1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
2. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
3. He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.
4. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.
5. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
6. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don’t.
7. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
8. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90% probability you’ll get it wrong.
9. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end-to-end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them.
10. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.
11. The things that come to those that wait, may be the things left by those, who got there first.
12. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.
13. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.
14. The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in the dark.
15. When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of twelve people, who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Mary Belle Melcher Meitzen of the Calhoun County Historical Commission spoke recently to the Port O’Connor Service Club on the Commission’s progress in completing the process of officially designating Port O’Connor Cemetery as a Historic Texas Cemetery. As head of the Commission’s Cemetery Committee, Mary Belle is the person in charge of preserving Calhoun County’s historical cemeteries. The Cemetery Committee has completed restoring, recording, and preserving six cemeteries.

Following are her remarks to the Service Club:
“In 2007, my committee first started working with your esteemed Bob Allen, recording the graves and putting them on the website “ Find A Grave.”   Since then, Bob has recorded the whole cemetery and located many missing graves.

The Texas Historical Commission has a way of recording and preserving cemeteries so they can not be destroyed by owners or builders. The Calhoun County Historical Commission is completing a Historic Texas Cemetery Designation on Port O’Connor to protect it from expansion because at this time, it is not deed recorded.

Through this recognition, the Historic Designation will protect the cemetery because the deed will be recorded at the Calhoun County Clerk’s office. If the property was sold, the Cemetery would have to be built around or moved  before expansion can occur. The designation would have been completed sooner if a deed could have been found.   The cemetery deed could not be located.

Bob Allen, Volunteer Recorder, Surveyor and Caretaker of the Port O’ Connor Cemetery demonstrates how he finds unmarked burial plots.

Melissa Sterling with Gulf Coast Title conducted an extensive search.  In 1909 W.C. Jackson laid out the plat which was sold to W.J. O’Connor. The plat does not show the cemetery.

In 1909, W.J. O’Connor transferred Port O’Connor Townsite to P.R. Austin.

In 1919 lots were selling. Everett bought all of the “out-lots” 1-12, 14-16. Nothing was recorded on Lot 13 as being sold. Between 1909 and 1919 Lot 13 was set aside for a cemetery because in 1913, Lola Mae McCarty was buried there. (She was visiting relatives.)

In 1920 Austin purchases the same property back under warranty deed and it went into his name individually as P.R. Austin. Lot 13 is omitted again in the sale.

In 1940’s P.R. Austin descendants sold to Sam Day. Lot 13 was left out.

Now all the information has been obtained to complete the Historic Texas Cemetery Application. The cemetery is over 50 years old. Supporting documentation required includes maps, annotated site plans, photographs, a written history, notification of surrounding property owners for comment and specific approvals from the Calhoun County Historical Commission and the Texas Historical Commission.
Once completed, the Affidavit of Dedication and map are filed with the County Clerk for recording in the County Deed Records. This affords the much needed protection to assure the continued existence for the Port O’Connor Cemetery.

Think of your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. If they are buried in Texas, you can complete a Historic Texas Cemetery Designation for their grave site and protect it from being bulldozed if the property is sold.

The complete process will take about two years. A medallion will be ordered to place under the subject marker. Look for a future announcement!

Calhoun County owes a great deal of appreciation to Bob Allen and his mowing crew and especially to the Women’s Service Club for their untiring efforts to raise money for the lovely outdoor chapel.
If you are interested in history, come join the Calhoun County Historical Commission.  We are sponsoring John Foester who will be speaking on his DeLeon family heritage on March 29 at 6:00 at the Calhoun County Library.

Thank you for allowing me to share my enthusiasm for the Port O’Connor Cemetery Historic Designation.”

See who is interred at Port O’Connor Cemetery and other cemeteries around the world at: www.findagrave.com

Contrary to any rumor you may have heard, Warrior’s Weekend V will be held in Port O’Connor on 20-22 May this year.  Warrior’s Weekend V promises to be bigger and better than ever.  What started out over four years ago as simply an outing for 50-100 or so of wounded heroes from Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio has grown to where we now bring in wounded heroes from all over our great nation.

Our goal this year is to bring in at least 300 wounded heroes, their caretakers and family members to POC and to show them a time they will not soon forget.  The Executive Board has been working on this event as well as others since WWIV ended last May.  Most of you may not be aware of the other projects Warrior’s Weekend is involved in.  We conduct a fish-fry for the wounded at BAMC each May as a way of introducing our event to the new patients and invite them and their immediate family to Warrior’s Weekend.  I believe we had 14 volunteers attend last year where Russell Hofer, Kelly Parks, Clyde and Connie Rowney and the crew fried up fresh catfish, hushpuppies and French fries for the troops and around 500 stuffed jalapeños were grilled and quickly disappeared.

As you can imagine, the folks at BAMC love to see us coming.  We’ll be there on May 5th this year to do it again.

Warrior’s Weekend has donated time and money to several worthwhile causes and organizations, which serve veterans.
Among these are:
–The Independence Fund, an organization which supplies 3-wheel bicycles for veteran amputees;
–The Fisher Houses which provide lodging for the families of the wounded as they are treated at BAMC;
–Donate supplies for the Warrior and Support Center at BAMC;
–The Returning Heroes Home Fund which, through private donations only, has built the very beautiful Warrior and Family Support Center at BAMC;
–The Texas Army National Guard in Victoria for an internet café so that those heroes can take their training courses online and their families can visit with them online when they are deployed;
–A Stretch golf cart and an additional ATV vehicle to the good folks at BAMC so that the warriors do not have to wait on other means of transportation to get to the hospital and to do the other errands they have to do;
–To the family of a local fallen soldier until their military benefits were realized;
–Toward the building of a home for a local double amputee, injured in the War on Terror;
–Held a Veterans luncheon in Victoria for vets of all eras and will again on Veterans Day this year;
–Sponsored the fund-raising golf tournament for local District 24 of the VFW;
–Hold our Heroes Cup at Baffin Bay where we take 25-30 wounded heroes for a fishing tournament there in September;
–Have engaged local schools to participate in the Warrior’s Weekend Field of Honor whereby patrons sponsor a flag in the name of the veteran they wish to honor—there will be close to 2000            flags in the field this year displayed in Victoria, all with the name of a veteran on them;
–Sponsored a veteran’s luncheon at UH Victoria for their Job Fair;
–Sponsored the rooms for the escorts of the Texas Fallen Heroes Wall coming to Victoria in April this year at the mall.

Our big event here in Port O’Connor is our main focus because we know how much good it does for the attending heroes.  I received just today an email from a Command Sergeant Major telling me how the heroes feel when they return from Port O’Connor and what a difference Warrior’s Weekend is making in their lives.  They will be sending heroes again as will eight other military installations this year.

We can now announce that our fishing tournament, Warrior’s Weekend Slam & Jam will be held this June 17th and 18th at the Port O’Connor Community Center.  This is a fishing tournament and concert to be headlined by a well-known national recording artist to be announced shortly.  Please look for the announcement and website to be up and running shortly.  This one you will not want to miss.

It is important to note that all funds raised by Warrior’s Weekend are used to enhance the lives of our heroes.  You may go to our website, www.warriorsweekend.org to learn more about us and to view our financial statement.  So please, discount the rumors out there and don’t hesitate to call any board member—all contact information is on the website—with any questions.  We appreciate the continuing and growing support of the good folks of Port O’Connor, Seadrift, Port Lavaca and the entire area.  Please mark your calendars for the 21st of May, especially, when 11-12 charter buses of heroes from all over the U.S. pull up to Froggie’s Bait Dock and embark on a day they will long remember.  As one of the heroes was about to board his flight home last year said to our police escort, “Nowhere but Texas, sir”.

Ron Kocian, President, Warrior’s Weekend

Anyone interest in viewing planets, the moon, nebulas and other galaxies can stop by 1308 W. Bay Ave. in Seadrift April 9th after dark and see these objects with their own eyes. An Astronomy Club Star Party is being held that evening with amateur astronomers from around South Texas getting together in Seadrift. There will be lots of telescopes from which the public can view, free of charge. Bring a child and spark an interest in science… weather permitting of course and clear skies. Call for information: 361-935-2016 or  361-648-0089.                             -Wesley Hunt

When:    Saturday, April 9, 2011

Time:        8:00 A.M.

Where:    Port O’Connor Community Center in the Covered Pavilion

Acceptable And Desirable Items:  Furniture, Books, Pictures, Clothes, Kitchen Items, Dishes, Fishing, Sports And Outdoor Gear, And Christmas Decorations

Call Biddie Hileman For Storage Of Items:    983-2241