The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 27, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 14, 1949 Page: 1 of 8
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FIRST
Newspaper Off the Press
Each Week
In San Patricio County I
©he ®JcmL0rim ©huts
Methodist Church
Wednesday Noon
KIWANIS
CLUB
>J. T. Brady____________President
John S. Edgar_____Vice-President
W. F. Heinsohn__________Secretary,
A
Eight Pages — Number 27
Odem "All Set” For
Big Christmas Party
$50 Bill To Be 1
Grand Prize At
Christmas Party
The prevailing “wet spell”
of weather seems not to have
dampened the enthusiasm of
the citizens of Odem in look-
ing forward to the city’s big-
gest annual celebration—the
Kiwanis sponsored Christmas
Party, which will be held on
Saturday, Dec. 17, beginning
at 9 a. m. with a turkey shoot
in the City Park, which will
continue throughout the day.
The latest addition to the at-
tractions was announced today,
this being the awarding of a $50
bill to some lucky person at-
tending the Christmas party.
The awarding of this grand prize
will be following the visit of
Santa Claus at 7 p. m., the
highlight of a program on a
platform at the base of a deco-
rated liveoak tree in the City
Park.
The school band will play for
the party, and “Old Saint Nick”
will arrive in Odem on a fire
truck driven by Fireman Leon
IVtertz.
J. A. Wise, former Kiwanis
president, will be master of cere-
monies at the main Christmas
program, during which a large
number of attendance prizes
will be awarded.
People attending the celebra-
tion may register at any or all of
the Odem business houses during
the day and become eligible for
the prizes to be awarded.
Gifts will also be awarded to
the oldest man and oldest wo-
man, the oldest married couple
and the youngest married
couple attending the program,
and the person traveling the
longest distance to attend the
affair. Coffee and donghnuts
will be served free at the
park beginning at 6:30.
Cub Scouts Visit
Old Indian Mound
The Cub Scouts met at the
Methodist Church Wednesday
afternoon with the Den Mothers
for a discussion of the Karan-
kawa Indians. To make their
discussion more interesting, Mrs.
S. L. Webb, Jr., took the group
to the Indian mound where Ben
Bickham, Arthur Bickham and
Bob Bickham recently found a
number of bones and other In-
dian relics on the Webb-Bick-
ham farm several miles from
Odem.
The boys enjoyed digging for
relics, mostly bones and teeth,
believed to be of Karankawa
Indians, the tribe that inhabited
this area many years ago.
The group hiked about a mile
to reach the Indian mound.
The next meeting will be a
Christmas party and Christmas
presents will also be made.
Those present were: Carey
De Eads, Bentley Baylor, Daniel
Bartek, Johnny Huntsinger,
James Knight, H. E. Raab, Les-
lie Leggett, Mike Parker, James
Williams, Richard Gale Smith,
Richard Whatley, John Lee
Brough, Stanley Webb, Orville
Maxwell, Jr., Ronnie Lane, and
the Den Mothers, Mrs. J. E.
Williams, Mrs. Wilson Baylor
and Mrs. S. L. Webb, - Jr.
Honor Roll
Odem Schools
Announced
Following is the Student Hon-
or Roll for the Odem Public
Schools released by Supt. H. W.
Herndon for the second six-
weeks’ period, as furnished by
the principals of the various
schools.
HIGH SCHOOL
Freshmen—John Ehlers, Shir-
ley Day, Martha Montgomery.
Sophomores—Jimmy Mayfield,
Annette Trial.
Juniors—Winnell C o o n r o d ,
Barbara Glen Scull, Jamye
Whatley, Mike Reyna.
Seniors — Jean Austin, Della
Bartek, Glenn Freeman, Wilson
Herndon, Betty Lane, Frances
Miller.
I certify that the above named
high school students constitute
the High School Honor Roll for
the second six-weeks grading
period of the 1949-50 school
year.
C. W. CAMPBELL,
High School Principal.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The following is the Honor
Roll of Odem Grammar School
for the second six weeks’ period,
as submitted by V. F. Shelton,
principal:
First Grade—Billy Allen, Ran-
dy Bloomfield, Beverly Cham-
bers, Margaret Ermis, Kay Reed,
Jo Ann Rouse, Priscilla Scull,
Joyce L. Smith, Michael Spiek-
erman, David Stein, James Wal-
ton.
Second Grade — Marilyn
Bounds, Glenda Castecka, Suzy
Eads, Robert Horn, Evelyn
Isaacks, Beverly Knight, Carrie
Pavlicek, Jo Ann Reams, Joyce
Nan Smith, Philip Stein, Marcia
Weatherly, Jimmie Whitten.
Third Grade—Madeleine Eads,
Burma Gale Hall, Johnnie Hunt-
singer, Patricia Mertz, Gyrene
Reed, Annie Lee Walton.
Fourth Grade — Carey Eads,
Michael Parker, Billy Thornton,
Carolyn Weatherly, Richard
Whatley, James Williams.
Fifth Grade—Daniel Bartek,
Glenda Brown, Lydia Higgin-
botham, James Knight, Darrell
Phelps, Ninon Reed, Edgar Whit-
ten.
Sixth Grade—Sharon Davis,
Betty Ann Gisler, Arland Phelps,
Frances Nell Sipes, Susan Whit-
ten.
Seventh Grade—Bobby Cleve-
land, Cleburn Mayfield, Hilda
Robertson, Evelyn Stein, Elliott
White, Ernest Williams.
Eighth Grade—Harvey High-
tower, Lena Faye May, Robert
Whatley.
John Says: 'It's Later Than You
"Them Bones, Them Borses—lt's Easy
To Connect 'Em"—Old Indian Burial
Ground Near Odem Provides Bones
bones, and jaw bones with some
teeth still intact.
Ben Bickham said that of all
the teeth he has seen in the large
hole they have dug, he has not
found a decayed tooth—“Not
even a cavity,” he added. The
bodies were buried on their sides
with the knees folded up against
the chests.
The Bickham brothers, as they
dug and studied the arrangement
of the mass grave, speculated on
the circumstances of the death of
the people whose bones they
were collecting, but no general
conclusions were reached.
Ben Bickham surmised that
there might have been some
cannibals in the camp, and that
the nine skulls they found were
buried after the remainder of
the bodies were eaten.
By JOHNNIE BROWN
A hunting dog scratching in
an armadillo hole in a heavily
brushed section four miles south-
east of here led to the discovery
of what appears to be a mass In-
dian burial ground perhaps 200
years old.
By last Friday night, Ben and
Joe Bickham, of Calallen, and
their brother, Arthur Bickham,
who lives near Odem, had un-
covered 45 skulls and there were
indications that perhaps many
more Indians are buried under a
large mound now covered by
heavy brush.
The Bickham brothers said
that many arrowheads and other
Indian relics have been found
along a large gully in the same
vicinity. Several arrowheads and
sandstones used by the Indians
to sharpen their arrows were
found at the burial site.
Large Skeleton
Ben Bickham, who said that
he has dug up four Indian burial
grounds in Nueces County and
discovered several thousand ar-
rows and other relics, said that
one of the bones found at this
burial site had an arrow stuck
into it. One skeleton measured
about seven feet.
The Bickhams found the bones
buried in layers, the top level
being approximately four feet
from the top of the mound. In
one hole, they found nine skulls
alone, indicating that the heads
were buried there after being
removed from the bodies.
Arthur Bickham said that the
decision to explore the burial
ground was reached several days
ago following a discussion on
ghosts he had with an employe,
Jose Ruiz. He said that Ruiz re-
lated how his dog, scratching for
an armadillo, started digging up | edifice. Another
the bones. | crew were sent to the Luby
The bones were discovered Field to build another house for
approximately two miles north of ■ the same company,
the Nueces River in a pasture a j There were only two men left
short distance south of the farm : to complete the inside work on
of Arthur Bickham and Stanley • the houses in the Seaboard Field,
Webb, Jr. According to Miller! one was the writer and the
Harwood of Taft, and the Rt. j other was Armstrong.
Just Like He Said
He "just1 Laid
Down His Tools
And Quit"
BY O. W. NOLEN
His name was Armstrong. A
short, stocky-built man he was a
carpenter by trade and it seem-
ed odd to see him wearing a big
broad-brimmed Stetson while
using saw and hammer.
The contractor who was build-
ing the group of houses for the
Seaboard Oil Company in the
Seaboard field two or three
miles west of Odem pulled about
half the men off the job and
sent them to Skidmore to assist
in building -a Catholic church
half of the
“The Old Gray
Mare Ain’t What
She Used To Be”
Rev. Bowman
Continues Series
Special Sermons
Rev. O. R. Bowman, pastor of
the local Baptist Church, preach-
ed next to the last of his series
of doctrinal sermons at the
morning service Sunday when
he preached on “Hell, the Place
Prepared For the Devil and His
Angels.”
He used as his scriptures Mat-
thew 13, Luke 16:19, Matthew
18:8, Mark 9:42-49, and Revela-
tions 4:9-13, 19:20, 20:10-15.
He brought out the reality of
Hell and its awfulness, how man
must choose whether he would
go to hell or not and he also
brought out the fact that be-
cause false religions tried to
teaph men to believe that there
was no such place as hell, did
not make it so.
He closed the message by pre-
senting the way of escape,
through Jesus Christ, and ex-
tending an invitation to those
who had not already done so
to accept the v/ay of escape.
Next Sunday he will present
a message on Heaven. He and
the church extend an invitation
to every one \to come and hear
this message.
Mrs. Mary Boggus had as her
guests Sunday, Mr. and Mrs.
Lewis Boggus and family of
\ Harlingen, Mr. and Mrs. A, W.
jTaber, Corpus Christi, Mrs. Mary
f Harcourt of San Antonio, and
Mrs. Russell Savage of Corpus
Christi.
SHELTON SCHOOL
Following is the Honor Roll
for Shelton Elementary School
for the second six weeks as sub-
mitted by Mrs. V. F. Shelton,
principal:
First Grade—Herminia Gomez,
Jesusa Gonzales.
Second Grade—A 1 e j a n d r a
Mancias, Jose Perales.
Third Grade—Joe Luis Bar
rera, San Juana Fuentes, Agu-
eda Hernandez, Felipe Rodri-
guez, Jesus Solis.
Fourth Grade—Maria Gloria
Bargas, Jovita Rocha, Nimfa So-
lia.
Rev. William H. Oberste of Re-
fugio, who have studied the early
history of this section, the Ka-
rankawa Indians were in this
coastal section two hundred years
ago.
The Bickham brothers, using
small digging instruments, found
many different bones of the hu-
man body, including skulls, arm
and leg bones, finger and foot
Armstrong had spent
his life in carpenter work, hav-
ing worked for years on govern-
ment jobs in such far away
places as the Panama Canal and
Honolulu.
One day during the lunch
hour he said:
“When I get through with this
(Continued on page 8)
Everything is farther than it
used to be. It’s twice as far
from my house to the bus line
now, and they’ve added a hill
that I’ve just noticed. The buss-
es don’t stop for us long either,
but I’ve given up running for
them because they get away
faster than they used to.
Seem to me they are making
staircases steeper than they
used to. The rises are higher or
there are more of them or some-
thing. Maybe this is because it’s
so much farther today from the
first floor to 1he second floor,
but I’ve noticed it’s getting hard-
er to make two steps at a time
anymore; it’s about all I can do
to make one step at a time.
Have you noticed the small
print they are using lately?
Newspapers are getting farther
and farther away when I hold
them, and I have to squint to
make out the news. It’s ridicul-
ous to suggest that a person of
my age needs glasses, but it’s
the only way I can find out what
is going on without someone
reading aloud to me, and that
isn’t much help because every-
one seems to speak in such a
low voice that I can scarcely
hear them.
Times are sure changing. The
material in my clothes, I notice,
shrinks in certain places; you
know, like around the waist, or
in the seat. Shoe laces are so
short they are next to impossible
to reach.
Even the weather is changing.
It’s getting colder in the winter
and the summers are hotter than
they used to be. The rain is so
much wetter and I have to wear
rubbers, and I guess the way
they build windows now makes
drafts more severe.
People are changing, too. For
one thing they are younger than
they used to be when I was their
age. On the other hand, people
my age are so much older than
I am. I realize my generation
is approaching Middle Age, but
there is no reason for my friends
to totter into senility.
I ran into a friend the other
night and she had changed so
much that she didn’t recognize
me. “You’ve put on a little
weight”, she said. “It’s this
modern food”, I told her, “It
-n -.p1 seems to be more fattening.”
I got to thinking about her
this morning while I was dress-
ing. I looked at my own re-
flection in the mirror. Seems
they don’t use the same kind of
glass in mirrors anymore!
Author, Unknown
“Child Of Bethlehem” Topic
Of Christmas Cantata At
Methodist Church Sunday
Girls' Basketball
Teams Lose At
Alice Double Tilt
□ The Christmas Cantata to he
staged at the Odem Methodist
Church at 7:30 p. m. Sunday,
December 18, under the direc-
tion of J. E. Williams, will
consist of the following lib-
retto:
The Odem Girls Basketball
teams went to Alice Thursday
night for a double tilt with the
Alice girls, and were beaten by
a small lead by both the “A”
and “B” string teams.
The “A” string topped our
first string Orioles by a score of
13-17. The outstanding Oriole
in this game was Glenn Free-
man. All the girls played a
swell game though, and we are
proud of them.
The “B” string took a worse
beating, losing by a score of 4
to 14, but they did very well,
too, and we are looking for
them to be our good players
next year. Patricia Powers was
the outstanding player of this
game.
Mrs. Frank Williams is the
girls’ coach.
The next game will be played
on January 5, when Alice will
return the games.
The Odem Orioles will enter
the Golden Girls Tournament to
be held in Premont January 20-
21.
Don’t forget the Turkey Shoot
Saturday.
Mary's Beauty
Shop Opens In
New Location
Mrs. Mary Ellen Leggett, op-
erator of Mary’s Beauty Shop,
has reopened her shop in the
new location after three weeks
of inactivity, waiting for the
new place to be ready.
The new shop is in the newly
erected building next door to
the home of Mr. and Mrs. G. L.
“Bob” Jarvis, across the street
from the new home of A. C.
“Ted” Peeks.
The new shop is a modern and
well equipped one where the
latest beauty aids may be ob-
tained and all types of perma-
nents and other beauty shop
specialties.
Mrs. Leggett has been in busi-
ness in Odem for the past ten
months, having her beauty shop
in the old home of Mrs. C. C.
Smith, known as the old Estell
house, up until it was closed
three weeks ago.
Old Indian Burial Ground Unearthed
The topic is “The Child of
Bethlehem,” by Herman Von.
Berge, and music by Forrest G.
Walter; The Christmas Bells
Choir, “On Thee We Wait,”
featuring Eugene Helm as the
bass soloist; “The Holy Night,”
women’s chorus; “There Were
Shepherds,” men’s chorus and
choir; “The Glory Song,” feat-
uring women’s soprano and alto
duet and women’s chorus and
choir; “Even Unto Bethlehem,’*
featuring Mrs. J. B. Whatley as
the tenor soloist; “The Star In.
the Eastern Sky,” soprano solo
and women’s chorus; “Who Is
He?” men’s chorus and choir;
“He Shall Reign,” choir; “Tell
the Glad Tidings,” featuring
Miss Jay me Wbatley as the altc*
soloist; “Thy Light Is Come,”
featuring Eugene Helm as the
baritone soloist; “Let Us Adore
Him,” by choir.
The program will open with
the congregation singing, fol-
lowed by prayer. Following
the Cantata, Rev. R. R. Bloom-
quist will have charge of the
closing.
Everyone who has heard the
group practice says that this
will be one of the most beauti-
ful programs of songs ever put
on in Odem, and all owe those
who have gone to so much
trouble to practice and perfect
this program, the support and
applause our presence will af-
ford them. So, let’s try to
make plans to attend.
There will be approximately
twenty-five mixed voices tak-
ing part in this program of
music and song. Mrs. W. M.
Allen is the able pianist who
will play for the program.
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Odem Girl
Wins Second In
Beauty Contest
Jane Liggett, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. W. L. Liggett of Odem,
was a second place winner in
the beauty contest, a part of the
Baby Carnation Pageant, spon-
sored by the Rebekah Lodge of
Corpus Christi. She had a beau-
ty grade of 96 1-2.
Rebecca Carter was first place
winner with a beauty grade of
96 3-4, tppping Jane’s grade by
one-fourth point.
Jane was awarded a blue
ribbon and gold medal. _ She
was also a winner of the “Gold
Seal Award” for health and was
Supreme Countess in the page-
ant.
The screen test which she won
was made Sunday afternoon. It
will be sent to Hollywood to be
developed and then returned to j
Corpus. A preview will then be
held for the parents and friends.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL GAME
POSTPONED; WILL PLAY
AT WOODSBORO TUESDAY
The boys’ basketball game for
Friday night has been cancelled
according to Coach Gregory. He
is trying to obtain another
match. The boys’ basketball
team will play Woodsboro at
Woodsboro Tuesday night.
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Shelton School
Queen Crowned
Thursday evening in the high
school auditorium, Delores Rod-
riguez, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Felipe Rodriguez, was
crowned queen of the Shelton-
Elementary School by her es-
cort, Junior Vasquez.
The queen’s party was com-
posed of eight royal guards:
Estaban Garza, Florentino Garza*
Bob Aguilar, Daniel Villarreal,
Lucio Cisneros, Atilano Garcia,.
Erminio Galvan and Ramont
Benavidez.
Duchesses were- Carolyn Gar-
cia, escort Antonio Perez; Elia
Barrerra, escort, Jesus Perales;
Alejandra Mancias, escort Ygna-
cio Elizardo; Ruth Gonzales, es- .
cort, Bonifacio Aleman, Jr.;
Patsy Nunez, escort, Frank Rod-
riguez.
Flower girls were: Rufina So-
lis, Olga Aleman, Rosa Galvan,
Ofelia Aleman, Alicia Bena-
vides and Maria Rodriguez.
Train bearers were Odelia On-
tevaros and Lucio Bargas.
Crown bearers were Mary Chapa
and Fred Rocha, Jr. Scepter
bearers were Pete Garza and
Ramon Cabazos.
The traditional Christmas,
pageant was presented by 100
children including the chorus.
On Friday evening the annual
Fiesta was held at the Shelton
School where a large number
of people attended and enjoyed
the good food which the mothers
and friends . prepared for the
occasion.
Manuel Galvan won the sheep
which was given away at this
Fiesta. Various games were en-
joyed during the evening.
The teachers, pupils and pa-
rents wish to thank everyone
who helped in any way to make
the Fiesta a success.
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SKELETONS DUG UP NEAR ODEM — In this
large hole, Joe, Ben, and Arthur Bickham, left to
right, have discovered what they believe to be the
remains of Karankawa Indians burned perhaps
200 years ago. R. T. (Bob) Whitten is also shown
behind Arthur Bickham. (photo Courtesy Caller-Times)
Hunters Bring
In Big Bucks
Two hunters, H. M. Janicke
and Bob Evans, came in Tues-
day with deer that would make
the best of hunters envious.
Janicke’s deer looked like an
“old moss back” with big- wide
horns resembling those of a
moose, with eleven points. It
would weigh approximately 170
pounds.
The one killed by Evans had
a freak set of horns, having
eleven distinct points and two-
button-like knobs that looked
like the horns might have been,
knocked off.
The men killed these deer on
their hunting lease between
George West and Tilden.
Let’s not forget the turkey
shoot and Christmas party in
the Odem City Park next Sat-
urday, December 17! Then
remember to go to the annual
Christmas Cantata at the
Methodist Church Sunday
night, December 18.
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Nolen, Mrs. O. W. The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 27, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 14, 1949, newspaper, December 14, 1949; Odem, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1110808/m1/1/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Odem Public Library.