Hungerford VFD celebrates half century of service
By BURLON PARSONS bparsons@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Burlon Parsons Former Hungerford Volunteer Firemen Joe Orsak and Howard Allen look at the latest equipment which was not available when the department started 50 years ago.

When Hungerford volunteer firemen responded to calls in the 1950s they fought with wet croaker sacks and shovels.

If the call was for a structure fire, they watched it burn until mutual aid arrived from either Wharton or East Bernard.

It was 50 years ago when the Hungerford Volunteer Fire Department was started. It got its official charter in 1961.

The department's first truck was hand-built on a used 1955 Chevrolet two-ton truck chassis purchased in Seguin.

Welders Dan Dixon and James Woods on the Hudgins Ranch outfitted the truck with a tank to hold 500 gallons of water and racks for equipment and hoses. Volunteer firemen did the plumbing and sanded it down for painting.

The truck sat in a garage across from the Hudgins Ranch headquarters in Hungerford that was outfitted with an overhead water filling spout. Volunteer firemen held their meetings in the little garage.

Left, the Hungerford Volunteer Fire Department's original truck sits in front of the garage that used to hold the truck and where the firemen held their first meetings 50 years ago.

That old garage still stands in place, but the firemen now meet in a much more modern building near Hungerford Hall. The first truck is still housed in the firehouse nested among several much larger and newer pieces of fire fighting equipment.

There were a lot of memories of the old department when charter members Joe Orsak and Howard Allen got together Monday.

The only other surviving member of the initial group of the volunteer firemen is David Marek who now lives in El Campo.

The first group of officers were Frank Michulka as fire chief, Joe Orsak as assistant fire chief, Leroy Macha as president, Allen was vice-president and Joe Duyka was secretary/ treasurer.

Volunteer firemen were Frank Konvicka, Marek, James Cunningham, J.C. Joines, Bobby Richardson, Martin Kalinowski, Marion Kalinowski, Al Padgett and Leo Salomon.

Staff Photo by Burlon Parsons Right, the original 1955 Chevrolet hand-built fire truck is still housed in the new Hungerford Fire Station. Joe Orsak and Howard Allen remember helping put it together.

Through the years the volunteer department relied on wild game suppers, which is now a fried chicken dinner in June for local funding. Other funding has come from the county. These two have allowed the department to grow, modernize and continue to exist.

Orsak and Allen agreed that the advances in technology, equipment and communications have made rural volunteer fire departments successful.

They say Hungerford residents have been great support for the department over the years. In return, the volunteer department is now able to better serve their community.