Winston Reagan

Winston Reagan

By Gayle Haynes

          Winston Reagan was elected County Judge in1971 and served 20 years. He retired in 1991. His tenure was the longest of any judge who has served Henderson County.

         Winston felt his most important contributions to the county included buildings that still serve the public today. The first building he was responsible for was the Senior Citizen building adjacent to the fair grounds. He was able to secure a grant from the East Texas Council of Governments to construct it. It did not cost the taxpayers anything. The Senior Citizen group had been meeting in a tent--cold in the winter and boiling in the summer. The building also serves for other meetings.

          Winston was a strong supporter of youth through the Henderson County Livestock Show. The present facility was constructed while he was in office. He always bought an FFA or 4-H animal at the auction. The first one he bought was a chicken. The picture of him with the chicken and the little girl who was its owner hangs on the wall of his office.

          He believes his most important contribution to the county was the East Texas Medical Center. There were five entities bidding for the contract. ETMC came out on top because they would provide care for the community of Athens and Henderson County. The hospital was built and maintained without cost to the taxpayers.

          Winston is generous and filled with humor. When asked how he got elected as County Judge, he replied, “I just gave everybody a can of syrup.” He still carries a couple of cases of syrup to distribute to those hi might have missed.
          Winston was born in Brownsboro, Texas, on June 15, 1915. He moved to Chandler because he met a little girl he didn’t think he could do without. He felt like it was a good deal--she had a beauty shop. Her name was Juanita Ellis, and he has been married to her for 71 years. They had two daughters and four grandchildren.

          Winston’s pride in Henderson County began before he became County Judge. He drove a bus for Greyhound for 33 years. For five years, he drove for bus tours in Canada. He gave a can of Henderson County black-eyed peas to everyone on his bus. That sounds like he was practicing to campaign!

          When he was first elected Judge, some members of the Commissioners Court convinced Juanita that the Judge’s wife was supposed to provide refreshments for a reception on New Year’s Eve. Juanita was a trooper. She baked cookies and made sandwiches for days. The courthouse did provide the coffee. For years, even in inclement weather, they made the trip with Juanita’s food and hot chocolate to grace New Year’s Eve at the Courthouse. She later found that the “tradition” she had so blithely accepted was nothing more than a smoked ham the judge had provided.

          Winston’s guide for deciding legal issues began with the law. When he needed interpretation or legal opinions, he consulted the District Judges and lawyers. His final guide was his own sense of justice and a heart for the people he served.

          Winston served on the ETCOG board for 19 years. He was president of the State Judges Association for 5 years. He and Juanita are active members of the First United Methodist Church in Chandler.

          After he retired, Winston became mayor of Chandler for the third time. They had to build an office at home to house Winston’s memorabilia. He said, “I’m nearly 92. What’s going to happen to all this stuff when I’m gone?” The history contained in Winston’s “stuff” will be a legacy to Henderson County, Texas.