I hope everyone had an enjoyable Independence Day, even though most area fireworks shows were canceled this year due to dry conditions. I recently caught up with a different kind of “shooting star” who, like many recent graduates, is preparing to head to new adventures this fall.
Harlie Warren, a class of 2022 graduate of Cedar Creek High School, was presented with the Catholic Life Insurance Scholarship at its annual branch meeting last month.
Warren is the daughter of Mark and Janet Warren, and the granddaughter of Clayton and Wanda Hoffman of Rockne, Rick Kellison of Bastrop, Beva Carlisle of McDade and the late Mark Warren Sr. She will head to Texas A&M University this fall, where she is enrolled in the engineering school but is considering a change to physics on the astrophysics track.
“I’ve always been fascinated with space and space exploration, and I want to help contribute to that,” Warren said. “I hope to one day work at NASA and help get mankind back into space and actively exploring our solar system.”
In addition to the Catholic Life scholarship, she received the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Scholarship, the Cougar Moats Memorial Scholarship, the Bright and Shiny Carwash PTSA Scholarship, the Rockne Knights of Columbus Scholarship, the St. Anne’s Society Scholarship, the Father Bernard Goertz Scholarship, the Texas A&M Tuition Help Scholarship and the Bastrop County A&M Club Scholarship.
Warren is also an accomplished singer and was an active participant in her high school theater program, both as part of the cast and doing costumes for the shows.
We’re so proud of this young lady and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes as she makes her mark on the world, or in her case, the universe!
The fifth annual Herman Fest will take place this Saturday at Leon’s Country Store. In addition to music all day, the event will feature a silent auction starting at 2 p.m., a fried chicken and sausage meal at 4 p.m. and a live auction at 7:30 p.m. The meal is $13 a plate for fried chicken and homemade sausage, both made by the Meuth family of Meuth’s Place in Rockne and sides made by Melissa Meuth of C and G Catering.
The music will kick off at 2:30 p.m. with the Trophy Husbands and Spare Parts, followed by Brandi Behlen at 4 p.m. and the Wyatt Ellis Band at 6 p.m. Hometown favorite Logan Tucker returns from Nashville to round out the music for the night, playing from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Besides a day of great music and food, the auctions help raise funds for local friends in need and this year the event will benefit Buster Huckaby and Tabitha Osborn-Gilcrease.
Huckaby is a veteran who was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in June 2020. It has been a long road to recovery, including facial reconstructive surgery, skin grafts, multiple eye surgeries and ongoing physical therapy. He currently lives in a facility in Houston but will soon be moving back to Bastrop to live at Argent Court. He needs help with medical expenses and also living expenses to help make this move to Bastrop where he will receive a better quality of care and be close to his friends.
Osborn-Gilcrease is a cousin of Herman who recently suffered the loss of her husband of only five months, Alvin Gilcrease, who was hospitalized and died after being struck by an 18-wheeler that was traveling in the wrong lane. Alvin, who had been a dedicated lineman for over 18 years, had just started a new job and didn't have benefits yet so Herman Fest is helping Tabitha with medical expenses and final expenses. For more information about Herman Fest, or to donate items for the silent or live auction, call 512-304-8379 or email leonscountrystore@gmail.com.