Waelder Councilman Ramirez dies at age 66

Sam Ramirez, 66, who was elected to the Waelder City Council just last May, died Jan. 3, 2023.

Ramirez, who was born in Waelder on Jan. 17, 1956, owned his own construction company, The Zerimar Corporation, for more than 20 years in Houston before retiring and moving operations to his hometown in 2022. He and his wife, Beatrice, owned a ranch in Waelder, where Ramirez would spend most of his free time, fishing, raising cattle and enjoying time with family and loved ones.

He ran for Waelder City Council in May 2022 and was elected to one of two spots on the council by receiving the most votes of the three candidates. His community service also included helping flood victims to safety during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and regularly attending the Waelder Livestock Show.