2:20 am
Dianne DeLeon
This information and pictures were furnished by Dianne:
These pictures were taken in Victoria when I worked in the Victoria Archives. My great-great-great-grandfather don Martin de Leon (descendant of King Alfonso of Spain) founded Victoria in 1824. Don is the equivalent of the English word Sir. It actually should be written with a small “d,” but these days it is usually written with a capital “D” in which case it is mistaken by some for the name “Don” as in a nickname for Donald.
There are no pictures of don Martin de Leon. His grandson Rafael Aldrete is said to have looked like him. That composite fake picture which was hung in the De Leon School many years ago was taken down and replaced with this one.
When A. B. J. Hammett wrote the book The Empresario about 1972, he wanted a picture of Martin for his cover; there was none. So, he commissioned an artist to alter a picture of Rafael and called it don Martin de Leon.
The Class of 1957
Sailing on the high seas through life…they stopped at a little port; it’s called Lavaca
By Dianne De Leon
October 13, 2007
Once again the message came,
To announce the gathering of the clan…
It’s the Class of ’57 by name,
And a 50th Year Celebration is the plan!
Wilbert and Jane are the backbone of the group,
Assisted by several lovely ladies,
They make a very fine troop.
Their valuable time and talents they share,
And we know it is because they truly care.
They come from far and from near,
By plane and car to visit their peers.
They look forward to seeing who’s here,
To sharing some wine or perhaps some beers.
Upon greeting each other, they try to recall a name.
But after all this time, not all look the same.
So, alas, on reading the name tags they must rely,
Before they are sure to whom they are saying, “Hi!”
They exchange tales of families, lives and adventures.
But dare not ask, “Are those your real teeth or beautiful dentures?”
They laugh and discuss what has been changed by Father Time;
From the color of their hair to what used to cost a dime.
They take time from their personal life’s journey to gather, talk, and reminisce.
Some, while teary-eyed, will exchange a nostalgic little kiss.
Others will talk of their times when they were sad,
Laughing at the good and regretting the bad.
The ’57 clan will grow smaller as time passes by,
As each completes his journey, answering God’s call with a gentle sigh.
The rest of the class, saddened and brokenhearted,
Will share their loss and share a cry.
The hands on the clock keep moving although they say not a word…
Farwell hugs are starting and the wonderful Texan “Y’all come see us!” is heard.
But then somewhere a cell phone rings, and someone was heard to say,
“All is well. We’re on our way home. It’s been a fine day!”
