Violent acts too many to count as crime continues to mount.
Justice ceases as crime continues to pay.
Officials rule in favor of the mob as police are sent away.
When law and order fail, Who or what can prevail?
The answer is always in the Power of the Cross.
Christ’s death was to bring hope – life instead of loss.
Listen to your heart today. Give God a chance for a better way!
“Will you be devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ?
Decide today!” Joshua 24:15

Marie Hemphill can tell you a story or two about her busy life and her travels around the world. During her 93 years she has had a variety of careers and lived in lots of interesting places. She was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Henry Johns, a retired steamboat captain, and Della Selman Johns. Her early years were spent in Shreveport, Louisiana where her father built and operated the largest fresh fish market on the Red River.

In the early 1930’s, her family moved to Galveston, Texas where they constructed Della’s Café, Fishing Resort & Weekend Apartments. That’s where Marie lived and worked to help her family until age 14.

In 1941, due to her mother’s health issues, Marie was sent back to Shreveport to live with her aunt and uncle, Bill and Leona Elston . With four sons, and having lost a daughter at birth, the Elston’s were very pleased to have their niece become a part of the family. Bill owned and managed the largest livestock meat market in downtown Shreveport.

In 1944 at the age of 17, Marie met the love of her life (for the next 63 years) Edwin Wayne (E.W.) Hemphill. E.W. was serving our nation during WWII in the South Pacific War with Japan as a naval air pilot stationed on the US Hancock Aircraft Carrier C-19. They married shortly after she turned 18 in 1945 and then moved to the U.S. Naval base in Oakland, California.
After E.W.’s discharge in late 1945, the couple decided to move back to Shreveport to be near their families.

Over the span of the next 63 years, E.W. and Marie very successfully built numerous business enterprises, both aviation and real estate related. These included crop dusting services, aircraft fix based operations, charter services, an aircraft dealership, and were general aircraft jet engine and aircraft maintenance contract operation for Great American Airlines in Reno, Nevada and Branniff Airlines at Brownsville, Texas International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Miami, Florida. They also owned and operated two different car rental agencies, and managed apartments and hotels in Miami Beach, and Natal, Brazil.

Since the family often traveled together in small private passenger type aircraft, E.W. wanted the family to become qualified to operated them for safety’s sake. Marie became licensed and certified to operate small single engine aircraft.
Since Marie’s husband was an aviator, she extensively and frequently traveled to many other nations on business and pleasure such as: Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Hong Kong, Mexico Belize, Brazil Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru.

Among Marie’s many other entrepreneurial business achievements was her being named in 1988 as a National Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. ; thus being awarded in 1989 a coveted Pink Cadillac Sedan Deville by her very good friend Mary Kay Ash.

Throughout Marie’s life she lived in many of our nation’s states such as: Arkansas , Louisiana , Texas, Mississippi , Florida , California ,and Nevada . Marie and E.W. spent their winter months ( December through March ) from 1994 to 2007 living in their pent house quarters; located atop their beautiful Posada Las Palmas – Beach Front Hotel in Natal, Brazil.
Marie and E.W. had two sons: John Wayne Hemphill, now a retired aircraft mechanic living in Miami and Punta Gorda, Florida, and Edwin L. Hemphill, of Walden Lake Conroe and Port O’Conno, who, with his wife Debbie operate Hemphill Insurance Agency.

After her husband’s passing in January of 2008, Marie decided to move in with her son Ed and his wife Debbie, a retired nurse, who are currently at their Port O’Connor home.

Marie enjoys playing games, particularly playing bingo at the weekly senior citizens’ lunch at the Community Center. She also enjoys water aerobics with her friends. And if you see a petite red head with a twinkle in her eye exercising at King Fisher Beach, say “hello” to Marie.

There’s good news for those who use the harbor and for all “city-proud” citizens! Seadrift Harbor is currently having debris removed from its waters. And it’s all because of a FEMA grant, help from Urban Engineers, and the staking and mapping done by Councilman Kenneth Reese and our previous Harbor Master Ricky Carter who retired in March 2020. T.F.R. Enterprises, Inc got the bid for the debris removal and plan on being finished by mid-August. Some other good news is that the City received an Economic Development Agency grant to finish bulk heading the harbor, renovate its shoreline, and dredge the channel connecting the harbor to the Navigation District’s channel and dig the harbor to original depths. This is projected to possibly begin late 2021.
-Tanya DeForest

We are extremely excited to announce that the Playground has become a reality!!! The Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce has been working very hard, and we have secured grant funding to reach our goal! A huge thank you to the Earl C, Sams Foundation; our committee chairs, Dawn Ragusin, Darla Parker and Mike Overton; alongside our Chamber board; and our Commissioner, Gary Reese for making this all possible. The playground structure is in production, and the estimated time of installation is late September to early October.

The committee has selected an ocean theme color selection of blues and grey for the structure. The playground area will be approximately 56’ x 37, designed for children ages 2-12. It will include two Trout Spring Riders, and two six-foot benches with two 12’x12’ cantilever shades over each. This playground will have an ADA full ramp system, a playground border and recreational surfacing for the safety of our children. Placement of the play area will be on the north side of the pier at King Fisher Beach Park.

We are very pleased to be able to give our community a place for our children to play!