Bandera Electric Cooperative Texas Co-op Power - October 2025

MEMBER

BEC PRESENTS ITS 2024 ANNUAL REPORT

MEMBER GIFTS AND PRIZES AVAILABLE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

The Annual Meeting of Members of Bandera Electric Cooperative will be held in-person on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at Enchanted Springs Ranch, 242 TX-46, Boerne, TX 78006 at 8:30 a.m. for the election of three (3) directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the membership.

In accordance with the nomination and election of directors provisions of the cooperative’s bylaws, the following qualified candidates are to be placed on the ballot and voted upon by the cooperative’s members—districts 7, 8 and 9 candidates will each serve three-year terms as director.

The candidate for any particular voting district receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared the director of that particular voting district:

Voting is permitted on matters to be acted upon at the annual meeting. All voting will be completed prior to the annual meeting. You will receive an email with directions beginning September 19, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Voting closes on October 17, 2025, at noon.

Bring this portion of the dust cover with you to the meeting for easy registration!

FOR BANDERA EC MEMBERS

OCTOBER

Grapes Stake Their Claims

New American Viticultural Areas would help define Texas wines

October 2025

By D’Ann Nichols Drennan

By Amanda Ogle

Taco Timing

NATIONAL TACO DAY moved to the first Tuesday in October in 2024. Marketers liked the idea of Taco Tuesday.

Of course, in Texas, every day is taco day. Still, mark your 2025 calendars for October 7. And remember that we had the best reader recipes for tacos in March 2021—available online any day of the week.

Get Over It

Sugar Land wants to rise above all the snarling traffic around Houston.

The southwest suburb is looking at two solutions that could have commuters whizzing around overhead. Electric, self-flying taxis using vertical takeoff and landing is one possibility. Another is a system of on-demand, electric gondolas, left, that would glide on cables above city streets.

“We’re told to be trailblazers and not be afraid to take risks,” says Melanie Beaman, the city’s transportation and mobility manager.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE

The best food I’ve ever had at a fair is ...

Tell us how you would finish that sentence. Email your short responses to letters@TexasCoopPower.com or comment on our Facebook post. Include your co-op and town.

Here are some of the responses to our August prompt: Another day, another ... Texas scorcher.

BENNY CALVIT

BOWIE-CASS EC DE KALB

Book read.

EMMA MACHALICA, AGE 12 UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES GRANDVIEW

Day to say I love you.

ROBERTA SHOWERMAN VIA FACEBOOK

Gray hair!

CAROL MERCER GRAYSON-COLLIN EC FAIRVIEW

Chance to make a difference.

LISA LEOPOLD BRYAN TEXAS UTILITIES BRYAN

Whataburger.

JAN PENTER CANAMORE NUECES EC BISHOP

Visit

Contests and More

ENTER CONTESTS AT TEXASCOOPPOWER.COM

$500 RECIPE CONTEST Barbecue Sides

FOCUS ON TEXAS PHOTOS

From the Oil Fields

RECOMMENDED READING

October is National Co-op Month. In October 2015 we looked at some of the terrific work co-ops do—in Texas and worldwide. Read the story at TexasCoopPower.com.

Before There Was Golf

My husband’s family is proud of the fact that his uncle, Fred Morrison, invented the Frisbee, first called the Pluto Platter [Disc Jockeys, August 2025]. Several family members, including my then-teenage future husband, demonstrated the invention at state fairs before it was finally bought by Wham-O.

Kathleen Warr

San Bernard EC Hockley

Fire Prevention

I could add another tip: During holidays that normally have fireworks involved or during an extended dry spell, at each outdoor faucet I will stage a water hose with an attached nozzle [‘Every Part of Texas Is at Risk,’ August 2025]. If a fire starts that could affect our house, I can fight it till the fire department arrives.

Ted Pasche CoServ Argyle

AUGUST

2025 Disc Jockeys

“Some think it’s just for college kids, slackers and stoners when, in fact, it’s a great sport for people of all ages (I’m 68).”

GREG MCCARTY PEDERNALES EC BUDA

Learned Our Lesson

The quote from “Anonymous” was an insult to every educator in this state [Currents, August 2025].

The quote means, “After you’ve forgotten how to read, forgotten mathematics, forgotten EVERYTHING that you learned in school … then you’re truly educated.”

Preposterous! As a retired educator, I can assure you that dedicated educators are teaching Texas students what they need to continue in life—in college, onthe-job training or life experiences— which they wouldn’t even be able to comprehend without those “useless things” they learned in school.

Susie McCalla

Central Texas EC Kerrville

One Rare Sight

A little over 40 years ago, I lived in northeast Arkansas for a while, and I kept a tiny carved agate armadillo on my desk [Dillo Dirt, July 2025]. One day a woman in the office finally picked it up and said, “What is this?”

She had never seen one.

Mona Tucker Rusk County EC Carthage

Editor, Texas Co-op Power 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor Austin, TX 78701

Please include your electric co-op and town. Letters

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Bryan Wood, San Augustine

Vice Chair Cameron Smallwood, Burleson

Secretary-Treasurer Jim Coleman, Edna

Board Members Matt Bentke, Bastrop Kerry Kelton, Navasota • Mark McClain, Roby • Zac Perkins, Hooker, Oklahoma

PRESIDENT/CEO Mike Williams, Austin

COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER

SERVICES COMMITTEE

Mike Ables, Bellville • Kathi Calvert, Crockett

Tachi Hinojosa, Fredericksburg

Gary Miller, Bryan • Bryan Story, Blossom Grace Subealdea, Dalhart

Buff Whitten, Eldorado

MAGAZINE STAFF

Vice President, Communications & Member Services Martin Bevins

Editor Chris Burrows

Associate Editor Tom Widlowski

Production Manager Karen Nejtek

Creative Manager Andy Doughty

Advertising Manager Elaine Sproull

Communications Specialist Samantha Bryant

Digital Media Specialist Caytlyn Calhoun

Senior Designer Stacy Coale

Assistant Production Manager Alex Dal Santo

Print Production Specialist Grace Fultz

Food Editor Vianney Rodriguez

Communications Specialist Erin Sinclair

Communications Specialist Claire Stevens

Communications Specialist Kelly Tran

Proofreader Louie Bond

TEXAS CO-OP POWER Volume 82, Number 4 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives. Periodical postage paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 76 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 4540311 or email editor@TexasCoopPower.com.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription price is $5.11 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives and is paid from equity accruing to the member. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Co-op members: Please notify your co-op of address changes or other subscription requests.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers.

ADVERTISING Contact Elaine Sproull at (512) 486-6251 or esproull@texas-ec.org for information about purchasing display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 26 sister publications in other states. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication.

COPYRIGHT All content © 2025 Texas Electric Cooperatives Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © 2025 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Growers continue to refine and expand the distinctive character of Texas wines

PUTTING GRAPES ON THE MAP

BY AMANDA OGLE • PHOTOS BY ERICH SCHLEGEL

Drive across Texas and you expect to see cattle, oil pump jacks, and cotton or corn.

But grapes?

They’re more Texan and more common than you might think—increasingly so. And they’ve been here far longer than those pump jacks.

In fact, more than 14,000 acres of grapevines provide for some 600 winemaking facilities in Texas, according to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. That’s way up from 3,000 acres and 200 wineries just a decade ago, a reflection of the rapidly expanding $24 billion Texas wine industry.

Spanish missionaries brought grapevines with them to Texas in the 17th century, and attempts at winemaking with wild mustang and muscadine grapes occurred until Prohibition.

Modern winemaking picked up in the 1960s as researchers at Texas Tech University planted grapes in the High Plains of the southern Panhandle, and producers are still refining what grows best where.

The state has eight American Viticultural Areas, distinct appellations of origin used on wine labels. AVAs define grape-growing regions and identify specific geographic or climatic features that affect the characteristics of grapes.

The Texas High Plains AVA is the most productive in the state, with more than 8,000 acres of vineyards, followed by

ABOVE Claire Richardson is a winemaker at Burnet-based Uplift Vineyard near Lake Buchanan.

OPPOSITE Drew Tallent with a handful of iron-rich Hickory Sands soil at Tallent Vineyards, north of Mason.

the Texas Hill Country AVA with about 2,500 acres. The oldest, the Mesilla Valley AVA, established in 1985, straddles Texas and New Mexico in the El Paso area.

As the Texas wine scene continues to expand, more oenophiles are learning about what they taste in the state’s specific terroirs, nailing down hyperlocal characteristics that help them understand exactly what types of wines they like from each region.

“The entire country of France has more than 360 different appellations,” says Valerie Elkins, managing director of membership operations for William Chris Wine Co., based in Hye, between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. “Yet Texas is larger than France, and we only have eight defined AVAs. These AVAs help the consumer to identify regions and regional expectations, so establishing more AVAs helps get more national and international understanding.

“If you were to go to a restaurant today and order a chardonnay, you’d look for a California Russian River Valley chardonnay because that’s one of the regions where those grapes grow the best. We don’t really have that in Texas yet.”

Grape and wine producers await the approval of three viticultural areas by the U.S. Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The process for establishing an AVA is tedious and slow. If approved, these new appellations would be Texas’ first since 2005.

LLANO UPLIFT AVA

Located entirely within the Texas Hill Country AVA, the Llano Uplift AVA would cover 1.3 million acres. The greater Hill Country region sits over an ancient limestone seabed, meaning the soils are more alkaline compared with the slightly acidic soils of the uplift, which is marked by a geological formation made primarily of granite rather than limestone.

According to Justin Scheiner, associate professor and viticulture specialist at Texas A&M University and the petitioner behind this AVA proposal, the Llano Uplift has its own aquifer system, which impacts nutrient availability and water quality and allows for different rootstocks to be planted. The uplift gets less rain than surrounding areas, which contributes to the distinct character of wines made from the vineyards here.

“Aromatically, the wines in the Llano Uplift AVA exhibit more floral, delicate and perfumed characteristics,” says Claire Richardson, winemaker at Burnet-based Uplift Vineyard, which is within the proposed Llano Uplift AVA and a member of Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

“The wines are typically medium in body and have a distinct tannin structure that could be described as dusty or powdery,” she says, noting that depending on the vintage and variety, herbal characteristics can be present in the wines, including mint, eucalyptus and subtle green pepper.

HICKORY SANDS DISTRICT AVA

This proposed viticultural area is located entirely within the western part of the proposed Llano Uplift AVA and on the edge of the Edwards Plateau in Mason County. Soils here are rich in iron, with granite and sandstone. Water from the Hickory Aquifer is important for irrigation.

Bending Branch Winery, based in Comfort and a member of Bandera Electric Cooperative, sources Hickory Sands grapes from Drew Tallent of Tallent Vineyards, one of the catalysts behind the application for this AVA proposal.

“Vines are able to root deeply into the soils of the Hickory Sands,” says Jennifer Cernosek, general manager of Bending Branch. “The Hickory Sands aquifer gives great water content to the soil, and the well-drained soil contributes to the fruit-forward nature of the wines from these grapes.”

Cernosek says that the wines Bending Branch makes from Tallent’s grapes tend to be softer in tannins, have a deeper mineral profile and are earthier.

“There’s a vanilla note in the wines that comes through across various grape varieties,” she says.

DELL VALLEY AVA

In the Chihuahuan Desert of far West Texas, the proposed Dell Valley AVA is in Hudspeth County, west of the Guadalupe Mountains and east of El Paso.

The higher elevation here, 3,640–4,200 feet, provides diurnal shifts, which means it’s hot during the day and cold in the mornings, so that grapes can produce sugars in the heat and acids as they cool.

Ron Yates of Spicewood Vineyards, a member of Pedernales EC, sources grapes from Dell Valley. He says the distinctive altitude, soil and farming techniques come through in the grapes.

“For me, it’s probably the best-value fruit we have in the

Worth the Squeeze

state,” he says. “Not a lot of folks are getting it, and it makes great wine. That mountain air up there is almost no humidity, so disease pressure for the grapes is less. Plus, deer aren’t roaming and eating your grapes.

“It’s probably one of the only places in the state that I have found where we can make lower-alcohol wine, and it’s still really jumping out with flavors and fruit.”

ABOUT TIME

Establishing a new AVA involves filing a petition that takes time to be “perfected” to meet TTB regulation requirements, a period for public comment and then rulemaking finalization. It can take years.

But the Llano Uplift AVA, filed with the government in 2022, is close to becoming official; it’s third in line to enter a public comment period, followed by Hickory Sands, filed in 2023, which is 10th in line.

Grapes to sample from each of the proposed AVAs

LLANO UPLIFT

Montepulciano and sangiovese, both used in Italian red wines

HICKORY SANDS

Red grapes merlot, mourvèdre, touriga nacional, tannat and tempranillo, and white grape viognier

DELL VALLEY

Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, chenin blanc, petit verdot, tempranillo, muscat, riesling, chardonnay and sémillon

However, while the AVAs aren’t yet official, you can still enjoy wines from each of these areas at wineries and vineyards across Texas and beyond.

“Texas is becoming known as a worldclass wine region,” says Elkins of William Chris Wine. “Breaking down our grow regions to show the unique characteristics of the soil and growing conditions will help raise awareness for the variety of terroir Texas has and continue to make Texas-grown wine more prominent in the national and international wine world.” D

Managing an electric cooperative was a job too big for one man

Her Life of Service

BY D’ANN NICHOLS DRENNAN PHOTO BY JAY PATRICK

When Jerry Jordan said “I do” to Juan D. Nichols in 1951, she didn’t realize all she was saying yes to.

Jerry, born in 1933, was 3 or 4 when electricity came to her family’s farm near Newsome in East Texas.

“My grandparents’ and my parents’ houses were on the highway, so we were fortunate,” she says. “We were one of the first to get power.” While she doesn’t remember her own home before electric lights, she recalls visiting family and friends who didn’t have such luxuries. “It made me feel very lucky.”

She never dreamed she’d devote herself to the electric industry. She says that her first husband was a sailor in Korea, her second a college student, her third a fertilizer salesman and her fourth the general manager of Wood County Electric Cooperative. With a twinkle in her clear, green eyes, the 92-year-old whispers conspiratorially, “They were all the same man.”

In 1961, Jerry was happily settled with Juan and their three small children in Woodway, just outside of Waco.

“But Juan D. didn’t want to live anywhere other than Wood County,” where he grew up, she says. A family friend who served on the board of directors at Wood County EC told Juan about a new position opening up at the East Texas co-op: power use adviser.

Juan met Virgil Shaw, the co-op’s founding general manager, at his farm just east of Quitman on a Saturday in late fall. Jerry remembers that Juan rushed back to where she and the children were visiting with her in-laws and said, “Jerry, come on, he wants to meet you too.”

Jerry purses her lips. “Juan D. told me I didn’t have time to change, so I hopped in the car and off we went.” She must have made a good impression because Shaw hired Juan that day.

“It wasn’t unusual,” Jerry explains, “for an employer to expect the wife to help the man—without compensation, of course.”

She knits her still-dark brows. “Back then, I signed everything as Mrs. J.D. Nichols, never my name. When my daddy died, the clerk sent me out of the room so Juan D. could sign the papers to inherit my property. I couldn’t get a credit card, couldn’t take out a bank loan without my husband’s signature.” Jerry smirks. “Even though I managed our money better than he did!”

When Juan and Jerry moved to Quitman, about 35 miles north of Tyler, there were no houses available to purchase. They rented a little green house in town. Jerry remembers it snowed that winter, and flakes drifted in around the closed window and piled up on the dining table next to it.

They soon bought a lot on Meadowbrook Lane and built a modest ranch-style home. It was the first all-electric residence in Quitman. Juan installed extra meters to measure how much electricity it took to run the range, water heater, and central heating and air. Jerry didn’t get along with the electric stove. “Not to start with!” she exclaims. “I hated that

electric stove. Boy, when it boiled over, it made a mess!”

Not long after they moved in, there was a gas outage in town, and a gas company employee showed up at the door. Jerry told him, “I don’t have any gas.”

“Everybody has gas,” he answered. “For your stove, your heating and your hot water.”

Jerry’s voice is still smug as she repeats what she told him: “Not in my house.”

A college graduate with an English degree, Jerry didn’t want to leave behind her young children to teach school. At that time, public school began in first grade. So Jerry started the first kindergarten in Quitman in the garage of their new home. She operated Kiddie Kollege until 1970, when she and Juan were expecting their fourth and last child.

On January 1, 1968, Juan was promoted, becoming the second general manager of Wood County EC. At age 37, he was one of the youngest managers in the state.

Not long after Juan began working for the co-op, Jerry noticed that several wives of members of the board of directors would drive their husbands to the monthly meetings and wait in their cars outside. With a laugh, she explains that the men were “too old to drive—they were in their 60s and 70s!”

Jerry invited these ladies to her home. For more than three decades, she served coffee and dessert and visited

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Jerry at the Nichols’ house on Meadowbrook Lane, the first all-electric residence in Quitman. A moment from Juan D.’s roast when he retired from Wood County Electric Cooperative. The family gathered to celebrate Jerry and Juan D.’s 70th wedding anniversary.

ABOVE The Nicholses in 1973. RIGHT Jerry when she served as president of the Sabine River Authority of Texas.

National Cooperative Month

October is when the more than 30,000 co-ops in the U.S. celebrate their unique business model and the cohesive communities they create and support. Included in that number are 894 electric distribution and generation and transmission cooperatives with some 42 million members. That includes 77 co-ops that power the lives of some 3 million Texans with 363,000 miles of line across the state.

with the wives one Monday a month while their husbands conducted business.

“It was a consuming job for both of us,” Jerry says. In those days, when an ice storm hit, Juan went to the office until the lines were cleared. Jerry cooked huge pots of chili or stew so the lineworkers could have a hot meal when they came in.

The co-op didn’t have 24-hour dispatching until 1981. Before that, people called the Nichols’ home phone whenever their power went out. Jerry recalls one night when the harsh ring woke Juan from a deep sleep. She heard him ask three times for the caller’s last name, then finally inquire, “How do you spell that?” Jerry laughs as she remembers hearing Juan repeat back, “J-O-N-E-S.”

In the ’80s, the co-op hired lawyers from Washington, D.C., and consultants from Georgia to help with wholesale power purchases and other national issues affecting rural cooperatives. “There weren’t many options for hotels near us in those days, so I always hosted whoever was in town at our home,” Jerry remembers. “At first, I was intimidated, but I discovered these men were grateful to have a home-

cooked meal and spend time with our family.”

Even though Jerry was a supportive wife, she wasn’t content merely to serve stews and sip coffee. She took a leadership role in her community and in statewide organizations.

Jerry was active in the Quitman PTA, donating her time to the schools her children attended, and she was the editor of the Texas Rural Electric Women’s Association newsletter.

Her proudest accomplishment came in October 1991, when Gov. Ann Richards appointed Jerry as the first female director of the Sabine River Authority of Texas. Initially, a staffer was assigned to be Jerry’s “chaperone” at every board function. After the second encounter, Jerry decided, “Enough is enough.”

At the next meeting, she walked up to the huddle of male directors. “They didn’t have anything to say that would shock me,” she exclaims, tapping a red-polished nail on the arm of her chair. “I shared these experiences with Juan D. Hopefully, I helped make it easier for women to become leaders in our co-op.”

Jerry encouraged Juan to recruit women for executive positions and the board. In 1991, Cathy Roberts was chosen to fill an unexpired term, becoming the first female board member of Wood County EC. When Juan retired in 1997, he recommended Debbie Robinson to succeed him as general manager. She was one of the first women in the nation to lead an electric cooperative.

Juan died the day after Christmas in 2021, but Jerry continues to live in the house they shared. She has four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, who she says are the center of her world.

Jerry rocks gently in her recliner, a smile lighting her face. “I don’t know how I got so blessed,” she says. “Juan D.’s and my work with the co-op provided us with opportunities I never could have imagined.” D

Friday 11:00–2:00 • Saturday 1:00–4:00 And by Appointment

r Yorktown Historical Museum 144 W. Main, Yorktown, Texas

361-935-5243 (please leave a message) bcbruns47@gmail.com Available for reunions or small parties

BEC’s Member Appreciation Fall Festival Set for

Saturday, October 18

BANDERA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE is elated to announce its Member Appreciation Fall Festival. The in-person event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 18, at Enchanted Springs Ranch, 242 TX-46 in Boerne.

This year’s Member Appreciation Fall Festival will also serve as Bandera Electric Cooperative’s 2025 Annual Meeting of the Membership. Each person receiving service is a member-owner of BEC and is encouraged to take an active role in the business of the cooperative by attending. During the meeting, the CEO and board chair will present the annual report and share future plans for the cooperative. A full annual report will be available online in advance and will be posted later on BEC’s website.

BEC will conduct an electronic election for directors for districts 7, 8, and 9. Voting begins at 9 a.m. on September 19 and closes at noon on October 17. All members are encouraged to participate in the democratic cooperative process and in BEC’s board elections. Visit BanderaElectric.com/AnnualMeeting to learn more.

Members who attend the Member Appreciation Fall Festival will be eligible to win exciting prizes such as a Traeger Grill, KitchenAid Stand Mixer, countertop ice machine, and many more!

This year’s Member Appreciation Fall Festival promises to be one of the most exciting yet, featuring a cowboy breakfast, live music, a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, wagon rides, a photo booth, BEC services and vendors, member gifts, and plenty of prizes. It’s not just a meeting — it’s a celebration of our members and the cooperative spirit.

This event provides an excellent opportunity to participate in the business of the co-op and learn about energy efficiency programs, fiber broadband, and cooperative goals. BEC is dedicated to providing members with safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and other related services and encourages all members to take part in helping BEC improve how that service is delivered.

Scan the QR to learn more and RSVP! If you have questions about our Member Appreciation Fall Festival, please call 1-866226-3372 and select option 3.

2024 ANNUAL REPORT

MAINTAINING OUR HUMAN CONNECTIONS

ON OCTOBER 18, BEC MEMBERS will convene for our Fall Festival and Member Appreciation meeting. This year it will be held at the Enchanted Springs Ranch just west of Boerne on State Highway 46. The importance of shared connections and community cannot be understated.

It has been three months since a disastrous flood impacted our area. This event took a tremendous toll on our collective psyche, but the overwhelming response received from across the country strengthened the resiliency of our community and validated the importance of a shared human connection. What I call human connectedness.

Like it or not, artificial intelligence is here embedded in our lives. Opening your iPhone with facial recognition uses AI. The ads that pop up when you are scrolling social media use AI. That chatbot that appears with a friendly message offering assistance when you’re online uses AI.

The advent of the Internet, coupled with personal computers, tablets, and smartphones, put a vast amount of information at our fingertips and AI tools can function like a personal research assistant, quickly and efficiently presenting articulate answers to obscure questions or synthesizing complex theories for easy consumption.

AI has the potential to help us become more efficient and more effective in carrying out our daily tasks. While AI offers promising opportunities, it also raises concerns. AI-powered conversational agents are already

transforming functions like customer service and training and replacing some human-to-human interaction.

As these AI tools become more prevalent, it’s crucial to safeguard human interaction and human flourishing. We need to connect with real people, in a consistent way, to maintain our ability to have social connection. Social connection is a universal human need that, when met, improves our feelings of well-being and happiness, making us more resilient, and capable of coping with stress.

What makes us human, and what gives us joy, inspiration, and purpose is maintaining that human connectedness. We must safeguard our human connections, by protecting our in-person social time, strengthening our communities and networks, and supporting those in need. That’s why we’re excited about the upcoming Member Appreciation Fall Festival event.

This event provides the opportunity for members to gather, eat, learn about BEC and our services, and enjoy a lot of fun activities. We look forward to seeing you on October 18!

WILLIAM "BILL" HETHERINGTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

BEC's Commitment to You

BEC's Core Values

At Bandera Electric Cooperative, our work is guided by a set of core values that reflect who we are and how we serve. These principles, from our commitment to delivering safe, reliable power to our dedication to innovation, community, and member service, shape every decision we make. They are the foundation of our mission to power our communities today while building a stronger, more sustainable future for tomorrow.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Member-owners of BEC elect directors from the membership to serve on the cooperative board. These elected directors govern and direct the affairs of the cooperative, guide how the cooperative’s money and assets are used to fulfill the cooperative’s mission, and represent all members’ interests and concerns as they develop policies that guide the cooperative’s operations and strategic direction.

District 1

Medina Lake (partial) Pipe Creek

District 2

Bandera area (partial)

District 3

Bandera area (partial)

Center Point (partial) South Tarpley

District 4

Boerne East

Cordillera

Walnut Grove

District 5

Medina North Tarpley

Turtle Creek Utopia Vanderpool

District 6

Concan Hunt Leakey

District 7

Lakehills

Medina Lake (partial) Mico

District 8

Boerne (west of IH-10) Champee Springs Ranger Creek Tapatio Springs

District 9

Center Point (partial)

Comfort Stoneleigh

Welfare (west)

Shaping a Reliable Future

Bandera Electric Cooperative is steadfast in our mission to shape a reliable future by fortifying and maintaining a resilient electric grid. Our members deserve nothing less than safe, dependable power today and for generations to come. Guided by the strategic foresight of our Board of Directors, the leadership of our executive team, and the skill of our experienced operations crews, we are delivering on that promise. At BEC, reliability isn’t just a standard, it’s a legacy we are proud to uphold.

SAIDI stands for the System Average Interruption Duration Index, which measures the average total duration of power interruptions per member over a year.

Bandera Electric Cooperative is proud to provide safe, reliable power at a price you can count on — with rates among the lowest in Texas at just $0.123 per 1,000 kWh. It’s one more way we’re working to keep energy affordable for our members.

2024 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES

The Annual Meeting of the Membership of the Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held at Ridin’ the River Cowboy Fellowship in Bandera, Texas, on the 10th day of August 2024 in accordance with the bylaws. Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel John Padalino welcomed members to the 85th Annual Meeting at 10:00 a.m. and asked everyone to stand for the invocation by Pastor Jeremy Levi with Ridin’ the River Cowboy Fellowship and requested all remain standing for the posting of the colors by American Legion Post 157 from Bandera, Texas. Lezlie Yurrita then sang the National Anthem, and Mr. Padalino led members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, tenured BEC employees were introduced via video.

At 10:15 a.m., Mr. Padalino introduced Thomas J. Gleeson, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and invited him to give his remarks. Mr. Gleeson shared his excitement about electric co-ops and how they are positioned to be at the forefront of innovation and providing services at an affordable rate as the electric market in Texas change, and he stated that the focus of the PUCT find ways to ensure the grid remains reliable.

Mr. Padalino then explained that a quorum was established by receiving at least 150 ballots cast by mail and stated that more than 2,169 ballots had been received by the voting deadline. He then called the meeting to order at 10:22 a.m. and introduced Chairman Michael Edwards, District 8 representative, to preside over the meeting.

Chairman Edwards welcomed members then introduced the Directors via video.

District 1 Robert Aguirre

District 2 Frances (Fran) Laue

District 3 Jeffery (Jeff) Slocum

District 4 Jeremy Diller (Vice Chairman)

District 5 Annegreth (Anna) Niemann

District 6 Richard (Dick) Earnest

District 7 Christopher (Chris) Blakemore

District 8 Michael Edwards (Chairman)

District 9 Kurt Solis (Secretary/Treasurer)

At 10:31 a.m., Bill Hetherington presented the CEO Report, highlighting achievements made through innovative program and technologies to improve grid reliability, expand access to high-speed internet, and provide state-of-the-art technologies to help members save money on their electric bills. He stated that innovation helps improve electric reliability while keeping costs down and shared statistics from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas regarding electric usage demand growth in recent years. Mr. Hetherington explained that alternatives for reaching adequate supply are critical, and he discussed an upcoming state-wide program for Aggregated Distributed Energy Resources and BEC’s Apolloware platform are two such alternatives. He concluded his remarks by sharing that BEC was honored to receive the prestigious Texas Enterprise Impact Award from Southern Methodist University’s Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity earlier this year. The award recognizes achievements in improving economic development with an emphasis on long-term sustain-

ability and scalability across a wide variety of societal sectors, and BEC was the only organization from the electric utility sector to be recognized.

Chairman Edwards returned to the podium at 10:41 a.m. and called upon Secretary and Treasurer Kurt Solis to read the Notice of Meeting and Proof of Mailing.

Mr. Solis read the notice of meeting then stated that the next order of business was the reading of the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership held on August 12, 2023. He indicated that copies of these minutes were distributed to each Member in the annual report and entertained a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes. A motion was made to dispense with the reading of and to approve the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership held on August 12, 2023. The motion received a second and was approved by the membership at 10:42 a.m.

General Counsel Padalino returned to speak at 10:43 a.m., and he explained that three Directors are elected each year. Candidates are nominated by petition and incumbent Directors are also placed into nomination. This year, no petitions for candidates were received, and the incumbent directors were placed in nomination, resulting in the following candidates:

District 4 Jeremy Diller

District 5 Annegreth Niemann

District 6 Richard “Dick” Earnest

Mr. Padalino stated that votes received by the August 11, 11:00 a.m. deadline had been tabulated by third-party vendor Survey and Ballot Systems. The final tabulation of votes included all electronic, phone, mail-in and proxy ballots. General Counsel Padalino read the report regarding the final tally of votes for each candidate. The votes received were as follows:

Jeremy Diller – 1,830 votes

Annegreth Niemann – 1,854 votes

Richard “Dick” Earnest – 1,899 votes

Mr. Padalino entertained a motion to approve the vote. A motion and second were received, and the motion was approved by the membership at 10:45 a.m.

With no unfinished business, Mr. Padalino entertained a motion to adjourn. A motion was made, seconded, and approved by the membership to adjourn the meeting at 10:46 a.m.

Kurt Solis

Michael D.T. Edwards Board Secretary/Treasurer Board Chairman

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

ASSETS 2024

Total Utility Plant

Less: Accumulated Depreciation

Net Value of Utility Plant

Investments in Associated Organizations

Notes Receivable & Other Assets

Current Assets

Cash in Bank

Accounts Receivable

Other Current Assets

Total Current Assets

Total Assets

EQUITIES & LIABILITIES

Memberships

Patronage Capital & Other Equities

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Total Equities

Long-Term Debt Less Current Maturities

Credits and Other Long-Term Liabilities .

Current Liabilities Current Maturities of Long-Term Debt

$426,856,555

.($110,969,384)

.$315,887,171

$8,273,085

$16,297,929

$539,175

$7,021,789

$9,707,036

$17,268,000

.$357,726,185

$735,145

$114,656,268

$358,168

$115,749,581

$193,183,950

2023 $396,005,942 ($101,263,753) $294,742,189 $7,420,676 $16,006,252

$642,834

$7,055,283

$10,708,547

$18,406,664

$336,575,781

$718,965

$104,170,866 $685,256

$105,575,087

$187,249,743

$17,290,727

$8,185,610

$3,700,000

$10,873,548 Short-Term Notes Payable

Accounts Payable

$7,969,508

$8,500,000

$6,802,940

$832,498

$2,139,176

$25,573,254

Deposits $734,154 Other Current and Accrued Liabilities $2,296,044 Total Current Liabilities

Total Liabilities

Total Equities & Liabilities

OPERATING REVENUES Electric Revenue

Revenue From Divisions

Other Electric Revenue

Total Operating Revenue

$241,976,604

$357,726,185

$84,062,016

$20,341,694

$8,545,150

$112,948,860

OPERATING EXPENSES & FIXED CHARGES

Cost of Power

COGS—Divisions

Operations and Maintenance

$46,420,029

$6,985,266

$29,421,928

Depreciation and Amortization $11,443,461

Interest $7,854,026

Other Deductions (Additions) $214,881

Total Operating Expenses

Operating Margins—After Fixed Charges

Non-Operating Income

Net Margins

.$102,339,591

$10,609,269

$1,417,778

$12,027,047

$26,460,224

$231,000,694

$336,575,781

$82,683,219

$16,665,689

$9,002,949

$108,351,857

$49,583,473

$4,851,860

$28,854,284

$11,113,931

$7,801,396 $228,368

$102,433,312

$5,918,545

$2,076,868

$7,995,413

2022 $382,052,466 ($95,317,560) $286,734,906 $6,337,770 $6,115,093 $206,100 $4,048,941 $10,479,510 $14,734,551 $313,922,320 $706,365 $97,391,455 $1,155,928 $98,803,874 $180,716,131 $3,300,627 $8,213,614 $12,600,00 $7,861,502 $870,972 $1,555,600 $31,101,688 $215,118,446 $313,922,320 $77,199,801 $15,275,993 $7,818,792 $100,294,586 $50,800,028 $5,188,553 $26,071,249 $10,069,770 $6,328,618 $214,536 $98,672,754 $1,621,832 $1,069,968 $3,691,800

YOUR DOLLAR AT WORK IN 2024

HOW YOUR DOLLAR WAS EARNED

Residential - 72.38%

Small Commericial - 24.52%

Large Commercial - 1.99%

Seasonal - 0.91%

Irrigation/Other- 0.20%

HOW YOUR DOLLAR WAS SPENT

Purchased Power - 46.70%

Maintenance/Other - 25.91%

Margins - 10.52%

Depreciation - 10.01%

Interest - 6.86%

I, Kurt Solis, do hereby certify that I am the elected secretarytreasurer of Bandera Electric Cooperative Inc. and that, to the best of my knowledge, the financial and statistical information is true and correct as of December 31, 2024.

Seven Cooperative Principles

At Bandera Electric Cooperative, we are guided by the Seven Cooperative Principles, a framework that sets us apart from traditional utilities and ensures our members remain at the heart of everything we do. These internationally recognized principles emphasize democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy, education, cooperation among cooperatives, and concern for community. Together, they form the foundation of how we serve, ensuring that every decision we make prioritizes reliability, innovation, and the wellbeing of the people and communities we power.

2024 FACTS AND FIGURES 2024 FACTS

THE BEC FOUNDATION THE BEC FOUNDATION

2024 Grant Recipients

Bandera United Methodist Church

Silver Sage

Girl with Grit Program

Day 1 Bags

Hill Country Samaritans

Blessings in a Backpack

Bandera 4-H Shotgun Team

Ridin' the River Cowboy Fellowship

Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries

2,912

Members rounded up their bills

$21,533.19

Bill round up donations

$62,798.00

Total project grants awarded

$99,280.39 Golf tournament proceeds

SpiritualityMee

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Funny Business

BY CHUCK LYONS

IT WAS CLAIMED, journalist Jerry Armstrong once wrote, that rodeo clown Red Sublett would ride anything that “a saddle, a riggin’ or a rope could be used on”—horses, mules and bulls, of course, but also cows, buffaloes, zebras and at least one ostrich. Sometimes he rode them straight, sometimes backwards but always with zany antics that left the crowd laughing.

Sublett was “the greatest and the highest-paid arena comic of his day,” Armstrong wrote.

He was born John Dixon Sublett in Arlington in November 1893, and he died, by then known to everyone as Red, in Dallas a scant 56 years later.

His family had settled in the countryside when the prairies were still unfenced.

The town of Sublett, now part of Arlington and some 18 miles southeast of Sublett’s modest, pink granite headstone in Mount Olivet Cemetery, bears the family name.

Sublett’s father moved his family from Texas to Oklahoma via horse-drawn covered wagon with two milk cows tied to the tailgate.

Before World War I intervened in 1917, Sublett worked rough stock on ranches, including the 101 Ranch in Oklahoma and later the Four Sixes in Texas. Before that, at just 16, he had ridden broncs and steers for Booger Red’s traveling cowboy show and Lucille Mulhall’s show.

He enlisted in the war effort and saw action in France with the medical corps before returning to his rodeo antics.

At a rodeo in Magdalena, New Mexico,

the story goes, producer Tex Austin and announcer Foghorn Clancy took Sublett aside and told him he was getting plenty of big laughs just being himself and that he should become a rodeo clown.

It paid better, they said.

As rodeo evolved from its beginning in ranch corrals in the early 1900s, promoters realized their audiences drifted away whenever there was a break in the action due to injuries and other delays. So the rodeo clown was created to keep spectators entertained during those breaks.

When bull riding became a regular part of rodeos in the 1920s and ’30s, the clown’s role—and importance—grew as he stepped in to distract the bull and allow its rider to get out of danger. Today’s rodeo protection teams, made up of highly trained athletes, are still a vital part of competitions—work that started with the clowns.

“The early clowns were cowboys who could rope and ride with the best of them … and they were, above all, showmen,” wrote Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor in her 1993 book Greasepaint Matadors. Sublett fit that description perfectly.

He picked up a trained mule named Spark Plug that he claimed could be taught to do just about anything, and together the duo performed in rodeos throughout the U.S. and abroad, including shows in London, Paris and Dublin. They also performed in films with actors Wallace Beery, Bob Steele and Pearl White. Spark Plug died in Fort Worth in 1931, and Red’s career began sliding to an end. He died from a heart condition in the veterans hospital in Dallas on April 14, 1950.

His headstone reads, “World Famous Dean of Rodeo Clowns.” D

Candies and Fudge

Can’t beat these treats—and no baking is involved

BY VIANNEY RODRIGUEZ, FOOD EDITOR

My mami has been whipping up these delights every holiday season for as long as I can remember. She had us kids shaping coconut balls by the dozen. She gifted them, served them at family gatherings and even shipped them to relatives.

No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Joys

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together butter, coconut and sugar. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet.

3. Gently press your thumb or the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in the middle of each ball.

4. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until fully melted.

5. Fill each indentation with melted chocolate. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate until firm.

MAKES 24 PIECES

Aunt Ruth’s Candy Cornflakes

TAMMY CARR

SAM HOUSTON EC

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. These easy, quick, no-bake peanut butter treats are a perfect mix of sweet and crunchy.

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups peanut butter

6 cups cornflakes

1. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper and set aside.

2. Combine corn syrup and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously until sugar is melted.

3. Remove from heat, add peanut butter and mix well.

4. Add cornflakes and mix to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to create a rounded candy. Cool until set and firm.

MAKES 24 PIECES

$500 WINNER

Pumpkin Fudge

GERI HUPP DEEP EAST TEXAS EC

Hupp’s pumpkin fudge with white chocolate and cinnamon is sure to be a hit with candy lovers. It’s creamy, smooth and perfect for the fall. I advise making a triple batch because this rich fudge will go fast!

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 jar marshmallow crème (7 ounces)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat evaporated milk and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil.

3. Stir in pumpkin purée, cinnamon and salt. Return to a boil.

4. Stir in marshmallow crème and butter. Return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, 18 minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until creamy and all chocolate chips are melted.

6. Pour into prepared pan. Cool completely until firm.

7. Remove from pan and cut into squares. Store in a cool, dry place.

MAKES 16 PIECES

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BARBECUE SIDES DUE OCTOBER 10

CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 >

Superior sides can make a good barbecue great. For our March issue, we’re serving up your best fixin’s, with the top trimming earning $500.

UPCOMING: FIVE-INGREDIENT DINNERS DUE NOVEMBER 10

Confetti Fudge

LINDA FOREMAN

TRINITY VALLEY EC

This is the prettiest fudge I have ever made. Flecks of dried fruit swirled into a creamy white chocolate marshmallow base really do give the appearance of festive confetti.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, plus more to grease pan

3 cups sugar

2/3 cup sour cream

1 package white chocolate chips (12 ounces)

1 jar marshmallow crème (7 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup chopped golden raisins

1. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large saucepan, combine butter, sugar and sour cream over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes, stirring

constantly to prevent scorching.

3. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate chips and marshmallow crème until smooth.

4. Stir in cranberries, apricots and raisins. Carefully pour into prepared pan.

5. Cool completely until firm. Cut into individual servings.

MAKES 12 PIECES

Sweet Sentiments

This upcoming holiday season, I’m gifting edible treats wrapped to impress! Here are a few fun ideas that take gifting to the next level.

A candy-filled Mason jar makes for a great reusable gift. Layer with parchment paper, top with a lid and tie a vibrant ribbon.

Make use of spare tins. Embellish with greenery, ribbon, bows or cupcake liners filled with candy.

Wrap candy in cellophane then tuck it in a kitchen towel for two gifts in one. I love this look!

—Vianney Rodriguez

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Terlingua’s Traces

Pay your respects at this ghost town’s eerie, ancient cemetery

BY CHET GARNER

IF YOU HEAD TOWARD the Big Bend and then go into the region between the national park and state park, you’ll feel like you’re driving onto an alien planet. Sweeping desert views in every direction punctuated by rocky cliffs of tan and red are both beautiful and bizarre.

Eventually you’ll reach the notable ghost town of Terlingua (population 130 or so), a few miles from the Mexican border. It’s hard to imagine how folks live in such a faraway locale, but a trip to the cemetery confirms that Texans have been living out here for a very long time.

Like every tourist, I started my visit with a bowl of red at the Starlight Theatre, a destination restaurant built inside the stone shell of an old movie theater. After filling my belly, I wandered down the street and stepped onto the hallowed ground of the town’s historic cemetery.

This is not your typical green acres of eternal slumber but a dusty patch of desert with uneven stacks of rocks marking graves, along with handmade crosses, rusted metal ornaments, plastic flowers and even a few beer bottles.

The silence was broken only by the wind and the abrupt buzz of a grasshopper that I kept mistaking for a rattlesnake. Most of the graves date back to the early 1900s, when families moved here to seek their fortune in the long-defunct mercury mines. Many of the graves note the same death year: 1918, when the Spanish flu ripped through the community.

As the last bit of sunlight disappeared behind the mountains, the graveyard glowed with a dusty kind of reverence. It’s clear the community still feels a great deal of pride and connection to its past. It serves as a reminder that not all who wander to this part of Texas are lost, and some choose to never leave. D

ABOVE Chet explores the graves at the century-old Terlingua cemetery.

Watch the video on our website and see all Chet’s Texplorations on The Daytripper on PBS.

Know Before You Go

Call ahead or check an event’s website for scheduling details, and check our website for many more upcoming events.

OCTOBER

9

10

11

Groves [9–12] Pecan Festival, (409) 962-3631, grovescofc.com

San Marcos [10–11] Aviation Discovery Fest, (512) 396-1943, centraltexaswing.org

Corsicana Airsho, (903) 467-7170, coyotesquadron.org

Hillsboro Hill County Master Gardeners Tree Sale, (254) 582-4022, hill.agrilife.org

Luling Night in Old Luling, (830) 875-0123, lulingcc.org

Sanger Car and Motorcycle Show, (940) 395-1306, facebook.com/sangerpost268

Chappell Hill [11–12] Scarecrow Festival, (979) 836-6033, chappellhillhistoricalsociety.com

Edom [11–12] Art Festival, (903) 258-5192, edomarts.com

16

17

Lufkin Beatles to Bourbon Street: The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra, (936) 633-5454, angelinaarts.org

Mansfield Haunt the Block, (817) 728-3390, visitmansfieldtexas.com

Brenham [16–19] Texas Arts & Music Festival, (979) 337-7580, texasartsandmusicfestival.com

Dripping Springs [17–18] Lone Star Gourd Festival, (512) 964-5540, texasgourdsociety.org

18

21

Calvert Hooves & Heels Historic 5K, (512) 639-7886, historiccalvert.org

China Spring Oktoberfest, (254) 836-1825, stphilipcs.com

Llano Invitational Bullriding, (303) 912-1646, llanobullriding.com

Waco Oakwood Cemetery’s Walking Tales, (254) 717-1763, facebook.com/heartoftexas storytellingguild

Hallettsville St. Peter Lutheran Church Women in Mission’s Country Store, (361) 798-2808, stpeterhallettsville.org

24

Palestine [24–25] Hot Pepper Pop-Off and Festival, (903) 729-6066, palestinechamber.org 25

Flower Mound Smoke & Whiskey Fest, (469) 360-7757, fmsmokefest.com

Waxahachie Crossroads of Texas Go Texan Country Festival, (469) 309-4040, waxahachiecvb.com

Granbury [25–26] Harvest Moon Festival of the Arts, (682) 936-4550, granburysquare.com

Grapevine [25–26] Trick ’R Treat Trains, (817) 410-3185, grapevinetexasusa.com

GRAPEVINE

Round

[6–9]

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Heroes

1 TAMRA BOLTON

CHEROKEE COUNTY EC

“My dad, Stuart McAnally (top row, left), and some of his 31st Naval Construction Battalion buddies before they shipped out to the Pacific theater in September 1944. They had no idea they would end up on Iwo Jima.”

2 PEGGY MCCALL

CENTRAL TEXAS EC

“Tom Wertman, our neighbor and Sisterdale Volunteer Fire Department volunteer, fights a fire near Comfort.”

3 VIRGINIA MURPHY

COSERV

“My daughter, Maureen, gave one of her kidneys to her brother, Sean, who desperately needed a kidney in 2023.”

4 LAURA BOEHM UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES Marines breaching into Australia.

Upcoming Contests

DUE OCT 10 From the Oil Fields

DUE NOV 10 Still Life

DUE DEC 10 Gates

Enter online at TexasCoopPower.com/contests.

See Focus on Texas on our website for many more Heroes photos from readers.

They come from all walks of life and are our family, friends and neighbors. This month, please join us as we salute those who make a difference.

CURATED

BY

GRACE FULTZ

On the Dots

A little paint can go a long, long way

BY JULIE ROYCE ILLUSTRATION BY RAUL ARIAS

A SHORT DISTANCE from where State Highway 62 meets U.S. Highway 96 sits a small white house painted with bright blue polka dots. Located in the small town of Buna, about 40 minutes north of Beaumont, this landmark was built by my grandfather, Virgil Newton Davis. Some say this eccentric piece of history put Buna on the map.

I’m the daughter of Virgil’s third son, Jud. I grew up on a family homestead in Buna until I was 14. Although I never had the opportunity to meet my grandfather, as a child I heard all kinds of stories about him.

Family described him as a hardworking man of few words with an odd sense of humor who loved his coffee black and bitter. I soaked up stories about his adventures throughout the Southwest,

busting broncos before settling in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, where he became a rancher and a father of six.

But he’s a Texan through and through, and my Texas roots run deep because of Granddaddy. He was born in Newton County, in the Old Laurel community, in 1896. Although he left the state as a teenager, he returned just as the U.S. entered World War II, making his way to Buna with his family in tow.

In 1948, he built the Buna Polka-Dot House, a home that would become a part of my family’s legacy. Virgil took inspiration from Native American homes that dotted the stark plains of Oklahoma. Those homes were colorfully embellished with petroglyphs and other designs. He decided to bring some of that color to the area just outside the Golden Triangle.

I often think about this modest structure, made of lath and plaster stucco and covered in blue dots applied with an old cloth attached to a two-by-four. Was he trying to create a bright spot among the dust and gray that was still clouding most of the South in the aftermath of the war and the Great Depression, or was this stoic man really just a jokester at heart? Maybe it was both.

Personally, I like to imagine him as a jokester. I mean, he was building a duplex with plans to paint horseshoes and teardrops on either side when he suddenly passed away in 1950. If that décor didn’t make people laugh, what would?

Decades later the Buna Polka-Dot House is as meaningful to this small community as it is to my family. It’s the backdrop of many community events, was the home of the chamber of commerce for a period and was the subject of many pieces of folk art.

My only wish is that Granddaddy had lived long enough to see how cherished it has become. D