The Seadrift Train Depot Museum/Visitor Center is ready for donations!

If you have any Seadrift memorabilia you would like to be displayed at the Depot please contact Cindy Alford at 655-9690.
Any old artifacts, newspaper stories, or photos are welcome!
-Tanya DeForest

Victoria College will offer a Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-10 p.m. on July 7-Aug. 6.

The class will be held in Room 223 of the Industrial Training Center at VC’s Emerging Technology Complex.

Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills is mandatory for anyone wanting to register for an industrial trades job training class at Victoria College. The cost for the course is $285 and includes all course materials. Scholarships are available.

The Introductory Craft Skills course is common for all National Center for Construction and Research (NCCER) training and is required for NCCER Certification for all Level 1 courses such as electrical; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; millwright; pipefitting; plumbing; power line worker; scaffolding; and welding. No prior experience is necessary.

The course provides an introduction to basic safety, construction math, hand tools, power tools, blueprints, basic rigging, communication skills and basic employability skills. Following successful completion of the class, an NCCER certification and a certificate of completion will be awarded.

Victoria College’s Emerging Technology Complex is located at 7403 Lone Tree Road in Victoria.

For more information or to register, contact Victoria College’s Workforce & Continuing Education Department at (361) 582-2528 or email AskCE@VictoriaCollege.edu.

Reece Hundley, former resident of Port O’Connor passed away on June 11, 2020 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Linda, his partner in life and unwavering support. He was the proud father of six children and loved to take them fishing, skiing and camping at Garner State Park. His numerous grandchildren loved to spend time with their Nana and Daddy Reece. He was an amazing, husband, father and grandfather. He is now free to fish as much as he wants and we will miss him until we are joined with him again.

Margaret Inez Burnett, 93, of Fairfield, Texas and longstanding ties to Port O’Connor, passed away on Thursday, April 16 in Fairfield. Inez’ father, John T. Williams, served as pastor at First Baptist Church from February 1966 to December 1967. Her eldest son, Mike, had fond memories of spending time in Port O’Connor with his grandparents and he eventually purchased property here in 1995, moving to Port O’Connor full-time in 2003. Inez visited here several times every year and was an avid fisherman who usually caught the biggest fish on every trip! One of our favorite pictures is attached, showing her 45 lb., 42” Black Drum.

Inez was born August 11, 1926 in Waco, TX to parents John Taylor Williams, Sr. and Minnie Lea Grant. She graduated from Wichita Falls High School in 1943 and received her Bachelor’s degree in physical education from Hardin College in 1949, along with a teaching certificate in elementary education. She married James August Burnett, Jr. on June 18, 1949. She taught kindergarten and first grade for 13 years and then went to work at Bracewell Library in Houston for 8 years. She received her Master’s degree in Library Science in 1976 and in 1977 became the librarian at Fairfield High School. She retired in 2003 after 26 years of service.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James August Burnett, Jr; her sister Martha Jim Williams; her sisters and brothers-in-law Dorothy and Wayne Parton, Bettye and Don Stout, and her brother and sister-in-law John and Ernie Williams.

Left to cherish her memory are her two sons and two daughters: Mike Burnett and wife “Sam” of Port O’Connor, TX; Gail DiGeronimo of Knoxville, TN, Sue Hoke and husband Tom of Fairfield, TX, and Pat Burnett of Fairfield TX. She is also survived by grandchildren Christopher Stadler and wife Kristi; Angela Laham and husband Ailee; James Hoke, Molly Fleming and husband Jonathan, and great-grandchildren Jax and Jett Stadler, Maya and Michael Laham, Alice Hoke, Clayton and Wyatt Fleming.

She loved her family and was well-loved in return. Her love for the Lord showed in her service to Him, to her family, to her friends and to others. Outdoors was where she preferred to be. Now she is home and God is wrapping her in His love and telling her “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

John Michael Finster, 65, of Seadrift, went to be with the Lord, April 15th, 2020. Family and friends gathered for a Celebration of Life service on Saturday, May 16th at Grace Funeral Chapel, in Port Lavaca.

John was born August 9, 1954 in Port Lavaca, Texas to the late John Charles and Annie Elizabeth Block Finster. John married his love, Debra Henson, December 19th, 1980. They had been happily married for over 39 years; together they have three children.
John worked for over 33 years for King Fisher Marine in pipeline construction; for the past 10 years he has been an independent pipeline inspector. John was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He enjoyed spending time with his loving family. John enjoyed a good long motorcycle ride, weekend camping, and feeling a big fish pulling on his line by the water’s edge. John will be deeply missed. John is survived by his loving wife, Debra Finster; daughter, Michelle Marie McClane and her husband, Josh of Von Ormy; sons, James Patrick Finster and his wife, Stacey, and John Aaron Finster; brother, Kenneth Walker Finster and his wife, Dwana; grandchildren, Alexandra, Lillianna, Camden, Brennan, and Kadence; along with numerous other loving family members and friends.