Effie Sharp

Effie Davis Sharp was peacefully called home on April 28, 2010 following a brief illness. She was 89. A descendent of several Bastrop County pioneers, “Miss Effie” was born in Calvin, Texas on October 24, 1920 during what was purportedly a dark and stormy night. In 1922, her family moved to town – Bastrop – and there she lived the rest of her life. A graduate of Bastrop High School, she went to work for the Signal Corp at Camp Swift Headquarters prior to the camp being activated. At age 21, when her father was killed in a road construction accident, she became the breadwinner for her family during the time her brothers were off at war. At the close of Camp Swift she was offered a position at the Pentagon but turned it down, choosing to provide for her mother and stay in Bastrop. She caught the fancy of a red-headed vet who had just returned home to Bastrop County. During the day he worked for the Bastrop Advertiser and during summer nights he played shortstop at Fireman’s Park. On June 15, 1947 Effie and Claude Harris Sharp were married at the Bastrop Christian Church. In 1949, she went to work as secretary for the Bastrop County Agent’s (Agricultural Extension) Office. After the USO building burned and the County Agent’s Office relocated to the first floor of the Courthouse, she became a source of information and direction for visitors to the courthouse. Because of her quick wit and sharp tongue, she was a source of news and merriment for visitors and county employees alike. She remained a fixture around the courthouse for 36 years until her retirement in 1985. She was a lifelong member of the Bastrop Christian Church, a volunteer 4-H leader for 30 years, and a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Effie was preceded in death by her parents, George Steven Davis and Duval “Due” Reid Davis, and her two older brothers, Kenneth Ventnor Davis and Louis Steven Davis. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Claude Sharp; a son, Reid Sharp and his wife, Cindy; grandchildren, Avery Sharp, Aaron Goertz and wife, Rosanne, and April Alexander and husband, Sam, and great-granddaughter, Valerie Grace Alexander. She is also survived by sister-in-law Lucille Sharp Simmons and husband, Jack; and two special nieces, Sue Simmons Judson and Connie Davis Trotter and husband, Ben. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday evening at Bastrop Providence Funeral Home in Bastrop. Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday at Bastrop Christian Church, 1106 Church Street, Bastrop. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Bastrop. Pallbearers will be: Wally Namken, Ray Long, Kenneth Fiebrich, Dan Hepker, Kenneth Hilbig, and Brook Hurta. Honorary Pallbearers will be: Herman Holt, Jim Kershaw, Ben Trotter and Ronnie Lindsey. The family would like to thank the staff of Smithville Hospital for their love and compassionate caring during her stay. Memorials may be made to the Bastrop Christian Church 1106 Church Street, Bastrop TX 78602 or the Bastrop 4-H Club, % Margaret Hanna, P.O. Drawer F, Bastrop, TX 78602.