Henry Dreesen

September 22, 1927 to November 21, 2019

Henry Dreesen, loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend passed away on November 21, 2019 in Galveston, Texas. Henry was born in Dallas, Texas on September 22, 1927 to Mary Just Dreesen and Henry Dreesen, Jr. As a young man growing up in Dallas, Henry began a life-long commitment to self-reliance, hard work and strong and lasting friendships. The young Henry was always working at various jobs in his teenage years while going to school including movie theater worker and drug store bicycle delivery boy. In 1943 he dropped out of school to join the U.S. Marines and served in combat in the Pacific in World War II, including combat at Iwo Jima in early 1945. After the war, Henry had the good fortune in 1946 to go ice skating at Fair Park in Dallas one night, and there he met the love of his life, Miss Wanda Estelle Drake. Henry and Wanda fell in love and were married in Dallas on April 27, 1946. In the spring of 1947 Wanda and Henry began their family with the arrival of their son, Henry Edward (Skip) Dreesen, and in 1949 their daughter, Pamela Ann Dreesen (Wight) arrived. In those post war years with a wife and young children to take care of, the enterprising Henry continued his commitment to hard work with jobs as a funeral home worker, ambulance driver, and private detective. When Henry began working in the shoe department at Sanger Harris Department Store in Dallas in the late 1940's he realized that he really enjoyed the shoe business, and he continued working successfully in the shoe business for most of his life. In the mid- 1960's Henry, Wanda, and family moved from Dallas and settled in Houston and spent many years there making strong and lasting friendships. Later in life with the children grown and no longer living at home, Henry and Wanda moved to Lago Vista, Texas near Lake Travis where they enjoyed visits from family and continued adding strong friendships.

Henry and Wanda's grandchildren (and later great grandchildren) really enjoyed visiting Henry and Wanda especially after they moved to Lago Vista where the visits could include riding on Lake Travis on the cabin cruiser (named "The Wanda D") that was Henry's pride. There were also rides on the golf cart around Henry and Wanda's three acre home site.

Henry was an exceptional salesman and was never afraid to make cold calls on customers. In his late 70's Henry used his powers as an enthusiastic and friendly salesman to make cold calls on potential customers for his daughter's flag and flagpole company. From those cold calls he obtained some significant orders for flagpoles that were installed for a convenience store customer at numerous locations in several states.

Henry was a Christian man and served his church and his community. He was a long time servant of people in need as a Shriner over a 65 year period of his life. He was proud to have served as president of the North Lake Travis Ben Hur Shrine in 1998.

After almost 67 years of wonderful loving life together, in April of 2013 Henry lost his best friend and the love of his life when Wanda passed away. Henry continued living at their home in Lago Vista. By the fall of 2016, Henry was needing more help with his life, and he moved to Galveston to be near daughter Pam and her husband, Jim. Henry was always a man who liked meeting people and making friends and he continued to do that in Galveston. He enjoyed visits from Pam and Jim, from his granddaughters and great grandchildren, family and friends. Henry passed away peacefully in Galveston on November 21, 2019.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, by his Aunt Elsie Pierce who was a great influence in Henry's life , by his son Skip Dreesen and by his beloved wife, Wanda Dreesen. Henry is survived by his daughter, Pamela Ann Dreesen Wight and her husband Jim of Galveston and Missouri City, Texas, granddaughter Jennifer Bloomfield, and her husband Troy and their children Braxton and Everett of Houston, Texas, granddaughter Kimberly Hutchins and her partner Nic Richards and her daughters Hannah and Isabella of Houston, Texas, and by granddaughter Laurie Laudeman and her husband Charles, and their sons Will and Luke of Denver, Colorado.

There will be a memorial service for Henry at Lakeside Christian Fellowship, 1922 American Drive, Lago Vista, Texas 78645 on March 21, 2020 at 10:00AM.