Medina native Cecil LeStourgeon is one of those locals that add character and interest to any discussion about Bandera County.
Lestourgeon’s friendly personality and exuberance mark his every encounter with friends, neighbors, and county visitors. Even though he is retired, his mark is still felt in every way in his hometown of Medina. At the age of 88, he is still going strong.
LeStourgeon shared his life story and experiences as a stone mason with the audience at the Faith and Freedom meeting in October. He is the surviving member of his Medina High School graduating class. Now retired, he was a successful artisan in a family of local stone masons.
He and wife Jo are dancing enthusiasts who make the rounds of dance halls in the Hill Country.
Most of all, LeStourgeon loves local history. LeStourgeon is also admittedly related to almost everyone in the Medina area.
Faith and Freedom group leader Vickie Shroyer also noted that when she talked with a local citizen, the woman said, “I love him like a brother.”
LeStourgeon is the kind of person that inspires this kind of sentiment. He never meets a stranger.
“Cecil has done a lot of things in his life that were community building,” Shroyer stated. “He’s very modest about those things,” Shroyer said.
Close friend Dr. Thomas Hatfield began his comments by stating that Cecil LeStourgeon is the kind of person that everyone loves and considers a friend.
“This artistic stone mason is rock solid. You can’t help but love Cecil. He is so thoughtful and does so much for people.”
“We played baseball together and were in Boy Scouts together,” commented Hatfield. The pair grew up together. “Cecil is so authentic, he is the same way all the way through,” said Hatfield.
Hatfield noted that Cecil’s talent as a stone mason became evident early in life. As a Scout, Cecil earned a merit badge by building a stone wall.
His talent and skill were evident as a young person.
“But it is the artistic sense that looks at a space and knows just what kind of stone to put in place,” commented Hatfield.
The LeStourgeon family were noted for their kindness and care for the older residents of Medina.
Cecil was a perfect example of that spirit in his life. Hatfield noted that the LeStourgeon brothers would drive out to Camp Wood to take his grandfather to church.
After Hatfield finished his remarks, Mr. LeStourgeon began his presentation.
He stated that his first venture into business after high school was in the feed store business.
Shortly afterward, the livestock business collapsed due to drought.
Mr. LeStourgeon sold the feed store and began work with the oil companies in West Texas.
In 1959, Mr. LeStourgeon began work in construction and by 1960, he joined the bricklayer’s union. He worked with the crew that built the Hemisphere Park.
Mr. LeStourgeon showed slides of his projects as a stone mason in Bandera County. The extensive detail of the projects was amazing.
He showed the crew working as well as the planning stages of the projects. “I laid all the rock myself,” said Mr. LeStourgeon proudly.
The projects LeStourgeon showed included massive fireplaces, barbeques, complex outdoor kitchens, rock outer walls, and even gate entrances.
He compared rock laying to working on big jigsaw puzzles.
After laying all the stone out, Mr. LeStourgeon would look at a space in the project and then select the individual rock that would fill that spot and make it look beautiful.
Most of LeStourgeon’s work was originally designed and unique. The owners detailed their vision of the finished project, told Mr. LeStourgeon their ideas, and he committed the crew to produce the project.
At the end of the presentation, Mr. LeStourgeon answered questions from the audience about his family and the projects he worked on.
The group didn’t break up quickly, they stayed to chat with each other and to congratulate Cecil on his presentation.
With a smile, Mr. LeStourgeon spoke to everyone in the group and shook hands. It was evident to see that Cecil Lestourgeon is a great favorite of the people of Medina.
