The George Overton Stoner Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans invites you to attend The First Annual Decoration Day honoring the Fallen Soldiers of the War Between the States.

It will be held Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the Evergreen Cemetery in Victoria, Texas at 1:00 p.m. Evergreen Cemetery is located at the corner of East Red River and North Vine Street near Hwy 183.
The speakers will be Mr. Gary Dunham, Victoria Preservation Society and Mr. Michael Hurley with the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The event is free. It is open to all and all are welcome.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a non-political, historical, and geological society.

For further information contact Eric Chester at 361-219-1193 or stonercamp@yahoo.com

The Kindergarten students at Port O’ Connor Elementary have been studying plants in science. At least one or two days a week we walk to Tommy Smith’s garden. When we first went everything was short. Each week we visit the plants get taller and taller. The students gave Mr. Smith a little advice and told him he should get some earth worms to aerate his soil. The students love to go and it is something we look forward to each week. Thank you very much Mr. Smith for letting us visit!

“To God be the Glory – Great Things He has Done.” This beautiful weather makes you tell God “how much you appreciate living in Port O’Connor”. Fresh mowed lawns, children playing in the water, people launching their boats, cleaning fish, and the smell of steaks cooking from backyard cookers – What a wonderful place to live – Vacation every day!

People packed the church last Sunday, the first Sunday in April. In the absence of Brother Raymond Grant, I led the congregational music. Brother Raymond was attending a reunion at one of the churches he previously served. The congregation sang “To God Be the Glory”, “At Calvary”, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” and “Oh, How I Love Jesus”. Leah Griffin sang the special music, “Because He Lives” and it was beautifully done.

Brother Marcos Gohlke preached a very inspirational sermon, “No Cross – No Power” from Mark 8: 34 to 37. Yes, it was a very soul searching and inspirational Sunday morning worship service.

Candice Stryker is planning a Big Easter Egg Hunt for all the Port O’Connor children and their guests. The fun will start Saturday, April 23, at 2:00 p.m. The eggs will be “hidden”? in special places according to the ages of the children. Parents will assist their small children and everyone is guaranteed a fun filled “hunt”. There will be prizes for some “special” eggs and all will enjoy refreshments after the hunt.

Port Lavaca First Baptist Church is having an Easter Musical/Drama on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 14, 15, 16 at their church at 7:00 p.m. each night. There is no charge, but tickets are required and available at the church office. You may call 552-2931 to reserve your tickets.

Make your plans to attend the Port O’Connor Annual “Easter Sunrise Service” on Easter Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. on King Fisher Beach at the pavilion. Brother Marcos Gohlke, pastor of First Baptist, will deliver the Easter message and Brother Erny McDonough, pastor of Fisherman’s Chapel, will read the Scripture. Our choir will sing and there will be congregational songs led by Brother Raymond Grant. Cathy’s Restaurant will again have coffee and hot rolls for those attending the service. Be sure to bring a chair and a jacket.

See you in church Sunday!

What an awesome Lord we serve! He just keeps looking for opportunities to bring showers of blessings upon us and we like it! We concluded the month of March with a great All Church Fellowship, which featured an “indoor picnic”. It was a lot of fun and great fellowship. Brother Jessie and I teamed up to bring the devotional, he in Spanish and I in English.

Joane and the ladies returned from El Campo where Joane spoke at a Women’s Retreat. It was well attended and the ladies returned with reports of victories in their individual lives. We are searching for a date where we can host a similar event here in Port O’Connor. Be looking for the announcement!

On Saturday, April 2, Patrick Overton and I left Port O’Connor at 4:00 a.m. and went to Fort Worth for the funeral of one of his friends. It was a very sweet memorial service with a lot of people in attendance. She was a faithful servant of the Lord, and the celebration of her home going was a fitting tribute to a life lived for Jesus. While in the Metro-Plex, we went by the Dallas V.A. Hospital and I got to visit with my kid brother. He suffers from Parkinson’s, but was alert long enough for us to have some quality time together. Thank you for keeping him and his family in prayer.

Friday Night Youth is going strong, and we are appreciative of the extra workers that are coming to help. It is normal for 35 – 45 kids to show up on Friday night about 7:00 p.m., and most of them are hungry. We are never quite sure of the menu, but there is always a lot of food gone before the evening ends at 10:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.

We conducted a funeral for Shelly Holder on April 5. The Holders were from Seadrift, but Shelly was living in Rosenberg. Our hearts go out to this fine family who have had to bury two grandsons, and now a son, in the past two years. Please keep them in your prayers.

There is a new Bible Study that will be starting about the first Thursday of May in which the topic will be from the book titled, Search for Significance. It will be a bilingual teaching, featuring Joane McDonough and Angie Alderete. Books are being ordered; if interested, contact Joane as soon as possible at 983-4240.

Captain Robert is teaching a Sea Academy class at this time and will offer another class beginning April 29. Those interested in taking this class should come by the Chapel or call Captain Robert at 361/816-3010 or the Sea Academy at 361/758-6184.

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation whose goal is to reach this community for Jesus. We believe that there is only one way to God and that is through His Son. You will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel, and are urged to, “Come, grow with us!”

Sheldon K. Holder

Rosenberg – Sheldon Kristapher Holder, 51, passed over to his Heavenly Father on April 1, 2011, following a short illness. He was born September 28, 1959, in Port Lavaca. Sheldon enjoyed his Huck Finn childhood in Seadrift, where he and his friends enjoyed roaming the fields hunting, exploring the waters, and fishing the bays.

He was employed by Witco Chemicals in 1977. He currently held the position of bulk manager with the same company under a new name, Akzo Nobel Specialty Chemical Plant. His hobbies were golfing, traveling and sight seeing. Sheldon was of the Assembly of God faith.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Ann Holder; parents, Edwin and Lucy Holder; mother-in-law, Carolyn Kaluza; children, Bonnie Melissa Holt and husband Jason, Nicholas Ryan Holder; stepdaughter, Holly King and husband Ben; brothers, Sammy Curtis Holder and wife Sharon, Shannon Dale Holder; and sister, Vicki Melissa Caruso; and three grandchildren, Abbigail Melissa Haskins, Aiden Clyde Holt, and Tyler Alexander King.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 5, in the Chapel of Davis Greenlawn Funeral Home with the Rev. Erny McDonough officiating. Burial followed in Greenlawn Memorial Park.

Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.