The Harper Herald (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 4, 2000 Page: 3 of 8
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Page 3 The Harper Herald April 4, 2000
Roy JCester Roberts
Roy Lester Roberts was born September 21, 1910 to Charles
Angus Roberts and Mary Miranda McDonald. He was born in
Knoxville, Kimble County, Texas in the historic Monroe McDonald
family home.
He died peacefully on Thursday morning, March 16, 2000, in Sid
Peterson Hosptial, Kerrville, Texas at the age of 89 years 6 months.
On March 19, 1932, he married Miss Irene Tobin in
Fredericksburg, Texas in the First Methodist Church by Reverend
Richard.Gammanthaler. They would have celebrated their 68th
Wedding Anniversary on the Sunday following his death. Three
children were born: Suell - born March 12, 1933, Donovan Maurice,
"Buddy" - born February 18, 1935, and Beverly Ann - born
September 4, 1946. Buddy died at the age of 13.
Mr. Roberts barbered at Roberts Barber Shop with his older
brothers, Belmore and Everett for 40 years; restored, the shop
remains in the family at present. He was with the Harper Post
Office for 41 years. He was a member of the Harper Lions Club,
Volunteer Fire Department, Community Park Board, Pioneer
Memorial Museum, Woodman of the World and a member of the
Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the
Pentecostal Church, Harper.
Mr. Roberts was a descendent of an early Gillespie county family
whose determination and faith to survive the hardships of pioneer
life were dramatized during the Harper Centennial Celebration. A
Texas State Historical Marker stands in dedication to the memory of
this family.
He is survived by his wife Irene, his two daughters, Mrs. Suell
Black and Mrs. Beverly Taylor and her husband Steve. Four
grandchildren are: Charles Tobin Black and his wife Debbie, Hope
Suzanne and her husband Nichael Zaccars, Dan Stephens Taylor
Jr. and his wife Shannon and Miss Tess Miranda Taylor. His great
grandchildren are: Ty Black and his wife Shannon, Travis and
Tiffany Black, Jordan, Cameron and Maren Wallis and 6 month old
Addie Taylor. A great-grandchild is expected in July.
Roy was the youngest of eleven children; he is survived by his
lovely 93 year old sister Mrs. Della Mae Barrett. He is predeceased
by his sisters: Mrs. Olive Parker, Mrs. Daisy Hopf, Mrs. Myrtle Pearl
Parker, Mrs. Angie Roberts and his brothers: Volney, Belmore,
Oliver, Elmer, and Everett. Roy thoroughly enjoyed his nieces and
nephews, their children and grandchildren.
Pallbearers for the funeral were Charles, Ty and Travis Black,
George (Buzz) Parker, Donald Phillips, J.V. Roberts, Tommy
Skipper, Jim Bob Stevens and Logan Stevens and Stephen Taylor.
Roy's stories have entertained friends and family for many years
and will be a permanent part of our memories of him.
Funeraf services were held Monday, March 20, at 10 A.M. at the
Lighthouse Fellowship Chapel with Revs. Don HoxWorth, James
Engelmann and David Besch officiating. Favorite music was
beautifully rendered by soloists Beverly Hoxworth and David
Mooney and a trio by Mr. And Mrs. Levi Ellebracht and Buz Parker.
The Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge conducted the graveside
service at Harper City Cemetery.
Roy Roberts was a mail carrier for 41 years. His grandchildren
enjoyed going with him, when they were here, and looked forward to
a cool drink of water on the Homer Lee Stevens Ranch. That was a
treat ! Roy also enjoyed working with his brothers, Belmore and
Everett in the barber shop in Harper. This was the first barber shop
in Harper, and wast started by their Daddy, Charles. The barber
shop is still in the family today. There are a lot of old pictures and
antiques there. In the back of the barber shop was a bath house
where the men would come to get a hair cut and then they could
bathe get all cleaned up. When Roy would make his mail route the
ladies would put in their mailbox what they needed from the store
and after Roy was finished delivering mail he got the items from
the grocery store for each lady. He would write their names of the
sacks and put what they wanted in them. These people had charge
accounts and the items would be charged to their account. Then
Roy would sometimes take different young boys with him to help
deliver the ladies groceries. One such person was Gene Bode. He
said he remembered doing that many times. Many remember the
many hours Roy spent at Modern Market entertaining the folk with
his funny and truthful stories,
Since Roy's death many have remembered some of those stories
and delighted in telling and recalling of some of those good ole'
times. Carlos Parker and Roy Roberts were the very best of friends
and did many things together. Roy's sister Della Mae would have
some of her boy friends to come by and visit. They sat on a couch
with no back and it was old and torn. Roy and Carlos would find a
way to get in the back or under the couch and poke pins in the two
sitting on the couch. They really thought that was great fun ! There
were times that they would kill rabbits and while Della Mae and her
visitor would be talking, they took the dead rabbits and tied them to
the back bumper of the car and bury the rabbits in the ground so
that they weren't seen. So as you can guess, they would take off in
the car and see these dead rabbits following them. My those boys
would do anything! Another story goes that they would go with
Papa Charley, who was a freighter driver, to town to get bananas
to bring back to the grocery store. They would get a big stalk or box
and by the time they returned Roy and Carlos had eaten half of the
bananas.
a ,
Others remember such things as Jim Bob Stevens getting his hair
cut when he was little. Also Logan Stevens said he was twenty
years old and had moved away from home before he knew he had
to pay for a hair cut. There were other stories that could be shared
by all of us who knew him. We will all miss his laughter, his smile
and gentleness and genuine concern and love for people. He always
had a kind word for all of us. Roy also loved music especially the
Big Band music. He also loved Christian music. The chaplain, at
Sid Peterson Memorail Hospital, Frankie Enloe, sang "How Great
Thou Art" to Roy. Roy sang that song over and over many times
before he went to be with the Lord. Isn't that a blessing!
I, Karen Bishop, have lived in Harper for nine years and I know
that Roy loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was concerned
I, Karen Bishop, have lived in Harper for nine years and I know
that Roy loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was concerned
for all the churches in town. He felt that every church should be full
on Sunday. He would see me at the Post Office and always greeted
me with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
This is a tribute to a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle,
cousin, and wonderful friend Roy Lester Roberts.
Zems 'Department of Protective 4 Regulatory Services
Child Protective Services
Jester and Adoptive families JnMtgh Demand
Hundreds of children are removed from their families every month
in Texas because their parents either abuse, neglect or abandon
them. But there is a big problem! While the number of children
needing substitute care has doubled in the past five years, the
number of homes willing to provide foster care has dropped by a
third.
Most of the shortage has been created by foster parents adopting
and leaving the program, but it creates a severe shortage of foster
families throughout the area, including the Hill Country. Homes are
urgently needed in Gillespie, Bandera, Kendall, and Kerr countines.
Adoptive families are also needed, mostly for minority children
ages 4-12, many in sibling groups needing to remain together. More
than 2,200 children are waiting for,adoptive families in Texas.
To help ease the shortage of homes, special five-weei (30 hours
total) training classes have been scheduled to start in Boerne in May
and June. If you can help or are interested in learning more, plan to
attend an informational meeting on the foster care and adoption
programs. The presentation is set for Friday, April 7, at 5 p.m. in
the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services office,
224 Market Street, in Boerne. Reservations are required and you
may make those or get more information by calling Janet Wald at
830-249-8770, extension 310 in Boerne, or Sherry Cowell at (830)
257-0244 or Deborah Stein at (830) 257-0242 in Kerrville.
SPRINGTIMEBASS FISHING
by Thompson Temple
It is that time of the year! Spring is here and for many sportsmen it
is time to bring out tho$e fishing poles. The mornings can still be
cool as I recently found out. It is a great time to catch a big bass.
The thrill to a fisherman or woman is unbelievable when that pole
bends way down and you can see your line racing sideways in the
water!
CAPITOL
COMMENT
U.S. SENATOR
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
TEXANS IDENTIFY WORLD
HOT-SPOT PRIORITIES
m he former Soviet Union and Europe should remain the primary focus
of America’s foreign policy, according to those readers who replied to
.JL my annual questionnaires, which your newspaper published this past
December and January.
The question I asked you was, “The U.S. is the world’s last remaining
superpower. We are capable of deploying troops to almost every crisis in the
world. But if we are not careful, we could over-extend our troops and weaken
our ability to respond to the big crises that demand a superpower’s attention.
Please rank the importance of the following regions, with 410’ being the most
important and *1’ being the least important region:
EUROPE - Our 50-year involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and our historic ties to Western Europe.
ASIA - Our long-standing treaties with allies Japan and South Korea, our
special commitment to Taiwan and the rise of a more powerful China.
RUSSIA - Helping Russia’s transition from communism to democracy
and a free market and trying to contain the proliferation of its nuclear arsenal.
LATIN AMERICA - Anti-drug assistance to Mexico and Columbia and
ensuring security of the Panama Canal.
MIDDLE EAST - Our long-time commitment to Arab-Israeli peace and
our protection of Persian Gulf oil supplies.”
Your answers were definitive, with 34 percent of you identifying Russia
as your most important foreign policy concern, followed by Europe, 19
percent, Asia, 17 percent, Latin America 16 percent and the Middle East, 14
percent. Here are some of your comments:
From Bryan - “We have to keep an eye on Russia but work to make sure
it becomes a firm member of Europe, not an enemy.”
McKinney - “The jury is still out on whether Russia is truly stable, and
if China is willing to stay inside its own borders.”
Wadsworth - “I am concerned that Russia has become more sympathetic
to China and the Middle East countries that opposed us.”
Angleton - “The stability of Russia ought to be a top concern.”
Greenville - “This is a no-brainer. China is building up its military,
shooting rockets at Japan, and Russia still has nuclear missiles. Until this
changes, it is our major challenge.”
Austin - “Whatever we do, we have to cooperate with Western Europe.
For all our differences, their values are the closest to ours.”
Perrin - “China is far and away the most dangerous and daring.”
Corpus Christi - “Our trading with China and letting them into the White
House was wrong, and we will eventually pay a price.”
Childress - “We should pay less attention to the Middle East, and
concentrate on developing our own oil supply.”
San Antonio - “I’m still worried about Iraq. I don’t think we’ve heard the
last from Saddam Hussein.”
Yorktown - “We need to build our relationships with Europe, England
and Japan, but on an equal partnership basis with them.”
Kerrville - “My main worry is small-time dictators with long-range
nuclear weapons.”
A significant number of you also raised concerns about the Chinese
government’s activities in the Panama Canal zone. We must watch that
situation very closely and be ready to respond — with military force if
neofessary — to make sure the world knows that it is a vital security interest
of the United States that the Panama Canal remain open to the world's
shipping.
Your responses show that Texans understand our superpower commit-
ment to maintain stability in many important spots on the globe. My priority
in the Senate has been to focus our foreign policy and defense resources on
those areas where our direct involvement is critical — in Asia, where the
Chinese must understand our resolve; in NATO, our strongest defense
alliance; in Russia to establish relations and prevent nuclear proliferation; to
be a stabilizing force in the Mideast; and to try to establish trade within our
hemisphere. It's good knowing, as I press this message in Congress, that the
people of Texas see it about the same way.
Last summer I stopped in and met Elroy Kreuger near Choke
Canyon Reservoir near Three Rivers, Texas. I told Elroy, who is a
popular fishing guide, that I wanted to catch a big bass. Elroy told
me to come in March and April. I remembered that and recently
called him and went fishing with him.
We met at 6:00 a.m. and proceeded straight to the lake. Whatever
Elroy did I tried to do it the same. He threw his lure next to a stump,
then my identical lure was there just ten seconds later. Boy did we
catch the bass! My pole would arch and my drag would go crazy. I
have caught bass before when it was fun to watch it happen. This
day it was serious business. I didn't want to lose a single fish. My
hands were hurting with the cranking of the reel and the pressure on
my fingers. We were catching the bass about 2 feet below the
surface on spinner baits and crank baits.
Other boats were parked not far away watching Elroy and I haul in
the bass. Elroy said that my five best bass weighed 27 pounds total.
His best five bass weighed 30 pounds total. My biggest bass was 8
pounds and his biggest was 9 pounds! We turned all our bass back
into the water to be caught again.
The popular country singer Robert Earl King sings "I see a ripple, I
hear a splash. Lord have mercy, it's a five pound bass!" If you
have a spare morning then give Elroy a call. His number is
1-512-786-3447.
Remember, keep the wind in your face, the sun at your back, and
the Lord in your heart!
Spring time is a great time to hit your favorite waterhole for big
bass !
Family-Friendly Exercise Tips
(NAPS)—The Internet may be
hot, but it doesn’t help kids work
up a sweat. That’s why experts
stress the importance of incorporat-
ing daily exercise with family out-
ings to encourage healthy habits.
According to the American
Heart Association, children in the
United States are less fit than
they were a generation ago.
Research further indicates that
adult behavior is significantly
influenced by physical and mental
habits learned at an early age.
To maintain a healthy weight,
reduce risk of heart disease,
increase muscle strength and
overall feelings of well being, 30
minutes of exercise a day, several
times a week is required.
The experts at Russell Athletic
suggests the following healthy
habits to kick off a family exercise
program:
• Communicate the importance
of exercise to your spouse and dis-
cuss how to incorporate it into
your family schedule.
• Encourage your children to
participate in after school sports.
Not only will sports improve their
coordination and team skills, but
extracurricular activities let you
enjoy personal time.
• Welcome the idea of exercis-
ing as a family and be supportive
of each other’s goals.
• While you engage in a power
walk, invite your children to ride
their bikes by your side. Include
nightly walks after dinner or Sun-
day morning bike rides in your
routine.
• Plan family outings at a
park. Pick-up games of football,
frisbee or catch will increase our
Ebenezer is a Hebrew term
meaning stone of help.
By learning a new sport
together, families can help foster
self-esteem and endurance.
heart rate and will promote the
use of other motor skills.
• Nontraditional “exercise”
activities can successfully increase
your heart rate and your metabo-
lism. Gardening, painting and
house-cleaning are all forms of
exertion that bum calories.
• Give fitness-oriented gifts, e-g.
bicycles, rollerblades, baseball
gloves. Be sure the gift plays on an
interest your child has expressed.
• Learn a new sport together.
Take a family tennis class or attend
a rock-climbing session. New
adventures help foster self-esteem
and endurance.
Russell Athletic is a division
of Russell Corporation, an inter-
national consumer products com-
pany specializing in activewear,
casualwear and athletic uni-
forms. Its major brands include
Russell Athletic, Jerzees and
Cross Creek. For more informa-
tion about Russell Athletic, visit
www.russellathletic.com.
When drying herbs, keep them
in a warm, airy, well-ventilated
place with no exposure to sun.
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Bishop, Karen. The Harper Herald (Harper, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 4, 2000, newspaper, April 4, 2000; Harper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth844737/m1/3/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Harper Library.