947, they moved to Klein, Texas, and Eddie attended Klein High School and graduated there in 1950. He was most proud of being on Klein's 1947 inaugural football team, and was Klein High's first recipient of the Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Award. His family moved to Lexington, Texas, just down the road from the Browder's and the families became friends, actually discovering that they had ancestors in common six and seven generations back, early settlers near the community called Beaukiss in central Texas.

He joined the Marine Corps in January 1951. Eddie met Mary Carolyn Browder when he was home on leave from the Marines the summer of 1951. They were married  in May 1952, in Riverside, California, near Camp Pendleton, where he was stationed in boot camp. In January 1953, he shipped out to Inchon, Korea. He built roads and bridges ahead of the infantry in North Korea. He was honorably discharged in December 1953. When Eddie returned home in January 1954, they bought a little house on the northern outskirts of Houston.

In 1968, the family moved to Tomball on seven acres and built a new house. Eddie & Mary heard about a schoolteacher, Jack Carpenter, who was giving away daylilies, they got a whole truckload of his culls. By the early 1970's, Eddie and Mary were active in the Houston Hemerocallis Society, and  joined the American Hemerocallis Society in 1971. Bertie Ferris took them under her wings as they became American Hemerocallis Society Exhibition and Garden Judges.

Eddie worked for Anderson Greenwood & Co. in Stafford, TX, for 37 years.

In 1977, Mary and Eddie moved to a home near Spring, Texas, and opened Spring Creek Daylily Garden in 1981. They spent many hours visiting with daylily friends who became a "second family".

Eddie served as 1976-78 President of Houston Hemerocallis Society and 2000-01 President of Houston Area Daylily Society. He and Mary were also active in the Gulf Coast Daylily Society. In 1995, Mary and Eddie were instrumental in starting the Cypress Creek Daylily Club.

Eddie has registered one daylily in 1981, a Jack Carpenter seedling, Hemerocallis 'Beaukiss'.

Eddie & Mary were awarded the 1999 American Hemerocallis Society Region 6 Service Award.

Eddie was always a big part of Region 6, Houston Hemerocallis Society, and Houston Area Daylily Society. He was a tireless supporter of those organizations.

In 2016, Eddie & Mary sold their home and Spring Creek Daylily Garden, where they had lived for 38 years. They had a mobile home built and installed in their daughter's back yard in Waller, Texas.

Eddie spent much of his final decade sitting on his elevated front porch, enjoying the view of the farm and seeing God's handiwork in every season of the year.

Eddie passed away May 7, 2024, just shy of his 93rd birthday.

He is greatly missed.

Webmaster: Ray Houston
Revised: 05/17/2024
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