Joseph Michael Guseman

Submitted by Billie Nichols Bennett, May 19, 2009

This is the father of Loretta (Guseman) Teese who has contributed the Leon Co. Photos.

Funeral services for Joseph Michael “Joe” Guseman, age 81, of Thornton and formerly of Centerville were held at 2 PM, Friday, May 22nd, at Walters Funeral Home in Centerville. Burial was in the North Creek Cemetery in northeast Leon County. Thursday at the funeral home. The family will be present from 6 PM until 8 PM to receive friends.

Joe Guseman was born to Mike and Ruby Guseman on January 12, 1928 . He had one brother and twin sisters. Joe and his siblings grew up in a community in Houston known as “Little Italy”. Joe and his brother Frank both became auto mechanics and they worked for an Oldsmobile dealership in Houston. Joe was a transmission expert and the first in Houston to learn about the hydromantic transmission. Joe married Lorene Robison in 1946. They had one child, a daughter named Loretta. Joe and Lorene lived next to his parents and near many other relatives.

Joe loved all water sports and was always teaching someone to water ski. Family and friends would camp out on the banks of Lake Houston and enjoy fried chicken and potato salad picnics. Joe also loved shrimping with a net and because of this love bought a home at Baycliff in Galveston County so he could be near the water. There was always plenty of fish, shrimp and crabs to share with friends and family.

After their move to Centerville in 1976, Lorene had to care for Joe’s pig farm and peach orchard while he was in Houston working. When he opened his own mechanic shop east of Centerville on Hwy 7 in 1980, he got to stay home and give her a little help. They soon got rid of the pigs and eventually turned the orchard over to Loretta and her husband, Charles. When he retired in 1990, he also turned the shop over to them. About that same time, an oil well was drilled on his property.

This was a great thing because the income from the well gave him and Lorene the opportunity to buy a motor home and build a home on their property on Lake Limestone. He and Lorene started to travel and enjoy their retirement. They lived at their lake house on Lake Limestone near Thornton. They loved their life there and had several wonderful years. Lorene passed away early in 2007. Joe did miss her but remained close to his friends and family, especially Loretta and Charles. Joe passed away at his lake home early on May 18, 2009.

Surviving family includes his daughter and son-in-law, Loretta and Charles Teese of Centerville; brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Bertha Guseman of Houston; sister, Georgia Cude of the Woodlands, Texas; sister and brother-in-law, Lenora and Obra Cude of Livingston, Texas and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Kirby Nichols, Doug Stewart, George Torango, Chad Smith, Kenneth Stall and David Felder. Honorary pallbearer was Ray Iselt.