Funeral Services for Ire Ronnel Simons, age 82 of Bangs, will be held Wednesday March 07, 2012 at 2:00 P.M. at Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel in Brownwood with Reverend Paul Blake officiating Interment will follow at Bangs Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Tuesday evening at Davis-Morris Funeral Home.
Ire passed away Saturday, March 03, 2012 in Brownwood. Ira was born just outside Cross Plains, Texas at the community of Dressy.
Ire was the second child of Gus M. and Lula Mae Simons. They lived in the Cross Plains area, and he graduated from Cross Plains High School in 1947. He graduated at the top ten of his class. He married Cedonia Elizabeth Geere on December 24, 1950 at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas, in a sunrise Christmas Eve Ceremony.
He volunteered and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1953 and was selected to attend Officers Candidate Training School. In March 10, 1953 they became proud parents to Ronnel Robert. He graduated from Howard Payne College in May 1956 with a Bachelor of Science Degree.
He then went to work for Permian Mud Service as a mud engineer. After the company merged with Champion Chemicals, he became part of their sales force and later became head of their international sales division. Simons worked for 20 years in the international petroleum industry traveling the world and meeting foreign dignitaries in most countries around the globe. When stateside and after retirement, Ire started a construction and roustabout company in Eastland, Texas, and then was an integral partner in designing and building a petroleum chemical plant in Crockett, Texas.
After a company from Canada purchased the company, he and Cedonia moved to Bangs, Texas, where they built a home where he lived and worked and enjoyed the fruits of his labor. He had numerous interests that included bee keeping, gardening, raising sheep and goats, fishing and hunting, coin collecting, and current affairs. Ire was known for his hard work and innovative ideas and his signature coveralls. He was a loved member of Concord Baptist Church and helped with many projects serving its congregation.
Ira is preceded in death by his parents, Gus M. and Lula Mae Simons; brother Mabery and sister Ruby Martell. He is survived by his loving wife Cedonia of Bangs; his sister Maxine Dimitri; 1 son, Ronnel Robert and Shelli Malone Simmons of Lubbock, Texas; 2 grandsons, Benjamin and wife Elisabeth Simons of Lubbock, Jonathan and wife Sarah Simons of Lubbock; and 3 great-grandchildren, Jedadiah Simons, Jaron Simons, and Adalee Simons. Condolences may be left for the family at www.davismorrisfuneralhome.com.