Glenna & Steve Siebenhausen
Glenna Wade Siebenhausen, was born in 1934, to Annie Mae Combs and Garnett W. Wade of the pioneer Wade family of Quinlan, Texas, her great grandfather being Henry W. Wade, a representative at the Texas State constitutional Convention of 1875. Her maternal grandfather, Rev. P. C. Combs, was a respected N. E. Texas Methodist minister. Glenna’s mother was an alumnus of East Texas State Teachers College {now TAMUC) and was an elementary school teacher for many years in Quinlan, as was Glenna’s aunt.
Glenna graduated from Quinlan High School where she was valedictorian of her class and played basketball. She attended East Texas State University (now TAMUC), obtaining Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Home Economics and Education, respectively.
She married Charles Wilson, an East Texas State University alumnus, and had three children, one of whom is Wade Wilson, the TAMUC and Lone Star Conference Athletic Hall of Fame quarterback who played 19 years in the NFL and is now the Quarterback Coach of the Dallas cowboys.
She taught in elementary schools in Wolfe City and Quitman before moving to Commerce where she completed an elementary school teaching career of more than 30 years. She dearly loved children and they respected and adored her. She was affectionately known as “Miz Wilson” by her students and “GG” by her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She married C. H. “Steve” Siebenhausen, Jr. in 1993; and their home is in Commerce. Glenna was a wonderful cook, loved to decorate her home for every season, and collect Flo•Biue china and Santa Clauses. She cross•stitched and needlepointed beautiful pictures, pillows, and Christmas stockings for her home and grandchildren. She is a lady of grace and beauty in every way.
She has been a member of the First United Methodist Church in Commerce for more than 40 years, and was always devoted to helping others. She worked on various committees, cooked “Casseroles for Christ” for Meals on Wheels, and was a member of the Church’s Foundation Board. She advised, “If you read one Proverb from the Bible every day, you will know how to be a good Christian.”
Glenna’s scholarship was established to provide incentives and opportunities for students to pursue a career in Education. It was also to honor Glenna’s many years of dedicated and rewarding service in elementary education.
In recent years, she has developed dementia problems and has been in assisted living for over four years.
Glenna’s husband, Steve, was born in Dallas, Texas in 1925 and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II for 2-1/2 years, 20 months of which were in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippine Islands where he received the Bronze Star Medal. He graduated from Rice Institute, now Rice University, in 1950 with a B. S. in Mechanical Engineering. He also attended Tulane
University Graduate School at night white working in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Steve worked for Shell Oil Company for 35 years, retiring in 1985. He was one of Shell’s earliest engineers assigned to work on drilling and development of oil and gas fields in offshore waters, and he was a leader in these efforts for over 25 years. He held various jobs in the U.S. and in 1956-57 worked for Shell in England on an assignment with Sir Frank Whittle, who patented and was the original inventor of the jet aircraft engine, and in The Hague, Netherlands on marine engineering projects. Steve later held jobs of Manager- Mechanical Engineering, Production Manager for the Western U. S. including Alaska, General Manager of Engineering, and General Manager- Construction and Design in Shell’s Exploration and Production Department. He also for four years was General Manager Purchasing for the Company. 1n 1980 while he was General Manager-construction and Design, Shell was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Outstanding Engineering Achievement of the Year for its design and construction of the fixed piling drilling and production platform “Cognac” in the Gulf of Mexico in the then World record water depth of 1025 feet.
He was on advisory committees to: U.S. Departments of Energy, Interior and Navy on ocean science and technology, and to the National Petroleum Council on “law of the Sea” and “Arctic Oil and Gas Resources.” He was past President of Rice University’s Engineering Alumni Association, a member of Rice’s Development Committee, and the Owl Club. He is a member of the Rice’s Parliament and the Texas A & M University-Commerce Founders Society.
Steve was past Texas President, and a member of the National Board of Directors of JETS,
(Junior Engineering Technical Society), which promotes careers in engineering and science for high school students. He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Louisiana, and a Certified Purchasing Manager.
He married Harrianna Butler of Greenville, Texas in 1948 and they had four children. Harrianna passed away in 1991. He married Glenna Wade Wilson in 1993 and moved to Commerce, Texas. While in Commerce, he has been active in the First United Methodist Church, having served as a Sunday school teacher, on the Board of Trustees and as their Chairman, as Chairman of the Administrative Board and on the Foundation Board.
Steve has a son, daughter-in law, and a grandson who are East Texas State University (TAMUC) alumni. An endowed scholarship is established in honor of Steve’s deceased wife, Harrianna, at Rice University.