Lilian Overton Kavanagh

Lilian Overton Kavanagh, 103, of Aurora, CO, passed away Wednesday, December 16, 2015; fifteen days shy of her 104th birthday on January 1st. Born in Terrell, TX about 30 miles East of Dallas, Lilian believed she was the first baby of 1912, born at 12:24 a.m. She was the daughter of the late Lilian Martin and Ben E. Overton, who owned the W.B. Martin-Jarvis Mercantile Company, a chain of retail, general stores in East Texas. Lilian grew up in Terrell, TX, attending both elementary and high school, the Terrell Tigers, and was voted ""Most Popular"". She could play a ""mean"" piano, and was accomplished with the violin, ukulele, banjo, guitar, and accordion. Lilian remembered her father flipping a coin with another Terrell gentlemen to decide who would get the first car in Terrell. Her father lost the toss. But he received the second car, via Train Delivery, the next day. Lilian got her first car at the age of 13 and learned to drive by watching others. Lilian graduated with honors from Gulf Park College in Gulfport, MS. It would not exaggerate to say she was years ahead of her time, being most independent and individualistic, even challenging the headmaster of her college regarding the rules dictated for women. Lilian's personality had many combinations of Auntie Mame, Gloria Steinem, and Amelia Earhart- outgoing, talented, challenging, and adventurous. For example, Gulf Park College was located across the street from the Gulf of Mexico. Ladies were expected to wear hose while walking in the sandy beach. Lilian would have none of this and proceeded to walk barefoot. When confronted by the Head Master, she responded, ""Call my mother"". Lilian, Sr. relayed that her daughter was old enough to make her own and correct decisions. Ladies from then on were not required to wear hose on the beach. Additionally, when a Flight Cadet from the Pensacola Naval Air Station wanted to visit her, Lilian was told that the school did not know the Cadet and that he could not visit her. Again, Lilian told the Head Master to ""Call my mother"". Lilian, Sr., again, relayed that her daughter was old enough to make her own decisions. The Cadet was allowed to visit. A few years after graduation, Lilian received a Thank You from the Headmaster, thanking her for her insistence in forcing the school to adopt up to date attitudes toward women and asking if she would consider being an instructor at the school. In 1933, Lilian married Matthew J. Kavanagh, Jr. and moved to Dallas, where she lived until 1940 and again from 1953-1981. She had two children, Matthew J. ""Mickey"" Kavanagh III, and Patricia Kavanagh Tully. They moved to Fort Worth, TX, just prior to World War II. There, Matthew, Jr. became the Regional Manager of the wartime OPA program. She was an active participant in her children's school activities and PTA's. Later they returned to Dallas where Matthew, Jr. was Vice President of Motor Investment Finance Corporation until his death in 1977. The Kavanagh family was one of the original participants and cottage owners at the Colorado Chautauqua, in Boulder, CO, Lilian spent many summers there enjoying the cooler temperatures away from Texas. Chautauqua was founded in 1898, where its peacefulness and tranquility attracted musicians, educators, civil leaders, and philosophers from all over the world. With her children ""up and running"", Lilian decided to do something, that again challenged her mind. She became a Medical Assistant in a well-respected medical practice in Dallas and related that those years were some of the most enjoyable times of her life. With her so called ""free time"", Lilian resurrected her artistic capabilities. In her younger years, she was very good with pencil art so she embarked with oil paintings, at which she also became very good. Lilian attended art schools in Dallas, Santé Fe, Boulder, and other places. Over a period of time she had art shows in Dallas, Denver, and Boulder. Today she has paintings hanging all over the county. Additionally, Lilian became a Bookbinder/Restorer, a very complicated craft. Over the years she rebound many books and recalled that it was impossible for her to keep up with requests for Bible restoration. Lilian was an avid bird watcher. She was very active in the Audubon Society and its bird watching activities. Her travels over most of the Southern and Western US, watching birds, brought her many good memories. She continued to watch birds and wildlife with her binoculars from her retirement home balcony. A few years ago, her daughter, Patricia Kavanagh Tully, embarked in verifying what family word of mouth had spoken of for many years –that Lilian's family dated back to the beginning of America. After much research, Patricia did prove the family's descendants of Jan Joosten Van Meteren, originally from Amsterdam. He arrived in the Colony of New York in approximately 1626. Van Meteren is listed as a Founder, Colonizer, Land Proprietor, Magistrate, and Church Elder, of New Amsterdam, city and state, now known as New York City and State. With this and subsequent information, Lilian proudly became a member of the Daughters of the American Colonists, the Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Texas Republic (founding families of Texas, having arrived in 1836) and an Admiral of the Texas Navy. The Admiral designation is an honorary title, awarded from the Texas Governor's Office for representing Texas in an exemplary manner. Her Overton family has been recognized as among the early settlers of Birdville and Fort Worth. Her great grandfather, Wallar Head Overton, one of the early settlers of Fort Worth, is buried in Fort Worth's Pioneer Rest Cemetery along with his wife, Mary Jane Shackleford Overton and other members of the Overton family. Additionally, her family was among the founding families of Kaufman County, Texas. In 1927, Lilian made national news, including the New York Times, after surviving a crash in a JN4D World War I airplane, known among aviators as a ""Jenny"", outside of Terrell, TX. Her primary concern was that she had ruined a brand new pair of silk stockings. This comment, story, and pictures of the airplane were published throughout the United States. Until fairly recently, Lilian required few medicines. She related she owed good health to good family genes and to her grandmother and mother. Both of these ladies insisted that their children eat lots of vegetables, especially greens, with fried foods being served only on special occasions. Admittedly, Lilian had an adventurous life and creative spirit. She maintained her insatiable curiosity by avidly reading such magazines as the Smithsonian, World Archeology, National Geographic, Audubon, National Wildlife, Sierra, Reader Digest, and Texas Highways. In addition to her husband and parents, Lilian was preceded in death by siblings, Genevieve Overton Bass and Ben Overton, Jr; and a granddaughter, Kerry Kavanagh. She is survived by two children, Matthew J. ""Mickey"" Kavanagh III of Aurora, CO, and Patricia Kavanagh Tully and her husband, Robert William Tully, of Terrell, TX; grandchildren, Matthew J. ""Mike"" Kavanagh IV and his wife, Kristen, of Centennial, CO, Patrice Tully Hughey of Kaufman, TX, Carolynn Tully of Grand Saline, TX; great grandchildren, Matthew J. ""Matty"" Kavanagh V of Centennial, CO, Danielle Nichols of Wills Point, TX, Jordan Moseley, of Grand Saline, TX, Jessica Moseley, of Grand Saline, TX, Hayley Moseley Ladner of Pass Christian, MS; great great grandchildren, Bryce Nichols of Wills Point, TX, Braylee Nichols of Wills Point, TX, Karson Kent of Grand Saline, TX, and Kailub Ladner of Pass Christian, MS. Services and interment were private. Please share your memories of Lilian and leave a condolence for the family by signing the guest book below.