Dear Editor,

This is an interesting thing that happened to me because of the Covid-19 scare:

I went to WalMart in Port Lavaca to get a prescription refilled – Well! My car broke down in the fire lane. I was told I could not park in the fire lane. I told the person my problem. I then went in the WalMart store and a young woman working in the store helped me out by calling my insurance company for a towing truck. No truck was available but they would call another towing truck for me. But! I would have to pay for it myself. Well! To make a long story shorter, their cab was too small for me to ride up front with the driver and his helper. And we have to stay 6 ft. apart. So! At 91 years old, I rode in my car on top of the towing truck all the way home to Seadrift. Wow! What a ride! It was like riding on a roller coaster way up high. A first time ride at my age.

Believe it or not!

Dorothy Geraldine Wilson

Letter to the Editor:

Thank you Dr. Leigh Ann Falcon, Director of Memorial Medical Center and Port Lavaca Clinic, for representing rural medical care so effectively in your interview with CBS News 60 Minutes on Sunday night. Your succinct and pointed description of the desperate need of federal and state support for these rural facilities, that provide services to the 19% uninsured citizens in the state, was appreciated by everyone. For Memorial Medical Center in Port Lavaca, that means $3,000,000 of medical care that goes unpaid each year. Our grateful hearts go out to each health care professional and support staff. We humbly thank you for all that you do.

Russell Cain
Port Lavaca

This quarantine has certainly been inconvenient for our church, as I know it has been inconvenient for everyone in our community. We have had to change the way that we do so many things that we usually take for granted. More than that, we are getting a pretty strong indication that though humanity may use technology a lot, and though we may lean too heavily on digital relationships and digital socialization at times, it would seem that virtual society is not the way of the future. It would seem that the general lack of satisfaction many people are expressing over being cut off from human interaction and analogue socialization, is a pretty good indication that we are still a long way off from becoming a fully alienated culture, only interacting from a distance and through a screen. I personally find this encouraging. If this were a test, I would say that humanity is passing the test, as people reveal that they still rely on physical interactions, and face to face relationships.

Our church has had to rely on digital spaces to worship for the last month and a half, and we will unfortunately continue to rely on those digital spaces through at least the middle of May. But our church has been blessed with opportunities to serve in tangible ways. We have continued and even increased our monthly food distribution through Feed My Sheep, which happens the 3rd Tuesday each month between 2-4pm. We have had to change the manner of distribution, as we are currently doing a drive thru rather than a walk thru, to minimize exposure to volunteers as well as those receiving food, but we are able to serve. We have also begun extending distribution a couple times a month to help our school lunch program while students are not in class. We have also had a couple instances where a local business in town (First Cast Lodge owned by Jerry Pizzitola) made BBQ chicken plates and asked us to help distribute meal plates to families with kids in town, and another instance of a local family (Russel and Charyn Guess) that asked us for help delivering BBQ plates to home bound families.

Things have been different for sure, but God is good, all the time! And it has been our pleasure to be a small part of the grace that God is extending into our community in the name of Jesus. The biggest bummer of this whole thing for me personally, is the delay of the BYOBible to the Bayfront service that the local Seadrift churches have been preparing. We were supposed to have our first service March 28th at 5pm at the Seadrift Bayfront.

The service will have music from different church traditions, a short presentation of the gospel by one of the local pastors and a great meal prepared by the different churches each month, so that our town can fellowship and feast in the name of Jesus. We look forward to getting out of our churches, into the community, and taking time as the full body of Christ to celebrate and worship, and our hope is that this can be a blessing to folks outside our churches that are maybe looking for a more neutral atmosphere to give praise to God.
Our next scheduled time to host this service was supposed to be May 23rd, but we are thinking about moving it back to June 6th at 5pm on the Bayfront. As with all things impacted by COVID-19, official decisions on any plans are in flux.

So please be aware that the Seadrift First United Methodist Church website (fumcseadrift.com) and Facebook are places that you can get information on this service as we continue to get closer to the end of May.

Pastor Cody Logan
Seadrift First United
Methodist Church

It is with great sadness that the family of Marcus “Grumpy” Smith announces his passing on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at the age of 86 years.

He was born September 12, 1933 in Kingsville, Texas, son of the late Charlie C. and Geneva A. (Rudisill) Smith and stepmother Thelma “Tommy” Smith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 64 years, Rose M (Calvert) Smith, sister, Edna Ann Smith, grandson, Orrin Tyrell Walker and his beloved Labrador Sassy.

Marcus will be lovingly remembered by his sister Betty J. Smith Cornelius, his children, Marcus Smith II, Mary (Kelley) McCorkle, Gary Smith and Ann Walker. Marcus will also be fondly remembered by his eight grandchildren, Beau (Brittany) Smith, Steffanie Thompson, Toby (Tisha) Marek, Preston (Chelsey) Smith, Charles Smith, Bryan Smith, Tell (Sarah) Walker and Misty (Bubba) Bryant and thirteen great-grandchildren, Beau, Cason, Annabelle, Blake, Kennedy, Reagan, Brooklyn, Addison, Emerson, Call, Logan, Jace and Juliet.

Marcus loved his dog Susie, hunting, fishing, telling jokes, making people laugh and spending his afternoons having coffee with friends at Cathy’s Diner. Most of all, he loved being a Shrine clown and portraying himself as “Grumpy” the clown. He enjoyed visiting children who were patients in the orthopedic and burn units at Shrine hospitals in Houston and Galveston; he loved to make them laugh and smile. He also took pride in competing as “Grumpy” at several International Shrine Clown Association competitions, and performing at the Shrine Circus every year. He loved his family and was a great example and role model of a hardworking, caring man with a big heart who was honest and sincere.

Marcus worked as an Instrument Operator at Hoeschst Celanese Corporation for over 30 years. He retired from Celanese, moved to Port O’Connor with his wife in 1992 and became a fishing guide, among many other endeavors. He remained working installing lifts around his surrounding area until his passing. He served his country in the U.S. Air Force as an Airman, Second Class and received a medical Honorable discharge June of 1955.

He was a member of the International Shrine Clown Association as well as, a member of the Texas Shrine Clown Association since 1977. However, he and other Shrine clowns formed a unit in Bay City, Texas called the Town Clown which dissolved years later and he then joined the unit at El Mina Temple in Galveston. Although, Marcus was a lifelong member of the Clown Jewels, a clown unit with the Arabia Shrine Temple in Houston. In regards to being a clown, he once told a reporter “I will give it up when the good man calls him home.” and that’s just what he did.

Marcus was a Scottish Rite Freemason of the Grand Lodge of Texas. He began his brotherhood at the Mission Masonic Lodge No.1061 (1960-1968); initiated February 11,1960, passed his fellow craft May 12, 1960 and raised to Master Mason June 9, 1960 and became Junior Steward June 25, 1961. On October 14, 1968 he joined the Bay City Masonic Lodge #865 AF & AM and became Junior Warden June 24, 1988, Senior Warden June 24,1989 and Worshipful Master June 24, 1990. Although his home Lodge was Bay City, he began a Plural Membership on July 13, 1996 when he joined the Lavaca No .36 Lodge. Here he received his 50 Years Service Award on June 25, 2010, became Junior Steward June 24, 2016 and would have received his 60-year pin this year.

A Memorial Service in memory of Marcus Smith will be held at a later date and announced in the paper.

A Tribute to Lisa Smith, a Port O’Connor Woman…….

Last Wednesday, March 25, 2020 we had to say farewell to another amazing Port O’Connor woman……..

Lisa Leigh Smith was born January 12, 1962 in Big Spring Texas, and she grew up in San Antonio and Cotulla, Texas. She later married Russell Smith and they had two children, Dakota Smith who is a deputy with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department and Cheyenne Smith, who is employed in Cuero, Texas. Lisa died suddenly but peacefully after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke in her home.

In 1994, three months before Dakota was born, Lisa’s husband Russell had a tragic accident in the oil field. He was severely injured and totally incapacitated for an entire year. As young mother to be, Lisa then pregnant and later giving birth, dedicated her life to taking care of her husband’s needs. She was his guardian angel 24/7 for that entire year. She went way above and beyond the call of duty making sure Russell’s needs were met, while taking care of a newborn.

The Smith family moved to Port O’Connor in late 1998. They loved the small town atmosphere and the POC residents were welcoming and friendly. While her children were attending Port O’Connor Elementary School, Lisa was very much involved in school activities. She was a member of the Port O’Connor Elementary PTA, which later became the Port O’Connor Elementary PTO. Whenever a need came up, Lisa was there to help out. She was an excellent “room-mother” and loved surprising all the kiddos. Lisa was extremely crafty and an excellent seamstress. Her results were fine garments you would find in a designer warehouse. She loved sewing and making clothes for her children and later, her grandchildren. The Halloween costumes she made for Dakota and Cheyenne won first prize many years. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy and she loved them with all her heart. Lisa was a true example of a Port O’Connor Woman! She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it and never ask any questions. Everyone who knew her said she was one of the sweetest and kindest women they had ever known. She was one of those women that if you had a problem, you could go to her and you knew the conversation would never be repeated. One of the first things she would always ask was “Are you Okay?”

In later years, Lisa worked for CL Thomas at Speedy Stop 84 in Port O’Connor. She loved her job and was definitely a people person. Many customers would stand in line just so she would be their cashier. She was not afraid of hard work. She loved cleaning and taking care of homes. She worked as a housekeeper for a while and did an extraordinary job. Her employers would always give her excellent references.

One of the many things I remember about Lisa Smith was her beautiful smile. Just like so many of us, she had her burdens to bear, but you could never tell it by that gorgeous smile. Regardless of what may be going on in her personal life, she always had that brilliant smile on her face.

My deepest condolences to the Smith family. Prayers for peace and comfort at this sad time and in the days ahead. May your sweet memories of Lisa somehow bring you comfort and peace.

We will miss you, Lisa. Fly high beautiful lady, until we meet again on the other side!

Nancy Taylor Pomykal