Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Texas
24 July 1896
Confederate Veterans.
Reunion at Rockdale.
Selecting a Burying Ground.
Rockdale, Milam Co., Tex., July 22.-- Second day's programme Camp Ben McCulloch No. 29, United Confederate Veterans opening this morning.
The camp was called to order at the stand at 10:30 a.m. Music by the choir. Colonel W.B. Woody, who attended the reunion at Richmand as a delegate from this camp, was called upon for his report. His report was received and adopted. The camp then went into the annual election of officers, which resulted as follows:
Adjourned for dinner.
At 2 p.m. the camp assembled again for business. It was proposed that the camp buy two acres of ground on the opposite side of the river, adjoining the plot on which the camp is situated, which belongs to the city of Rockdale, and build a pavilion and make it a permanent meeting place for the camp. In furtherance of this plan the camp elected Captain J.W. Perry, Messrs. D.S. Harriss, J.H. Sparkman and W.M. Gill as trustees to consummate the purchase and receive the deed to the property.
Major J.B. Moore and Captain J.B. Wolf were appointed to receive the deed from the cemetery association at Cameron to a plot of ground donated to the camp by the ladies of Cameron for a burying ground for indigent ex-confederate soldiers.
Captain J.J. Irwin, R.C. Turnham, D.S. Harriss, H.E. Joiner, Captain L.L. Lee, M.M. Caldwell, Captain G.W. Adams and B.V. Arnold were appointed as a finance committee to solicit funds to be used for the different interests of the camp, especially for the burial of indigent ex-confederate soldiers, it being one of the principles of this camp that an ex-confederate shall never be buried as a pauper.
The business interest of the camp was then adjourned, to meet on the same grounds on July 21, 1897.
Dallas Morning News. Mr. Henry Hairston, a citizen of Milam county was killed two miles north of Chriesman at 1:00 o'clock Sunday afternoon by a southbound freight train. The engineer reported he saw him lying beside the track and blew the whistle to awaken him, and just as the engine neared him he seemed to awaken and raised his head causing it to be struck by the front of the engine, killing him instantly. His brother, County Commissioner of Rockdale, was notified of the accident and arrived here about 4 p.m. and had the body removed to Caldwell to be prepared for burial by an undertaker, before being taken to Milam county, his former home, for burial. The Caldwell News and The Burleson County Ledger, June 8, 1928
Rockdale, Tex., Jan. 10. -- T.J. Caldwell, president of the Milam County Farmers Alliance, died yesterday evening at his home. The deceased was highly respected by all who knew him. He was quite active in the Farmers' Alliance movement, but was no agitator of sectional feeling. Fort Worth Daily Gazette, January 12, 1888
Dallas Morning News. Rockdale, Texas, Oct. 24. -- On Wednesday of this week the little 5-year-old daughter of Mr. George Haslip, living in the north suburb of town, while playing with another child with matches, in some manner ignited her clothing and was so badly burned that she died Thursday afternoon. Her mother, in endeavoring to extinguish the flames, had her hands badly burned. Mr. Haslip is the salesman in the grocery store of S.J. Taylor, and formerly lived in Lee county. Shiner Gazette, October 28, 1903
Little Inez Heslep, who was burned to death last week at Rockdale, was brought to Caldwell last Friday morning for interment, the funeral occurring from the residence of W.I. Heslep, at 9:30 o'clock, interment at the Masonic cemetery. Many friends tendered sympathy to the bereaved family in their sad affliction. Caldwell News-Chronicle, October 30, 1903
Rockdale, Texas, Oct. 15. -- Miss Lottie Banzhaf died at the Van Ormi Sanitarium [Bexar County]. Her father is George Banzhaf, Milam County farm agent. Miss Banzhaf's body was brought to Rockdale and the funeral services were held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hood Caldwell, four miles north of Rockdale. Burial was made in the neighborhood cemetery. Miss Banzhaf has for several years been one of the Rockdale High School teachers. Dallas Morning News, October 16, 1925
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shown round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Luke 2:9-12
Once upon a time . . . back in the 20th century . . . the words printed above were read by a school-age narrator during the annual Christmas pageant in Rockdale . . . this was a pageant traditionally held in the auditorium at Rockdale High School . . . the following news clipping is regarding the 1965 Christmas pageant . . .
The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, Rockdale, Milam County, Texas, Thursday, December 16, 1965, page one
The Christmas Story will be told at 7:30 p.m. Friday by more than 200 junior-high school students when they stage their Christmas pageant in the high school auditorium. A highlight of the Christmas season in Rockdale in past years, the pageant will this year involve 211 students, according to Ernie Laurence, junior-high principal. The pageant will tell the story of the birth of Christ. Beverly Yoakum and Joe Caldwell will portray Mary and Joseph, and Jane Johnston and Jim Crow will be the narrators.
Friday's program will begin with a greeting from Laurence, followed by Brenda Yoakum, prologue; Billy Harris, invocation; and Peter Erskine, scripture reading.
A musical selection will be presented by a vocal quartet consisting of Susan Abel, Shirley Cleveland, Vivian Burgess and Tresha Morton. A 127-member choir will also furnish Christmas music for the pageant and Deborah Hosek will be the pianist.
Others in the cast: Bill Hulse as Gabriel; Bobby Chaney, Jim Eanes and Jerry Haupt as the three wise men; Byron Christian, Jeffery Clark, Alfred Gest, Lee McMurtry, Richard Melcher, John Montoya, Billy Muston, Darrell White, Clayton Young and Carl Cleveland as the shepherds.
Also Sheryl Culp, Marcia Currey, Pam Holloway, Thana Keen, Rosemary Kyle, Libby Whitely, Judy Johnson, Dana Richardson, Becky Robbins, Vicki Vincent, Ava Wardlaw and Marilyn Worley as the angels.
Candlebearers will be Minta Auchmoody, Brenda Boyd, Mary Camp, Dora Cortinez, Wanda Crocker, Linda Cruz, Sally Curtis, Judy Dyer, Sherra Floyd, Teresa Fritz, Nancy Isaacs, Kathy Jeter, Teresa Jones, Olivia Matl, Patricia McGowan, Donna Morgan, Bridget Mortimer, Patti O'Connor, Vickie Pounders, Patricia Pinkerton, Susan Pursche, Roberta Richards, Denise Thompson and Diane Timmerman.
The Rev. Frank Cady, pastor of St. John's Methodist Church and president of the Rockdale Ministerial Alliance, will give the benediction.
Choir members will be --
Becky Alford, Debbi Alford, Donna Angell, Mary Lou Armstrong, Paul Auchmoody
Janie Backhaus, Allan Ball, Tamara Baxter, Landis Bayless, Sheila Bell, David Bennett, James Birkhead, Judy Black, Thomas Blackburn, Denise Botts, Ann Bouldin, Patti Bouldin, Bert Brown
Vickie Caffey, Debbie Cates, Debra Chaney, Roger Clark, Cherry Collier, Bill Cotton, Gloria Cruz, Debra Currey
Gloria Darby, Beverly Dornhoefer, Lavita Doss, Donna Dyer
Kenny Earman, Phyllis Eiland
Doris Fatheree, Lynda Freeman, Mike Fuller
Cathy Garza, Belinda Gest, Randy Graves, Mike Green, Bennye Grubbs, Susan Guillotte, Steve Gunn
Patricia Haining, Rola Haining, Henry Hall, Arlyn Hammett, Beverly Hirt, John Hogan, Mary Ann Holliman, Robin Hoskins
Larry Ingram
Rosemary Jackson, Patricia Jackson, Allan Jones, Daniel Jones, Rickey Jones, Ruben Juarez, Pamela Jumper
Betty Key, Donald Knott, Donna Kopecky, Virginia Kraatz, Joyce Krenek
Daniel Laird, Donna Lawson, Sharon Lawson, Charlotte Lester, Sue Lumpkins
Johnny Manning, Virginia Mantel, Billy Martin, Cathy Martin, Joey Mason, Donna Mathews, Delores McIrvin, Jimette McNiel, Charlene Melcher, Darlene Melcher, Nannette Menn, Donna Meyers, Susan Morgan, Linda Morton, Bonnie Muston, Carol Mowdy
Elaine Nink, Margaret Nolan
Janie Ortega, Bonnie Owen
Judy Parmelee, Wanda Patterson, Pattie Peebles, Jane Philippus, Darrell Phillips, Becky Pounders;
Donna Ray, Sandy Reed, Patty Remaley, Debbie Richardson, Kathy Romine
Mary Serrato, Annette Sexton, Marion Snelgro, Mary Sonntag, Elaine Stewart, Carol Strelsky
Linda Tate, Bruce Thaler, James Throckmorton, Judy Throckmorton, Cindy Tindall, Priestly Tindall, Nelda Todd, Rose Mary Tyus, William Tyus
Linda Valigura, Tom Valigura, Jimmy Voyles
Darrell Walker, Diana Wenger, Patricia Wenger, Paul Wilcox, Sheila Willard, Sid Williams
Linda Yezak, Leah Young
Serving as Ushers will be Charles Criddle, Darrell Hirt, Darrell Jacob, Mike Lankford, and William Peebles.
Hostesses will be Lynette Bayless, Lynn Schwarzer, Shelly Roddam and Deborah Sandidge.
Alternates are Janie Backhaus, Vivan Burgess, Sally Curtis, Kim Nichols, Jim Eanes, Sherra Floyd and Terry Hoskins.
Stage Helpers are Johnny Jones, Dan Legg, Ritchie Lester, David Mathews, Richard Munoz and Roy Graham.
Part of the pageantry included junior-high girls wearing white choir robes and carrying lighted candles as they entered from the back of the auditorium . . . they were singing Star of the East as they walked down the double aisles to the front of the stage . . .
Star of the East, Oh Bethlehem's star,
Guiding us on to Heaven afar!
Sorrow and grief are lull'd by the light.
Thou hope of each mortal, in death's lonely night!
Fearless and tranquil, we look up to thee!
Knowing thou beam'st thro' eternity!
Help us to follow where Thou still dost guide,
Pilgrims of earth so wide.
Star of the East, thou hope of the soul,
While round us here the dark billows roll,
Lead us from sin to glory afar,
Thou star of the East, thou sweet Bethlehem's star.
Oh star that leads to God above!
Whose rays are Peace and Joy and Love!
Watch o'er us still till life hath ceased,
Beam on, bright star, sweet Bethlehem star!
Star of the East, undim'd by each cloud
What tho' the storms of grief gather loud?
Faithful and pure thy rays beam to save,
Still bright o'er the cradle, and bright o'er the grave!
Smiles of a Saviour are mirror'd in thee!
Glimpses of Heav'n in thy light we see!
Guide us still onward to that blessed shore,
After earth's toil is o'er!
Star of the East, thou hope of the soul,
While round us here the dark billows roll,
Lead us from sin to glory afar,
Thou star of the East, thou sweet Bethlehem's star.
Oh star that leads to God above!
Whose rays are Peace and Joy and Love!
Watch o'er us still till life hath ceased,
Beam on, bright star, sweet Bethlehem star!
The Star Of The East 1918
Music by: Amanda Kennedy
Lyrics by: George Cooper
Website: parlorsongs.com
Merry Christmas, Y'all!
Originally posted 08 December 2000
at the now defunct
rockdale.myfamily.com
For history of this song, as well as various recordings of this song from youtube, please visit our family history blog at . . .
benotforgot.com
Mrs. Mary L. Perry Is Buried at Austin. From the Austin Bureau of The News. Austin, Texas, April 14. -- Funeral services were held Thursday for Mrs. Mary Lucinda Perry, 89. She was born in Starkville, Miss., April 7, 1843, and married to J.W. Perry Oct. 25, 1866. After her marrige she moved to Texas and settled at Lexington, Lee County, and later in Caldwell and Rockdale, where she lived for thirty-nine years. Fourteen years ago Mrs. Perry moved to Taylor, where she made her home with a daughter, and nine years ago she came to Austin. Surviving are six children, Ira Perry and Mrs. John Landis of San Antonio and E.H. Perry, Mrs. L.B. Baker, Mrs. E.E. Shropshire and Miss Rosalie Perry, all of Austin. Six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren also survive her. Dallas Morning News, April 15, 1932
