Inez Rather Lasell

June 22, 1922 – October 7, 2018

The grand Texas sky has just been made brighter by the arrival of a grand new star.

If ever there were a task of Herculean proportion, it would be to honor the life and times of Inez Rather Lasell with a few mere words. Inez lived a life so full of wonder, adventure, blessings and accomplishments that to properly do it justice would be to fill a thousand pages of a thousand books. From the moment her daddy graced his precious baby daughter with the nickname "Shing," Inez's star twinkled brightly, lighting up the lives of everyone, who was fortunate enough to have known her.

"Mama" to her children, Inez never betrayed the values instilled in her throughout her formative years, and, along with her husband Alvah, she raised four children — Danny, Cindy, Sally and Charlie — who continue to honor her conviction that the right way is the only way. Inez was the embodiment of gentility and the essence of decency. Having been raised in the sometimes austere but always optimistic heart of small-town rural Texas, Inez embraced the good things that life offered her, while taking on its challenges with grace and dignity. She championed her roots as a Texan, and became a living monument to the rich history of the state she so dearly loved. In the opinion of many, Inez epitomized what it means to be a true Texan — refined, strong, confident and captivating.

Inez was born in Gonzales County on June 22, 1922, the third child of Inez Hodges and Charles Taylor Rather II. Along with her three siblings, she was raised on her family's farm near Belmont, where she attended grade school, then Gonzales High School. Following high school graduation, Inez moved to Galveston where she attended Draughon School of Business, after which she was employed by American National Insurance Company. In 1940, Inez moved to Austin and worked for Dr. W. R. Houston in the mornings and for the Travis County Medical Society in the afternoons.

In the spring of 1942, soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Inez moved to San Antonio to work for the USAF Central Flying Training Command, serving as medical secretary to Col. Robert Simpson at Randolph Air Force Base. On September 4, 1945, at Alamo Heights Methodist Church in San Antonio, Inez and Captain Alvah Danforth Lasell, Jr. were wed. Soon after, they made their home in Galveston, where Inez became active in the ladies' auxiliaries at Grace Episcopal Church and later at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Always civic-minded, Inez served as president of both the Junior League and Galveston Historical Foundation, where she proudly undertook the renovation of the historic Ashton Villa. Other projects that were dear to Inez's heart included the restoration of the Samuel May Williams Home and the restoration of the old Customs House/Post Office in Galveston. In addition to her civic endeavors, Inez served as secretary for her husband's offshore supply company for many years.

In 2007, 13 years after Al's passing and a year before Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston, Inez decided to move closer to her beginnings, planting her final roots in Seguin, Texas. Once settled, Inez became a proud member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and continued her tireless work as a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Preceded in death by her husband Alvah, Inez is survived by son Alvah Danforth Lasell, III (Danny); daughter, Lucinda Binkley (Cindy) and son-in-law, Gail; daughter, Sarah Kolos (Sally) and son-in-law James; and son, Charles Rather Lasell (Charlie). In addition, survivors include grandsons: Steven B. Kolos and wife Theresa; Kevin J. Kolos; Gail Eugene Binkley, III; and John Charles Binkley and wife Kristen; great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Dion Kolos and great-grandson, Hayes Steven Kolos; numerous nieces, nephews, godchildren, and friends. Inez was also preceded in death by sister, Olivia Rather Batey; sister, Charlotte Goodman Taylor; and brother, Charles Taylor Rather, III.

A memorial service in Inez's honor will be held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church of Seguin, on Wednesday, October 10 at 2:00 p.m., with a reception following in the parish hall. Memorial donations can graciously be made to Grace Episcopal Church or Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston. A private burial will be held at a later date.

According to Augustus McCrae of Lonesome Dove fame: It isn't dying I'm talking about; it's living. I doubt it matters where you die, but it matters where you live.