News & Updates

Unfortunately, I have several deaths to report. The first is Symbol Ordeneaux, mother of Roddy (DHS '63), Greg (DHS '68), and Paula (DHS '72). Click here to view an obituary. Roddy predeceased his mother, but my condolences go to Mr. Elmo Ordeneaux, Greg, Paula, and the extended Ordeneaux family.

I do not know the Kocich family, but someone alerted me to Martha's death a couple of months ago. As you'll see from her obituary, the whole family has close ties to Sugar Land. Click here to read an obituary. My prayers and best wishes to the Kocich family.

Gayle Alaminsky Maresh

I didn't learn of Gayle Alaminsky Maresh's (DHS '71) death until weeks after it happened. I hope the extended Alaminsky-Maresh family is coping well with this loss. Click here to read an obituary.

LaWanna Pamplin Hemphil (from the '71 Viking yearbook)

More recently, LaWanna Pamplin Hemphill (DHS '73) passed away. Some of you may know here from her connection to Lakeview Elementary. She worked in the school office for many years. Others will remember the Pamplin family as long-time residents of The Hill. Click here to read an obituary. My prayers go out to the Hemphill-Pamplin family.

Bill Gremillion

Last, my classmate, Bill Gremillion (DHS '68) passed away a few days ago. My prayers and best wishes go to his extended family. I know they will have a memorial services at River Pointe Church on Friday, March 31 at 1 o'clock at the River Pointe Church. The address is 5000 Ransom Road, Richmond, 77469. Click here for an obituary. My sincerest condolences to the Gremillion family.

I have some good news to report, too. Fort Bend ISD recently named a new school after James Patterson. He and I go back far enough that I'll always think of him as 'Coach Patterson.' Congratulations, Coach. Click here for a look at the school's Web site, which shows photos of the school now being constructed.

The Fort Bend County Historical Commission will dedicate a state marker commemorating the Randon-Pennington League on Wednesday, March 29th at 10:00 am near Fulshear. See the notice below for details.

I have one more news item relating to Fulshear. The second annual Fulshear Farm & Vineyard Faire will happen on the afternoon of Sunday, April 30th. Beneficiary of this year's event are the Friends of the Fort Bend County Historical Commission. Join us if you can; it's a good cause. Click the image below for more details.

Jamie Farrell Wood (DHS '66) plus a few other people helped me with ids in the following photograph. That's not Carl Batten, but John Dullahan on the far left. She said the photo was taken at a Christmas or New Year's Eve Party at her parents' home (Verna & J. T.) on Oyster Creek Drive. Thanks to everyone for the help. 

Here is the caption I put on the photo originally: Jamie Farrell Wood posted this on Facebook last year.  I recognize most people in this photo, so I'll take a stab at identifying them starting on the left: Carl Batten, Joy Bartolo, Al Bartolo, & Tuggie Krehmeier. I'm not sure about the next couple - are they the Louvieres? Then there's Gloria Hall, Linda Appelt and Barbara Batten on the right. Kneeling are Bill Krehmeier, Ken Hall, and Bill Appelt.  Not sure when or where this was taken.

Pam Helmcamp Clark (DHS '60) told me the painting below by Blondie Moses hung in the Helmcamp deer cabin for years. I mistakenly guessed it may have hung in her father's office. Thanks, Pam.

Last but not lease, I want everyone to know I submitted 150 reels of 16mm film, 39 reels of Super 8mm film, 34 VHS cassettes, and 2 Umatic cassettes to the Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) last week. They held a Round Up event here in Fort Bend County, which I've mentioned in the past. All of these films were donated to the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation (SLHF).

TAMI will digitize them free of charge as long as they receive a copy for their collection of Texan moving images. It is a very good deal, and I can't wait to see the hidden treasures on  those spools of film. TAMI will need several months to complete the process, but once they do, we'll begin looking at what we've got.

Thank you to all the people who donated film to the SLHF. I will contact you to see if you want digitized copies of the film you donated.