(Also) Kin to a Corpus Christi Mayor!

Twelve years ago, I wrote about how I was kin (by marriage) to a Corpus Christi mayor - Abraham Albert Lichtenstein Jr., (of the Lichtenstein's department store family), who served from 1953 until his resignation in 1954.  Recently I learned that my husband, Mark Gresham, is related (also by marriage) to another Corpus Christi mayor - and he would get a kick out of this, since they served the City at the same time:

This is Jason Milus Luby (1929-2012), who was mayor of Corpus Christi from 1973 until he was forced to resign in 1978 when he made an unsuccessful run for Congress.  Mark started as Corpus Christi's Budget Director in April 1974, and he had a lot of interesting stories about Jason.  

Jason is in the center of the photo below, which comes from the Corpus Christi Public Libraries' Digital Archives, specifically La Retama's General Photograph Collection, with a description that reads, "Choke Canyon Dam Water Development Board.  Mayor Luby and four unidentified men.  The mayor holds a check.  A handwritten insert with the photo reads, 'City accepting check from Texas Water Development Board for second payment of loan for Choke Canyon.'"  I can tell you that the man in the darkest suit is R. Marvin Townsend, City Manager in Corpus Christi at the time.

So how is Mark related to Mayor Luby?  Well, Luby's wife was Elizabeth "Betty" Willene Lowman (1929-2024), pictured below.  The photo comes from the funeral home website ...

... where I also found a photograph that included her mother, Marguerite Maude Mew Lowman (1906-1996), pictured below.

Marguerite was the oldest child of Charles Arthur Mew Sr. (1884-1927), whose photograph below is from page 20 (image 26 here) of the 1919 La Gaviota yearbook of Corpus Christi High School, when he was serving as vice-president of the school board (and interestingly, while A. A. Lichtenstein, father of the Corpus Christi mayor I'm related to, was serving as president of the school board).

Charles was a younger half-brother of Benjamin George Mew Sr. (1879-1949), Mark's "Uncle Benny," who made him a belt and belt buckle when Mark was little.  The photo below, taken in 1919, is from page 137 (image 201 here) of the Journal of  Letters & History of George W. K. Mew by Judith Whipple, and it was probably provided to Whipple by ...

... Ben's wife, Mark's aunt, his mother's older sister, Ivis Moore Mew (1905-2004), who was one of the first (in 1930) graduates of the Spohn School of Nursing.  Ivis was a nurse in Corpus Christi and Duval County (the latter from about 1941 to 1949, nursing her husband Ben, who suffered from pernicious anemia, at their ranch near San Diego).  In 1963, she moved back home to Marlow, Oklahoma, to take care of her aging parents while continuing her career.   

© Amanda Pape - 2026 - e-mail me!

Tributes to Mark Gresham

It's been almost two weeks since some of Mark's family and I placed his ashes in Corpus Christi Bay (photos here) on April 11, followed by a come-and-go reception - "Gresham's Freebie" - the next day (photos here).  

Former co-workers who attended the latter were Bob Heil (Mark's and my co-worker in Budget; later with Park and Recreation), Jennie Duran (my boss when I was with Information Services), Judy Dreyer (my co-worker in Park and Recreation), Pat Menville (Mark's co-worker in Budget), Ed (Ray) Menville (Traffic Engineering), and Tomas Duran (Personnel).  There were a number of other co-workers who were unable to attend, but they sent the following messages:

From Michael Gunning:

"I have been thinking of Mark and the great times we had, especially fishing in his pontoon boat on the Laguna Madre. ...

You're the best thing that happened to Mark."

[After five years as a city planner with the City of El Paso, Michael Gunning joined the City of Corpus Christi as a planner in 1973.  He became Director of Planning and Development in 1998, and was Assistant and then Acting Director of Development Services (Planning, Engineering, Building Inspections and Permits) 2003-2007.]

Above:  Mark fishing on what may be the pontoon boat Michael refers to - photo taken sometime between April and October, 1974.

Below:  Michael Gunning after a fishing trip, photo by Mark Gresham, undated, but sometime between 1974 and 1985.

A toast from Chuck Speed:

"Here is to the good memories in Corpus Christi when we were young professionals at the old City Hall on the Bay and embraced life like there was no tomorrow.  May Mark rest in peace and remind us of him when we see the sailboats in Corpus Christi Bay."

[Chuck was the Director of Personnel / Human Resources and Civil Service

October 1971 - April 2000 for the City of Corpus Christi, followed by the City of Amarillo starting in 1984.  He met his wife Cynthia while she was also working for the City's Utilities Department.]

Above:  view of west and south sides of [old] City Hall on Shoreline Drive [the Bay], Corpus Christi, Texas.  From Penick, Monica, and Carol Wood: "Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas." National Register of Historic Places nomination (draft; building demolished), 2010. On file with the Texas Historical Commission.

Below:  Kerry and Randy Moravec, sometime before April 1980, Corpus Christi, Texas.

From Randy Moravec:

"Mark was a wonderful supervisor. He treated the budget & management group as a team. His had more of a mission-driven rather than rule-driven style, giving us general direction and then letting us pursue assignments with freedom. He always gave constructive criticism and I don't recall him ever chastising me, or any other team member, for how we conducted ourselves. He had a wonderful perspective of government, and gave us the opportunity to work directly with Marvin Townsend, the most intelligent city manager I ever encountered.

Steve Craven and I arrived at the city about the same time and one of my favorite memories was when Pat [Menville], looking over her glasses, with a cigarette in her hand told us something like: "Mark said one of you was very intelligent and one of you had a great sense of humor; I can't tell which one of you possesses those characteristics." Although that statement could have been taken as neither one of us was intelligent or humorous, the way she said it caused me to laugh out loud.

My time in Corpus Christi provided me with a great foundation for my 35 years in municipal government. I was with the city for only 3 and a half years, but my next job was finance director at Kingsville; an incredible opportunity so early in my career."

[Randy was with Kingsville for seven years, also serving as an assistant city manager, and went on to serve as the chief financial officer for the Town of Addison for 24.5 years.]

From Pinkney Butler:

"Mark was such an accomplished person. I learned so much from him while in the Budget Office & really liked his management style. He supported us in an exemplary sort of way. A great human being with a calm coolness about him.

I worked with Oscar [Martinez], Mary [Comstock], Bob [Heil] and Gale [Garrett, all in the Budget Office] from around 1980-1983 before coming to Tyler."

[Pinkney worked his way up in Tyler to become City Manager in 1997, and retired in 2003.]

Above:  Excerpt from an article in the September 1983 "Corpus Christi Magazine."

Below:  Plaque on the large framed aerial photo of Corpus Christi and the Marina given to Mark by the Budget Office staff when he left the city in August 1985.

From Pat Menville (who WAS able to come):

"He definitely had a zest for life and enjoyed a great career.  Back in the day when I worked for him alongside Mary [Comstock] and Randy [Moravec], we worked hard and we also played hard.  I feel we were all justifiably proud of the dedicated service we provided the citizens of Corpus Christi.  I very much remember his passion for sailing and was glad to read that he continued that over the years.  We never have enough time with those we care about, but they live on in our memories and, in Mark's case, through the mentorship he provided all of us during our careers."

And after the event, she posted:

"We had a lovely getaway this weekend to celebrate the life of someone we worked with many decades ago when we were all young and idealistic.  We worked hard, we played hard, and believed in a world of vast possibilities.  It was amazing to see old friends and meet new ones."

[Pat Reyna Menville worked for the City of Corpus Christi from about 1967 until  about 1979.  She started in the collection department (traffic tickets), moved over to Accounting, then on to Engineering and finally into Budget.  Her husband Ed (Ray) Menville also worked for the City (that's where they met!) as Assistant Traffic Engineer before becoming Director of Engineering in Victoria in 1981 and Director of Public Works in West University Place in 1991.  They retired in 2001.] 

Photos of Mark over the years are here - this online album is a work in progress, with more to be added.

© Amanda Pape - 2025 - e-mail me!

The Birthday I'll Always Remember

Today is my birthday.  I've had some memorable ones, but the photo above, which I took 45 years ago, on April 4, 1980, will always remind me of the best one.  

I sent this photo to my girlfriends back in Seattle in late March, 2006, about two months after Mark and I reunited (after over 21 years apart).  Here is some of what I told them:  

He says it's the best photo ever taken of him.  Of course he was 38 in this photo and I kid him about looking like a rock star in this one!  Turn the hair white/gray and add more wrinkles and you pretty much have how he looks now.  He still has the same smile and smile lines. ...

I thought you might want to see part of what attracted me to him in the first place.  It was never looks though, I was attracted more by the fact that he admired my mind, we could have intelligent conversations, and he was very loving and attentive.  Still is all of the above. ...

I forgot to add that when I look at him now, what I SEE is the guy on the boat I fell in love with 26 years ago.

And to Mark:  "...the photo is what I see when I look at you even today...an incredibly sexy man."

--------

Mark and I went out on Corpus Christi Bay in his sailboat, The Wagon, on April 4, 1980, along with his best friends Tom Utter (who co-owned the sailboat) and Sarah Cole.  It was a Friday (just like it is this year) and I'm pretty sure it was after work.  

Now I'm the only one left.  In a week, I will be in Corpus Christi on a sailboat, to place his ashes in the Bay he loved so much.  The next day, some family and friends will gather in his honor and he'll pick up the tab one last time:   

The invitation above is based on a card Mark must have carried in his wallet for a long time.  I think Tom ("Utterly") and Sarah ("Cold") must have made it for him.  It's based on the logo for Cooper's Alley, a restaurant and bar where many city employees would hang out after work, and where Mark was often known to pick up the tab (or at least buy a round) for the entire table.  (I don't remember ever having to pay for a drink there.)

If any of Mark's old friends are reading this on or before April 12, 2025 - it's not too late!  Just come - don't worry about an RSVP.

© Amanda Pape - 2025 - e-mail me!

North Beach Fire House, Corpus Christi, Texas - 1937 - c1980

The photograph below was recently posted in the "Corpus Christi, Texas History" group by John. L. Gower, the photographer, who took the photo around 1980.

North Beach Fire Station, Corpus Christi, Texas.  Photograph taken on Kodak slide film ABT 1980 by John L. Gower.  Used with his permission.

One can tell from its proximity to the Harbor Bridge that this is near the south end of the North Beach area in Corpus Christi.  Of course, I wanted to know exactly where it was, and when it was built.*

It doesn't appear on the January 1927 or 1931 Sanborn maps (the latter available through the TexShare databases).  It is listed in the 1940 Corpus Christi City Directory (available on Ancestry dot com) as Fire Station No. 4 at 213 Bessie Street, so that told me it was built between 1931 and 1940.

Newspaper articles in the 1937 Corpus Christi Times (available at Ancestry dot com and Newpapers dot com) indicate the building was constructed that year. (*If you look closely above the door on the right in John's photograph, the "37" is visible.)

There's a sketch of the North Beach Fire Station by architect Morris Levy, dated February 20, 1937, in the Corpus Christi Public Library Digital Archives.  There's also a 1985 photograph of the abandoned station in the Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Repository.

Final confirmation of the location came from the May 1950 Sanborn maps (also available in the TexShare Texas Digital Sanborn Maps database, a part of Proquest Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970).  Below is a snip of the relevant section of Sheet 63 of that series of maps:

Bessie Street was the southernmost east-west street on North Beach, and is long gone, now part of the Texas State Aquarium grounds.  Hamilton Street has had numerous names over the years, known at various times as Avenue B, N. Water,  and today, Surfside (on the southern end of North Beach).  All of this area is now part of the Texas State Aquarium grounds.

I haven't yet been able to determine exactly when the North Beach Fire Station ceased operations and was torn down.  According to commenters in the Corpus Christi Facebook group, it served as the city fire department's training facility at least from the late 1960s through early 1970s - jokingly called "NBU,"  for North Beach University.  The land for the Aquarium was cleared by the end of 1988.

The May 1950 Sanborn map also includes a filling (gas) station across Bessie from the fire station, at the corner with Hamilton.  I have to wonder if it is this one:

Gas Station [August 1980] / Jay Phagan / CC BY 2.0

According to photographer Jay Phagan, who took this image after Hurricane Allen in August 1980, it was "on the south end of Corpus Christi Beach (North Beach) - now part of the aquarium grounds."  There's a "319" painted on the column on the left in the photograph, but so far that hasn't helped me figure out where this was.  More research!

© Amanda Pape - 2023 - e-mail me!

Corpus Christi - North Beach Tourist Camp - Christi Court

Two weeks ago, someone posted this picture in a Corpus Christi (Texas) Facebook group:

Lee, Russell, photographer. Insignia of nationally affiliated tourist courts. Corpus Christi, Texas. Oct. 1939. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017784576/.  Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USF34-034513-D.

The photo - and all the other black-and-white photos from October 1939 and December 1940 that you'll see in this and future posts about North Beach in that era - were taken by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information.  They are in the public domain and are available at the Library of Congress.  

Someone in the group asked where this Christi Court was.  As my in-laws were living in Corpus Christi in 1939 and 1940, I knew there were some city directories available at Ancestry.com.  Sure enough, on page 100 of the 1940 city directory for Corpus Christi, I found Christi Courts at 3207 C Avenue.

But where exactly was C Avenue?  The street guide in the 1940 city directory said (page 641) said that it was on North Beach, "2nd w[est] of Av A."  Well, where was Avenue A?

The street names on North Beach have changed a number of times over the years.  I'd figured out some of these before, but here is the process I used this time to figure out just where Christi Courts were.

The Sanborn maps aren't especially helpful for this situation.  The last one that is freely available online, from January 1927, only has details for the parts of the peninsula that were developed at that time.  Later updates, in 1931 and in May 1950 (which I cannot display here as they are still under copyright), did not expand the covered area, despite great development in this area in the 1940s in particular.  Avenue C does not show up on any of these maps.

However, one can make some assumptions from the 1927 map.  Here's a cropped, edited portion of Sheet 1, the key map for that year:

Cropped and edited from Sanborn Map Company. Corpus Christi 1927 Sheet 1, map, 1927; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth553065/: accessed March 19, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Some of the streets that run southwest to northeast are marked "F", "G", etc.  From that it's pretty easy to figure out where Avenues A through E lie.  In addition, in the top right corner of the map (click on the image to see a larger version), one can see a street marked Ave. "C", that is also Timon and Chaparral further southwest.

In addition, the May 1950 update does show both old and (then)-new names for these southwest-to-northeast streets.  For example, Avenue A, which is Rincon on the 1927 map, is labeled both Avenue A and N. Shoreline in May 1950.  

It's also important to note that the construction of the Harbor Bridge in the 1950s altered North Beach - particularly these avenues - significantly.  Parts of them were completely obliterated.

Here's what I figured out for Avenues A through E:

- A became Rincon and later N. Shoreline (and further north, disappeared entirely).

- B became N. Water AND Hamilton (due to the orientation of the Southern Pacific Railroad line, visible on the 1927 map), and is Surfside (on the southern end) and Gulfbreeze (on the northern end) today.

- C was Chaparral on the 1927 map, and later became Timon and Surfside, or W. Surfside (yes, confusing), which it mostly is today.

- D was Bluntzer on the 1927 map, and later became Seagull (what it is today).

- E was Mesquite on the 1927 map, and later became E. Causeway (what it is today).

The streets that crossed these Avenues - the ones that run northwest to southeast on the map - also changed names - or disappeared - over the years.  One thing that did not change was block numbering.  That helps with matching up streets - and addresses - from the past.

Starting at the south end of North Beach:

2600 block - from Bessie (gone today) to Bennett (also gone today).

2700 block - from Bennett to Pearl.

2800 block - from Pearl to Market (now Breakwater).

2900 block - from Market (Breakwater) to Garner (now Bridgeport).

3000 block - from Garner (Bridgeport) to Vine (now Coastal).

3100 block - from Vine (Coastal) to Elm.

3200 block - from Elm to Plum (which is Golf today east of Timon/Surfside and the Harbor Bridge).

3300 block - from Plum (also Golf) to Walnut (which is Paul today east of Timon/Surfside and the Harbor Bridge).

3400 block - from Walnut (also Paul) to Siegler (only a small piece of this remains, thanks to the Harbor Bridge and North Beach ramps on and off it).

3500 block - from Siegler to Burleson (which is Breaker east of Timon/Surfside).

3600 block - from Burleson (also Breaker) to Custom (now Churchdale).  This street roughly lines up with Bushick east of Timon/Surfside.

3700 block - from Custom (Churchdale) to St. Charles.

3800 block - from St. Charles to St. Nichols (now Tourist).

3900 block - from St. Nichols (Tourist) to Oxford (now Treasure).

4000 block - from Oxford (Treasure) to Perry (now Surfboard).

4100 block - from Perry (Surfboard) to Davis (now Gulfspray).

4200 block - from Davis (Gulfspray) to Neal.

4300 block - from Neal to Ohio (now Hayes).

4400 block - from Ohio (Hayes) to Walldue (now Beach).

4500 block - from Walldue (Beach) to Annie (now Reef).

North of this point, Foggs became Sandbar, and Woodrow and Hull streets disappeared.

So 3207 C Avenue would be 3207 Timon/Surfside - or W. Surfside - today, between Elm and Plum streets.  But which is it?  Timon, Surfside, or W. Surfside?  The routing of the Harbor Bridge really affected this area.  The image below is from a topographic map from 1971.  The area outlined by the yellow square is the area in which the Christi Courts would have been.

Cropped and edited from Geological Survey (U.S.). Corpus Christi Quadrangle, map, 1971; Reston, Virginia. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth457559/: accessed March 19, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.

My next strategy was to search the deed records for Nueces County, to see if I could find a legal description for the Christi Courts property that would line up with Nueces County Accessor District data for today.  I was lucky that an advanced search in the field "Document Image" for "christi courts" brought up this backfile deed record from 1949, volume 734, page 408:

So according to this, Christi Courts was located on "...All of Lots Three (3), Five (5), and (7) in Block Fifty Six (56) Brooklyn Addition of the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, as shown by the map or plat thereof recorded in Volume "A", page 32 of the Map Records of Nueces County, Texas..."

I was able to pull up that November 6, 1909, plat as well, with the volume and page number:

Here's a closeup of the relevant section of the map:

On this, you can just make out the Avenue A and Avenue C labels, to the right.  The title box for the map provides a little more information:

Note that Avenues A, C, and E are 100 feet wide - other streets are 60 feet wide.

So knowing that Christi Courts was in Block 56, we can find that on the present-day Nueces County Appraisal District map:

This proves that Christi Courts was at the present-day address of 3207 W. Surfside Blvd. in Corpus Christi.  The southeast edge of the property was likely taken in the construction of the Harbor Bridge in the 195os, hence the legal description for the property is BROOKLYN NW POR[TION] OF LTS 3, 5 & 7 BK 56.

Stay tuned for future posts on North Beach establishments from the 1940s.

© Amanda Pape - 2023 - e-mail me!

Those Places Thursday: La Armada, Corpus Christi, Texas, 1940s.

Recently someone in a Facebook group related to Corpus Christi history asked about La Armada.  This is a housing project that still exists in the city, but it was originally built in 1940-41 to accommodate Navy enlisted men and civilian military employees as the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station (CCNAS) expanded.

My husband's family was eligible to live there, as my father-in-law, Francis Edward Gresham (1911-1990), was a Department of Defense contract employee at CCNAS from at least March 23, 1942, to at least April 13, 1944 (when he enlisted in the Navy and was sent to the Hydrographic Office near Washington DC), and then again from March 1946 (after his release from military service) to January 1949 (when he was transferred to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida).  Here is a picture of my husband Mark from that first time period.

The first time, the Greshams lived at 3765 Brandywine Court in the development.  That building was renovated in 2016-17.  The Greshams lived in 3829 Blanco Courts during the 1946-49 time period.

There are some images from La Armada's construction at the Library of Congress taken by Russell Lee (1903-1986) in Corpus Christi in December 1940 for the U.S. Farm Security Administration.

Above:  Sign at U.S.H.A. project under construction. Corpus Christi, Texas...

Below:  View of housing units...  Both photos by Russell Lee, December 1940.

No known copyright restrictions - U.S. Government works.

A site plan for the first phase of La Armada is in the Charles H.F. von Blucher Family Papers, Collection 4 [Conrad Blucher Survey Collection], Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Special Collections and Archives Department, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  A 1940s aerial photograph of La Armada is part of the Corpus Christi Public Libraries Digital Archives.


© Amanda Pape - 2019 - e-mail me!

Military Monday: Korean and Vietnam Memorial, Nueces County Courthouse Grounds, Corpus Christi, Texas

Korean and Vietnam Veteran Memorial [7 July 2007; modified] / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

One of my former homes, Corpus Christi, Texas, has a memorial honoring 199 Nueces County residents who died in the Korean War or the Vietnam War.  It is located on the grounds of the current county courthouse.  It was originally erected by the Corpus Christi chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., in 1976, but was not dedicated until Mother's Day, 1978, to allow for the completion of the new courthouse.

The memorial was re-dedicated in September 2005 after a $4,800 restoration.¹  The 3,000-plus letters in the names "had been treated with Lithochrome, a dye capable of penetrating granite. Over time, the names faded, blending into the background and making them hard to read,"  according to an August 15, 2005, article in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.² Three months later, the memorial was vandalized with graffiti.  Chemicals and steam were used to remove the graffiti, but the names had to be repainted and a sealant applied on them "to prevent graffiti from ruining the monument again."³ However, the memorial appears to have suffered further damage or needed cleaning by the time these July 2007 photographs were taken, as some names are difficult to read.

Rededication in 2005 [7 July 2007; cropped] / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

The inscription on the center panel reads as follows:

In loving memory of those men of Nueces County, Texas, who gave their lives for their country in the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.  

Re-dedicated 9-12-2005 by David Chappell, USAF, Ret. * Abel A. Chapa, CVSO

Erected by American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., Corpus Christi Chapter, in 1976.

Following are transcriptions of the 199 names on the four other panels:

Names left slab [7 July 2007; cropped to left half of slab]
/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Names on the left side of the left-hand panel:

Ables, James L.
Adams, James C.
Aguirre, Fidel Jr.
Alaniz, Paul G. Jr.
Alvarez, Ignacio Jr.
Amador, Ernest B.
Amador, Severiano
Angermiller, James A.
Auten, Norman D.
Ayala, Bernardo R.
Baker, Willy S.
Barnes, Merrill
Beardsley, William M.
Beatty, William T.
Blakey, Robert T.
Blunt, Samuel
Bowers, James E.
Boyd, Thomas M. III
Bradshaw, Faybert R.
Brooks, James E.
Browne, James G.
Browne, Robert G.
Buitron, Carlos S.
Caballero, David J.
Campbell, Ronald S.
Cantu, Raymond D.
Carr, George D.
Castanon, Alfredo
Castillo, Pablo A.
Cavazos, Reynaldo
Cavin, Douglas J.
Chavez, Ruben G.
Chuter, John D.
Coalston, Echol W. Jr.
Conolly, Sidney M. Jr.
Cortez, Jose G.
Davila, Guillermo Jr.
Davila, Jose
Davis, Kenneth A.*
Day, Joe B.
Deleon, Mario P.*
Dickey, Douglas P.*
Ducote, Lonnie J. Jr.*
Dulak, Raymond R. Jr. *
Durham, George B.*
Eaglin, John H.*
Elizondo, David*
Esparza, Israel *
Everett, Arnado


* Damage to monument makes these names difficult to read.  Some names were transcribed from a December 2005 photo.

Names left slab [7 July 2007; cropped to right half of slab]

/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Names on the right side of the left-hand panel:


Eyring, Kenneth R.
Ferrell, E. M.
Flores, Jesus C.
Flores, Raul F.
Fortner, Carv D.
Franco, Noe
Galindo, Guadalupe
Garcia, Gilberto
Garcia, Guadalupe
Garcia, Miguel Jr.
Garcia, Pedro
Garcia, Arnoldo
Garcia, Raynaldo C.
Garza, Alberto B.
Garza, Ben III
Garza, Francisco
Garza, Frank
Garza, Marcello C. Jr.
Garza, Margarito
Garza, Pedro
Garza, Ruben V.
Gauna*, Daniel Jr.
Godinez,* Daniel
Gonzales, Benito R.
Gonzales, Guadalupe
Gonzales, Jesus
Gonzales, Manuel E.
Greathouse*, Julius Jr.
Grim*, Kenneth E.
Guerra, George Jr.
Guerrero, Richard Jr.
Gutierrez, Adolfo M.
Hammons, James L.
Haskett, George N.
Hernandez, Manuel Jr.
Hernandez, Rolando
Hibrich, Barry W.
Hobbs, Gary L.
Holtzclaw, John M.
Horton, Bill
Hoskins, Dale O.
Huth, Phillip N. II
Jennings*, William A. III
Johns*, Ronald E.*
Johnson, Howard H. Jr.
Jurecko*, Daniel E.
Kearns, James 
Kellum, Norman W.
Kettrick, William C.

* Damage to monument makes these names difficult to read.  Some names were transcribed from a December 2005 photo.

Names right slab [7 July 2007; cropped to left half of slab]
 / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Names on the left side of the right-hand panel:

Rodriguez, Bonifacio P.
Krussow, Donald J.
Lamas, Raul R.
Laurel, Desiderio C. Jr.
Ledesma, Incarnacion
Leos, Leonardo
Logan, Francis M. III
Lynch, Carl D.
McCartney, Ken A.
McDonald, Jerry C.
McGarvey, Charles E.
McKeown, John M.
Maeckel, Eugene A.
Makintaya, Alejandro
Mendez, Roberto
Meerdink, George Jr.
Mindach, William R.
Moneachi, David K.
Mora, Robert C.
Moreno, Jesus Jr.
Neely, James E.
Niedecken, William C.
Newcity, Theodore C. Jr.
Ochoa, Robert
Ojeda, Joe B.
Ortiz, Jose A.
Ownes, Frank Jr.
Padilla, Gilberto
Parker, Maxin C.
Patino, Roberto L.
Pena, Fernando S.
Pena, Manuel J.
Perez, Adolfo M.
Perez, Benito
Perez, Espiridion
Perez, Rodolfo
Phillips, Jerry
Poston, Willam T.
Price, Coy W.
Pritchett, Willie G.
Queen, Cary P.
Ramos, Jose Jr.
Raper, Alvin L.
Reyna, Samuel
Riley, Glenn A.
Roberson, Robert S. Jr.
Rocha, Ruben L.
Rodriguez, Juan A.
Rodriguez, Roberto P.
Ronje, Joe L.

Names right slab [7 July 2007; cropped to right half of slab]
 / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Names on the right side of the right-hand panel:

Ruiz, Leopoldo L.
Patterson, Joe N. Jr.
Ruiz, Alto
Ruiz, Manuel R.
Russell, John E.
Rylander, Robert J.
Saenz, Alfredo J.
Salazar, Joe Jr.
Salazar, Jose L.
Samford, Jesse L.
Sanders, Alan E.
Satterwhite, Dwight K.
Scalljan, Clinton
Simmons, Nolan L.
Simpson, Lloyde H.
Sims, John C. Jr.
Sims, Kirk W.
Singer, Kenneth E.
Smith, Linton C.
Solis, Antonio A.
Stoddard, Clarence W. Jr.
Stroud, Sanders K. II
Stroud, Roger L.
Taylor, Robert A.
Terry, Robert I. III
Thomas, Darwin J.
Thompson, Billy
Thornton, Kenneth R.
Till, Ralph G.
Trejo, Jose M.
Trevino, Faustino A.
Trammell, James
Vaught, Michael E.
Veit, Freddie J.
Vergara, Eliseo C.
Garza, Richard C.
Vetters, Scott
Vilano, Evaristo
Villarreal, Jesus Jr.
Waid, Billy G.
Weaver, Charles E.
Welborn, Joe T.
Whaley, Henry N. Jr.
Williams, Gayle E.
Williams, Gerald D.
Williams, Howard C. Jr.
Wokaty, Eugene A.
Wranosky, Robert W.
Yanez, Jesus Jr.
York, Emmett L. Jr.
Zanga, Peter A.



This post was done in honor of the upcoming Veterans Day for The Honor Roll Project begun by Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy. 


Sources:

¹ Chirinos, Fanny S.. "Local veteran helps restore war memorial - The former master sergeant in Air Force donates $4,800," Corpus Christi Caller-Times (TX), August 30, 2005: B2, accessed September 17, 2017, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/10C598C7AA50B7C8?p=WORLDNEWS.

² Chirinos, Fanny S.. "Monument may get repairs - Names of residents killed in wars faded," Corpus Christi Caller-Times (TX), August 15, 2005: B2, accessed September 17, 2017, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/10C0A3FC46EC4338?p=WORLDNEWS.

³Saugier, Mari. "Bond raised for suspect in monument damage," Corpus Christi Caller-Times (TX), December 17, 2005: B2, accessed September 17, 2017, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/10E9D0CD9B6B5538?p=WORLDNEWS.



© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.

Military Monday: World War I Memorial, Spohn Park, Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi has a World War I memorial in Spohn Park in the downtown area.  This memorial was dedicated in 1931 for the 39 Nueces County men killed in that war. It was originally called "The Gold Star Tree Court of Honor," (with the slogan "Some deeds must not die; some names must not wither," according to newspaper clippings in a 1931-32 scrapbook in the Lillie Mussett (Mrs. Sam) Rankin Collection at the Corpus Christi Public Library.  (The scrapbook also contains articles with, in some cases, photographs, of all 39 men honored.)

The original memorial consisted of bronze medallions for each serviceman with a crepe myrtle tree planted adjacent to it. The medallions and trees line the Broadway Bluff Balustrade on either side of Lipan Street (which is just above the words "World War Memorial" in the photo below). About 2,500 people attended the original dedication in 1931.  Back then, they had no idea there would be a second World War.

Here's how the memorial looked about nine years ago:

Above:  World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor [8 October 2008, with Corpus Christi Cathedral in the background] / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Below:  "Heroes All" [8 October 2008] / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Just to the right in the first photo, not visible in it, is the sign pictured just above.  In the background, next to the balustrade, you can see one of the medallions on a small post.

In a June 1932 photo, the sign can be seen on the base of what is now the flagpole in the upper left corner of the first photograph in this post, at the top of the bluff.  In that 1932 photo, the sign was illuminated with incandescent bulbs; later, those bulbs were changed to neon.  It appears that might have happened and the sign might have been moved around April 2000 as part of a restoration project, but it's not clear to me if the sign is lit today.  It is about level with the large granite monument pictured below, which was added in 2001.  The concrete letters and star reading "World War Memorial Gold *star* Court" were added sometime between May 1941 and November 1944.

Above: p1400003 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] 

/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Below: p1400004 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] 

/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Following are photographs and transcriptions of the 39 names listed in two panels on the monument:

Pvt Juvencio Almaraz
Pvt Tomas Alvarado
Pvt Benjamin Birmingham
Pvt Albert Blair
Pvt Tranquelino Bosque
1Lt Morris F. Briggs
Wagoner James H. Cade
Pvt Fred Cruz
Pvt William Cunningham
Pvt Robert Gillett
Pvt Fernando Gonzalez
Seaman Ernest Gragg
Pvt Arthur Grant
Pvt Jesus Guzman
Pvt Ben Hastings
Pvt Otto Hercek
Pvt Samuel H. Ingle
Sgt Wilbur F. Lane
Pvt Joe Maupin
Cpt George McDonald

p1400007 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Pvt Martin Mircovich
Pvt Manton M. Parsons
Pvt. Polonio Perez
Pvt Phillip W. Philibert
Gun Harold W, Rankin
Pvt Leo Reoux
Pvt Ramon Rios
Pvt Andres Rodriguez
Pvt William A. Roper
Pvt Joe R. Teasley
Pvt Louis B. Thomas
Pvt John N. Timon
Eusebio Villarreal
Cpl August F. Vuckasin
Pvt Samuel L. Weed
1Lt James W. Welch
Pvt Charles S. Wheeler
PFC Willie Winn
Cpt Rufas C. Wood

 p1400008 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] / Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Other parts of the 2001 monument include a brief history of Spohn Park, where the memorial is located, and of the Gold Star Court itself:

Above left:  p1400005 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] 

/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Above right:  p1400006 [World War Memorial Gold Star Court of Honor, 8 October 2008, cropped] 

/ Terry Ross / CC BY-SA 2.0

Below:  Medallion with tattered flag at Gold Star Court of Honor, Spohn Park, Upper Broadway and Lipan.  October 2010.  Kenneth L. Anthony Photographic Collection, Item 212-158. Special Collections and Archives, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  Used with permission of Kenneth L. Anthony.  

The bronze plaques were originally installed closer to the ground.  In 1999, the medallions were raised and restored, as pictured above and below:

Above:  Medallion memorializing Eusebio Villareal [note his name was spelled incorrectly on both monuments], Gold Star Court of Honor, Spohn Park, Upper Broadway and Lipan.  October 2010.  Kenneth L. Anthony Photographic Collection, Item 212-159. Special Collections and Archives, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  Used with permission of Kenneth L. Anthony. 

Below:  Medallion memorializing Pvt. Louis B. Thomas [Tamez], Gold Star Court of Honor, Spohn Park, Upper Broadway and Lipan.  October 2010. Kenneth L. Anthony Photographic Collection, Item 212-160. Special Collections and Archives, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.  Used with permission of Kenneth L. Anthony. 

Here is the text of the Texas Historical Marker dedicated in a ceremony on November 10, 2016, Veterans Day (with some additions in brackets):

Gold Star Court of Honor

The Corpus Christi Gold Star Court of Honor pays tribute to the mothers of the servicemen of Nueces County killed during World War I (1914-1918). Incorporated into the existing Spohn Park, part of the Broadway Bluff improvements completed in 1916, this court was the first of its kind in the state when dedicated on March 22, 1931.

The court was a project of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), led by Mrs. Sam (Lillie) Rankin, regent of the Corpus Christi Chapter. The DAR was joined by the American Legion, as well as local civic, religious and business groups. The Gold Star Court was designed by Mrs. Frank [Eloise] de Garmo. Instrumental in establishing Courts of Honor in northeast cities, de Garmo envisioned the memorial as a living space to honor the fallen servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice in the ‘War to End All Wars.’ The city planted crepe myrtle trees and built a gold star light, three feet in diameter, outlined with yellow and white lamps; in the center read the words, "Our 1917 World War Gold Star Heroes." The gold star was located at the northern point of the highest terraces, and at the opposite end, Nueces County officials placed a magnificent flagpole. On August 2, 1932, a British 5-inch field piece and a 3-inch caisson and limber were added to the site [later removed]. Later, large concrete letters reading "World War Memorial Gold Star Court" were placed in a semicircle.

In 1988, Broadway Bluff, Spohn Park, and the Gold Star Court were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site fell into disrepair until volunteers undertook a restoration project in 2000. A private, city, and county effort, the Gold Star Court — the first in Texas — honors Nueces County’s revered heroes and their mothers.


This post was done in honor of Memorial Day for The Honor Roll Project begun by Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy.

© Amanda Pape - 2017 - click here to e-mail me.