About Us
Calendar  
County Mail List
Historical Markers

Family Websites

Genealogy Dept at County Library

Local Societies

Lookups
Miscellaneous
Montgomery County Records  & Resources
Neighboring Counties

Queries

Research Links
The Handbook of Texas Online
TX Family Group Sheets
TXGenWeb Counties
TXGenWeb Project
WorldGenWeb


Some Files require
  Adobe Reader

Historian, Educator Harley Gandy
Dies at 84

Gertie Spencer, former executive director of the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County credited historian and educator Harley Gandy with being a valuable resource in the development of the museum and other historical projects throughout the county.

 



Funeral services for Montgomery County historian and educator William Harley Gandy, 84, will be held at 10 a.m. today at Cashner Funeral Home in Conroe, followed by interment in Garden Park Cemetery.

Posted: Monday, January 24, 2011 11:41 pm
By Brad Meyer,
Courier staff |

Friends, family and colleagues are mourning the passing of a Montgomery County man reputed to know more about local history than anyone else.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. today for Conroe Independent School District educator and countywide historian William Harley Gandy at Cashner Funeral Home. He passed away Saturday at age 84.

“He was a gentle, knowledgeable and helpful man,” said Gertie Spencer, member of the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County board and former executive director and curator of the facility. “He had a passion for history and was stickler for accuracy.”

Born and raised in Cut and Shoot, Gandy served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before earning a degree in history at the University of Houston. He earned his master’s degree with a thesis on the history of Montgomery County in 1952 – a document still available to students, educators and historians at the Montgomery County Library.

“Harley was involved in a wide range of historical and genealogical projects throughout the county,” Spencer said. “He was someone you could rely on for accuracy and documentation in everything he did.”

Gandy began his professional career as a history teacher at Conroe High School in 1951. A year later, he transferred to Travis Junior High where he met Martha Adams, his wife of 57 years. He was a professional educator in the local community for 35 years.

“Harley was an adviser to numerous historical groups,” Spencer said. “He helped quite a few groups that were seeking to secure historical site status from the state.”

Gandy helped in the development of local museums, historical societies and state historical associations. He also assisted in the development of Texas State Historical markers located on highways and roadways throughout Texas.

He was scheduled to lead an oral history event at HMMC earlier this month, Spencer said, but it was rescheduled to a later date.

“It’s a real loss to the community,” Spencer said. “Harley was an authority on the history of this region and a true gentleman. He’ll be missed.”

Brad Meyer can be reached at bmeyer@hcnonline.com.

 

Home | Top of Page |William Gandy Obituary |
| History of Montgomery County |
 

               Vote Montgomery County TXGenWeb County of the Month 

Montgomery County Texas Banner graphics were designed by and remain the property of Jean Huot Smoorenburg. If you are being charged to view/use any of this information or have questions or comments, please contact Jane Keppler.

 

Copyright © 1997 - 2016 by Jane Keppler. This information may be used by individuals for their own personal use, libraries and genealogical societies. Commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from Jane Keppler. If material is copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information and please email me and let me know. Neither the Site Coordinators nor the volunteers assume any responsibility for the information or material given by the contributors or for errors of fact or judgment in material that is published at this website.
 

Page Modified: 18 October 2016