Edwin W. Streetman

STREETMAN, EDWIN Edwin Wilson Streetman, age 87, of Waco died peacefully after a long illness, Thursday, October 25, 2001 at his residence. There will be a memorial service at 11:30AM Monday, October 29th at First Baptist Church of Waco with Dr. Scott Walker officiating. A private burial will be held at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 3:00-5:00PM Sunday, October 28th at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Garden Room, 6101 Bosque Blvd. Mr. Streetman was born October 31, 1913, to Charles McDonald and Clara Cook Streetman in the farming community of Rock Hill, near the East Texas town of Grapeland, Texas. He attended grammar school at Rock Hill and high school at Grapeland. He attended Baylor University from 1934-1938, where he met his future wife, Sarah Belle Osborne. They were married August 25, 1938, shortly after Sarah’s graduation from Baylor. Their first child, daughter Helen, was born in 1945 in Beaumont and son Jimmy was born in 1948 in Palestine, Texas. Edwin had a career in business that spanned more than sixty years. In 1944 he began working with the Equitable Life Assurance Company and was Agent and District Manager in Beaumont and Palestine. In 1964, he established the first of a chain of ten Gibson Discount Stores. The first was in Beaumont and he, with several business associates, later opened more stores in Beaumont, Vidor, Austin, Hillsboro, Cleburne and Ennis, serving as President in each corporation. Between 1975 and 1983, all of the Gibson stores were sold and Edwin and Sarah retired in Waco, Texas. Edwin continued a close association with Baylor University that would last nearly 70 years. He was a Trustee for the University for nine years. He served on the Development Council for many years and was instrumental in establishing many endowments and contributions for Baylor. In 1981, the Alumni Association honored him with the W. R. White Meritorius Service Award. In 2000, he was given an award as Distinguished Donor for his own contributions to the University. As an avid Baylor Sports fan, he had season tickets to all events. This summer, the Legion of Honor of Kiwanis International accorded Edwin “distinctive recognition” of more than 45 years of official service in their organization. Edwin was a man of great faith. He was actively involved in Baptist churches in all cities in which he has lived, serving as a deacon and president of Sunday School classes. He sang in the choirs of all his churches and was in the Baylor Choir, when he was a student. For some time, he served on the Executive Board of what was then the Southern Baptist Convention. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Waco since 1983. Edwin was preceded in death by his parents, ten brothers and two sisters. He is survived by his wife of over 63 years, Sarah Belle Osborne Streetman of Waco, daughter and son-in-law, Helen and Lynn Jaquess of Mesquite, son James W. Streetman of Pasadena, sisters, Winona Fiedler of Austin and Velna Dupree of Frost, Texas, many loving nieces and nephews and the many young people he “adopted” as his own over the years. Memorials may be made to Edwin W. and Sarah Streetman Endowed Scholarship Fund, Baylor University or First Baptist Church of Waco Foundation Fund. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY