Around 200 families received a healthy offering of food during a recent distribution event at the San Patricio Health Department’s Ingleside location. The drivethrough event was a partnership of the Coastal Bend Food Bank and Ingleside Police Department. To help the event run smoothly, a handful of volunteers, Including Ingleside High School Student Council members, assisted with distributing food to each vehicle.
Courtesy: Ingleside ISD, IPD
These days it’s not easy for 78-yearold William ‘Sonny’ Holmes to get around. His debilitating condition makes even walking a chore and he uses canes with both hands to ambulate.
By Mark Silberstein
It’s a tradition a recent immigrant who settled in the Coastal Bend started as a way to give back to a community that showered him with compassion, grace, and understanding after settling in the United States from his native India. George Thamaravelil (known as Thomas to many), died in 2017. Locals in the Ingleside area may recall he founded Big M Pest Control, now run by his son, Mat. The 42-year-old was at the Ingleside VFW Post 6386 Wednesday, November 23, overseeing a crew of helpers that prepared done-in or take-out Thanksgiving turkey meals with all the fixings, plus desert, for free. Last Wednesday he expected to serve as many as 500 people, many U.S. military veterans. The annual George Thomas’ Community Thanksgiving Dinner is also possible thanks to the support, devotion, and culinary skills of 82-yearold Bertha Dodson, who Thamaravelil met attending First Baptist Church in Portland. George asked her to help him pull off the first community Thanksgiving dinner 32 years ago, and she’s been a part of the event since. Placed atop a stick planeted on decorative pumpkins along each table at the VFW Hall was a small card explaining the‘back story’for the family’s inspiration, answering the question, why does Big M host a Thanksgiving dinner? “The previous owner, George Thamaravelil (Thomas), and Thanksgiving are one and the same,” the description begins. “As an immigrant from India, he was shown a lot of support from this local community. First of all, he would say from his heart,‘for all that I am or all that I have, I give all the credit to my God. It’s by His mercy that I am who I am’. Secondly, he would show appreciation to his family. He thanked God every day of his life for his family. And thirdly, he appreciated his employees and saw them as family. And of course, his customers were his life. For these reasons, he decided in 1988 to have the Thanksgiving Dinner – for friends, associates, employees, and community alike. We can still see him standing at the door, extending his hand to each and everyone who entered. To him there was no such things as rich or poor. It is in this same spirit that we are continuing this tradition of showing our appreciation to the community,”the card ended. See more photos on page 3. Ingleside Index
In 1978, R.J. (Robert James) Thomas had just turned 18 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, pictured here when he started boot camp at their Great Lakes training facility near Chicago.
Courtesy: R.J. Thomas
Like father, like son.
By Mark Silberstein
LEFT
A group from Ingleside gathered outside Walmart in Aransas Pass on Black Friday, patiently waiting for the doors to open at 6:00 a.m., some braced against the cold under the warmth of hoodies, while others wearing t-shirts did their best not to let the cold weather bother them. They included (left to right) Jaime Pena, Kaitlyn Chanhrattana, Isaiah Lopez, Carlee Vickers, and Heidi Riggs.
The Mustang’s take the field kicking off their district game against Port Isabel in Corpus Christi.
Photos by James Granger
It was a rough weekend for the Ingleside High School Mustang’s football team. They were defeated by Port Isabel in a district playoff in Corpus Christi, the game delayed by lightning.
The Mustang’s JC Smith goes up for an interception as Sinton’s Kaden McCoy waits for the ball during Friday night’s district game.
Orange Grove’s Diego Garza tries to get away from Ingleside’s Nathan Ambrose during Friday night’s game in Orange Grove. The Mustang’s won the district game, 45-21.
Photos by James Granger
Last Monday, October 24, the girl’s seventh and eighth grade volleyball teams from Leon Taylor Junior High in Ingleside won every match in district play against Kingsville. Their grades and scores are shown.
Courtesy: Ingleside ISD
On Friday, November 11th, 2022 Floyd Nathan Wiley, Loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away at his home in Aransas Pass, Texas at the age of 77.
David James Pappas, born in Waterbury, CT, January 17, 1953, and residing in Aransas Pass, TX, passed away on October 24, 2022, after a very sudden decline in health due to cancer.
On Thursday October 6th, 2022, Enrique (Ricky) Guzman III, Loving Son, Brother, and Father passed away at the age of 55.
Member of Crossroads Church in Aransas Pass & member of the United States Army. Proudly served in Vietnam. Received a purple heart for being wounded in battle.
346 S. Houston
Aransas Pass, TX 78336
P.O. Box 2100
Aransas Pass, TX 78336
361-758-5391
