KERSEY, CLINTON (1915 ~ 1979). The following is an obituary for Clinton Kersey, former member of the Texas House of Representatives. The obituary was provided by a family member.
Clinton Kersey, 63, of Bridgeport and formerly of Austin, passed away on February 28 in a Bridgeport Hospital. He is a former Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Alcoholism, a post he held from 1976 until he resigned due to ill health in 1978. He was a juvenile rehabilitation consultant to the Commission from 1959 to 1960 and conducted some of its first seminars. He served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives during the 46th and 47th Sessions, January 10, 1939 to January 1, 1943. He was the youngest member of the House at the time of his election and was Chairman of the Penitentiary Committee during the 47th session. He later came back to serve as Chaplain for 12 years.
He worked for the Rock Island Railroad from 1941 to 1957, serving as Trainmaster in Chicago during WWII. He is past president of the Texas Probation and Parole Association, the Texas Corrections Association and the National Association of Juvenile Compact Administrators and has been a member of the boards of the Texas Institute on Children and Youth and the Association. He was a delegate to the White House Conference on Children and Youth in 1970 and received the Clayton-Morrison Award presented by the Institute to the outstanding juvenile worker.
In 1975, he received the William I. Frederick Award in recognition of outstanding service contributions and dedication in Juvenile Compact and Corrections. He is mentioned in Who's Who in Religion 1975-76 and Who's Who in State Government. He served pastorates in Wise, Parker and Travis counties and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, where he was baptized and ordained.
He is survived by his wife Eulalah Kersey of Bridgeport; 2 sons, Bill of Shallowater and Jim of Lubbock, one daughter, Janis Kaker of Bridgeport; 9 grandchildren and one great grandchild; one sister, Mrs. Della Joe Ferris of Euless.
Services were held in Bridgeport at First Baptist Church at 9:30 Friday, March 2, with burial in the State Cemetery in Austin at 4 p.m. Friday. Pallbearers were Bill Kersey, Glen Kersey, Russell Kersey, Carl Kaker, John Kaker, and Wesley Ferris. Rev. Hal Kinkeade and Rev. J.I. Clinton officiated.
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