Seguin Today: January 2023

The Friday before New Year’s Eve, I took part in a time-honored tradition for many children - holding the flashlight for my dad. I’m somewhat chagrined to admit that even in my late 30’s, I still haven’t mastered this skill.

The reason for my pop’s visit was lost power to the electrical plugs in my living room. What we discovered was a melted outlet and a new source of anxiety for me.

Living in an old house sometimes means finding unexpected things to deal with, like drafty windows, doors that won’t stay shut, and a water heater that won’t get through a hot shower in winter. It also means finding outdated (perhaps even dangerous) techniques used in the building - like aluminum electrical wiring in your walls - that melted, causing power to go out.

Dad fixed it - as he always does - and taught me how to do it all while telling me someone who doesn’t know how should leave it to the professionals. I, of course, am not an electrician, so I stood there dutifully holding the flashlight, redirecting it when the angle was wrong, lost in thoughts of gratitude that I have a dad who can help with these things.

His birthday is January 1, so to him and all the other new year’s babies out there - happy 2023! May it be filled with joy, and may we all leave our burned sockets in 2022 where they belong.

Lizz Daniels Creative Director

Betty Ann Matthies shares

Photo by Lizz Daniels

The Legacy of

How Betty Ann Matthies reshaped Healthcare in Guadalupe County

Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera Courtesy Photos

In the 1960s, Betty Ann Matthies remembers carrying out the final few pieces of medical equipment at Seguin’s original hospital on Weinert Street. She remembers loading them onto the back of a pickup truck with fellow nurse and best friend Beth Kunkel Lange. From there, she headed straight to what would become Seguin’s future hospital on East Court Street. With that pivotal move, it is said Matthies literally drove the city right into what would become the next chapters of Seguin’s future healthcare community, thus establishing the foundation for the hospital that we all know today as Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (GRMC).

What perhaps is more inspiring is that up until a few months ago, Matthies finally retired after serving the medical community for 60 straight years. Whether it was as a nurse or, as in recent years, a voice on the hospital’s board of managers, Matthies, over the decades, has maintained a role in shaping today’s healthcare community in Seguin. She was also recently referred to as the “lifeblood of the hospital” following the launch of a new scholarship designed to assist a hospital employee looking to advance their career in the medical field.

Over those years, her time at the hospital was spent as the director of nursing, a caregiver and teacher to new nurses – creating a culture that still exists today.

Reflecting on those years, Matthies said it all started when she helped convince the city that it had to buy a hospital.

“This was before we had the hospital because there were two nurses (Sarah Hazard and Dorothea Siepmann) who had been in the military, and they owned that little (26-bed) hospital on Weinert Street, but they were tired of running it and they were wanting to sell it and so they said, ‘do you want to buy it? Or do you want to put it out for anybody?’ I said, I think the city ought to buy it and I talked with the city at that time, and we discussed it and how much of a value it would be if we owned the hospital and the doctors and everybody was for it,” Matthies said. “So, we bought

it from those two nurses, and they left.”

Matthies prides herself on being able to rope in the county into that deal -- swaying it to be a part of something big.

“I remember it was my uncle who was the county judge (Joe Fleming), and he made sure that everything for the hospital – that needed to be available was available,” Matthies said.

In fact, over the years, the city has continued ownership of that hospital. To this day, GRMC remains the only city/county-owned hospital in the state of Texas – a feat that Matthies is quite proud about.

Shortly after that time, the needs of the community meant a bigger and better facility. So then, the vision for a new facility sparked a trek in that pickup truck across town.

Those efforts by Matthies, doctors in the community, and others ultimately led to the approval of a bond referendum in support of a 64bed hospital (Guadalupe Valley Hospital) in 1965.

When asked about establishing what is now referred to as “the foundation” of Seguin’s healthcare community, Matthies said this was always a top priority for this community.

“It was wonderful. I enjoyed every single day,” Matthies said. “I worked hard and I lived not far, and I was married, and I had children and I worked at the hospital, and we had many many talented people that came in for different things and it was just a matter of keeping up with new stuff and so we would gather up people that we knew were knowledgeable. We would search for people that were very good at one thing and then we tried to say, ‘could you help us with our hospital?’ We always had the support of the people in the county. People were always ready to say ‘oh yes, I’ll help. What would you like for me to do?’ Life was not hard because people were good. Like I said, I wasn’t driving the bus. I was just trying to get it all put together and many of the people were so happy to have a hospital right here.”

Most of Matthies’ career as a nurse was spent operating under the name Guadalupe Valley Hospital. However, she said it was until 2005 that the hospital was renamed Guadalupe Regional Medical Center (GRMC) – a change that she said reflects the incredible reputation that the facility has built over the years, not only regionally but nationally.

“If there was anyone to be able to talk about how good the hospital is – not only because I worked there but for four months, I was in this hospital these past years,” she said. “I was admitted for a lot of different things because I had a lot of surgeries. I had a lot of things, and I got the best care and I know now that nobody needs to worry about if it’s going to be good or bad. It’s going to be good.”

And although, over the years, Matthies had a hand in many of the administrative decisions that came to the table, her passion has always been directly treating and helping patients as a nurse.

“The nurses that we got were first class,” Matthies said. “I was a nurse all year because I had been a scrub nurse in San Antonio and that’s where I had been before I came. I always loved the operating room and I had been in it for years.”

Not only was she a nurse, but for years, she oversaw the many nurses that made their way through the hospital. However, it wasn’t until 43 years later at Guadalupe Valley Hospital that Matthies finally retired as the nursing supervisor in 2004.

Among those privileged to have seen Matthies’ work in action are current GRMC CEO, Robert Haynes. Haynes said it was in 1981 as a part-time respiratory therapist that he quickly learned all about Matthies. He said it was also about this time, that he found himself “walking the long way around her office.”

“I will speak from 42 years of interactions on multiple fronts,” Haynes said. “BAM as we refer to her respectfully short for (Betty Ann Mathis) is the Margaret Thatcher personality - they speak their mind and echo the common sense of the issue at hand which most seem not to see because common sense is quite uncommon. ‘You can’t make a silk purse out of a cow’s ear’ or many other similar remarks would echo from her office as challenges were presented. Her personality came from the strength of the generation born in the depression era and molded by dutiful gratitude for the ability and freedoms they cherished. But by far, I watched her here at the hospital command respect, from all – physicians included.”

GRMC Project Manager Michelle Rumbaut also remembers clearly the first day she met BAM.

“As a student at the master’s program in hospital administration at Trinity University, I first interviewed with Mr. Don Richey for an internship at (then) Guadalupe Valley Hospital in 1985,” Rumbaut said. “He offered me the opportunity but warned me that I first needed to pass the ‘Betty Ann test.’ Fortunately for me, Betty Ann and I hit it off on our first meeting and I passed the test. She became a second mother, wise mentor, and dear friend to me over the 36 years since that first meeting.”

Over those years and even today, Rumbaut said she has realized that Matthies deserves every ounce of recognition that this community has to offer. She said despite her retirement, that drive and passion still exist and are even embedded in the hospital’s approach to treating its patients.

“Betty Ann’s personality comes through in the many sayings and quotes she offers for every occasion. Top among those was ‘Always do what is best for the patient.’ Whether the decision at hand is small or large, individual or big picture – her guiding principle of always doing what is best for the patient continues to be the foundation of our hospital philosophy,” Rumbaut stated. “Her myriad other sayings are a mixture of philosophical, hilarious, biblical, and deep-rooted Texan. She is like the Ann Richards of Seguin.”

The Seguin community today also recognizes Matthies for her leadership, having served as Seguin Mayor. Many say her hospital leadership allowed her to springboard those skills over to city politics.

It was in 2000 when Matthies’ husband C.H. “Pokey” Matthies, died while serving on the Seguin City Council. At that time, Betty Ann was provided the opportunity to serve her husband’s seat for District 7, and she was elected to the position. She then stepped down from the council position in 2004 to run for mayor where she went on to serve two full terms until 2012.

When asked about her success while serving the city of Seguin, Matthies jokingly answers, “I just know that when I got there, I never missed a day for seven years.”

But jokes aside, Matthies said her dedication to the hospital and the community it serves initially sparked her interest in running for mayor.

“I thought perhaps accepting the opportunity to be mayor would give me a little bit of clout to fix some things that I thought maybe had not been fixed before,” Matthies said. “So, I didn’t want to be a mayor forever, but I wanted to be mayor long enough to make a change.”

Haynes said there again, amongst the members of the Seguin City Council, Matthies was described as the voice of reason – a voice that in the end helped her fulfill that vision “to make a change.”

“In her second career as a city council person and a mayor and in my role as SEDC (Seguin Economic Development Corporation) chair, I watched as she brought down the walls between waring opinions Anglo/ Hispanic, county, school districts and brought a consensus so that much could get done. She was as comfortable in the governor’s office as she was in a contingent of local citizens. Her presence commanded attention,” Haynes said.

Haynes attributes much of her success at the city to the solid leadership illustrated at the hospital.

“Someone had to clear the fields and ready the soil for the prosperity that occurred in Seguin with the additions of Caterpillar and other great opportunities. Betty Ann’s greatest contribution was her action in bringing the parties aforementioned to the table for a common cause. She had the ability to get past the irrelevant and bring the relevant issue to hand for all parties to debate -- skills she learned in working the many areas of the hospital and (among) the many types of egos and physicians. In our lives, we cross paths with many, but rarely with someone whose presence grabs our attention and whose words we not only hear but listen to. I am better for knowing her and glad to call her, friend,” Haynes stated.

Even during her time with the city, Matthies remained an important component of the leadership team at GRMC. It was also certain that her voice of reason played a major role while continuing to delegate amongst the members of the hospital’s board of managers – again, a position she held until recently.

“When I got on the board, we had a board and like all people, not everybody likes the other one, and it was just like a mad house to go to the board meeting. There were ones that didn’t like this, and they didn’t like this or the other and then the people that were over in the hospital didn’t want to work with somebody else and I finally said, this is not a kids’ party. You the people here are going to have to work with the people over there and you are going to have to get along and work together or we are never going to get going and I’m telling you, it wasn’t long that the county was working with the city and the city was working with (these folks) and everybody was happy. It was like a miracle. When they all

started working together, we just moved up and it wasn’t about me. It was just the people wanting the best and they were willing to give in and not be so bossy to each other and not fuss with one another. Everybody worked together so well,” Matthies said.

Also privileged to have worked alongside Betty Ann is Fay Bennett, GRMC vice-president of employee services. Like most people who worked under her wings, she said BAM always encouraged an individual’s pathway up the career ladder.

“I first met Betty Ann in July 1989 when I began working at the hospital as the receptionist in personnel. I felt quite intimidated by her in her starched white uniform and white hat! I shouldn’t have been. She was very welcoming and extremely helpful and encouraging! I quickly learned that when I needed a creative solution or had what seemed like an unsolvable problem, she was my ‘go to.’ She was always an encouraging force in my career path at GRMC and I truly feel she helped to shape my path here,” Bennett said.

Bennett said Matthies has always been “the calm in the storm.”

“She taught me so much about nurses, working in healthcare and life in general. She became my’ work mom,’ She managed conflict with logic. She always listened to all sides of an issue. Betty Ann’s office was across the hall from mine and that was to my advantage. I watched for years her interactions with others. She always made time to listen. Whether it was an employee, physician, patient, or family member of a patient, she always made time to listen. She is so quick witted and always had a response or solution to a problem. She is logical. I would go to her with a situation that had me completely at a loss and after talking it through with her, (I’d) would walk away with an answer and marvel at how easy she made it seem,” Bennett said.

More importantly, Bennett says Matthies showed an enormous loyalty to GVH/GRMC.

“She understood the importance of our community having a local hospital and worked hard to ensure our success. She never complained about her responsibilities. She did what needed to be done and made it look effortless. Her outcomes speak for themselves. She, in my opinion is one of the best Mayors Seguin has ever had,” Bennett added.

While most celebrate her today as a nurse and former mayor, others recognize her for titles a little more personal – titles of best wife, mother, grandmother, friend and family member.

No matter the timeframe of her mother’s community leadership, daughter Elizabeth Matthies Kelly, said she takes notice of all her mom’s accomplishments – those before she was born and those that continue until this day.

“When I was a kid, she was the pharmacist, she was the OR (operating room) nurse on call and she was the nursing director, she delivered babies if they needed help,” Kelly said. “She would even every year on Christmas Eve, she worked so that other people could be off because she didn’t think it was fair for her to be off all holidays. She set the standards pretty high and I have been a nurse for many years and I couldn’t really work at the hospital because of her but in my time as a nurse, I have met people all over that worked for my mom and they will say things like ‘You know, I would not be where I am today if it had not been for your mom and she made me go work in this area and I told her I didn’t want to and I got there and I loved it or I started as a nurse aid under your mother when I was a HOSA student and then she helped me get into LVN school and had the supervisors work around my schedule and then she helped me get into RN school. While mother has been ill this past year, I’ve heard it from so many people.”

Among all her accomplishments, Kelly is most proud of her role as a mom.

“You know that she ran a hospital and did all of that stuff and she still had time to be the president of the PTA. I had two kids, and I didn’t have time for any of that stuff. I mean how do you do all of this stuff? I was going through some stuff at her house and there was an article that someone had written when she was the president of the PTA and she said ‘we have to contribute. We have to be part of this because we are building our children’s’ futures and if we are not part of the PTA, how are we going to help with that? And, I’m like, well I guess I failed pretty good here,” Kelly laughed.

The passion for nursing was passed down to her and to her granddaughter, who followed in BAM’s footsteps. She said her daughter is a product of the nursing school at Texas Lutheran University – a school that was also established with the help of her mother who sat on its board.

When asked today, Matthies described her time spent at GRMC as “wonderful.” She said not only did she work hard but enjoyed every single day. She also credited and thanked the many talented people who have come through those hospital doors and made contributions, as well as all those who have stayed. Many folks say Matthies’ love for the hospital is illustrated in the vision, leadership, and training that she has left behind.

Although she and a few founders are applauded for creating the hospital’s vision, Haynes, today’s CEO, and every single employee at GRMC continue to drive that vision into the next chapters for the local hospital’s future. She said local patients remain in good hands with this team in place. •

TEA TIME AT THE TEAROOM Dollhouse

Story & Photos by Lizz Daniels

Stepping inside the Dollhouse Tearoom is a bit like passing through a looking glass into a wonderland of tea cups and vintage decor. On the back wall above the service counter, a neon pink sign hangs glowing on the wall, ‘Tea Time,’ it reads. Clocks and mirrors are everywhere, along with floral accent walls and fantastical art featuring rabbits, foxes and other woodland creatures. It’s a whimsical garden where the Mad Hatter might find himself surrounded by friends nibbling on fresh scones slathered in homemade clotted cream and jam.

Owner Carol Wafer spent years going to high tea services worldwide, dreaming of owning her own tea house one day.

“We bought a Victorian house over on Mountain street where we were going to have the tearoom,” Wafer said. “We got zoned and everything for it, but when we realized all the changes we would have to make to the house to make it ADA compliant and just accessible in general –– and put in a professional kitchen –– we realized we would be ruining the house.”

Realizing the location was wrong was the first setback Wafer encountered. Then the pandemic happened –– another setback. A waiting game began that would last three years. Finally, on October 1, 2022, the Dollhouse Tearoom opened downtown inviting Seguin to experience something new.

It’s more a lounge than a restaurant decked in vibrant colors and garden whimsy. Victorian couches re-upholstered locally at Keepers in pink and teal zebra fabric from UK designer Emma J. Shipley are a particularly eye-catching feature. While most of the chairs and tables don’t match, the tea sets do, tying all of it together and forming an environment that General Manager Sarah Green loves sharing with guests.

“Everybody’s first words are usually ‘oh my gosh, wow,’” Green said. “They love the decor, they love the style, they love the energy in here. Everyone is always so excited to be here. We are definitely not your typical service industry experience on either side, I think. Most people are used to a restaurant –– this is not really a restaurant. Everything’s slower pace, more leisurely. Service is still timely, but no one is in a hurry.”

Tea at the Dollhouse Tearoom rolls out on antique serving carts presented by the staff. Creamy cucumber sandwiches and delicate, flaky quiches arrive on three-tiered serving trays brimming with delicious-looking treats. But this isn’t the kind of meal you just dig into –– it’s a moment to embrace a more posh approach and use your fanciest etiquette skills. It’s a social meal meant to be shared with companions.

“High tea is a meal that is typically enjoyed between breakfast and lunch,” Wafer said. “It can consist of sandwiches, pastries –– here we do scones, tea sandwiches, and assorted pastries. Most of our pastries have a root in English high tea because that’s kind of what we do, but we don’t shy away from some French pastries as well. We have macarons and madeleines. Some of the tartlets have French inspiration as well.”

Pastry Chef Samantha Erlanson is a recent pastry school graduate, and puts in the time behind the scenes to ensure each tart is up to the task of satisfying guests. She’s done the research to bring unique and inspired flavors to life, and her clotted cream is perhaps the best example this commitment to authentically crafted food. It’s a menu item that takes twenty-four hours of diligent care to make.

“Clotted cream is traditionally heavy whipping cream,” she said. “In America, we like our ultra-pasteurized [dairy], so that’s the hard part because you’ve got to keep it at a simmer for like twelve hours, and then you’ve got to chill in for another twelve to twenty hours. There’s a lot of stirring and waiting until it gets to a nice thickened consistency.”

The end result is a luxurious cream that, when spread on scones, becomes the perfect partner to the otherwise dry, crumbly baked good.

And then, of course, there is the tea. With a curated collection from around the world, Wafer is confident in her ability to find a tea for anyone –– even those that prefer coffee.

“We have darker, smokey black teas for those people,” Wafer said. “We have beautiful herbal teas that children and people that are sensitive to caffeine enjoy. We have mixes of black and green teas with lots of florals. I personally love floral teas so you’ll see a lot of rose, lavender, calendula petals in our teas –– and even our Earl Grey, which is a lavender Early Grey. We’ve tried to hit the bases, but still keep it creative. We make iced teas also, but more in the summer. Our staff has

had the opportunity to kind of come in in the mornings and make their favorite pot of tea or try something new and give me feedback. I think most of our employees didn’t even really drink tea before they started working here. Now it’s become like an everyday thing where we have tea time in the morning –– tea time in the afternoon sometimes –– sometimes champagne time.”

And whether it’s champagne time or tea time, it’s a great excuse to get dressed up. Green, Erlanson, and Wafer always get excited when guests get dolled up to come in.

“We have people dressing up all the time,” Green said. “We have guys dress up when they come in with their partners. We have little girls coming in dressing up in princess dresses when we have tea parties for them. First of all who doesn’t like a reason to dress up? People love coming in an assimilating and being part of this unique experience for a little bit.”

And when tea time is over, guests can empty their cups and head back through the looking glass dreaming of the next time they’ll go back and experience the wonderland of the Dollhouse Tearoom. •

Featured Events

Featured Events

Jan. 19

Ahora Puedo Respirar

The Seguin Public Library will have a free Lunch and Learn, “Ahora Puedo Respirar – Now I can Breathe,” at noon and 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 in the Community Meeting Room. The special program will be presented by Dr. Yvonne M. De La Rosa as she shares her research about the resiliency of the Mexican American community in Seguin..

Feb. 10

Valentine Card Class

The Seguin Art League will offer a Valentine Card Class from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 at 104 S Austin St. in Seguin. There will be live music provided by the Michael Hale Trio, featuring Mac Macintosh and dinner provided by Next Door Catering. The cost is $30 per couple (date, friend, or family member). Supplies will be provided. For more information, call 830-305-0472.

Feb. 11

Dinner & Dance

The Seguin Sunrise Rotary will have its Sweethearts Scholarship Dinner & Dance from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Big Red Barn, located at 390 Cordova Rd. in Seguin. Tickets are $50. Attire for the evening is red, black, and white. For table sponsorship and tickets, call 210834-1240. For more information visit www. Seguinsunriserotaryclub.com.

Feb. 15

Chamber Mixer

Mental Health Online Course

January 19, 2023

The NAMI Guadalupe County will host a free online course for adults with mental health conditions. The eight-week program begins Jan. 19. Learn more and register at www. NAMIGuadalupeCounty.org.

The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce will have its After Hours Mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Harper Hill Ranch, located at 12300 Huber Road. For more information contact the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce at 830-379-6382 or email: cofc@seguinchamber.com.

Feb. 20

Awareness Event

There will be a No One Left Behind Community Recovery Awareness Event from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20 in the gym at Hillcrest Church, located at 1440 Eastwood Dr. in Seguin. The event aims to increase awareness for mental health and addiciton related issues.

Mar. 5

ALICE Training

The Southwest Preparatory School will be hosting Active Shooter Response Certification Training (ALICE Training) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 5 at the Main Building, located at 6535 Culebra Rd. in San Antonio. Attendees will range from law enforcement, local school officials, and area business leaders. For more information, visit www. alicetraining.com. To register, visit https:// cvent.me/4Oe7g4?RefId=social.

New Year New BRUNCH!

Mushroom Sauté

1 1/4 ounces mixed dried mushrooms

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Toast and Eggs

4 1/2-inch thick sourdough slices Olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 eggs Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper Rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)

1. For the Mushroom Sauté: Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand until softened, 20 minutes.

Strain in a sieve lined with a double thickness of paper towels and reserve the soaking liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the brown mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, for 6 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir for 1 minute. Add the mushroom liquid and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, 4 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper. Remove the frying pan from the heat and cover with foil to keep warm. (The mushrooms can be prepared 1 day ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.)

3. For the toast and eggs: Brush both sides of the bread slices generously with olive oil. Set a 10- to 11-inch nonstick frying pan over mediumhigh heat, and, when hot, add the bread and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per

side. Remove the toast and cover loosely with foil. When pan is cool enough to handle, wipe it out with clean paper towels.

4. Add the butter to the frying pan and set it over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, break an egg into a saucer, being careful to remove any shell fragments., and gently slide it into the frying pan. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook, basting the eggs with some of the butter in the pan frequently, until the whites are firm and the yolks are still soft and runny, 3 minutes.

5. While the eggs are cooking, arrange a toasted bread slice on each of four plates. Mound the mushrooms evenly over the toast.

6. Remove each egg with a spatula and arrange on top of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, garnish each serving with a rosemary sprig. Serve immediately.

Imagine going from zero to eight kids overnight. That’s the journey being blessed this year by the KWED Christmas Angel.

In a letter received by the KWED Christmas Angel, Sherryl Woodward explained why she felt that her son Garland Collins and his fiancé Rose Reina were deserving of the Angel’s blessing of $500 cash.

The cash prize was awarded this week to the couple who was named the winner of the 2022 KWED Christmas Angel contest.

As part of the contest, both the winner(s) and the person who nominated them were asked to stop by KWED Radio so that the letter could be read live on the air.

This would also mark the first time that the couple, in this case, Garland and Rose, would get to hear the winning words as submitted by Garland’s mother Sherryl.

Sharing with radio listeners, Sherryl reads…

“I believe my son Garland and his fiancé Rose deserve to be chosen for the $500 cash. My son and his fiancé Rose do not have any children of their own but due to the hardships and unforeseen circumstances, Garland

and Rose adopted 8 of Rose’s grandchildren ages 2 years to 13 years. It has been difficult for them. They have been going through hard times, but they have faith and love for the children. Due to the love they have for the children, they know they are truly loved. The children are doing good in school, and they are involved with their church. The children love to sing for the Lord. The $500 cash would help them a lot and also to have a Merry Christmas that I know they all deserve.”

Left with tears, Rose couldn’t help but share how much this meant for her family and expressed her gratitude to her future mother-in-law.

“It’s very unexpected. I’m blessed to have a great mother-in-law and for her to be by our side, but we do love the grandkids and I would do it over again if I needed,” said Rose.

It was at that point that Rose turned to Sherryl who was sitting next to her in the studio and said, “I love you!”

“I love you too!” added Sherryl.

Garland was also touched by his mother’s efforts of sharing the Christmas spirit with his new family.

Story by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

This story originally ran in the Seguin Daily News Holiday Edition on December 22, 2022

“It really means a lot to me and Rosemary and I’m sure the kids would love the letter also. Thank you, mom, and thank you KWED!” said Garland.

“Thank you for being my son!” replied Sherryl.

Rose says the generosity of the KWED Christmas Angel will no doubt go unnoticed as they prepare for the holidays and a new year with their five girls and three boys.

“Well, the 13-year-old thinks she’s an adult already of course,” laughs Rose. “But they are wonderful from 13 to 2. They all have a special unique personality. They all have their little mood swings, but they have been really good with all this situation. They are doing as good as they can in school, their friends – most of all, they are great. We are trying to involve them in church. They love it so that’s a good thing and a blessing because we are trying to teach them the right way – a second go around for them. They have been through a lot.”

The real blessing, however, for Garland might just come in the realization of his new family.

“It’s a blessing for sure but there is never a dull moment in the house. That’s for sure. These kids are wonderful. They are a blessing,” said Garland.

These newly added members of the family are exactly why Sherryl says she didn’t hesitate in submitting a letter to the contest. She says in the end, family is what it’s all about.

“They’ve endured a lot and adopting eight – I have two children, him, and a daughter, and two grandchildren but I love them like if they were my own. They call me grandma. It just amazes me that they could do that and take them in – being her grandchildren and them stepping up to the plate and being the role model that they have been to them. I’m very proud of them,” said Sherryl.

Photos as well as the entire Christmas Angel letter will be available in Thursday’s holiday edition of the Seguin Daily News. The online SDN can be found at SeguinToday.com.

The KWED Christmas Angel again thanks all those who submitted entries in this year’s contest and looks forward to spreading even more Christmas spirit in 2023.

•