Art Stimson
Arthur Stimson
Age 90
Art Stimson was born in Houston on December 13, 1920. His mother's grandfather, William Harbuck, came to Texas from Georgia in 1854 at age 18 and was taken in by Dr. Grimes of Anderson, TX in Grimes Co. He married a woman named Hadden and acquired 10 acres in Houston between Dunlavy St. and Shepherd Ave. Their daughter, Art's grandmother, was born in Grimes Co. She married a man named Garvley and Art's mother was born in Houston.
Art's father, Arthur Stimson, was born in Chico, Arkansas in a tent camp and became an engineer and surveyor.
Art has a sister, who has a big family in California, and a brother, who lives in Austin. He grew up in Houston, attending Woodrow Wilson elementary, Lanier Jr. High, and San Jacinto High School for 2 years. In 1937 he switched to the new Lamar High School and was in the first class to attend. He then went to Junior College at Shriner Institute in Kerrville for 2 years.
In 1942 he was called into the reserves as a 2nd Lieutenant and in November of that year he was shipped to Oahu, Hawaii in the 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Division. He recalls this as a pleasant time spent on the beaches and the hills looking for Japanese invaders, but there were none. In the Spring of 1943 Art became the aide to the 24th Infantry Division commander for about 1 1/2 years with assignments in Australia, New Guinea and the Phillipines. When this commander was relieved of duty, Art asked to join his former regiment in the Leyte campaign. He ended up on the staff of the commander of this regiment as intelligence officer, then liaison officer. Later, he went back to his original outfit as a platoon leader. He had a bout of malaria, another staff position, and once again back as a rifle platoon leader. He was in Japan for about 2 months when the war ended.
After discharge from the army, Art attended the University of Texas and earned a degree in business administration, specializing in foreign trade. This led to a job with Lykes Brothers Steamship Company for a few years, then with Anderson Clayton & Co. in cotton sales for 10 years. When that business went sour, he went into the real estate business, primarily raw land, and specialized in clearing, or perfecting, titles. He also invested in some land for himself.
During his employment by Lykes Brothers, he was assigned for a while to Beaumont to learn that port. While there he met his wife, Eleanor English, and they were married in 1950. They had 2 boys: one is now married, lives in Houston and has no children; the other is not married and lives in the old family home in Piney Point Village (Houston). Art and Eleanor were married for 48 years, until she died in 1998. Art moved into The Hallmark 4 years ago.
Art remains very active and still drives around Houston. One of his favorite activities is planting a new fig tree orchard with 30 trees on some property he owns near Bingle and Pinemont. Although he hires a worker to help him, he tends the trees himself and drives out to water them almost every day. He sometimes meets friends for lunch. Another recent project is the installation of a martin house at The Hallmark. This project has prompted him to learn more about the habits of martins. In his apartment, he is proud of a beautifully carved wood screen. It had been a wardrobe but was being abused as a storage bin on an army truck when he found it in Asia during the war.
