Edward Sweeney was born August 8, 1897, in Bonham, Texas. He attended Rice Institute in Houston and was a pilot during World War I. About 1919 he came to Gonzales and operated the Gonzales Cotton Mill. On October 2, 1920, Edward married Annabell Dilworth, born on March 22, 1898, the daughter of R.S. and Susan Jones Dilworth of Gonzales. Edward and Annabell had one daughter, Anabell Sweeney Ames. Edward purchased a wholesale grocery business from Tom Fussell in 1921 and operated the business in Gonzales for several years. In 1929 Edward purchased the Red & White Grocery Store franchise for south and central Texas and moved to San Antonio. He later left the Red & White chain and operated many of his stores under the “Model Market” name. He served on the board of directors of Frost National Bank and Cullen Frost Bank. He was Chairman of the Board of Standard Baking Company, on the board of Model Markets, Inc., Board of A.S.A. Properties Inc. and formerly on the board of St. Mary’s Hall.
Edward and Annabell built their beautiful house in 1926. It is an English Tudor or Cotswold Cottage style home and is framed by two enormous live oak trees. A third tree once stood on the front lawn but was destroyed by a storm in 1994. The beautifully kept grounds give the impression that it just magically materialized from the English countryside.
Annabell died June 10, 1982, and Edward died April 8, 1983. They are buried in Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio.
