William Berwin Tilson (Plainview)

William Berwin Tilson, 97, of Plainview died Friday, December 18, 2009 in Plainview. Memorial services will be at 2:00 P.M. Monday, December 21, 2009 at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Jerry Moore officiating and Dr. Max Browning assisting. Private burial funeral arrangements are under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. Mr. Tilson was born August 8, 1912 in Hale County, Texas to Milton and Mary Monts Tilson. They later moved to the open range in Castro County and he attended Mulkey School. He graduated from North Dallas High School in 1930. He married Cleo Young on November 27, 1935 at the parsonage in Aiken, Texas. They spent all of their married life in the Bellview Community, southeast of Plainview. Berwin was active in leadership roles in the First United Methodist Church and was instrumental in planning the site and facilities on 7th Street. Realizing there was not a 4H Club in Plainview he helped establish one. He was committed to serving his community and served on many boards. In his chosen profession he has won many awards and honors and has promoted farming and farm products around the world. In addition he helped organize the Texas Soybean Association where he served as president. He was president and chairman of the American Soybean Association and a member of the Foreign Agriculture Service team in Eastern Europe and chaired the first World Soy Oil Conference in Munich, Germany He is survived by his wife of 74 years: Cleo Tilson of Plainview; one daughter: Kaylene Ramsey of Plainview; granddaughters: Marla Howard of Plainview, Rhonda Pierce and husband Tony of Amarillo and Lori Lovell Waller and husband Gary of San Angelo; great grandchildren: David Howard of Lubbock, Deidre Howard of Plainview and Britini Peoples of Lubbock; several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a twin sister: Beryl Tilson; a brother: Duane Tilson; a baby son: Larry Kent Tilson; a daughter: Karen Haydon; a granddaughter: Holly Haydon and a nephew: Shannon Tilson. A visitation for family and friends will be held Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the funeral home.