Milton Dean Sanders passed away Wednesday, October 31, 2018 surrounded by family at his home in Fairfield, Texas.
Milton Dean “Bubba,” a childhood nickname, was born July 07, 1938 in North Zulch, Texas to Frank Milton and Emma Glaydene Sanders. One of Milton’s favorite stories was telling everyone how he was born on a kitchen table in North Zulch.
At an early age his family moved from North Zulch to Clute Tx, where he enjoyed growing up with friends and family. In 1956 Milton graduated from Brazosport High School and went on to attend Sam Houston State University.
Milton enjoyed a distinguished career of 35 years with The Dow Chemical Company where he made many lifelong friends. His most memorable assignment was working on the emergency response team for train derailments. In this role he traveled extensively across the U.S. coordinating response to emergency and non-emergency derailed tank cars.
After retiring from Dow, Milton moved to Fairfield, Texas and lived in a 17-foot travel trailer while he built a barn. After the barn was completed, he and Hazel lived in a section of the barn consisting of one room and a bath for two years. During those two years, they worked hard to complete construction of their permanent home, and finally realized their dream of owning a log home.
During his retirement, he enjoyed many hours of camping and fishing at Lake Sam Rayburn. He and Hazel took a road trip to Alaska pulling a travel trailer on the Alaskan Canadian Highway. They also took several cruises to Alaska; a cruise to the Panama Canal and several cruises to various Caribbean ports. At home, Milton enjoyed using his bulldozer to dig ponds and cut trails through the woods on his property. He especially enjoyed his children, grandchildren and loved to see his great-grandsons playing in the dirt piles he made for them.
Milton is survived by his loving wife of 59 years Hazel, daughter Susan Potts and husband Doug, son Jason Sanders and wife Shannon, grandchildren Amanda Hefner and husband Erich, Charles Falcone and wife Jennifer, Dillon Sanders, Dustin Sanders, Christina Murphy and husband Derek; great-grandsons Nathan and Barrett Hefner, Christopher, Caleb, and Jonathan Falcone and Colton Murphy, and many other beloved family members and friends, including his three dogs Dingo, Pepper and Jack.
He is preceded in death by his parents Milton and Glaydene Sanders; sisters Rita Jean Perry and Terry Lynn Sanders, and nephew Bennie Maak Perry.
A memorial service was held at 2:00 pm Sunday, November 04, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in Fairfield, Texas, officiated by Reverend Ralph Hale. The church hosted a lunch for the family and out of town friends at 1:00 pm in the Church Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be made to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 201 N. Mount Street, Fairfield, Tx 75840 in memory of Milton Sanders. FUMC contacts: www.fumcfairfield.org, fumcfairfield@gmail.com, Office 903-389-2225.
