Lou Ann (Gallatin) Pyburn

On Tuesday the 17th of September, 2019, Lou Ann Pyburn, age 85, was freed from her earth-bound chains and entered into her eternal life. She will be deeply missed by her family and the many friends who knew and loved her. She was a loving, caring and personality-filled wife, mother, teacher and friend.

Lou Ann Gallatin was born in Houston, Texas on May 3, 1934, the only daughter of Roger Newton and Minnie Novella (Hearn) Gallatin. She grew up in Houston and as a small child discovered her talent and passion for singing. Lou Ann studied voice and classical music, performing as a young student on local, Houston radio stations. She graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1952. While still in high school, an acquaintance, and the aunt of a young cadet from Texas A&M, arranged a blind date between Lou Ann and the nephew. The young man hitchhiked from College Station to Houston then borrowed a car from his uncle, which he wrecked that night. Thus began the love story of the city-girl and the country boy from Fisher County. On August 30, 1952, Lou Ann Gallatin and Alton Ray (Buddy) Pyburn were married in Houston, Texas. For the next year the couple lived in College Station while Buddy finished his college education, moved to Denver, Colorado briefly, and was then transferred to Kaiserslautern, Germany where they lived for five years while he served in the U.S. Air Force. Upon their return to Texas, Lou Ann and Alton lived in Fisher County, started their family, lived then in Wellington, Texas, and moved to Sweetwater in 1962 with their three children where Alton was employed as the Farm and Home Administrator and Lou Ann became an active young mother and homemaker.

Lou Ann, as well as her husband and children, joined the First United Methodist Church of Sweetwater in 1962, where she remained an active member for the next 57 years. She served her church in various ways but her musical interests and beautiful soprano voice provided both satisfaction and admiration, and she was a great asset to the vocal and handbell choirs. Throughout her life Lou Ann was highly regarded as a soloist in her church and in the community, and sang for literally hundreds of funerals in the area.

Lou Ann dedicated herself to raising her children and was a typical stay-at-home mom of the 60’s. She volunteered, supported, and participated in the many school activities of her children at Eastridge elementary, junior high and high school. Once the older two children were grown and the youngest in high school, Lou Ann began working in 1978 for the Sweetwater Independent School District as the librarian at J.P.Cowen Elementary. She attended Western Texas College in Snyder during this time, earning an associates degree. Officially she may have been the librarian, but un-officially she was considered and known by the students as the music teacher. Her love of books and reading, her love for music, and her undeniable love for children earned her respect and great appreciation by both her peers and hundreds of children over the years. She retired from SISD in 1998. Lou Ann also worked for a number of years at the Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home.

Lou Ann is survived by her husband of 67 years, Alton Pyburn of Sweetwater, Texas; daughter Melody Ann Lawrence (Bruce Allred) of San Angelo, Texas; son Weston Ray Pyburn (Vicki) of Sweetwater, and daughter Julie Eileen Stroman (Scott) of Sweetwater; grandchildren Rian Freeman, Makai Roberts, Merrit Freeman, Brett Stroman, Aaron Stroman, Cory Stroman, Ashel Pyburn, Jaxon Pyburn, Holly Hallam, and David Jett; great-grandchildren Reid, Holt, Drew, Addison, Noble, Micah, Madden, Linden, Ethan, Alena, Bryson, Kayleigh, Miranda and soon-to-be Gracie. Also one nephew, Ronnie Gallatin; brother-in-law Dwain Pyburn (Bobbie) of Abilene; sister-in-law Becky Pyburn, and several cousins, nieces, nephews, and close friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her only brother, Donald Gallatin; and one nephew, Randy Gallatin.

Her grandsons will serve their MawMaw as pallbearers.

Funeral services and a celebration of Lou Ann’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 21, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church in Sweetwater with Pastor Ryan Strebeck officiating. Burial will follow at Longworth Cemetery in Fisher County, Texas. A visitation for family and friends will be held at the Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home on Friday, September 20, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

All arrangements are under the direction of Cate-Spencer & Trent Funeral Home, Sweetwater, Texas.