Gerald F. McCown, 90, of Seadrift, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his family Thursday, December 15, 2011. He was born May 4, 1921, in Iowa Park to the late Benjamin Owen and Fannie Beasley McCown. He served in the Army Air Corp during WWII.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce McCown; daughters, Barbara Levine, Joyce Key, Lynda Hunter, Glynda Sexton, Darlene Cox, and Sheralyn Maddux; grandchildren, Megan, Jennifer, Derek, Kelley, Wendy, Floyd, Leslie, Sarah, and Levi; and great-grandchildren, Gabrielle, Benjamin, Mason, Kiley, Karley, Drew, Alexis, Dustin, Chance, Halie, Uriah, Elijah, Clyde, Riley, and Reagan.

He was preceded in death by parents; sisters, Dorris Mullins and Elgah Lee Hinson; and brothers, Glen Eugene, Hollis, Milton and Billy McCown.

Funeral service was held Monday, December 19, 2011, at First Assembly of God in Seadrift, Rev. Tim Smith and Dennis Wittnebert officiating. Interment followed at Seadrift Cemetery with military honors under the auspices of the Calhoun County Veterans Honor Guard.

Pallbearers were: Andy McRoberts, Cody Hobbs, Derek Sexton, Leslie King, Levi King, and Dennis Key. Honorary pallbearers: Ronnie Miller, Joe Hunter, Terry Maddux, Leroy Key, Michael Cox and Jerome Levine.

Eileen Joyce Miller McCown, 82, of Seadrift, passed away peacefully to be with our Lord on Friday, December 23, 2011, at her home. A longtime resident of Seadrift, she was born there on February 28, 1929, to William Hayes Miller and Ruby Lee Coward.

She was a long-time member of the Seadrift Assembly of God Church. She married Gerald Franklin McCown on November 2, 1946. They were wonderful parents and left us knowing that they loved us, and are waiting our reunion some day. We are glad you are together but we miss you terribly and love you with all our hearts.

She is survived by her children, Barbara Levine and husband Jerome, Joyce “Sissy” Key and husband Leroy, Lynda Hunter and husband Joe, Glynda Sexton, Darlene Cox and husband Mike, and Sheralyn Maddux and husband Terry; sister, Opaline Hargrove; brother, Ronald Miller and wife Cindy; 9 grandchildren; and twenty great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband and our Dad, Gerald F. McCown, who passed away Thursday, December 15, 2011; and Mom died a week later. She was tired and wanted to be with Dad, her mate for over 50 years. Mom was very smart and loved to read, play scrabble and worked a daily crossword puzzle. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother and had a kind spirit. Mom loved to sit with Dad at night and watch the Gaither videos. She loved her family more than life itself.

Funeral service was held December 27 at First Assembly of God Church in Seadrift, Rev. Tim Smith officiating. Burial followed at Seadrift Cemetery.

Pallbearers: Andrew McRoberts, Levi King, Derek Sexton, Cody Hobbs, James Hunter, John Hunter. Honorary pallbearers: Jerome Levine, Leroy Key, Joe Hunter, Michael Cox, Terry Maddux, Gable O’Briant, and Jackson “Buddy” Cross.

Wilber Odell, 96, of Seadrift, passed away on Sunday, December 25, 2011. He was born August 15, 1915, to the late Harvey Wright and Liliah Tennie Williams Odell.

He is survived by his daughters, Carolyn White and husband John of Bloomington, Sharon Pilzer and husband Clayton of Placedo, Patricia Owen and husband Roger of Olivia, Pam Jeter and husband Danny of Seadrift; son, Larry Odell of Seadrift; twenty-two grandchildren; sixty great-grandchildren; and fourteen great-great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Beulah Odell; daughter, Joye Lambright; son, David Odell; 2 sisters; 2 brothers; 1 granddaughter; 2 grandsons; and 2 great-granddaughters.

Funeral service was held December 29, 2011 at First Baptist Church of Seadrift with Rev. Gerry Wiley officiating. Burial followed at Seadrift Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Bobby Lambright, Joe White, Bob Thompson, Robert Thompson, Adam Amazon, Corey Volner. Honorary pallbearer: Jeremey White.

The Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College presents NUEVA ESPAÑA, an exhibition of Spanish Colonial artifacts that opens to the public on Friday, Jan. 20. Included in the exhibit is an outstanding private collection of artifacts on loan from James Woodrick, a private collector and past Victoria resident.

The Viceroyalty of Nueva España (New Spain) was established in 1521 following the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. At its greatest extent in 1795, New Spain included present-day Texas in its holdings as well as much of the United States west of the Mississippi River and the Floridas. The compelling story of Spain’s early attempts to establish a presence in the untamed, unforgivingly harsh, yet incredibly beautiful coastal plains of Texas are told through these new exhibits.

Viewers will see personal items from the Spanish explorers such as a copper chocolate pot, cookware, religious medallions and pendants, rings and jewelry, thimbles, ficas, horse tack, sword blades, iron tools and lead seals. Artifacts dating back to 1722 were excavated from the Victoria County locations of Mission Espiritu Santo and Presidio la Bahia.

The museum’s exhibit of the James Woodrick Collection of Spanish Colonial artifacts is the first public viewing of this important collection. Also featured are artifacts donated to MCB by private collectors and drawings by John Jarratt, a self-trained archeologist who, as early as 1930, laid the groundwork for several major Spanish colonial site studies in Victoria.

A number of Spanish Colonial artifacts have been replicated in sterling silver as medallions and pendants and are available for purchase in the museum’s store.

NUEVA ESPAÑA is offered at the Museum of the Coastal Bend in conjunction with the museum’s core exhibits of early Coastal Bend history and heritage.

The Museum of the Coastal Bend is located on the campus of Victoria College at the corner of East Red River and Ben Jordan.

www.museumofthecoastalbend.org

NEW AT THE LIBRARY: A way to go online and learn to become proficient in many computer programs that can be modified for you. Currently, the main library in Port Lavaca has classes for all residents online in the following software programs: Computer & Internet Basics, E-mail Basics, Social Media (Facebook, etc.), OpenOffice, and Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. All you have to do is to visit our Library, sign up at the desk and then go online. What a painless and non-stressful way to learn!

Just found two new books from two of my very favorite authors: John Grisham and David Baldacci. Grisham’s book, The Litigators is his latest and one of his best. Written almost with “tongue in cheek”, Grisham is continuing to write with a lighter touch, a talent he started with his book, Skipping Christmas. The plot details the life of a Senior Associate in a mega-sized law firm in Chicago, Illinois, who suddenly and finally tires of working 4,000 hours per year and billing his clients a total of 3,000 hours! (A very good billing year for an attorney in a city is about 2000 hours or less.) Our protagonist flaked one day and returned to the down elevator of his building; never to return.

Finding himself at loose ends, he spends the day in a neighborhood bar, making the acquaintance of both the owner and a 92 year old female patron, who arrives with her chauffeur, drinks 3 unbelievably sweet potions, and then leaves. David Zinc then wanders throughout an unknown area of Chicago, when he encounters the office of “street lawyers”, Finley & Figg, two attorneys who derive their income from ambulance chasing, no-fault divorce, and whatever pops up.

To continue with the plot, David finds himself involved with a “mass tort pharmaceutical” case that has some very strange plaintiffs alleging damage from a certain drug designed to treat high cholesterol but seems to cause heart damage instead. I found two themes in this plot by Grisham: the extortion and litigation of mass tort pharmaceutical cases and the abusive though well paid life of an associate attorney. This book makes for compelling reading as Grisham has returned once again to writing a seriously comprehensive book; unlike some of the “pot boilers”, though interesting, he was churning out following the success of his early work.

Baldacci’s Zero Day, his latest, is set in a small rural area of West Virginia, whose economy is based entirely on a coal mine as this is the coal mining area of our country. Additionally, the owner of the coal mine also owns almost every small business in this town; thereby rendering it into the established “company town” of previous years.

When the high ranking member of a governmental security and intelligence department in Washington D.C. (one with the many usual acronysms) and his family are suddenly and mysteriously murdered, a very unusual CID agent is sent to investigate. As scene after scene unfolds creating more mystery, John Puller finds himself asking more and more questions regarding previous Governmental involvement.

As usual, Baldacci draws a plot within a plot, but this latest effort has painted some very terrifying “What Ifs”. A frightening plot, beautifully written and impossible to put down until it’s finished.

We still have books for sale at the Library, thankfully, with donations from residents coming in regularly. Luckily for Shirley and me we have received a number of current books that cover a variety of subjects; even some for handcrafting special items. The monies received from these sales go to add to our DVD collection and to purchase additional books – many times those missing from a series. Do come and check them out! You won’t be disappointed.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down”
Karin Gillespie

To Our Winter Texans:

The Port O’Connor Library is located at 6th & Adams next door to the Fire Station. Our hours are:

Monday: 9 — 1; 2 — 6
Tuesday: 9 — 1; 2 — 6
Wednesday: 1 — 6
Thursday: 12 — 5
Friday: CLOSED
Saturday: 9 — 1;
Sunday: CLOSED

We welcome any visitor in this area to our Library during those hours; we currently have 3 computers available for use, and an outstanding selection of books. Just takes a current Library card!