Roy L. Cordes, Sr. (1921 - 2013)

Some of you may have heard that Roy Cordes, Sr. died last week.  He was a stalwart and well-respected citizen of Sugar Land, as you can see from the following selection of photos.  My best wishes go to Betty and Roy, Jr.

Sugar Land Councilman.

Sugar Land's Fourth Mayor (1972-1980).

Betty & Roy Cordes receiving an honor in the 1980s.

Betty & Roy Cordes receiving an honor in the 1980s.

Here is a link to an obituary.  I knew he grew up near Columbus, but I didn't know he lived in Ellinger.  I also knew he was a military pilot, but I didn't know he flew in the Berlin Air Lift.

  

Boling Bulldogs Gnaw On Dulles Vikings 50 Years Ago

Dulles High's football season took a bleak turn about this time 50 years ago.  The Viking's traveled to Boling and lost to the Bulldogs 14-3.  I recall going to the game, and it seems most of the Dulles faithful were a little stunned.

I've got two game reports.  The longest, which Leonard Scarcella wrote for The Mirror, summed it up pretty well.  Dulles dropped to 3rd in the district race with just one more game to go, and the Viking's opponent was the league-leading Sweeney Bulldogs.  Seemed like there were just too many bulldogs on the Viking schedule.

But, I have some non-football news to dispel the doom-and-gloom mood.

   

Our friends to the north were rocking along through their schedule.  I messed up last week and overlooked a report on the Commerce game.  It was an easy victory as you can see from the newspaper article.  The Lewisville game was an easier cake walk.  

The Vikings had a bye week before the Sweeney game, so there won't be much football news next week.  Since we're coming up on the big event on November 22nd, I'll begin posting items on that story.  Next week's post will include an article involving the Oswald family and Rockwall.

  

More People Of Old Sugar Land

Bruce Kelly, Imperial summer hire in 1970.

Bob Armstrong (Imperial President), I.H. Kempner, III, and I.H. Kempner, Sr. on Guenther Street behind the Imperial General Offices in the late 1960s.

I.H. Kempner, Sr. on Guenther Street behind the Imperial General Offices in the late 1960s.

Harris Kempner, I.H. Kempner, III, and W. R. Eldridge unveiling a state marker for the Imperial refinery in 1982.

Sugar Land Lions Club honoring charter members on the Club's 25th anniversary in 1956.  (Curtis Hall is second from left.  Mac Parker is second from right.)

Sugar Land Lions Club honoring charter members on the Club's 25th anniversary in 1956.  (Fred Baker giving an award to Don Williams.  Dr. Carlos Slaughter in the white suite.  Tom James on the far right.)

Sugar Land Lions Club honoring charter members on the Club's 25th anniversary in 1956.  (Beginning on the left: Don Williams, Dr. Leslie Wheeler, Jr., Dr. Carlos Slaughter, Vern Blair?, C. E. McFadden, ?, and Tom James in back.)

Lupe Rodriguez, Imperial employee & DHS '63, in the 1960s.

Rattle snake killed near Paige, Texas by (left to right) Aaron Martin (my thanks to Travis Gandy), Darwin Williams, Donald Hoke. 

  

Freddy Warmke (DHS '61) passed away recently.  Here is a link to an obituary.

  

More Images Of Old Sugar Land

Wheeler Dental Office on Oyster Creek Drive (now Bayview) after completion in the late 1960s.

Wheeler Dental Office on Oyster Creek Drive (now Bayview) after completion in the late 1960s.

Wheeler Dental Office on Oyster Creek Drive (now Bayview) after completion in the late 1960s.

Paving 2nd Street (at Wood St. intersection) with asphalt sometime in the 1960s.

Expansion of Sugar Land Telephone Company (now the Windstream building) in the late 1960s.

Old Wash Plant behind the Char House in the late 1960s.  It was the last remaining structure from the Cunningham Sugar Refinery.

Demolition of the Old Wash Plant behind the Char House in the late 1960s. It was the last remaining structure from the Cunningham Sugar Refinery.

 

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966. (Mrs. Iiams, Post Mistress, next to sign.)

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966. (Post Mistress, Mrs. Iiams, which Sugar Land dignitaries at ground-breaking ceremony.)

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Construction of Brooks St. Post Office (now vacant) in 1966.

Post Office at completion in 1966.

Post Office at completion in 1966.

Post Office at completion in 1966.

Congressman Jack Brooks, Mrs. Iiams, and Ted Harman cutting the ribbon on the front door.

Congressman Jack Brooks with Mrs. Iiams.  Bob Armstrong on the left and Ted Harman on the right.

Crowd attending the opening ceremonies.

Dignitaries at the opening ceremonies in 1966.

 

     

(All photos from the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation's Collection.)

    

Sugar Land Gators Crush Klein 41-18 in 1953

Sugar Land's juggernaut continued to roll 60 years ago as the Gators crushed Klein in a District 28-B played in Klein.  The following game report appeared in The Chronicle.

As the headline indicates, Hall's relentless attack on Dick Todd's scoring record was the center of attention.  I just want to point out one thing: Who is Benny Kachinski?  It's either Benny Rychlik or Mickey Kachinski, but I can't tell who should get credit for the 40-yard score.  I guess it doesn't matter 60 years later.

I've heard old Gator players tell this story, which is pretty funny to me.  They said their coaches kept their intake of soft drinks to a bare minimum during the season.  They thought soft drinks hurt their physical conditioning.  

I've heard Kenneth Hall say he'd crave a Coke during the week, but the only time the team was allowed to have one was at half time on Friday nights.  Otherwise, no Cokes!

Well, Marvin Olle (SLHS '51) was the student trainer/manager, and he said the whole town 'helped' maintain training room discipline.  He said if a player went down to the drug store and asked for a soft drink, they wouldn't serve him one.

  

Updates On Recent Postings

Here's the 1948 Sugar Land High School Prom Photo I posted a couple of weeks ago.  (My thanks go to Tom Woolley whose mother, Ellen Pausewang Woolley is in the front row.)

I got the following note from may aunt, Mayme Rachuig Hause (SLHS '48).

Can't imagine where I was. Tuggie Laperouse Krehmeier is the first on the left front row. Middle of front row is Betty Sue Douglas, Marilyn Berg Chaney, last one is Ellen Pausewang Woolley, and to her right is Dorothy Topalanek Humphries.  The teacher is Ida Landruth. The fourth girl in the dark gown front row is Frances Koon Tise, behind her is her husband, Charlie Tise.  The tall guy behind Charlie is Donald Brooks. Marjorie Hauerland is third from left. Most shown on front row were Junior class.

I can add a few myself.  The boy in the white suit on the front row is Alton Muehr. Jimmy Seay is just behind his right shoulder.  The boy on the far left wearing glasses is Harry McBride.  Behind him is Marjorie Wappler. The tallest boy in the back on the left is Taz Watson.  My mother is the girl next to him -- you can see just the left side of her face behind Jimmy Seay.  Two people I'd expect to see in the photo (but don't appear) are my aunt and Dorothy Moses Jenkins.  We're still not sure why.

I also received some info on the photo of DHS's Class of 1960 as 2nd graders in 1951. 

Pam Helmcamp Clark provided the following:

More recognized faces on 2nd grade picture: Standing on back row from left to right on end is Bonnie Draemer. Marilyn Milam is standing next to Julia Chernosky on the back row.  Jim Greenwald is sitting in front of Mrs. Pyrtle. I think on the front row next to Victor Elsberry is Chris Pilot?

And finally, Leon Anhaiser helped identify one of the men in the picture of the swimming pool at the City Park on 7th St.

He identified the third man from the left as Vic Novasad who was a Lions member and Postmaster in SL. (Update) Norm Prasatik has identified the man in the suit as Logene Foster.  Thanks, Norm.

My thanks to everyone for helping with photo identifications.