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Edna Dorsett Trahan, age 92, passed away Monday, October 26, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a brief illness. Edna was born in Texas City, Texas November 16, 1916 to William Cleveland Dorsett and Frankie Laurie Outterside Dorsett, both members of pioneer Texas families. Edna's paternal great-grandfather, Captain Theo Dorsett, was commander of the Ayish Bayou Militia, a leader of the Fredonian Rebellion, and close friend of Colonel William Barrett Travis, a fellow Georgian and Commander at the Alamo. Her maternal great-grandfather, Thomas A. Deats, was a founder of the City of Dickinson, Texas. Edna graduated from Central High School in Texas City in 1935, and worked at Texas City National Bank until after her marriage to John Curtis Trahan on December 19, 1936. She and Curtis co-founded J C Trahan Insurance, which became Rust-Trahan Insurance, and is now known as Rust-Ewing Insurance. While her husband served in Europe in the U S Army during World War II, she managed the insurance business until his medical discharge following wounds received in the Battle of the Ardennes Forest. In addition to managing the insurance business, Edna served as the radio voice of the federally-mandated rationing program in Galveston County, Texas during the latter stages of World War II. Edna served as First Lady of Texas City during her husband's term as Mayor. Following the catastrophic ammonium nitrate explosions of April 16 and April 17, 1947, Edna worked tirelessly with The Reverend Frank Doremus, Rector of St. George's Episcopal Church, searching for a burial place for the unidentified victims of the Texas City Disaster. That search, necessitated by the strict laws of segregation of the races then in force, culminated when Edna prevailed upon Captain V. C. Amburn to sell the land on which the cemetery at the Texas City Disaster Memorial was erected. Edna devoted the remainder of her long life to her greatest joy, supporting the efforts of her two sons; her niece; and nephews; and her grandchildren; grandnieces; and grandnephews. During this time, Edna and her husband divorced, but remained friends, and, until his death in2004, cooperated closely in mentoring their descendants and family members. A lifelong Episcopalian, Edna was very active in the Altar Guild of St. George's Episcopal Church in Texas City, and a sustaining member of the church when the original building was built at its present location, 510 Thirteenth Avenue North. Edna was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, William Carleton Dorsett, Harry Edwin Dorsett, James King Dorsett and Melvin Theodore Dorsett; her sister, Dulcie Inez Dorsett Gremillion; her grandson, William Dorsett Trahan, Jr.; and her nephew, Harry Dorsett Gremillion. She is survived by her two sons: John Curtis Trahan and wife Betty, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and William Dorsett Trahan and wife Carol of Topeka, Kansas, three nephews, Paxton Gremillion and Loyd Taylor of Dallas and King Gremillion and wife Vicki of Athens, and one niece, Anne Gremillion and husband John Gayle of Shreveport, LA. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Kendra Bourgart and husband Eddie O'Brien, Kimberley Gillie and husband Gregory, John Curtis Trahan and wife Kristy, Kristin Winford and husband Craig, Keith Trahan and wife Lee, Darren Trahan, Erika Swan and husband Colonel, and Suzanne Dudding; and 13 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Monday, November 2, 2009 at Emken-Linton Funeral Home in Texas City, Texas (409-945-4444). Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at St. George's Episcopal Church in Texas City, with burial following at La Marque Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Will Trahan Scholarship Endowment, care of the Office of University Relations of The University of the South, 735 University Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37383-1000.
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