Paula Annette Sweeten

Paula Annette Sweeten (nee Davis) of San Angelo, Texas passed peacefully at home on July 7, 2024, after a hard-fought battle with ALS.

Paula was born in Seymour, Texas on November 12, 1953, to Nolan and Naydeen Davis. She graduated from Seymour High School and Tarleton State University, and later attended Texas Tech University. An accomplished horsewoman, Paula was crowned Miss Rodeo Texas in 1974.

During her years at Texas Tech, Paula met and married Jim Bob Bailey from Ozona with whom she had two children, Tres and Sunny Jon. Dedicated to her children, Paula always ensured there was something for them to do. Most weekends were spent at junior rodeos, stock shows, or 4-H events throughout the year.

In 1993, Paula married Eddie Sweeten from Rocksprings. They made their home in San Angelo where she built a successful independent insurance business with the motto of insuring good people and good horses.

For more than 30 years, she took great pride in working alongside Eddie building their ranching business in west Texas. She was especially fond of the Angora goats and Red Angus cattle they raised. In recent years, she cherished her family coming home and being a part of the legacy she and Eddie worked hard to build.

Besides being a good steward of the land, Paula will be remembered most for her steadfast faith and servant’s heart. For many years she cared for her father, Nolan, and later for Eddie as he endured a long battle with cancer. Friends and family could always count on her for a meal or a prayer during their time of need, even when her own health began to decline.

After the kids left home, Paula and Eddie mentored and guided youth in the neighborhood, enrolling them in 4-H, providing them with Angora show goats, and taking them to church.

When Tres went to college, Paula joined the San Angelo Texas A&M University Mothers’ Club where she helped write and sell cookbooks to support student scholarships. That time in Aggie Moms developed into a close knit group of friends with regular bunko gatherings for many years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Nolan and Naydeen Davis, and her husband, Eddie Charles Sweeten.

Paula is survived by her son, James R. (Tres) Bailey III of Washington, DC; daughter, Sunny Jon Bailey Lefevere and her husband Ryan of Ozona, TX; brothers Gary Davis of Dayton and Phil Davis of Seymour and their families; stepdaughters Shawn Meredith and her family, and Brandy Sweeten of Camp Wood, TX; and dear family friend, Patsy Malone of Seymour.

Arrangements are under the direction of Harper Funeral Home in San Angelo. A visitation at the funeral home will be from 4 - 6 p.m., Wednesday evening. Services will be Thursday, July 11,

2024, at 11 a.m., at Grape Creek Baptist Church (9781 North Grape Creek Road, San Angelo, TX, 76901) with a lunch to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Paula’s memory to The ALS Association or a charity of your personal importance.

Family and friends may share condolences and sign the online register book at www.harper-funeralhome.com