La Grange Commemorates Texas Heroes Day Saturday
Commemorations for Texas Heroes Day will take place at various venues throughout La Grange on Saturday, Sept. 17. Though rooted in reunions that took place on Monument Hill since 1848, Texas Heroes Day was officially established as a Texas Honor Day in 2012 by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Today, many organizations honor the past and present service of Texans in the military during Texas Heroes Day events hosted throughout the state. In La Grange, Monument Hill State Historic Site will host its annual Monument Hill Remembrance Ceremony at 10 a.m. This ceremony honors the Republic of Texas soldiers killed in the Dawson and Mier Expeditions who are entombed on Monument Hill. This year’s ceremony will feature special remarks from Stephen Cure, Oral and Military History programs Coordinator for the Texas Historical Commission, as well as the traditional wreath-laying ceremony and gun salute led by costumed reenactors. Presidents of the Monument Hill Chapters of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Sons of the Republic of Texas will also offer remarks. Seating for the ceremony may be limited. Personal lawn chairs are welcomed and encouraged. Admission fees are waived for ceremony attendees. The remembrance ceremony will be streamed on Facebook for those unable to attend in person.
McDowell Reunion Held at Oak Hill Ranch
Bob McDowell of Houston/Round Top hosted the McDowell family reunion at Oak Hill Ranch outside Round Top over Labor Day weekend. Over 70 folks attended, traveling from parts of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Connecticut. Nine-year-old Charlie Cochran sang the Star Bangled Banner before the Saturday night meal, and she sang God Bless America before Sunday’s dinner. Activities included feeding cows, swimming, basketball, baseball, pickleball, reptile catching (and release), creating a family tree art project and lots of fellowship.
Quilt Block Classes to be at International Quilt Festival
Margaret Akins, Pat Karisch and Rhoda Gersch have been invited for the second year to provide a Quilt Block paint class at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. They were notified this week that the class has been sold out with a long waiting list. The Festival will be held Nov. 3-6 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The Festival began in 1975 and was started by Quilts, Inc founder and CEO Kerry Bresenhan. Quilters and exhibitors from all over the world will participate in the exciting event.
Senior Connections Open Mondays & Wednesdays
The Senior Connections center in Schulenburg is open on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for gathering, for playing some competitive games like good old 42 and Moon, get on that Mexican Train and have some group fun, play some regular dominoes or just sit and chat. A warm, healthy meal will be provided. Outings are still being planned, although they were cancelled in August, but the next one will be to the Presidential Museum in College Station some time in October.
Chlumskys Celebrate Grandson’s Birthday
Kathy and Frank Chlumsky traveled into Austin over the weekend to celebrate the second birthday of their grandson, Marcus Williams. The original plan had been to have the party in the park, but Mother Nature decided to bless us with a down pour that flooded the creek and lots of heavy rain and lighting. They relocated the fun and festivities to Chuck E. Cheese’s for the party. The kids had a great time along with the adult party goers. So, the party was not a total wash.
RT Festival Institute Seeks Volunteers, Docents
Ever wonder who has David Guion’s cowboy hat, where to find the label on an original piece of Stickley furniture or who did all the wonderful woodwork at Festival Hill? The Round Top Festival Institute has an amazing story to tell. Applications are now being accepted for the Fall Volunteer and Docent Program beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4, on the historic Festival Hill campus in Round Top. Join an outstanding volunteer organization that benefits the work of the Festival Institute. Docents are trained to give guided tours of the Festival Hill campus, buildings and museum room collections throughout the year. Volunteers are also needed to assist in all concert performances; a wonderful way to support your community and hear state of the art classical music concerts. The primary function is to be a resource to the many local and international visitors by answering a myriad of questions and orienting them to the Festival Hill campus. Participation is required in a five-unit course that teaches the history of the Festival Institute and significant features of the magnificent Festival Concert Hall and campus buildings. This class is geared to be fun, friendly and a great way to meet new and interesting people in your community. Docent training classes are held every two weeks on Tuesday at 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Led by Library and Museum Collections Curator Lamar Lentz, classes will meet in the Service Building and throughout the campus to expose the volunteers to the many aspects of the Institute. For additional information on dates and application, contact Round Top Festival Institute, (979) 249-3129 or email stephaniev@ festivalhill.org.