169:, in 1945, at the age of 24. She was officially elected to the office in that same year. This made her the first woman to be elected sheriff in the state of Texas. Although DeWees was the first woman elected sheriff in Texas, she was only the second woman to serve as sheriff in the state; Emma Daugherty Banister had been appointed as sheriff in
176:
DeWees served as sheriff from 1945 (the year of her appointment and her election) to 1947, although the start and end dates of her term have also been given as 1946 and 1948 respectively. During her two years as sheriff, DeWees conducted only two arrests. She also did not carry a firearm. At the time
177:
of her election, Loving County was notably sparsely populated, which contributed to its low crime rate. After she completed her term as sheriff, DeWees worked as county district clerk in Loving from 1965 to 1986.
456:
278:"West of Pecos: There Ain't Many Folks in Loving County, but Durned Near Everyone's a Character: One Bulldozed His Pool, Some Drive 50 Miles for a Cup of Coffee and the Sheriff Was Named Punk"
308:
461:
363:
397:
180:
DeWees was married twice, to George C. Clayton and to
Lawrence DeWees, and she had five children. She retired to a ranch near
451:
116:
248:
471:
466:
159:
112:
185:
144:
170:
277:
446:
441:
166:
136:
120:
41:
140:
393:
337:
151:
139:. Her parents moved to Texas before she turned one year old, and she attended school in
181:
56:
435:
123:, from 1945 to 1947, she was the first woman to be elected sheriff in the state of
143:. After graduating from high school, DeWees worked as a deputy district clerk in
155:
135:
Edna Reed was born to Harry and Esther Edith Reed on
September 5, 1921, in
413:
205:
124:
390:
Texas Dames: Sassy and Savvy Women
Throughout Lone Star History
364:"County's only female sheriff leaves legacy of fearlessness"
309:"Jefferson County elects Texas' first black female sheriff"
111:; September 5, 1921 – January 22, 2009) was an American
150:
During World War II, she worked as a lathe operator at
162:. DeWees began living in Loving County in the 1940s.
457:
Deaths from
Alzheimer's disease in the United States
94:
86:
72:
64:
49:
30:
23:
173:in 1918, but was never elected to that position.
8:
331:
329:
302:
300:
298:
20:
271:
269:
242:
240:
238:
236:
234:
232:
230:
228:
226:
388:Goldthwaite, Carmen (October 2, 2012).
197:
184:and died at the age of 87 in 2009 from
276:Meyer, Richard E. (January 31, 1993).
7:
90:First woman elected sheriff in Texas
14:
362:Horswell, Cindy (June 23, 2017).
416:. Loving County Sheriff's Office
414:"Loving County Sheriff's Office"
368:The Courier of Montgomery County
336:Colloff, Pamela (October 1997).
307:Teitz, Liz (November 10, 2016).
165:DeWees was appointed sheriff of
462:People from Breckenridge, Texas
1:
210:www.lovingcountytxsheriff.org
488:
249:"The First Madam Sheriffs"
247:Bills, E. R. (June 2013).
206:"Loving County Sheriff TX"
68:Edna Reed Clayton DeWees
113:law enforcement officer
392:. Arcadia Publishing.
338:"Not-So-Loving County"
158:, and also worked at
452:Loving County, Texas
167:Loving County, Texas
137:Gloster, Mississippi
121:Loving County, Texas
42:Gloster, Mississippi
186:Alzheimer's disease
160:Pecos Army Airfield
313:Houston Chronicle
282:Los Angeles Times
253:Texas Co-op Power
102:
101:
38:September 5, 1921
479:
426:
425:
423:
421:
410:
404:
403:
385:
379:
378:
376:
374:
359:
353:
352:
350:
348:
333:
324:
323:
321:
319:
304:
293:
292:
290:
288:
273:
264:
263:
261:
259:
244:
221:
220:
218:
216:
202:
105:Edna Reed DeWees
65:Other names
53:January 22, 2009
25:Edna Reed DeWees
21:
16:American sheriff
487:
486:
482:
481:
480:
478:
477:
476:
432:
431:
430:
429:
419:
417:
412:
411:
407:
400:
387:
386:
382:
372:
370:
361:
360:
356:
346:
344:
335:
334:
327:
317:
315:
306:
305:
296:
286:
284:
275:
274:
267:
257:
255:
246:
245:
224:
214:
212:
204:
203:
199:
194:
152:Vultee Aircraft
145:Stephens County
133:
131:Life and career
82:
60:
54:
45:
39:
37:
36:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
485:
483:
475:
474:
472:Women sheriffs
469:
467:Texas sheriffs
464:
459:
454:
449:
444:
434:
433:
428:
427:
405:
398:
380:
354:
325:
294:
265:
222:
196:
195:
193:
190:
171:Coleman County
132:
129:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
87:Known for
84:
83:
81:
80:
76:
74:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
57:Del Rio, Texas
55:
51:
47:
46:
40:
34:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
484:
473:
470:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
445:
443:
440:
439:
437:
415:
409:
406:
401:
399:9781614237099
395:
391:
384:
381:
369:
365:
358:
355:
343:
342:Texas Monthly
339:
332:
330:
326:
314:
310:
303:
301:
299:
295:
283:
279:
272:
270:
266:
254:
250:
243:
241:
239:
237:
235:
233:
231:
229:
227:
223:
211:
207:
201:
198:
191:
189:
187:
183:
178:
174:
172:
168:
163:
161:
157:
153:
148:
146:
142:
138:
130:
128:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
97:
93:
89:
85:
78:
77:
75:
71:
67:
63:
58:
52:
48:
43:
33:
29:
22:
19:
418:. Retrieved
408:
389:
383:
371:. Retrieved
367:
357:
345:. Retrieved
341:
316:. Retrieved
312:
285:. Retrieved
281:
256:. Retrieved
252:
213:. Retrieved
209:
200:
179:
175:
164:
149:
141:Breckenridge
134:
108:
104:
103:
18:
447:2009 deaths
442:1921 births
420:October 23,
373:October 23,
347:October 23,
318:October 23,
287:October 23,
258:October 23,
436:Categories
192:References
156:Fort Worth
107:(formerly
73:Occupation
215:March 13,
115:. As the
35:Edna Reed
95:Children
182:Mentone
117:sheriff
109:Clayton
79:Sheriff
396:
59:, U.S.
44:, U.S.
125:Texas
422:2020
394:ISBN
375:2020
349:2020
320:2020
289:2020
260:2020
217:2022
50:Died
31:Born
154:in
119:of
438::
366:.
340:.
328:^
311:.
297:^
280:.
268:^
251:.
225:^
208:.
188:.
147:.
127:.
424:.
402:.
377:.
351:.
322:.
291:.
262:.
219:.
98:5
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.