The picture of a store with a woman standing on the second floor is of my Grandmother Anna (Sebesta) (Orsag) Sontag. She is standing on the porch of the two story building in Tunis. The picture was taken in the late 1800's and I think the four children are children by her first husband, Lukas Orsag. I think the children are John, Frances, Frank and Lukas jr. )other children not pictured: Anna, Amela, Helen, William and Joseph. I was told that the building was a local Mercantile or General Merchandise store, owned by Dr. Little who was one of four Doctors in the TUNIOS AREA> From the looks of the crowd there must have been a town meeting of some sort or perhaps an election. The third man from the left was Lukas Orsag. Lukas also hd a store building on one acre.
My Aunt Helen told us that she recalled waiting up for her Dad (Lukas Orsag) until he came home from the store and or saloon. The hour would be late and she said that many times he would be soaked from the heavy rains and his horse and buggy would bog down. She would help her Dad count his money; and dry it out in the oven of the old wood cook stove. When dry the would lock it in the save. Grandmother's other children- nine by her first husband (Lukas Orsag) were (in order of birth) Jan (John); Frantisk (Francis or Fannie); Frantisek (Frank); Lukas (Luke) Joseph (died at birth); Anna (Joan); (Charles; Walters); Milka (Amelia) (Sheveland; Gauss); Vlasta (Helen) (twin) and William (Bill) (twin). After Lukas died Grandmother married Charlie Sontag and there were three children by her second husband (Charlie Sontag Jr.) They were Henry Sontag, Rosalie (Nix) and Lydia (Zalmanek). Lydia Zalmaek was my Mother. My Grrandmother is buried in the Snook Cemetery along with her second husband, Charlie Sontag, Jr.
Hrozanka School
Hrozanka School was located between Tunis and Snook (about four miles from the Brazos Baptist Church Cemetery, on FM 2039 now). The school was on Lukas and Anna Orsag's property until it was disbanded in the 1930's. The students were transferred to Snook School as were the students from Happy Hill School (which was located west of Tunis). Teachers were Mr. Cubby Baer and Miss Kornegay. My mother, Lydia (Sontag) Zalmanek, is standing by Mr. Bare. Other students are several Urbanosky's, Orsags, Elsiks and Kocureks.
(Jo Ann Z. Worthington 2002, SONTAG family history)
In 1928, I was seven years old and attended Gregg School in Burleson County. It was a one-room country schoolhouse, with only one teacher. She taught children ranging in ages from six to fifteen years old in grades one through seven - all in one room and all at the same time.
...The furnishings of our school were meager. Long benches with tables attached served as desks. There was one blackboard, a shelf for our coats and hats, a wood stove, and the teacher's desk. The bathroom facilities were located outdoors, and the water well was about one-quarter of a mile away. There was no electricity. Kerosene lamps were used for light.
Our school day began about 8:00 and ended about 4:00. During recess we played the typical children's games such as jump rope, hide and seek, hopscotch, marbles, jacks, and popping the whip.
...The classrooms of today are modern marvels of technology, but I still retain a fondness for my early school days. Even the daily one and a half mile walks to school and back, often through the rain and mud up to my ankles, could not cloud those joyful memories of my early years.
(Foster 2996, Frances X. De Gelia Schools Days in the Italian Community (as recalled by Janie Ricca DeGelia) pages 123-124)
