Willie the Mayor
by Tina L. Payton
This month as I was doing a little scenic driving through the beautiful Texas Hill Country, enjoying the gorgeous fall we are having, I happened upon the little town of Sisterdale, Texas. It was so quaint I just had to stop and do a little exploring. I quickly realized that I could park and walk to any of the little spots there in town, so I parked in front of the Marlow Candle company, I stepped inside only to find some of the most wonderful smelling candles in Texas. After sniffing to my hearts delight, I stepped out and walked a little ways over to the Sisterdale Trading Company. The owner, Margaret was just about to leave but gladly showed me around the new shop. She was so excited about the new place and all of the local artisans that have placed their goods in there to sell. I found some nice jewelry, great clothes and awesome art work among other wonderful things. I asked Margaret where I might get something to drink and she told me about the Sisterdale Roadhouse right next door. She asked me to tell Willie to come claim his door prize. I asked a little about Willie and found out that he is known as the Honorable Mayor of Sisterdale, Texas. Well, I just had to meet this guy, so off I went next door to the Sisterdale Roadhouse for something cold to drink and some good company. As I walked into the establishment I found a cozy little bar with a few tables, a juke box in the back, and Marie, a sweet smiling young lady behind the bar. She offered me a beer and after I asked about Willie she pointed me in his direction. Willie welcomed me to his table where he was sitting with some friends and we began to chat. I noticed right away as people came in and out of the Roadhouse that everyone seemed to know Willie and really liked him. So, I asked him why he was the Honorable Mayor. Willie began to tell me more about him, and his story.
Willie Bailey was born on August 14, 1954. He was born into a Military family which took him to many different places all over the world. His favorite place was The Philippines; he liked the people there and the way of living. All this travel sparked a desire in Willie to want to explore the world. His family moved back to San Antonio in 1968 just in time for Willie to start high school. He tells me that the culture shock was really weird for him; Willie graduated from high school in 1972 and was ready to fly. In the fall of 1973 Willie was on a bus for a one week trip to Montana where he got a job as a rancher. He was only there for 8 months and then his adventurous spirit took him to Panama City, Fl. While there, he received a phone call from Texas telling him about a job with a Surveying company. He took the job which sent him to Uvalde, Texas. This was the beginning of Willies career as a Surveyor. After Uvalde, he went to work in the swamp lands of Louisiana. Willie says that was a trip. After Louisiana, Willie had a short stay in Houston, and then he was off to Africa working for Western Geographical. He spent time in Libya, Chad and Ethiopia. He liked the people there. He says people would come out of nowhere and just watch the workers for hours. Willie worked in Africa for the next five years and then he was off to the Middle East working in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. This job kept him there for another five years. He lived in camps out in the middle of nowhere, but loved his adventurous job that took him all over the world.
In the fall of 1992, Willie was ready to come home to the States for a break. He had saved up his money and was ready to see his family. But one thing he had been without for a long time was Jack in the Box tacos and he was looking forward to eating some of those. So, after being in the U.S. for about 30 hours, he decided to go to the drive thru of the local Jack in The Box. It was nearly midnight, but that didnt stop Willie from getting his food and parking in the parking lot to enjoy his feast.
Willie got one good bite of his taco, and that is the last thing Willie can remember, as shortly after Willie had parked, two men came from out of the darkness and accosted Willie; demanding his money. Willie wasnt going to give it up, and they shot him right between the eyes.
As the story was told to Willie, six and a half hours went by and he was awakened by an EMS worker asking what had happened to him. He had been lying there all night. They took Willie to the hospital and when his sister finally found out where he was she could hardly believe he was alive.
Willie spent the next two and a half months in the hospital and then another three months in Physical Rehabilitation. Willie did not return to Africa, instead he moved back to San Antonio to live with his Dad. Well, since a bullet cant keep Willie from enjoying life, he was still going out and hanging with his friends. His Dad could hardly keep up with him and worried so much about Willie, finally Willie had to move on again. This time, his travels took him to Boerne, Texas to live on his sisters property where he stayed for about six years until he finally came to Sisterdale, Texas where he currently resides and calls home.
The Roadhouse in Sisterdale, I came to learn is Willies main hub. You could go there pretty much any time of the week and find Willie. Whether its Sunday afternoon, Monday night football, hanging with friends on Wednesday for Texas holdem, or playing in the shuffleboard contest on Thursday night, Willie is there and living large. Everyone in Sisterdale seems to know and love Willie which is easy to do. He is a very friendly, warm man. Its no wonder he is known as the Honorary Mayor of this town.
The bullet still rests in Willies head after 16 years. If you ask Willie about it, he will chuckle and say Im living 16 years on the bonus round. Willie is a cheerful guy and has many little sayings; one you cannot forget is Im a thinkin. This seems to be one of his favorites. But overall, Willie will tell you that Life is good, after visiting with Willie for a couple of hours, its hard to imagine otherwise. He truly has a great outlook on life and I am glad to know him.
The next time you are taking a little Hill Country Drive, stop by Sisterdale, Texas. Youll likely find Willie at the Roadhouse there and if you see him, be sure to say hello.
My aunt was flipping thru a Texas Hill Country magazine and came across this article. She started reading and and realized it was her brother, MY dad, who they were talking about 