Who's News
The end of June is here, Freedom Festival is this weekend
Liliana Johse

Hard to believe this is the last weekend of June. We'll be celebrating the Freedom Fest this weekend on the square.

A newly formed not-for-profit organization Stray Pet Outreach Team (S.P.O.T.) will be having a booth with information for everyone. Make sure you stop by and meet some of the workers. They are people who care for pets.

Helen Kerlick opened the doors of her cozy home to host a baby shower for Anisa Vasquez. Anisa is a social worker and is expecting her second baby, a boy, with husband

Joe Vasquez in a few more weeks. The shower was organized by co-workers who gave Anisa some nice gifts for her baby as well as fixed some delicious lunch and finger food for the guests. Tonya Mathews prepared a rainbow punch which was served along with an Italian cream cake as dessert. The lunch was held June 20 at noon. Among the guests were Helen and Anisa, Linda Bartos, Rosa San Miguel, Bessie Matthews, Yesenia Patino, Tonya Mathews, J.B. and Liliana Johse. Games were played that were fun. Anisa gave the guests nice party favors. There was time to visit and enjoy a good time and camaraderie.

Robert and Kim Hundl and sons Jacob and Eric were in Oklahoma City visiting Ed and Kathy Koehl, they also visited with Brian and Gina Koehl. Robert is the son of Bennie and Valeria Hundl of Wharton. They had an enjoyable visit.

Kathy and Ed attended the WCWS baseball game where they saw Texas A&M play Arizona and rooted for Jamie Lobpries from Wharton.

This week we are sending a happy birthday wish to Emilia Kolacny, Freddie Pekar, Edy Menefee, Nancy Vineyard, Brandy Kubena, Clay McKinney, Lindsey Lechler, Cathryn Ferrell, Cheryal Gavranovic, Kelly Dale Guttenberger, Emily Janak Gardner, Austin Cruz, Libby Hinze, Dr. Robert Vineyard, Deborah Harris, Carole Arriaga, Van O'Quinn, Michael Hinze, Grant Koenig, Dr. Garland Novosad, Lauren Merka, Terri Mund, Kay Kunkel, Kristine Ondrias, Bennie Woodruff, Karen Cunningham, Lillian Carolan, Helen Pyssen, Monica Kubena, Annette Novak, Shirley Minks and Dr. Gerald McKinney.

Happy anniversary to Jeff and Chrisy Andrejczak, Max and Letha Barbee, James and Dot Preisler, David and Maureen Voulgaris, Kelly and Sandra Chumchal, Michael and Becky Merka, Craig and Brenda Gwinner, Michael and Becky Limas, Joe and Esther Cerrillo, Randy and Melanie Chumchal, Sherrell and Sandra Speer, Faye and Robert Richardson, Linda and Wayne Herrington. Joe and May Tippet celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. The Tippets are the parents of Beverly Koonce. Congratulations all!

The Rileys' annual family reunion was held at Texas State University Campgrounds on the Blanco River on June 20 to 23. Forty-five family members attended including Bob and Dana Riley and their daughters Shannon and Kristen. Kristen and her husband are in the medical corps of the U.S. Army, husband Thomas Frazier was deployed to Iraq one month ago. Shannon's husband, Thomas Rollowitz of Seguin, is a contractor. Annie Stafford says there were attorneys, airline pilots and all sort of professionals attending. They occupied the big house that sleeps 20 people. Some families brought big tents or chose to sleep by the river on air mattresses. The weather was nice and cool.

Last Wednesday Bob Riley received his formal retirement from the U.S. Army after 30 years of service. He was also in Vietnam. The ceremony which was attended by his wife Dana, his children and his sister Annie Stafford and was held at Camp Mabry. Welcome home Bob. The family is now attending a family wedding in San Angelo.

It was estimated that more than 4,000 youth attended the Steubenville South Conference last weekend. Young people attending from Wharton, parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church were: Krista and Elizabeth Aguilar, Liana Castro, Kaila Collins, Diana Compian, Andrew Cordero, Cecilia and Christine Garcia, Zeb Garza, E.J. Gutierrez, Francesca Hernandez, Rebecca Hernandez, John and Rosanna Martinez, Mary Martinez, Josie Navarrete, Luis Ortiz, Chris and Mercedes Owens, Michael Owens, Miguel Paz, Verenice Rodriguez, Ryan Salazar and chaperones Michael and Gloria Vela and Mercedes Vela.

The children and adults who took part in the Vacation Bible School of Abell Street Church of Christ were: coordinator Beverly Koonce, Billie Donaldson, Susan Brown, Rachel Williams, Cathy Privitt, Tammy Ritter, Susanne Gubert, Susan Wilbeck, Jenifer Goudeau, Janet Gubert, Sarah Goudeau, Karen Gubert, Beth Fain, Audrey Fain, Chelli Guthrie, Carrie Taylor, Hartzell Sherrill, Gerald Donaldson, Bill Edwards, Paul Jones, Luke Guthrie, Temple Koonce, Jared Koonce, Robert Goudeau, Sherry Jones, Janus Anderson, Penny Medders and Mike Ritter.

We attended Rev. Bryan Heyer's farewell reception at O.L. of Mount Carmel Family Center. Rev. Dominic and Basilian Rev. Dan Porter were special guests. Rev. Porter was in Texas from his Mission in New Mexico. He comes regularly to visit his mother who is in a retirement center in Houston. She is now 92 years old. It has been now 11 years since he left Wharton.

Some of the friends we saw and also visited with a few were Mary Duyka and Kathy Smolik, who were at the ordination to the priesthood of Rev. Tommy Chen last Saturday held in Port LaVaca. Services were held in Taiwanese and English and the choirs from St. Philip Church in El Campo and Holy Family in Wharton sang the Mass. It was unique. Mary and Kathy were some of the people who did the decorating. Rev. Tommy will be officiating Mass today at Holy Family Church. He has been assigned by the bishop to Shiner.

Other guests we visited with were Lil and Allen Kohleffel, John and Therese Roades, Johnny Stavinoha, Gary Kalina, Deacon David Valdez, Krista Aguilar, Mike Vela, Stacy and Sean Amestoy. Also Julia Krenek, Dennis and Nancy Krenek and their family, Francis and Leigh Krenek and their boys, Oscar and Barbara Bunge, who spent time in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, which they fell in love with. They also visited Belize.

Also at the reception were Bessie Konvicka, Ninfa Luera, Yolanda Montelongo, Lucy Hernandez, David Rivera and Tina, Santos Rivera, Frank Solorzano, Connie Rodriguez, Johnny and Nancy Franz, Santos Munoz, Philomena Brinlee, Becky Aguilar, Mercedes and Ramon Vela, Rossanna Martinez and Lupe Mata.

A warm welcome to Spencer Thigpen, his wife Jamie and children Wyatt, 4 and, Faith, 2. They moved back to Wharton last week after serving with the U.S. Coast Guard in Virginia. Now Jill Thigpen has all her children home in Texas.

Sherry Ziegenhals is also back in El Campo.

Our grandaughter Lisette

Smith-Vaughan arrived in Texas last Wednesday from Managua, Nicaragua.

Meanwhile dont forget to give me your news!