The Front Page

Veteran's Day 2004

Remembering those that have served and those that are serving our country.

You know sometimes it doesn't hit you until it is personal. I found out Wednesday that James Culpepper is still in the Navy currently stationed in Patuxent River, MD, but soon to transfer maybe to California. He is married and has two daughters. I was in Scouts with James and we had some great times together. Anybody that went to Santa Anna schools in the 70's and 80's went to school with a Culpepper. Lacy and Jean had a big family and they were two hard working folks.. they had to in order to take care of all the kids. All of the Culpeppers were pretty smart kids in school and they were all pretty good athletes too.

Clay Hubbard tells me that Allen Tucker is now in Iraq. I believe that Maricela (Marty) Siller is also in Iraq. Please pray for their safety and families while they are gone.

Please remember these Santa Anna folks that are serving our country in combat, training, or support: Maricela (Marty) Siller, Eddie Dawson, Ike Garza, Clay Hubbard, James Watson, Austin Voss, Randy Casey, Mike Montgomery II, Mark Rutherford, Allen Tucker, and James Culpepper.

1155 American soldiers or sailors have died in Operation Enduring Freedom as reported by the Department of Defense and the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. Pray for our country, its' leaders, and our soldiers and sailors.

Many service men and women return home safely. Operation Tribute to Freedom Homecoming Photographs.

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?-- Darryl Worley country music singer/songwriter. I never will.. September 11, 2001. Where were you when the world stopped turning?-- Alan Jackson country music singer/songwriter. The September 11 Digital Archive will help you remember.

Basketball Season Officially Starts

The 2004-2005 Basketball season began Tuesday night with the JV Girls winning a close one over the Baird JV Girls 33-32.

The Varsity Lady Mountaineers gave the Lady Bears a big head start and never could make the ball fall to catch up. The boys scrimmaged Lohn Thursday afternoon in Lohn but I did not make it to the game. More Girls Basketball photos on the Sports page.

Jesse Hensley wins the jump

Heroes of Santa Anna

Santa Anna has had its' share of heroes that have served in times of war and peace.

Gary James, who the City Park is named after, has a nice display in the old Armory / Civic Center.

I know that Leland Thompson was a hero in World War II but I never got to talk to him about it. He and his wife were good customers of ours when Cindy and I were in the service station business here in Santa Anna. I heard stories from others about how he was behind enemy lines in Italy scouting out the Germans. Some do not like to talk about these times of war but I think it is important for us to remember what war is all about. If you have never seen "Saving Private Ryan" it is supposed to be on ABC TV Thursday night unedited, but just be aware that the first five minutes or so is very graphic and has been said by those that were there to be as close as you can get. (Note: after watching it again I realized I should have said the first 30 minutes are pretty graphic. I can not imagine how terrible it must have really been even after watching this realistic movie again.

When I first wrote this article I over looked one of mine and Santa Anna's Veteran heroes for many Santa Anna folks. It makes me feel bad because I consider him a friend and almost even a Grandfather to me. M. L. Guthrie Jr. was in, I believe, the Army Air Corps in Air Traffic Control stationed in England during World War II. Here is a link to an English Air Traffic Control Towers featuring many of his photos while he was there between 1943 and 1945.

Some of my heroes that are veterans are my Dad, Dan Pelton of Canton Texas who was a SeaBee in the United States Navy stationed in Japan and Korea in the early 50's, and my Step-Dad, Tex Wright of Santa Anna, who was a radio man in the United States Air Force stationed in Germany in the early 60's.

My Granddad, Carl Ernest "C.E." Coder, who grew up in the farming community of Aledo, lived most of his life in Dallas, and passed away in 2001 at the age of 94, is one of my biggest heroes. He was in the United States Marines from August 1924 to August 1928 and was stationed at Port Au Prince, Haiti. He was an aircraft mechanic in the Marines and later went to work for Brannif Airlines at Dallas Love Field where he retired in 1972 after 30 years of service. Some of the highlights while in the Marines were his company marching in the Inaugural Parade for Calvin Coolidge and working on Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" airplane in Haiti.

For his 93rd birthday we all got to visit him and he told of his time in the Marines, working on Lindbergh's plane, and his courtship of my Grandmother Zuda Cook. I was fortunate to catch his stories on video while he was going through some old photo albums with my Mom, Patsy Wright.

These photos are some taken of or by my Granddad, Ernest Coder, taken from those photo albums.. I will try to share more as I have time:

Ernest Coder in Quantico Virginia 1925 (colorized)

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Inauguration preparations

Ernest Coder in Haiti

Ernest Coder "tuning an Old Liberty V-12" in Haiti

Ernest Coder with Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and two young boys identified as Captain Pressley's sons

Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis - photo signed "To Squadron 9M - US Marines Sincerely Charles A. Lindbergh Port Au Prince Haiti - Feb. 8, 1928

Former Santa Anna Mayor and SAHS Teacher, Gale Allen Brock passes away

It is with great sadness that I tell you of the passing of Gale Allen Brock. I have told you before that I don't like funerals very much and that I don't want to do obituaries on SantaAnnaNew.com because I never seem to know what to say to help those that have lost a loved one make it through their sadness. Funerals are one of those things in life that are necessary but not just a whole lot of fun. When someone as special as Mrs. Brock passes away it has to be recognized and with Mrs. Brock I can say that she really meant a lot to me, to Santa Anna, and all those that knew her.

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Santa Anna for Mrs. Brock's funeral. The Sun was shining and the wind was still. The funeral was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Anna which was filled to capacity with standing room only. A fitting tribute to someone who had given her life helping others and as the preacher said, "She loved this town..".

I knew Mrs. Brock as a teacher at Santa Anna High School. She was my Spanish teacher for two years and also my One Act Play Director my Sophomore year. She always meant business when she taught us but made learning fun at the same time. She was always very professional, always wore a dress, and always had her hair done. The preacher told of how he went with her just a couple of weeks ago to get her hair and nails done and I recalled how she was always a beautiful lady.

Mrs. Brock was born in Santa Anna on December 10, 1921. She graduated from Santa Anna High School in 1938 and got her Bachelor's Degree from Daniel Baker College (now Howard Payne University). She took over her father's insurance business in 1963 and later expanded to Coleman to what is now Countywide Insurance. She then sold the business and began her teaching career. She served on the City Council and as Mayor of Santa Anna for, I believe, two terms. She was also Justice of the Peace for Coleman County Precinct Two for several years.

She was member of the First Presbyterian Church where she served faithfully and was in the choir and a deacon.

She moved to San Angelo on 1998 to be closer to her son Sam Allen and his wife Joy and their two children, Zack and Carly. In San Angelo she joined the Sierra Vista United Methodist Church.

For a complete obituary see the San Angelo Standard Times website

I did not know Sam too well when I was in school. He was a lot older than I was and in my older Sister Danna's, and my wife Cindy's Uncle, David Robinett's class, graduating in 1976. Sam was a pretty cool guy back then, not to say that he isn't today. He played the drums in the SAHS band and was better known as the "Watermelon Man" for his drum solo in the song by the same name. He was also a mentor in Scouting for me as a fellow Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor brother in the Order of the Arrow, and Lodge Chief of Kotso Lodge.

Mrs. Brock always spoke highly of Sam and I know she was very proud of him. Sam went to school with David at Angelo State for a while and later at Texas Tech after he graduated from the University of Texas. Sam and Joy's handsome son, Zack, is now going to the University of Texas where he is in the Longhorn Band and their beautiful daughter, Carly, is a Junior at San Angelo Central. I know that Mrs. Brock must have been very proud of them also and really enjoyed the last few years she got to spend close to them.

Mrs. Brock, we will miss you here, but we will see you in Heaven.

Lady Mountaineer Basketball

The Varsity Lady Mountaineers traveled to Cross Plains for a couple of scrimmages on Saturday. The Ladies played an hour against the Lady Buffs and then went an hour against the Lady Cats from Rising Star.

The next scheduled action is Tuesday night at Perry Gym with the JV and Varsity Girls taking on the ladies from Baird. No boys game is scheduled.

The first tip off of the season won by Junior Post Jesse Hensley!