Visits and news from friends

Dear readers,
I have moved from Helotes to San Antonio where I live at the Meadows, a retirement place which furnishes a multitude of benefits, a sort of Shangri-La for the elderly, where smiling faces and warm greetings abound. I love it. That is the reason I skipped my column in the January issue.

Prissy entertains in
Castroville
Prior to Christmas Prissy DaCamara Hancock, who was reared in Laredo, and her husband Robert Hancock, now mayor of Castroville and a retired Air Force colonel, had an open house at their beautifully restored 1870 home near the Medina River.
It was homecoming for their son Brad Hancock, Houston attorney, his wife India, and their infant Kathryn Adaire, the first grandchild for Prissy.
People enjoyed touring the interesting house built by French settlers. Christmas décor added to the beauty of the place. A delicious array of foods and cocktails were served in the dining room. An accordionist from France played and sang during the evening.
Present were some former Laredoans, including Drucilla Perkins Kazen and her escort, her daughter Ginger Van Steenberg, and Gus, Dru Van Steenberg and escort Timothy Cone, Estella Notzon and Fred and daughter Stella.
Prissy’s daughter Dolly Hancock assisted. About 60 attended, including former Laredoans Nelda Guerrero Drury and Elizabeth Sorrell.

Laredoans visit Estela
Estela Kramer, now of San Antonio, entertained on a recent Sunday afternoon with a small luncheon at her apartment.
Laredoans celebrating the birthday of Mary Elva Cruz, Angela Martinez and Ruby Hernandez had driven up to San Antonio to attend the Neil Diamond concert.
Nelda Drury and Elizabeth Sorrell were also guests.
The Laredoans had much news. Ruby was going to Queretaro for New Year’s.
Mary Elva had just returned from a pilgrimage to Italy, where she visited Venice, Florence, and Assisi. The San Martin de Porres Church group had an audience with the Pope.
Angela and her family spent the Thanksgiving holiday in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas.
Adolfo Guajardo, father of Mary Elva, is now retired from the Laredo Waterworks Department.

Expatriates
Some of the adventurous Laredoans must have come to San Antonio for their life scene. One of the operators of the beauty shop on the second floor of the Meadows is married to a Laredoan.
George St. George called to get some information for the Laredo Masonic Order. He and his wife Doris have moved here.
Many of the obituaries in the Express-News are written by my former student Carmina Danini. The paper spotlights one of the most outstanding people each day for a longer informal biography. Carmina writes many of these. She heads the department. I believe she edited the Martin High School newspaper in the past.
And wonder of wonders! Two photos pictured Laredoans. Noted Philip Kazen, whom I taught in summer school at Nixon High School, as he appeared in a play. He recently won his election for a judgeship.
The picture below it was of a photograph entitled "Horses Fog," which had been made by Jerry Lara, once a Laredo Times photographer. He was signing the photo, which came in three sizes in the foyer of the Express-News. Had I not overlooked these photos, I would have taxied down to see Jerry’s beautiful art.

Recent readings
I would like to suggest Me and Shakespeare for reading to Dennis Kriewald, Laredo Community College instructor who has often been to Oxford for summer study, and to Samuel Meyer and Josephine Brand because of the author’s knowledge and concern for the Jewish religion.
In the little Meadows library, I happened to pick up a pamphlet, "La Tierra," published by the Southern Texas Archaeological Association, which deals with a horrible raid in 1878. It lists the many ranchers and their workers who were murdered. One of these was Sam Jordan, the relative of Rosemary Jordan Contreras.

News from letters
Edward and Rosie Glassford enjoyed a trip to Washington, D.C., where they attended a retirement party given for Rosie’s mother by the army chief of staff in his home. She worked in the Pentagon.
Carolyn Wine Bell, daughter of the Chester Wines, lives here in Alamo Heights. She and her husband attended the funeral of Maggie Cullinan in Laredo recently.
When the state director of the Daughters of the American Revolution came to Laredo, she was entertained by Rosemary Jordan Contreras, Annabelle Hall, Julia Ruhlman, and Sheila Glassford with dinner and shopping and Nuevo Laredo. With the group was the editor of the state DAR magazine. Mary Cullinan Holbein of Hebbronville and Jody Allen, both of the Lucy Meriweather Chapter of the DAR, took them to Vega’s and El Tio Hut.
Prissy and Bob Hancock attended the inauguration of the governor recently in Austin. With the Hancocks were their two sons and their families from Houston.
Mary Phelps Hansen and her husband, attorney Dick Hansen, also attended. Mary reported that one of the large paintings on the capital grounds was of San Agustin Cathedral. She reported wall-to-wall people.
Coming to see me one Sunday, she brought a beautiful book, The Illuminated Walden. To go with each handsome colored landscape photo, there are printed passages from the the writings of Thoreau, the great New England naturalist.