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Considering the love of, and talent for, music, of the Wends, it’s not surprising that I was exposed to the sounds of various musical instruments as well as singing from a very early age. My earliest memories of family gatherings included that of pump organ, guitar, accordion, mandolin, ukelele, and piano. My mother played the

My thirty-year teaching career began as a first year teacher in Bellville High School in 1957.  I graduated from Sam Houston State Teachers College in May 1957, and began teaching in Bellville, Texas, in September, 1957. My teaching career ended at Wharton County Junior College when I retired from teaching in 1987. Having taught in

Kids in the 1940’s usually played children’s card games like Old Maid and Go Fish, and I suppose today’s children still do. My father and grandfather, however, loved to play the old German card game Skat so much that they taught my brother and me how to play as soon as we were old enough

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light: those who dwell in the land of deep darkness on them a light will shine.”  These words from Isaiah can be comprehended in several ways, but since we are standing here between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, we understand the light to be Jesus. 

Wharton was the first town I’ve lived in wherein there was street flooding.  East Bernard was the second.  I guess there weren’t enough streets in Dime Box to have a problem with street flooding.  Also, it rained far less in Lee County. It seems that in 1966 when I moved to Wharton, Fulton Street was

To prepare for today’s column, I asked my computer what was important about the month of March.  It answered, “The Vernal Equinox, the Full Worm Moon, and Daylight Savings Time.”  No doubt because Easter more often “arrives” in April, my computer did not mention “Easter” (which comes on March 31 this year). It also did

It is amazing that over five million people emigrated from Germany to the United States in the 1800’s, a huge percent to Texas.  Not all at once.  About 600,000 between 1815 and 1848, and between 1845 and 1860, over one million alone.  These are numbers given by Wikipedia and other online encyclopedias , and while

As a retired pastor, I am occasionally asked why I don’t write more columns that are good sermons or write more about the Church.  The secret to a good sermon is you don’t recognize it as a sermon. My column writing began over 30 years ago, and in that time period, I have no doubt

When someone suggested recently that I write more about my Wendish heritage, I laughed, knowing folks were tired of the stories aboit my Texas Wendish ancestors from Germany. “Besides,” I said, “I am only half Wendish, and it’s time to look at the other half of me.”And it’s especially arresting because the other half is

1966 was the year I moved to Wharton and began teaching at Wharton County Junior College, the college located a few blocks from my newly rented apartment. My first memories of the picturesque small city of Wharton were the Teepee Motel and magnolia trees in full bloom. I think all newcomers notice the teepees, but