(Community Matters) Dr. Cecilia Thompson passed away yesterday afternoon, from complications with pneumonia after suffering a fall last week. She was Marfa’s historian and was still terrorizing residents by driving (she was legally blind) at 92 years old 🙂
From the Forward of her book “The History of Marfa and Presidio County”:
Cecilia Thompson is a true daughter of the Texas Big Bend. She was raised on a family ranch near Ft. Davis and received her early education in the town. Her sojourn through secondary schools ultimately led her to the University of Iowa, where she remained through graduate school. Dr.Thompson completed her doctorate in theater arts there in 1954. Her long professional career has included university faculty positions in the theater arts, directing and acting in community and summer stock theaters, and scholarly writings on the history of the Texas Big Bend. Of the latter achievements, her magnum opus is unquestionably History of Marfa and Presidio County.
Dr. Thompson’s research for and writing of the book spanned three years. A Presidio County Historical Commission press release dated November 25, 1985, announced the upcoming publication of History of Marfa and Presidio County, Texas, 1535-1946, to the Big Bend community. Dr Thompson’s chronicle received immediate praise from reviewers and high recognition by the Texas Historical Commission. The book was chosen as “best county history” and was extended the Fehrenbach Book Award for 1985. Mike Cox (More Texas Basic Books, 2001) observed, “This county history, really a regional history, is an impressive accomplishment and a fundamental work.”
Community Matters 