Damon Herman Bush

Damon Herman Bush, 91, was born October 19, 1932, to John T. Bush and Minnie Izora Chew in Pontotoc, Texas. Damon was the youngest of nine children. He attended school in Pontotoc until 1951, when he, two cousins and a close friend joined the U.S. Army together. He served for three years during the Korean War. In 1954, he was honorably discharged from the military, and he set his sights on his true passion: cowboying full time. He found his way to Kerrville, Texas, where he worked on the YO Ranch for about six months. While visiting his brother in Milano, Texas, in 1959, he met the love of his life Martha Morgan. Seven months later, they married on Christmas Eve. After the ceremony, nothing was open, so they bought some summer sausage, cheese and crackers to enjoy as their first meal as a married couple, a Christmas Eve tradition the family has kept ever since. After the birth of their first daughter, Kay, in 1961, they moved to the Gibbons Ranch in Richland Springs, Texas. The Gibbons Ranch became their lifelong home after bringing home their daughter ,Vicki, in 1968. In 1985, Damon got his favorite title, PaPa, after the birth of his first grandson, Bret. Over the years, Damon and Martha continued to welcome more grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2009, surrounded by the family they built, they celebrated 50 years of marriage.

Damon had a passion for mentoring young lives in the art of cowboying, and because of that, he had a hand in starting the three rodeo associations in San Saba County. He and his girls competed in and won many awards at local rodeos. Seeing as he was surrounded by horses his whole life, Damon had a natural talent for finding great horses. He had many of his own, which people would come far and wide to breed to. He lived a simple life on the ranch, taking care of his cattle and horses, and running the day-to-day operations for the Gibbons and Mays family. Damon had many great accomplishments in his life, but 58 years married to Martha, having a loving family, being the Grand Marshal of the San Saba Rodeo Parade in 2021 and working for the Gibbons/Mays family for three generations were some of his favorites.

Damon is preceded in death by his parents, John T. and Minnie; six brothers: Burley, Marvin, Dee, Willard, Hale, and Dale; two sisters, Edith and Vernell; one daughter, Debbie; and the love of his life, Martha.

Damon is survived by his two daughters, Kay Whitney of San Saba and Vicki (Mike) Eden of San Saba; grandchildren: Bret (Trista) Sealy of Richland Springs, Terah Sealy of May, Mikayla (Hunter) Darnell of San Angelo, Carter (Karlee) Eden of San Saba and Chris Sealy of San Saba; and four great-grandchildren: Aubrey Smith, McKenna Wilson, Khloe Sealy, and Nova ‘baby Faye’ Darnell.

Pallbearers: Wayne McCutchen, Grant Mays, Robbin Crisp, Bubba Broussard, Morgan Gilger, Troy Gilger, Reagan Maxcey and Carl Morris.

Honorary Pallbearers: Myron Mays, Gary Bush, David Munden, Bret Sealy, Carter Eden, Chris Sealy and Hunter Darnell.

There was a visitation on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Blaylock Funeral Home from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. followed by a Graveside service at Newsom Cemetery which started at 2 p.m.

Damon Herman Bush, 91, was born October 19, 1932, to John T. Bush and Minnie Izora Chew in Pontotoc, Texas. Damon was the youngest of nine children. He attended school in Pontotoc until 1951, when he, two cousins and a close friend joined the U.S. Army together. He served for three years during the Korean War. In 1954, he was honorably discharged from the military, and he set his sights on his true passion: cowboying full time. He found his way