Texas History Minute

Change often came slowly to the South, but it often arrived with a whirlwind of effort pushing it along Helen Stoddard, a force of nature unto herself, became a leader in the state with her efforts to defeat alcohol and promote women’s equality Stoddard became an early professor and pursued a host of causes across Texas, including child welfare, women’s education, food safety, prohibition of alcohol, and women’s suffrage Her stubborn mindset, coupled with a sharp intellect and fiery sermons galvanized legislators and public opinion at the turn of the century

Dr. Ken Bridges

Along the way, Helen Stoddard became one of the co-founders of what is now Texas Woman’s University and one of the first women to run for Congress

Helen M Gerrels was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, off Lake Michigan, in 1850 Church was an important part of her early life She was a bright and exceptional child and attended Ripon College, a church-based college preparatory institution as a young woman

She enrolled at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in New York and excelled at her studied She graduated from the seminary as head of her class in 1873 It was there that she met her future husband, S B Stoddard, and the two married shortly after graduation and moved to Nebraska They soon had two sons, but their happiness soon dissipated One son died in infancy, and her husband’s health collapsed The family moved to Florida, believing the warm climate would save his failing health However, his condition deteriorated, and he died in 1878

Her parents had moved to Hamilton County, Texas, in 1877, and with a young son to raise, Stoddard moved to Texas to join them She began teaching school and soon set up a Sunday School in Indian Gap In 1885, Stoddard began teaching at the now-defunct Fort Worth University, a college associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church

She soon became interested in the prohibition movement, convinced of the serious harm that alcohol did to families and marriages through health issues, financial ruin, and violence in the home She was elected president of the Texas Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1891, and took on the cause of combating alcohol fulltime She went across the state recruiting members and speaking to different organizations She successfully lobbied legislators to pass a slew of laws aimed at protecting children and public health in the 1890s, including laws mandating that public school students be taught the dangers of alcohol, banning over-the-counter sales of cocaine, restricting mail delivery of alcohol to dry counties, banning child labor in factories, raising the age of consent for girls from 12 to 15, and banning the sale of cigarettes to children under 16.

Stoddard also lobbied for the opening of a state women’s college In 1901, the legislature agreed to create the Girls’ Industrial College though there had been great opposition to college education for women

Stoddard was named to the board of regents, the first woman in Texas to serve on the governing body of any Texas state college

The board selected Denton as the site of the new college, which opened in 1903 Stoddard continued to serve as the college changed its name to the College of Industrial Arts (it became Texas Women’s University in 1957) At the college’s dedication, Stoddard noted, “Economic independence will allow them to build their lives upon intelligent choice ”

She also became an advocate for giving women the right to vote, believing it would help the cause of women’s education and the fight against alcohol The strain of her schedule overwhelmed her, causing a series of health problems She stepped down from her roles with the WCTU and the college board in 1907 She moved to California to be near her son and his wife

As her health recovered, Stoddard began getting involved once again. Women won the right to vote in California in 1911, and Stoddard immediately led a caravan of 40 women to become the first women in San Diego County to register to vote. But women had yet to win the vote nationwide In 1912, she ran for Congress from the new 11th Congressional District, which included the San Diego area. She represented the Prohibition Party and ran on a slogan of “A vote for Stoddard is a vote for the home ” However, she finished fourth with 8.3% of the vote, far behind the victor, Democrat William Kettner In the process, she became the first woman to run for Congress in the history of the state and one of the first to run anywhere

She resumed teaching at a local high school after the election Stoddard continued to hold temperance meetings in her home, trying to help attendants end their drinking and smoking through her fiery sermons She organized a local chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and was elected head of the statewide organization She continued to push for both women’s suffrage and the total prohibition of alcohol After

World War I, she saw the ratification of constitutional amendments banning alcohol and giving women the right to vote, though Prohibition was repealed in 1933

Her health began failing again by the 1930s. After her only remaining son died in 1935, she returned to Texas with her daughter-in-law and settled in Brownwood Stoddard died in Dallas in December 1940 at age 90

Dr Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor. He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

Samuel Moore-Sobel is a freelance writer He is currently working on a memoir and publishes a blog which can be found by visiting holdingontohopetoday.com Follow him on both Facebook and Twitter

“I had no idea I could do what I do now as a full-time job,” Ron Culberson, author and motivational speaker, says As with most of us, this speaker, author, and humorist is living a life he once found hard to imagine

He began his career as a social worker at a hospice care facility located in Northern Virginia He worked his way up to Director of Quality Service, his work centered around providing care to those nearing life’s end.

While unconventional, his path prepared him for what was to come “The best kind of story and the best kind of humor is from your own experience,” Culberson says “If you tell your own story, it’s yours, it’s not anyone else’s ” Culberson regularly shares his stories with others According to his website, wwwronculberson com, he has presented to more than 240,000 people in over 1,300 organizations since 1996

His stories eventually made their way onto the page He encountered plenty of other speakers who had become authors, but carefully considered his own path “I didn’t want to write a book just to write a book,” he says Yet he possessed a desire to offer more to his clients “I wanted a take home book for my audiences ”

Inspired, he got to work, mining his own personal experiences for material “I started writing down every story in my life I came up with 150 possibilities,” he says A starting point as he crafted four books, including Do It Well Make It Fun The Key to Success in Life, Death, and Almost Everything in Between A book he structured by framing each short chapter with a real-life story (filled with humor, of course) The humorous passages - mixed with poignant, practical lessons help the reader digest the message Culberson is trying to impart

“This book only has two steps (Do it well Make it fun ) and one promise (Success),” he wrote in the

Monday, December 10, 2018 to laugh? book’s introduction A sort of Occam’s Razor approach to life –that the simplest of explanations is often the most likely to be true

“The concept is so simple Do things well, make them fun, and you’ll find more success in your life,” he wrote

A principle Culberson has successfully applied to his own life Rarely do we encounter a professional who truly finds joy in the work they do on a daily basis So often, our work can feel devoid of the meaning we so desire For Culberson, it’s exactly the opposite

“As a hospice social worker, I saw people handle the most serious situations that we’ll ever experience with grace and dignity,” he wrote in Do It Well Make It Fun Perhaps this blend of palliative care, coupled with his grasp of what it takes to garner an audience’s laughter, account in part for his success “I think the thing I do best is I can distill things down to understandable points…” Does he follow a formula for inserting humor into a story? “I never have, although I can tell you what the principle is, it’s the disconnect that ties it all together.” He goes on to explain that what makes a joke funny is the contradiction inherent in the setup Meaning that humor can be derived when two things are both “connected and disconnected at the same time ”

When hearing Culberson speak, it is impossible to refrain from bursting out laughing (in a good way) I first met Culberson during a speech he gave at the Phoenix World Burn Congress, to a room filled with burn survivors and their families As he spoke, there was not a person in the room who didn’t erupt in laughter Yet his speech was also filled with poignant moments, coupled with practical life advice His approach serving to communicate his understanding of the pain inherent in trauma As well as the importance of humor

“[Humor] keeps us in the right perspective,” he says “I am one of these people that believes it can manage stress ” Humor can also be helpful as we attempt to examine the world around us “It does create that perspective, when you see humor you are seeing the world from a different angle ”

While Ron Culberson has so very much to share, at the end of the day, he really wants to make you laugh Whether in person or in writing, he has plenty of jokes to tell. Involving his family, friends, work, and of course, himself All while trying to assist his audiences in their collective quest to lead more fulfilling lives

So, if you ever have the chance to hear him speak or read his work, be prepared He will impact you with his stories and advice Yet, you won’t be able to stop laughing along the way; and maybe, that’s just the point After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh?

“A little bit of laughter goes a long way,” he says

Samuel Moore-Sobel is a syndicated columnist To read more of his work, visit www holdingontohopetoday com

Texoma Hot Jobs

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Coleman

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Continued from page 16

"Then she told me that our one park has been torn down and reminded me that I didn't accomplish my goal So (at our last council meeting) I put a bug in our city administrator's ear one more time about our need for park improvement

Coleman says his time on the council was interesting due to being in the position on wanting growth but wanting controlled growth.

"Seeing a community that has such heart with a lot of growth coming and figuring out how to control that growth is going to be a challenge," said Coleman

Coleman says his first impression of Howe was that it was a hidden gem right off Highway 75 but didn't realize the unique charm of the town until he had his children involved in the school system and youth sports

"What I'm going to miss the most about Howe is the people that I go to church with are teachers of our kids, the care that the elementary school gives my kids," said Coleman "Everybody knows everybody and there's a closeness in this community and people care for your children like they're your own People will even discipline your kids like they are their own and I appreciate that "

Coming to Howe, Coleman said he was young and broke as a joke. After just accepting the position as music minister at FBC Howe, his transmission went out in his truck Unable to afford the repairs, his boss Roger Tidwell, pastor of FBC Howe told him to get it fixed and that he'd make sure it was taken care of When Coleman went to thank him, Tidwell told him for repayment, he should just to stay a few years and make this his home He has done that and now will see what comes from his next calling in West Texas

Coleman's last service at FBC Howe will be Sunday, Dec 16

How does inflation affect the stock market?

Hey Taylor - How does inflation affect the stock market? I’ve always wondered about that and get hesitant to buy stocks because I don’t know if interest rates are about to go up and whether or not that should change my tactic - Olan

Hey Olan - This one is a doozy I’ve read a lot of studies relating to inflation and the stock market, and I’ve heard so many different theories as to whether inflation is good or bad for investors I guess the short answer to your question is that there is no short answer However, here are some notable factors that can at least shed a little light on the issue

1 Inflation tends to hurt growth stocks more Since inflation drives down the value of the dollar, it typically hurts growing companies a little more than established businesses If you own stock in a small tech company that needs to spend money in order to grow, a weakened dollar isn’t going to help you out Meanwhile, when you own value stocks that are slowly ticking up in price, inflation can actually help you out in some cases In theory, owning stocks in the long term is a safeguard against inflation, since you can expect a good company’s revenue to go up along with the inflation rate

2 There is a sweet spot Inflation studies, of which there are plenty, show that the best rea come when inflation between 2-3 percent mean you should buy when inflation is hold but rather you should panicking when it goe down a little bit It alw bit for the economy to get back on track afte high inflation This al leads to more volatility in the stock market, so it might be worth waiting to see if the Fed makes a move and then watching the market’s reaction

3 Play it safe when inflation is high While you might see someone hit it rich during a time of high inflation, returns are historically lower during those periods I don’t think you need to avoid the stock market when the rates go up, but it’s probably not the right time to go hog-wild Look at trends and keep an eye out for stocks that seem undervalued, but don’t start overcorrecting and making too many moves when there’s increased inflation

This is a solid question, Olan, and I’m glad you’re being this thoughtful with your investing One of the smartest things an investor can do is research what the market has done historically When you have an understanding of the causes and effects related to past inflation, that will help with the decisions you make in the future

Taylor Kovar - Family Man Wealth Manager Author Speaker. Serial Entrepreneur. Travel Lover. Chick-Fil-A Fanatic. Kovar is the CEO and founder of Kovar Capital Management LLC of Lufkin, Texas.