By BARBARA GREEN
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After 30 years of bouncing around with Army life, Kelly Williamson and his wife, Cathy, began searching for a place to put down roots after he retired.
That place happens to be the north Montague County city of Saint Jo, where he also took the oath of office as its new mayor just a few weeks ago.
While he knows people may view him as an outsider, Williamson says his only agenda is do what he can to “make things better.” It is a goal he feels confident the city council can pursue with success.
Williamson recently turned 64. He and Cathy have one son, Tristan, 24, who lives in Argyle. Their son followed in his father’s footstep, going into the army serving four years after which he got out and began firefighter school. After about a year and half, Tristan decided he missed the army and returned to the infantry.
The new mayor hails from Monroe, LA and just out of high school he joined the National Guard in October 1979 to help pay for his education. He would remain active in the guard, reserve and active army for 30 years.
He stayed with the guard for a while and in 1993 moved to Dallas to become a pilot, but he then went to work for a corporate company, putting a stop to the flying career. More change was coming.
When the war started in 2001, Williamson recalls feeling left out as the army moved out for battle.
“Cathy and I were watching TV and saw the news. Tristan was about a year old. Kathy asked me, ‘You’re going back?’ I told her yes, I missed it. I went back into the reserve and got called up shortly for active duty.

Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.

Top photo – New Saint Jo Mayor Kelly Williamson stands in front of the Stonewall Saloon Museum, one of the first places he ever visited when he drove through Saint Jo on a trip. (Photo by Barbara Green)