Ralph E. Miller, 77, a retired blacksmith from a forgings company, passed away peacefully in his home with his family by his side on Thursday, October 27, 2022 in Seadrift, Texas. He was born March 5, 1945 to parents Virgil C. Miller and Edith N. Whittle in El Reno, Oklahoma.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters: Arletta Rippetoe, Margaret Claudine Eastwood and Patricia Miller, and also the love his life and partner in adventure, Shirle Leggett, who were longtime members of the Texas Muzzleloaders Association together.

He is survived by his son, Gary Scott Miller, his daughter, Karen Michelle Brown, his sister, Melissa (Lisa) Wiley, and his granddaughter, Jennifer Miller and their families along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family and friends.

There will be an informal celebration of life memorial on December 3, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at his home at 31 Wittnebert Rd, Seadrift, TX, which will include food, drinks, laughter, stories, and toasts in his honor and we invite all who would like to attend.

Fall Mega Garage Sale: The Service Club’s “Fall Mega Garage Sale and Bake Sale” was held on November 5, 2022, and was a tremendous success! We would like to thank all the fabulous people of Port O’Connor who helped make it our best one ever – all who donated items for us to sell; all who showed up to shop and purchase our items; and all the members and volunteers who helped us before, during, and after the sale! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!! Your continued loyalty and support enables us to keep doing great things for the POC Community, and we couldn’t do everything we do without you!

Turkey Cook-Off: Come One, Come All on Saturday, November 19, 2022 12 Noon to 7:00 p.m., to Josie’s Mexican Food and Cantina for the “2022 Turkey Cook-Off”, with all proceeds going to the “Port O’ Connor Community Center Facelift Project”! The Service Club will join Josie’s, the “Turkey Cook-Off” Organizers, and other great POC Organizations for a Silent Auction, Raffle, and other fun events. Please come out and support this important and much needed project!

Senior Citizens Christmas Luncheon: Each year the Service Club hosts a Christmas Luncheon for all of POC’s wonderful Senior Citizens, and this year’s Luncheon will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at the POC Community Center. All Senior Citizens are invited and encouraged to join us for this huge Christmas Celebration. Help us ring in the Yuletide Season, and partake of a delicious meal of home cooked goodies prepared by the Service Club Ladies. Come help us celebrate with fun and festive Christmas caroling and merriment as we “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”! There will be prizes galore, lots of fun and laughter, and it’s all completely free! You don’t want to miss this wonderful Christmas Event!

Farmers Market: Please continue to support the Service Club’s Booth at the Farmers Market, held the second Saturday of every month, next one being Saturday, December 10, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We have a variety of homemade breads and sweets, plants, hand crafted items, and, of course, our “Service Club Cookbooks“!! There is something for everyone, so please stop by!!

Meetings: The Service Club’s next meeting is on December 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the POC Community Center. If you are interested in joining this fun, hardworking group, please feel free to contact one of the ladies listed below, or visit one of our meetings and check us out!! All Ladies are welcome!!

Spring Mega Garage Sale: The Service Club Ladies never rest, and are already planning our “Spring Mega Garage Sale”!! As always, we appreciate your generous donations of gently used household, decorative and kitchen items; small appliances (in good condition and working order}; clothing; shoes; toys; children’s and baby items.

For your convenience, our “Donation Drop Box” located at the front of our Donation Center, which is the building immediately behind the Community Center Pavilion. (Please note that we cannot accept computers, electronics, mattresses, or microwaves.)

To donate, please contact one of the Service Club Members below. Thank you for your donations and your support!!
Alane Haardt- 281-416-6028
Marie Hawes- 361-676-3093
Nan Burnett- 832-276-5948
Nancy Ladshaw- 830-832-0510

Seadrift Community Church is thriving! Pastor Mart Maxwell and his wife Mary Ann agree that in 2022 the church has seen substantial growth.

The church started with a group of people who wanted to see God move in the community as well as in their own lives. This all happened in 2018. Their first pastor was Pastor Jason Delgado who served the church for three years. Mart Maxwell, who was the Assistant Pastor, stepped up when the pastor’s position needed to be filled. That was over a year ago.

After meeting in various locations, the church was able to construct its own building last year. Now the church is looking forward to completing a portable building that will be used for children and youth activities.

Two programs that the church sponsors are STITCH (a boys and girls home) and the Billy Graham Association’s Samaritan’s Purse.

Mart and Mary Ann Maxwell have been in Seadrift now for nine years. Mart was ordained a minister in 2005 by the Cowboy Church Association. He and Mary Ann are originally from Sealy, Texas. Mart works for the Performance Food Group based out of Victoria. He manages a fleet of eighteen-wheelers that deliver to area businesses. Mary Ann supports her husband as a pastor’s wife and helps any way she can. Together they have a son and a daughter and eight grandchildren. Their hobbies are fishing and being involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Mary Ann says she loves “kids and animals” and is still very active in the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show in managing teams of facility service for the organization.

Mart has this to say about being a pastor, “It’s exciting to watch people’s spiritual lives change.” Mary Ann says, “I love the people. It will always be my second home.”

The Seadrift Community Church is located at 912 West Broadway in Seadrift.

Pastor Mart Maxwell and wife Mary Ann

Seadrift Community Church, 912 W. Booadway

Transforming Faith

Seadrift residents, David and Terry Nixon, each have discovered how faith can transform their lives! They are members of the Seadrift Community Church and were excited to share with me their own stories.

We’ll start with David who serves as an assistant to Pastor Mart Maxwell who leads the Seadrift Community Church along with his wife Mary Ann. David is an ordained minister and currently works at DOW as a safety technician.

David: “I ran from God although I believed in Him. God was calling, but I wasn’t listening. When I was twenty-two I was sitting out on my porch and felt God was speaking to me to be a preacher and I thought it was the craziest thing I ever heard. It was in 1990 when I finally got down to my last straw. I realized I was neither strong enough nor smart enough to continue with my life. I needed help and I reached out to God and prayed the Lord’s Prayer that I remembered from my youth. Two days later I went and talked to a pastor and the next day which was a Sunday I received salvation at the church service.”

David went back to church that night and tells how he felt an overwhelming sense of God’s presence that has been with him until today! His wife, Terry, had a similar experience.

Terry: “I’ve always known God, but my story begins when my aunt gave me a little white Bible when I was six years old. My Bible is the most important item in my home. I love praying for people, supporting my husband and my pastor, and putting together music videos for the church’s “Praise and Worship Night.”

Terry told how because she wanted more of God she had a similar experience like that of her husband David… the overwhelming sense of God’s presence in her life that has been with her until today! Ditto!!

Terry is retired from Sam Houston State University as an international advisor and an admission processing supervisor. She, also, retired from a children’s home where both she and David had worked. Terry worked as a tutor and college advisor and David worked as assistant director of maintenance and ranch operations and as the 4-H director. Terry and David, also, served as house parents at the home for a year.

Terry loves gardening and crafts. David takes pride in crafting together beautiful wooden crosses just like God takes pride in crafting together our bold and beautiful lives!