Services for Sybal Weber, 96, of Lake Brownwood, will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, March 4 in the Davis Morris Funeral Home Chapel. Family and friends are invited to join in a celebration of life immediately following the ceremony at the Dam Volunteer Fire Department Community Center at Lake Brownwood. Mrs. Weber passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 27, 2021, in Brownwood.
Born to Ethel Laura Roberts Hicks and Mack Hicks in Rochester, Texas on July 1, 1924, Iris Sybal Hicks, known to all as Sybal or Meme, was the youngest of thirteen children. Sybal grew up in Idalou with a strong foundation in faith and family. She also had a head for numbers and worked at the cotton gin and attended Texas Tech University. Later, she went to live with her bother Bud and wife Mariam Hicks in the Ft. Worth area to learn the banking business.
Sybal met the love of her life, Alexander (Alex) Weber through mutual friends while Alex was stationed near Gainesville, Texas. They were married August 5, 1944, and enjoyed fifty-five years of adventures, partnership, and family.
Alex and Sybal tried their hand at farming south of Muleshoe, Texas, where their son Chris was born. Later they managed Buffalo Docks near Lubbock for three years. Lake life became their passion, and they bought their own place on Lake Brownwood in 1958—Lakehaven Docks. For thirty-nine years, Sybal and Alex served the best hamburgers, rented cabins that generations of families loved, and were central to the lake community. Many a neighbor found hospitality at their counter, and often found themselves put to work. They were also founding members of the Dam Volunteer Fire Department.
Sybal was an accomplished seamstress and spent many hours creating and sewing for her friends, her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughters. She loved to watch “her stories” and would often create outfits based on what the characters in the soap operas were wearing—she was never behind on fashion! Even in her nineties she wore colorful shoes and insisted on having pants the appropriate color for the season.
In the 1950’s a visitor to the Lakehaven cabins introduced Sybal to painting, and she discovered she had a true talent for it. Her paintings grace the homes of many friends and family members, and she particularly excelled at painting bluebonnets. She was also a bit of an art critic and was known to remove painting in the places she stayed that “made her sick.”
Travel was also a passion for Sybal, and she loved her girl trips. She would often take road trips, and if a wrong turn was made, she simply said it was the “scenic route.” There were many scenic routes in her lifetime, and all were filled with laughter.
Sybal often said she would watch tv or slow down when she “got old.” She organized painting classes, loved to play dominoes, bingo, and bridge, and was always up for an adventure. Although small in stature, she was big in all the ways that mattered. Her love, fierce determination, and unstoppable character shaped not only her family but all of those that knew her. And if you did get out of line, you might have found yourself on the end of one of her Post-it note letters or phone calls, but always given with love.
A true pioneer, Sybal was a friend and example to many. She always had an open door and heart. And even when she was “mad as a hornet,” it was always to fight the good fight. Active in Austin Avenue Church of Christ, Sybal had a true giving heart and was always willing to donate her time, her funds, and her prayers to those in need.
She is survived by son Chris Weber; adopted daughters Debbie Weber Crow and Shasta Loyd; three grandchildren, Stephanie Weber and husband Bill Rogers, Shawna Weber and husband Bryan Walters, and Christian Dan Weber and wife Kaleigh; adopted grandson Noah Marlin and wife Lindsey; eleven great grandchildren, Alex and Taylor Grimsley, Shay and Anthony Rogers, Noah Walters, Karly Weber Jones and husband Daniel, Christian, Brooklyn, Scout, and Kase Weber, and Korbin Middleton; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Cherokee Home for Children, P.O. Box 295, Cherokee TX 76382 or online at ww.chc4kids.org.