Cecelia Cashion

Our beloved mother, Cecelia Maude Cashion, was taken to heaven by Jesus and His Angels in Corpus Christi, TX on Sunday morning, August 9, 2020.  She was born November 11, 1937.  She was the most beautiful and youngest 82 year old you ever met.  Cecelia was in a state of grace upon her death and stated that Jesus was calling her Home.  The week before she passed she received communion, numerous blessings, phone calls, and visits from her children and grandchildren whom she loved dearly and prayed for avidly. We already miss your contagious smile, laugh, and personality. 

Funeral services will be celebrated by Fr. Bob Dunn at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, 3502 Saratoga Blvd. in Corpus Christi, TX on Saturday, September 5, 2020; with a Holy Rosary to be recited at 9:30 am and immediately followed by the Funeral Mass.  Interment will be at a later date. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, William E. “Bill” Cashion, Jr.; and children, John Lucas and Michael Cashion; brother, Chester Rigall; and sister, Elizabeth “Dolly” Yeary.

Left to cherish her beautiful memory are her children; Charmaine Beseda, Kathryn Tower, Deborah Tyra, David Byerley, Larry Cashion (Jillisa), Christine Lamb (Michael), and James Cashion (Marcy); and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren; brother, John Reuthinger (Judilyn); and extended family, and friends. 

Cecelia was born to her parents, Raymond Chester Rigall and Rose Mary Chivers.  Cecelia was married to her husband, William “Bill” Cashion, Jr., in 1966 for a period of 38 years until his death in 2005.  Cecelia and Bill had a love of service.  Together they ran several companies; especially the legacy of the family business, Carousel Catering and Event Planning.  Many of her children were part of her catering events from weddings to creating her annual gingerbread houses and Gingerbread Boys and Girls, whom she claimed would come to life.  Cecelia poured her heart into her hand decorated cookies, cakes, and anything she baked or cooked as a way to show her love for her craft and her family.  Her favorite names for her gingerbread people were Henry and Henrietta, with their bowties and squiggly dresses that she also displayed at the “Gingerbread Village” that she organized annually at the city’s Harbor Lights Festival.  You could often hear Cecelia singing as she baked, stopping to share her talent of playing the piano in between her breaks from cooking.  Cecelia was a brilliant pianist who had a natural ear for music. She played her first piano recital at age six.  She continued to play piano her entire life, even up until the weeks before she passed at age 82.  Her favorite song to play for her children was the Norwegian Concerto, which she memorized and could easily play without music; as she played by ear. 

In addition to her many talents for creativity, Cecelia, in her servant’s heart, was awarded the Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers District 2 PTA, Corpus Christi Council of Parent Teacher Associations Toby Award in recognition of her decades of volunteer service, namely Operation Graduation; an all night party for Seniors graduating from area high schools.  She was also nominated for a Corpus Christi Caller Times Jefferson Volunteer Award and the YWCA’s Y Women in Careers Award for successful career women. Her other involvement in the community was to the Easter Sunrise Service Passion Play. The Corpus Christi Caller Times wrote numerous articles featuring Cecelia; including her decades of organization and service to this annual Easter morning event.  She usually worked behind the scenes but landed a star role as Queen in her final year.  Other favorite memories for Cecelia were the singing group she was selected for at the Galvan Ballroom, being a Den Mother and Pack Master for both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and baking bread for Circus Elephants of which the local newspaper also wrote a feature article about her love for finding unique ways to share her niche of baking. 

Cecelia attended Roy Miller High School and was a cheerleader.  She went to Del Mar College and majored in accounting and was a numbers whiz.  She was so efficient on a 10-key by touch and a typewriter that she could look away and not skip a beat.  Cecelia loved to write, sing, dance, bake, cook, talk, and pray.  She was a woman of devout faith and you could often hear her calling out the name of Jesus for divine assistance.  She had many struggles in life and strongly believed that her faith got her through and often said, “my angels hold me up”.  Cecelia was a survivor of many things.  She gave as many blessings to others as she received and ended most every conversation with “God Bless You” as her final words.  Cecelia was a woman full of love for her faith in God and family alike. 

The Lord is truly your Shepherd.  Your family loves and will miss you in this world more than words can say, and until we “catch a chariot to Heaven” as you would always say, to be with you again someday.

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