Clint & Corky

Love Continues On And Grows

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope all of you are doing well and enjoyed your holiday Labor Day weekend. With school having now started, and the kids being involved in activities, this was may be the last summer family island outing for the islanders out here.

I enjoy the start of this time of year on the barrier island. Less people are coming out because of school and deer season about to get underway. And of course the cooler weather is so welcome after several months of a hot and humid south Texas summer. And maybe most importantly, the mosquitoes become less and less of a bothersome issue. And those little winged demons were really bad last week after getting six inches of rain in one day the previous week. But thanks to all the rain, my tanks for my house water are nice and full.

I love the Fall months here on the island. The first cool norther of the season blowing in is so refreshing, truly like a breath of fresh air. Feeling the crispness in the air as I sit outside on the porch enjoying my cups of hot black coffee. The island and the beach are my happy places, and the cool Fall weather just helps enhance that for me.

I normally don’t tackle a summer garden on the island, it is simply too hot and difficult to start my tomato seeds in the heat, without a cooler sunshine spot to start them. But I decided to try anyway, and the outcome was not good. The tiny fragile plants fizzled out, mainly because I forgot how hot it gets in the greenhouse in August. My bad. So for the first time in years, I just recently bought six tomato plants, Pink Brandywine variety, hoping to grow some delicious Fall tomatoes to share with friends.

On a sad note, I lost one of my cats, Anchor, to a coyote attack a few weeks ago. She was 2 1/2 years old, and I had bottle fed her and her sister, Jetty, when they were tiny kittens. Together since birth, Jetty misses her too, and seems to be much closer to me now. The island can be a harsh and unforgiving place, such is island life. Anchor is now buried next to Barnacle.

On a much happier note, I am now the proud dad to a new boxer puppy, Corky. On August 17 I made a 685 mile round trip to Saginaw, TX, and brought the little high energy boy back to the island. Corky loves the island and the beach, and he is great company for me. Barnacle would be proud to call him his little brother. There is a picture of Corky and me next to this article title. Please continue to follow us as Mr. Dog and I progress into the future.

** Here is a wonderful update from my article I wrote on October 8, 2010, titled “Message In A Bottle Tells Love Story”, about a message in a bottle I found washed up on the island beach. Eric Horton and Stacy McBeth were dating and on their first vacation together, a cruise across the Gulf of Mexico. Knowing that their love for each other was true, they prepared hand written love notes to each other, without them being read. They then sealed the love notes, along with a photo of themselves and a separate letter explaining their relationship, and a self addressed stamped envelope in a bottle and tossed it overboard.

Stacy and Eric were hoping the bottle would be found and the love notes mailed to them so that they could now be read by each other. On September 24, 2010, I found the bottle and messages washed up on my island beach, and later mailed the contents to them, along with my own letter of explanation, and the three of us became Facebook friends.

I’m very happy to report that Eric and Stacy are now happily married, their wedding date having been on September 25, 2015, the six year anniversary of their first date. And on their wedding day, is when for the first time, they opened and read their love notes to each other from the bottle. They are also expecting their first child, a boy, on January 1, 2017. This is such a happy and wonderful story, and I am proud to have been a part of it. –

That’s it from the island for now. I want to thank all of my faithful readers for following me and my island life all of these years. I am truly blessed. Have a great day!

Happy 70th Anniversary!
Howard & Evelyn Lewis
Wed September 22, 1946

Reprinted from Dolphin Talk, February, 2010

“For Evelyn: When I saw you for the first time, you were coming toward me wearing a white blouse and red slacks. You were a beautiful vision that walked across my eyes and straight into my heart… The doctors say I have had only a half a heart since birth, but whatever part of a heart I have still beating in my chest, it all belongs to you. All my love, all my life, Howard”

These were the sentiments expressed by Howard Lewis to his wife Evelyn on the occasion of their 63rd wedding anniversary last September 18th. Howard first saw Evelyn when he was 13 years old and she was eleven. It was summertime and Evelyn, who lived in Weslaco, was visiting her grandparents, Dierilla and Capt. Edwards. She was on her way to the shrimp house to see her friend Hootie Clark.

By the time summer was over, Evelyn and Howard had become good friends – maybe even “sweethearts” at that young age. While she was back in Weslaco, she and Howard corresponded by mail regularly. Once the school year ended, Evelyn was back in Port O’Connor, working at her grandparents’ store and spending her free time with Howard.

In 1943, Howard joined the Navy, serving on one of two experimental ships as a diesel mechanic. While he was away, he and Evelyn wrote letters to each other almost daily. In 1946, he completed his service and was flown to Charleston, South Carolina. His primary goal after setting foot on U.S. soil was to get home in time for Evelyn’s high school graduation ceremony. It couldn’t be done by waiting for a flight, so he decided to hitchhike. He still gets choked up telling how he tried so hard to be there for Evelyn but only made it as far as Victoria.

But once he made it home, it wasn’t long before the two were married. The ceremony took place at Momma and Poppa Lewis’ house. Howard had lived in Port O’Connor all his life, having been born in the old O’Connor ranch house. He decided it was time to relocate, and in 1947, he and Evelyn moved to Aransas Pass. Their son, Velvet DeWayne, was born in 1948, and son Vonnie in 1951. That winter they moved back to Port O’Connor. That was the year of the big freeze, with the canal and Boggie frozen over, killing all the fish. Howard remembers that for two years afterward there was no commercial fishing.

In 1956, daughter Judy was born in her grandparents’ house on Lewis Street with all the family and Justice of the Peace Louise Sharp (whom they called “Aunt Weezie”) present.

In those years, the couple operated bait stands and commercially fished and shrimped. Howard was also a fishing and hunting guide. He also built boats: 36 to 48 foot shrimp boats, 27 net skiffs, and eight air boats (from scratch). Whatever project he undertook, Evelyn was there, working right beside him.

Howard and Evelyn have always exchanged cards and gifts on all special occasions, but ten years ago Howard started making a really big effort to demonstrate his devotion on Valentine’s Day. The first year he painted a huge heart on the lawn with a red rose on each side of it. Inside the heart was the inscription “HL loves EL”. The next year when she came home from shopping, Evelyn was greeted by 365 hearts hanging in the living room. Each heart said, “I love you,” and the final one said, “In case I forgot to tell you – I love you”.

If you look closely, you can still see the faded sign painted several years ago on the side of Howard’s shop: a heart labeled “HL” and a heart labeled “EL” with “She’s Mine” written in between. Twice he has erected “Burma Shave” type signs down Lewis Street, with a large sign at the end of the street saying, “Be My Valentine”. And last year, Howard took out a full page ad in Dolphin Talk declaring his love. He also had an essay printed in the Victoria Advocate. The ending lines, almost every wife would love to hear: “We have known heartache, sorrow, but never despair. Our love has remained constant throughout the years. We have been each other’s only Valentine. I write this as a tribute to my wife, the love of my life.”

Herb and Adell Reeves, 55th Wedding Anniverdary

Port O’Connor and Katy residents, Herb and Adell Reeves, celebrated 55 years of marriage on August 26, 2016 . They were married in Calvary Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Herb is a semi retired minister. Adell is retired from Katy ISD! God has blessed their union with two sons Stephen (wife Stacy), and Scott (wife Heather), and 5 grandchildren John (wife Denise), Sarah, Ella, & Tessa!

They have loved the Port O’Connor community for over 47 years since they started coming here with Herb’s parents, the late Preston and Hazel Reeves of San Antonio, Texas.

Herb & Adell and their family love being a part of our community, they refer to it “as the Hawaii of the Texas coast”! They love the wonderful citizens of Port O’Connor, such a loving, caring community, and feel so blessed to be a small part of it!

Russell Cain

At the morning Mass September 6, Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic School in Port Lavaca was honored to receive a memento of Mother Teresa, recently declared “Saint Teresa” by Pope Francis. The presentation of a framed authenticated letter and photograph was presented to Father Tommy Chen and School Principal Thersa Dent by local realtor, Russell Cain. Russell had purchased the document from an antique dealer in New York.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta
1910-1997

In 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women, dedicated to helping the poor. In time, it grew to help orphans, the dying, those suffering from leprosy and AIDS and others in need. It began with only 12 members in Calcutta, India and now consists of over 4,500 sisters and is currently active in 133 countries.

Mother Teresa’s work touched the consciences of many and encouraged even the most cynical hearts. Not only Roman Catholics, but people of all religions and denominations considered her selflessness praiseworthy and her spiritual gifts beyond belief. Mother Teresa said, “It is not the magnitude of our actions, but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.” She herself personified love – love for all “the unwanted, the unloved and the uncared for.”

Mother Teresa’s world-wide popularity and the accolades and recognition she received from the most prominent did not influence her personality or her behavior. Her lifestyle remained modest and she remained ready to joyously serve rather than to be served.

Despite the fame and awards, Mother Teresa humbly summed up her life using these words, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

St. Patrick Church in Seadrift, TX will be holding its Annual Fall Fundraiser starting Friday, October 14th through Saturday, October 15th from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. with a Rummage Sale in the new hall.

The following weekend on Sunday, October 23th at 11:00 a.m. they will be serving Carne Guisada, Rice, Pinto Beans & Tortillas for $9 a plate. Raffle tickets with lots of nice prizes, bake sale, egg rolls and rice will be sold.