Dr. George D. Tennison, 92, of Silsbee died Monday, April 25, 2011 after a long illness. Dr. George married Elise Nelson of Zachary, Louisiana in 1940 and they had five children and enjoyed over 70 years of happy marriage.
'Dr. George' was born in Silsbee, TX on July 5, 1918 to Thomas Meritt Tennison and Addalee Davison Tennison. He graduated from high school in Dequincy, LA, attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans, LA, graduating in 1944. During World War II he served as part of the US Navy Medical Corp on board a troop transport and was discharged from active duty in 1946.
Dr. Tennison began the private practice of medicine in 1946. In July, 1947, he opened Tennison Clinic with rooms for delivery of babies. He delivered approximately 5,000 babies during the next 25 years, with many of those being home deliveries. Dr. George was one of those rare breed of rural physicians who traveled country dirt roads in the evenings after office hours to provide care for patients who had no transportation into town, who accepted home grown vegetables as payment for medical services from those who could not afford to pay, and who had such a passion for practicing medicine that he only retired when his declining eyesight made it too difficult to continue. He retired in February, 1998, five months before his 80th birthday and one month before his 52nd anniversary as a practicing physician.
In addition to his family and the practice of medicine, Dr. George had three great passions during his lifetime - traveling to Ruidoso, New Mexico, bird hunting and growing roses. After graduating from high school he spent a year working on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, living with his Aunt Lelia and Uncle Ozzie who was the reservation superintendent. He had such fond memories of the area that he took his five children on family vacations there every summer and those weeks hold treasured memories for all family members. He was an avid duck hunter for many years. He loved hunting so much that he frequently got up at 3 am to go out on the duck marshes before daylight. After a couple hours hunting, he returned to his clinic for a full day of treating patients. In later years, his enthusiasm turned to the growing of roses, and he became a rosarian, belonging to the Beaumont Chapter of the American Rose Society. For as long as he was able, he grew hundreds of rose bushes in his yard and won many rose competitions.
Dr. George and his mother Addalee were instrumental in starting the first Episcopal Church in Hardin County, St. John's, Silsbee, where he served on the church vestry and especially enjoyed hearing his wife Elise play the organ for 30 years and his children participate as acolytes and choir members. He served on the Silsbee School Board for 15 years and was very active in civic affairs, including Kiwanis Club membership, Silsbee State Bank board, Silsbee Doctor's Hospital board and the Hardin-Tyler Medical Association. The trauma/emergency center at Silsbee Doctor's Hospital was dedicated in his honor.
Dr. George considered himself a TIGER all his life - first playing on the Dequincy High School Tigers football team, later as a Silsbee Tiger team physician and avid fan, and since his student days in Baton Rouge, a dedicated LSU Tiger fan and active member of the alumni association.
Dr. George is survived by his wife of 70 years, Elise Nelson Tennison; sons, George Nelson and wife Martha of Mandeville, LA and Douglas Keith Tennison and wife Pam of Silsbee; daughters Jan Stover and husband Earl, III of Silsbee, Chris McCormick and husband Glenn of Carencro, LA and Melanie Goetsell of Silsbee; ten grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; sister Elizabeth McClelland and husband Robert of Silsbee and sister-in-law Marie McDonald of Silsbee.
The family would like to thank Dr. George's caregivers Becky Boudreaux, Wendy Tanton, Barbara Richard and Sandy Biscamp for their dedication and tender loving care and affection for him.
A visitation to honor and remember Dr. George will be held at Farmer Funeral Home, Silsbee, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 5-8 pm. The funeral service will be 10 am Thursday, April 28, 2011 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1305 Roosevelt Dr., Silsbee, TX with burial to follow at Resthaven Cemetery in Silsbee.
