Obituary

William Berwin Tilson, 97, of Plainview died Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, in Plainview. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jerry Moore officiating and Dr. Max Browning assisting. Private burial and funeral arrangements are under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. Mr. Tilson was born Aug. 8, 1912, in Hale County, Texas, to Milton and Mary Monts Tilson. They later moved to the open range in Castro County and he attended Mulkey School. He graduated from North Dallas High School in 1930. He married Cleo Young on Nov. 27, 1935, at the parsonage in Aiken, Texas. They spent all of their married life in the Bellview community southeast of Plainview. Berwin was active in leadership roles at First United Methodist Church and was instrumental in planning the site and facilities on Seventh Street. Realizing there was not a 4-H club in Plainview, he helped establish one. He was committed to serving his community and served on many boards. In his chosen profession he has won many awards and honors and has promoted farming and farm products around the world. In addition, he helped organize the Texas Soybean Association, serving as president. He was president and chairman of the American Soybean Association, a member of the Foreign Agriculture Service team in Eastern Europe and chaired the first World Soy Oil Conference in Munich, Germany. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Cleo Tilson of Plainview; one daughter: Kaylene Ramsey of Plainview; granddaughters, Marla Howard of Plainview, Rhonda Pierce and husband Tony of Amarillo and Lori Lovell Waller and husband Gary of San Angelo; great grandchildren, David Howard of Lubbock, Deidre Howard of Plainview and Britini Peoples of Lubbock; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews and great-great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a twin sister, Beryl Tilson; a brother, Duane Tilson; a baby son, Larry Kent Tilson; a daughter, Karen Haydon; a granddaughter, Holly Haydon; and a nephew, Shannon Tilson. A visitation for family and friends will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.