Togetherness, investing in us led to success

As the Grand Finale of Fredericksburg’s 175th Anniversary approaches, I’ve tried to think about the complicated blend of ideas, hopes and fears that must have consumed the thoughts of the German pioneers.

As beautiful and tranquil as the rolling terrain of our beloved Hill Country seems today, I cannot imagine how foreign, wild and expansive it must have appeared to our travel-weary founders.

The planning committee for the observance of this milestone anniversary has provided us with a thoughtful, year-long reflection of the core values that mattered then and still matter today. In my own reflections, I find it interesting to think of how the challenges and opportunities we face as a modern community are not dissimilar to those of the pioneers, although we have access to far greater resources to direct solutions.

For example, as the pioneers set about creating a functional community, they quickly prioritized shared space to gather, worship and educate their children. It was an important investment because these children would be the only generation that could link the sacrifices made by the pioneers to their bold new vision.

The same weekend we celebrate the Grand Finale of the 175th Anniversary, voters will also head to the polls to select future community leadership and weigh in on approving a bond to build a new middle school campus and expand vocational training capacity.

These hearty settlers were the very first to experience Fredericksburg’s housing shortage. Everyone needed a place to live! As difficult as our present-day housing woes are to navigate, I cannot imagine the overwhelming task of starting a community from scratch.

Main St., from 4-10 p.m. April 30.

Backwoods BBQ will be serving a smoked prime rib dinner and the Weldon Henson Band will perform. Guitarist Tim Honsalek from Comfort will entertain the crowd during the meet-and-greet.

Guests will have a chance to bid on items in a silent auction, many of which were donated by merchants in the Hill Country. A live auction event will take place immediately following dinner. Items in the live auction will include an African hunt, Mouflon hunt from the Shirley Ranch in Johnson City, quail hunt in Llano, rifles, shotguns and a custom- made jewelry piece of the attendee’s livestock brand, created by member and artist Kay Knight.

Tickets for the Spring Roundup can be purchased by going to www.hillcountrycattlewomen.com and click on Spring Roundup or contact dvant@live. com.

Tickets for the event are

$80 and cover the steak dinner and entertainment. Reserved table for 10 is $800 and a Premier table for 10 is $1,350.

Monies raised by this event go toward scholarships for Hill Country college students and beef education, including ag days in the 15-county Hill Country CattleWomen chapter.

By all accounts, the settlers worked together, no doubt because they had to in order to succeed and survive. That, I believe, is our modern day take away. To care about the problems for as long as it affects of our neighbors and to collaboratively take ownership of the problem until it is solved.

Fredericksburg had been on the map for 65 years when my maternal grandmother was born. But needless to say, community infrastructure was still pretty rugged. Across the top of her right hand was a long scar that I often asked

Four of the events scheduled during the 175th anniversary weekend on May 5–8 will be live-streamed so friends of Fredericksburg, former residents of our town and those who may have mobility challenges will be able to participate in the Grand Finale Celebration virtually.

Modern technology will allow us to share the commemoration of our 175 years of history in Fredericksburg across the globe in a way not possible when we celebrated the 150th anniversary in 1996.

The community-wide worship service at Fredericksburg High School Auditorium at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 5 will be the first event of the Grand Finale Celebration to be live-streamed.

Dr. Jeryl Hoover will deliver the sermon entitled, “Called to a Far Country.”

The worship service will feature the combined voices of the Fredericksburg Chorale, directed by September van der Stoel, and the Fredericksburg High School Choir, directed by Ellie Parks, in a performance of the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Additional music will be provided by a brass ensemble directed by Bill Smallwood, and the Praise Band from Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, led by Don Doss.

Then, at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, the “Lasting Friendship Ceremony” will be live- her about because the story was so fascinating. As a three-year old, she suffered a very serious injury with worrisome blood loss. Her mother was forced to carry her for more than an hour on-foot to a neighbor, who was able to take them by wagon to the doctor who miraculously saved her hand.

Today, we enjoy all the modern conveniences, all borne by one generation’s willingness to improve and invest in something better for the next. Our community has important decisions to make about the use of our natural resources and steamed from the Gillespie County Fair Grounds. Gen. Michael Hagee (USMC, ret.), President/CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, and Fredericksburg native, will give the keynote address on “Lasting Friendship.” Tony Klein will serve as master of ceremonies. Greetings and prayers will be given in English, German, Comanche and Spanish to reflect our community’s diverse heritage. A large, combined community choir will perform five selections.

The 175th anniversary parade on Main Street will be live streamed starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7. Daryl Whitworth is the volunteer parade coordinator.

The parade will highlight the 13 themes of the anniversary year which reflect the character of Fredericksburg: Lasting Craftsmanship, Lasting Traditions, Lasting Family Heritage, Lasting Stewardship of Land, Lasting Education, Lasting Health Care, Lasting Innovation, Lasting Faith, Lasting Service, Lasting Leadership, Lasting Commerce, Lasting Arts and Music, and Lasting Friendship.

And at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 8, the commemora- expansion of the infrastructure needed to both sustain and grow our economy.

I still remember how that same grandmother marveled at the first fax machine the Chamber bought in the late 1980s. Today the Chamber continues to work closely with the City and other stakeholders to expand broadband access, arguably the most important infrastructure need in today’s economy.

Residents and visitors alike recently enjoyed the Easter Fires Pageant, a blended portrayal of pioneer history, legend and faith. A highlight is the