Palestine High School Alumni Association

02 / 01 / 1916  –  04 / 21 / 1998

Services for Tom Rogers Cely, 82 of Palestine will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Brushy Creek Arbor in Brushy Creek with Bob Pickle and Danny Sidders officiating.  Burial will be at Olive Branch Cemetery in Brushy Creek under the direction of Herrington / Land of Memory Funeral Home.  Full Military Honors will be provided by a detachment of soldiers from Fort Hood.

Mr. Cely died Tuesday at Trinity Valley Medical Center.  He was born in Anderson County on February 1, 1916 to Jason and Sally Rogers Cely.  He graduated from Palestine High School in 1933 and Texas A&M in 1937.  He had lived in Anderson County most of his life.  Mr. Cely operated a dairy in Anderson County and worked 30 years for Glass Containers Corp.  He was a member of Crockett Road Church of Christ.  He was a lifetime member of J.W. Cantrell Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans.  He retired as Captain with the U.S. Army and served in the 1st Cavalry Division in Australia and New Guinea during World War II.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Jack Cely in 1997.

He is survived by his wife, Hallie Cely of Palestine; daughters, June Francis and Lisa Stark, both of Palestine, Peggy Chauvin of Madisonville and Cynthia Kenter of The Woodlands; sister, Mary Catherine Davis of Palestine; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be military servicemen in the U.S. Army.  Honorary pallbearers will be Jack Davis, Charlie Davis, Ben Streetman, Lamar Roberson, Jimmy Cook and Roy Ward.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Central Texas Children’s Home.

Source:  Palestine Herald Press