Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
The library members would like to Thank everyone who contributed and helped to make this year successful. A very special note of Thanks to all of the faithful members for their steadfast work and support. Without your help, the library could not remain open.

Membership
If you would like to be a member of the Atascosa County Society Library, Inc., please contact Gregory Hernandez, President. Enclosed in the newsletter is a copy of the 2001 membership application for all new members and renewals that are due the beginning of the fiscal year 2001.

Building Fund Donations
Donations will be accepted for the Building Fund to help pay for the building, upkeep of the building and expenses. With your continued help, we can keep the library going. Thanks!

Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers urgently to keep the library open. Could you spare a few hours each week to help accomplish this? It would be most appreciated.

Wall of Fame
Help remember our veterans by submitting their picture on our Wall of Fame. Any Atascosa County veterans that served in the military or veterans of any war that were killed in action should have their place in history. Let us not forget our war heroes.

Obit
Joe Frank Sebesta, a long-time resident from Pleasanton passed away November 21, 2000 in Jourdanton, Texas. Joe was a very active community leader involved in education, family ranching, active in the Methodist church and a public servant for many organizations. He was highly respected and will be missed. Source: Obits - Pleasanton Express, Wednesday, November 29,2000

Sympathy
Our sincere sympathy is extended to the Assistant Chief Deputy of Atascosa County, Steve Gonzales and family whose father Henry B. Gonzales passed away on November 28, 2000 in Bexar County Texas. Henry B. was a Legend in our time and served the people well.

Bertha's 10 Foot Strawberry
Two men from London, England came passing through Poteet inquiring about the giant strawberry landmark that stood for almost 30 years on Hwy 16 & Ave. H. The men were touring the country and traveled down from Michigan. They were working on a book and had heard of this huge man-made strawberry through some book or magazine. They wanted to take pictures to put in their book. They ran across Richard Franklin and were sent to Bertha Mann's house. According to Bertha, she had the strawberry (2000 lbs.) of cement made in the shape of a strawberry and painted it. The strawberry was a landmark in Poteet, Texas where it was at home at her business, "The Strawberry Pit", now called "Bubba's" for some 30 years. Bertha managed and owned the business from 1972 - 1999 when she retired. Her strawberry retired with her and resides at Bertha's home. Many pictures were made of the giant 10 foot strawberry and quickly became a conversational piece. The landmark no doubt helped to bring many to the Strawberry Festival every year. Bertha also made and donated a small strawberry for the library. Thanks Bertha for your story and generous donation.

Cindy's Touching Story
One of our members submitted a very touching and lovely story about what genealogy means to her. Thank you Cindy for your inspiring story.

Many many years ago, I grew up knowing that my father had other wives and more children. I never knew my father as he and mother divorced when I was 11 months old. After searching in vain for 25 years, I did find my father, but it was a sad experience for me to learn that he had died in 1973.

I always knew my oldest half sisters name was Kandy and that she had been adopted by my father’s elder sister and raised in California. I was more determined than ever before to find my baby sister, especially after learning that my father had died.

Last year I posted queries on every adoption search internet site I could find. I guess the good Lord wanted me to succeed, because after a couple of months I found a posting where my half sister had registered. I wrote a letter telling all that I knew of the family history and wrote it in such a way that I was a "cousin" searching for my other lost cousins. I didn't know whether or not Kandy knew she was adopted and I didn't want to cause any problems. Three days later my phone rings at about 7:00 P.M. All of a sudden I got goose bumps. I answered the phone and for the first time in my life, I heard my sister's excited voice asking, "is this Cindy?" I told her it was and then I asked her if she knew anything about the family history. She immediately said "Yes, I know everything." Needless to say I was bubbling with joy when I told her how happy I was to have finally found "my baby Sissy." To make a long story short and hundreds of emails later, my baby Sissy came to Texas last year and spent a week with us. What a blessing it has been to have a part of my family back in the nest. Now to find the other two sisters, I am diligently working at it everyday and in my heart I believe it will happen when the time is right, just as it did with Kandy.

Kandy always wanted to find her real mother and our father. Through searching and posting queries on the California rootsweb list, I was able to start piecing things together. I sent off first for the divorce record of my father and Kandys mom. I then went to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and I was able to obtain my youngest sisters, Marilyn, birth certificate. From there I was able to determine the real name of my sisters mother.

Then I sent for my sister, Marilyn, mothers birth certificate in California. Once I obtained the birth certificate, I posted a query for an obit lookup of Marilyn's mother. Now I had Kandy's grandmothers name. Then I looked up all of the Piazzi's in California and proceeded to write letters. One of my letters went to the correct Piazzi. I had found Kandys great uncle. Through his daughter, she called Marilyn's sister in Sacramento. The sister in turn called Marilyn and Marilyn called me. Exactly one year after finding one of my sisters, I found the mother.

There can be a lot of pitfalls in doing genealogical research, but there can be just as many rewards. This is just an example from my own personal experience and I've had many more rewards since then. Yes, genealogy is a labor of love, but love is what makes the world go round. New family and many new friends are found while doing genealogical research. So here's to "Happy Researching."
Written and submitted by Cindy Foerster

Queries
Looking for any information on Isaac N. Cooper, J.W. Cooper Eliza Ann Cooper (b. 1823) arriving in Bexar/Atascosa county in the 1840's. May be from Kentucky? Contact Ann King at: 210-392-3838 or 830-701-3777.

Leal Community, Ranch and Cemetery / 1800's
Posted by Randy June 10 2000, e-mail address: westxan@wcc.net
Would like any info. on the Leal Community, especially if there is a cemetery listing anywhere.

Ed and Tom Douglass
PostedbyStanley0dellonAugustl7l999,e-mailaddress: oatmanlb@aol.com
Searching for descendants of Ed and Tom Douglass, brothers of Charlotte, Atascosa Co. TX.

Pioneer Spirit
What drove the pioneers westward? They were driven by a strong need for independence and a burning desire for opportunity. Harry Lovald, Editor of the Cheyenne Valley News wrote, "The trouble with most of us is a restless spirit. Instead of making opportunity come to us, we are chasing our legs off running after it."

Whether searching for gold, buffalo hides, farmland or religious freedom, settlers of the Old West endured almost any hardship. Slowly, painfully, each pioneer family carved a living out of that wild New World. Here’s to the spirit that made it all possible.
Source: "The Wisdom Of The West", Common Sense and Uncommon Genius From 101 Great Westerners compiled and edited by Criswell Freeman.

Keep Researching
Keep the letters, obits, articles, pictures and family genealogy coming!
ACGSL newsletter compiled and edited by Betty J. Ritchey