Ella Thomas Tribute

I don’t remember the first time I met Ella.  It seemed like she was always a part of the Shrimp Boil, and at least since 2003, she was.

I do remember being a bit in awe of her, she was definitely a formidable woman.  It wasn’t until our last Shrimp Boil that her sister-in-law, Judy, told me about all the positions Ella had held during her lifetime and the level of authority she had in her work.  She was the first female graduate of the electrical engineering team at ARMCO, where she worked in Management until 1983, when the plant closed. Then she went on to handle international sales at TECO-Westinghouse.  No wonder she was no-nonsense!  During those years, women didn’t have that kind of success in a man’s world without having a lot of … well… self-confidence.  Most of all, it sounded like she knew her stuff and would not have backed down for any reason.  

What a dichotomy.  From plant operations to artist.  And, have no doubt, her handmade quilts were definitely works of art.

It always amazed me that her quilts captured the top bids during the Live Auctions at our Shrimp Boil events.  When Auctioneer, Bear Hebert, started the bidding for one of her masterpieces, excitement buzzed through the crowd, then everyone grew quiet and sat back in anticipation, knowing a bidding war was about to happen.

In those very early days, $2,000 was a heck of a lot of money for a quilt but nothing ever came close to our awe and utter astonishment when in 2014 her Tribute to Texas Musicians brought in a whopping $10,000!! People looked at me like I had two heads when I said, ‘Unbelievable! $10,000 for a quilt!  “Why was I surprised?” they asked. “After all, it was one of Ella’s quilts!”

Ella’s quilts always had a theme.  Many boldly displayed a patriotic image that made us swell up with pride.  From the Tribute to the Republic of Texas to her version of the Texas Flag, her imagination and talent captured the immensity of our State. The Civil War one was stunning and the one she created to remember 9-11 was haunting. Standing in front of a nearly six-foot-tall image of the Statue of Liberty said everything there was to say about freedom.  She also made some fun ones and her love for the Astros shone through.  How fitting that her last quilt that she gifted to us celebrated the Astros ’22 World Series win. 

Ella never wanted any attention, and her scowl as we tried to coax her to the stage for a photo would cause fear in the strongest.  Just ask Bear.  That was another thing.  Listening to their banter back and forth, I would have sworn that their public ‘Feud’ was actually legitimate. Terms of endearment, he explained, and they were.

She was really annoyed with Judy and me when we finally convinced her to do a min-podcast at the last Shrimp Boil.  She didn’t want to be interviewed, she didn’t have a thing to say, she wasn’t sure why we were even asking.

Those five minutes, and hearing her voice talk about why she supported The Rose, will forever be among our most cherished episodes.