Tressa Wilma Berwick died Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 in Brenham, Texas.
She was born in Starks. She graduated from Starks High School in 1951, attended college briefly and worked in Galveston, Texas before earning her degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, in 1961. She later attended LSU in Baton Rouge, where she received her Master’s degree and Master’s plus 30. She dedicated over twenty years to teaching fourth grade before retiring to care for a sick sibling.
Outside of her professional life, she was passionate about many activities. She was an avid reader, a lover of jigsaw puzzles and enjoyed playing dominos with friends and family. For many years, she was an active member of a bowling league. She also enjoyed traveling, creating lasting memories with her family and friends. She also devoted over 1500 hours to volunteering at Baptist Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Starks.
She spent most of her life in Starks before moving to a retirement community in Beaumont in 2018. Due to her diagnosis of FTD that caused her to lose the ability to speak, she moved to Brenham, Texas in 2021 to be near her sister, who assisted her with communication with others.
She was preceded in death by her parents, George L. and Ada Berwick; and her five older siblings, Opal A. Strahan, J. T. Berwick, Elouise Farris, Elton Berwick, and Lela M. McClain.
She is survived by her brother, Samuel Berwick of Starks; her sisters, Annie B. Worthy of Conroe, Texas; Janett Reece of Meridian, Miss.; Lilly M. Golden of Willis, Texas; and Becky Phillips of Brenham, Texas.
A funeral service was held Friday, Sept. 19, at First Baptist Church of Starks, with the Rev. Ron Butler officiating. Burial followed at Miller Cemetery in Starks, under the direction of Hixson Funeral Home of Vinton.
