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Fredericksburg Rockhounds — May 2018 —

FREDERICKSBURG

ROCKHOUNDS — May 2018 —

From the Top of the Rock Pile by

Lee Adams

After two field trips in April with the Geological Society of San Anto-

nio, one to the Tessman Ranch and the second to the serpentine quar-

ry on Willow City Loop, Judy and I have about a quart of small tum-

ble size petrified wood from the Tessman Ranch and 3 buckets of ser-

pentine. I am working to help organize future field trips for our club.

Tip of the Month:

Bicarbonate of Soda is a most useful aid in outings.

1. It takes the itch out of bites and stings.

2. It soothes the irritation of poison ivy, oak and nettles.

3. It relieves sunburn and windburn and is effective on burns.

4. It sweetens stomachs and ice chests.

5. It removes odors such as garlic, onion, and fish.

6. It will loosen bug spatters from windshields.

7. It will help snuff out campfires.

On the lighter side:

For rock hounds there is a fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

In Alaska, tourists are warned to wear tiny bells on their clothing when hiking in bear country. The bells

warn away most bears. Tourists are also cautioned to watch the ground for bear droppings so they may

be aware of grizzly bears. One can tell grizzly droppings by the tiny bells in it.

I hope you all have a good month.

Fredericksburg Rockhounds 50th Anniversary The hobby of rock hounding is so multi-faceted it has the interest of a wide span of people. As part of the

Fredericksburg Rockhounds Club’s 50th Anniversary, we are writing a series of biographies for some long

time (not old) members. It is our hope you will see the diversity of people that are interested in rock

hounding.

This month we feature Dan and Mary Jean Moreno and John & Jane Crone as well as a short cor-

rection for Chester Hohmann which can be found in the Errata section on page 7.


Dan & Mary Jean Moreno

Some people are born naturalists and Dan Moreno is one of these. While other children were playing

games, Dan was in the back yard turning over rocks and searching for interesting insects and plants.

While in his teens, he enjoyed grafting plants.

Dan’s parents were both Mexican citizens. Originally from Mexico City, Dan’s father served as a public

school teacher near the Mexican/US border, later working as a bookkeeper for the PEMEX Mexican Oil

Company and eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked for Union Carbide (EverReady

Batteries). He was proud of the fact that he once saw Pancho Villa, the famous Mexican revolutionary

leader. Dan’s mother did not work outside of the home.

Dan and his sister were born and raised in Cleveland. Each year the Moreno family would take an ex-

tended vacation driving to Mexico to visit relatives. While passing through Austin, Dan’s parents were

especially impressed with the Texas Hill Country and when they retired in the early 1960’s, they bought

a retirement home in Fredericksburg.

Dan was born in 1933. He attended elementary, junior high and senior high public schools in Cleveland.

During the school year, he worked part time as a page at the Eastman Branch of the Cleveland Public

Library and full time at the main library on weekends. Almost every Saturday, Dan would visit the

Cleveland Zoo, where he became acquainted with the Curator of Reptiles, who became his mentor. After

graduation from high school, Dan enrolled at Western Reserve University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree

with a major in Biology and a minor in Speech in 1956. He later undertook graduate coursework at that

institution.

Dan worked his way through the university. He was employed at the Federal Reserve Bank—part time

during the school year and full time during summers. When time permitted, he volunteered at the

Cleveland Aquarium, then under construction. Eventually he was offered a paid position at the Aquari-

um and was able to resign from his position at the bank. He continued his visits to the Cleveland Zoo

whenever possible.

After graduation from Western Reserve in 1956, Dan was drafted into the Army. He was first assigned

to Fort Hood and then deployed to Frankfurt, Germany, as a Medic. During his final year of service, Dan

auditioned and was accepted into the Third Armored Division Trains Band, where he played trumpet

and cornet. He was mustered out of the Army in 1958. Soon after returning to the States, he was hospi-

talized with pneumonia and was bedridden for an extended period.

Once back on his feet, Dan resumed his duties at the Cleveland Aquarium, a satellite of the Cleveland

Museum of Natural History. Dan was appointed Director of the Aquarium in 1964 The Aquarium was

closed in the late 1985 because of financial difficulties. At that time Dan was transferred to the Cleve-

land Zoo, where he was designated the Supervisor of Rain Forest and Aquatics. A few years later, in the

early 1990’s, Dan was assigned the position of Conservation Biologist. While serving in that capacity, he

recruited ichthyologists and fish breeders from around the world to attend a seminar in Cleveland on

the breeding habits of the Australian lungfish. Dan continued coordinating international efforts with

this project and eventually it was successful. Aquariums around the world now have Australian lungfish

in their exhibits thanks to his efforts. Dan worked at the Cleveland Aquarium for 32 years and an addi-

tional 10 years at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo; he retired in 1997.

Mary Jean Crain was born in Montour Falls, New York, in 1939. When she was six weeks old, her par-

ents took her with them to resettle in Burma. Mary Jean’s father was an Audiovisual Specialist with the

American Baptist Missions. With the exception of one year when she attended classes at a public school

— A Biography —


John & Jane Crone — A Biography —

in the United States, Mary Jean attended elementary and secondary school classes at the Woodstock

School, which is an internationally famous boarding school situated in the Himalayan Mountains near

Mussourie, India. She lived at the school for the entire school year, traveling home by train only for the

break between school terms. Woodstock School is affiliated with the Baptist Church. Mary Jean remem-

bers vividly the occasion when she saw Mahatma Gandhi, the famous Indian activist. Mary Jean’s broth-

er Warren served as a pastor and entered the Peace Corps after retirement; her other brother Alan was

a sociology professor and is now deceased.

After graduation from high school, Mary Jean returned to the United States and enrolled at the prestig-

ious Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio. She completed the requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree in Child

Psychology, attended summer classes to acquire a teaching certificate, and was then employed by the

Painesville, Ohio, Public School System. She later earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at

Kent State University.

Dan and Mary Jean met while she was working her way through college as a waitress in a Howard

Johnson’s Restaurant. They were married in 1961 and have two sons—Steven and Ronald.

Dan and Mary Jean have traveled extensively both in the United States and abroad. They have special

memories of traveling around the world from east to west.

After Dan and Mary retired in 1997, they became “Winter Texans” and lived in Fredericksburg during

the winter months in the house that had belonged to Dan’s parents. They joined the Fredericksburg

Rockhounds soon after they began this cycle.

Dan has never ceased being interested in natural history. He has an interesting collection of rocks and

minerals and an extensive collection of cacti and other succulents. Dan was a member of the Kerr Coun-

ty Cactus Succulent Society until recently when that club disbanded. He and Mary Jean love animals

and have had a variety of interesting and unusual pets. They now share their home with an African

hingeback tortoise, a double yellow-headed Amazon parrot and two dogs.

A few years ago, Mary Jean was diagnosed with Parkinsonism with Lewy bodies, which exhibits symp-

toms similar to Parkinson’s Disease but is a different disease. She now is a resident in the Knopp

Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center at 1208 North Llano in Fredericksburg. She welcomes visitors.

*The above was prepared by Glenn Thompson based on interviews on March 26th and 27th, 2018.

John Crone attributes his exceptional diction to the fact that much of his life was spent within 90 miles

of his home in Richmond, Virginia. John was born in 1940; his father worked at the Phillip Morris facto-

ry in Richmond and his mother was a homemaker. Soon after John’s birth, his mother took him to the

nearby Old Soldier’s Home, where he was held and admired by a resident in his 90’s—one of two re-

maining Confederate soldiers at the home. John was named after his father. Friends and acquaintances

called him “Johnny” after the bellhop in the advertisement who shouts, “Call for Phillip Morris!” John

has two sisters and three brothers—one of whom is deceased.

John began elementary school at Robert E. Lee Elementary. After a couple of years, he transferred to

Dunbarton Elementary and he finished his elementary-school education at Glen Allen Elementary. He

attended Hermitage High School. After high school graduation, John joined the Navy. After boot camp

at Great Lakes, Illinois, John had a short leave and then returned to Great Lakes for a six-months


course preparing him to be an FT Gunfire Electronic Technician. John spent four years in active duty—

some of it on a destroyer—and two years in inactive duty. He then attended Virginia Commonwealth

University and completed a two-year technical course leading to certification in Electrical/Electronic En-

gineering Technology. After completion of that program, John was hired by IBM and worked there for 31

years until his retirement in 1996. John was based in Richmond but was sent occasionally to work for

brief periods of time in Dallas; Atlanta; Tucson; and Rochester, Minnesota. During the three decades he

spent at IBM, John experienced changes from computers with vacuum tubes and data entry via mechan-

ical devices such as card punches and sorters to mainframe computers with transistors and data entry

via keyboards onto disks.

John married during the time he was in Richmond; he and his first wife have a daughter named

Heather.

Jane Crone was born in 1943 (John claims that he robbed the cradle) in Galveston, Texas. Her mother

was a nurse and her father was stationed overseas. After her father returned to the United States, the

family moved to New Orleans and from there to Philadelphia and then to Buffalo, New York, as her fa-

ther completed internship and residency requirements leading to a career as a doctor. Eventually, the

family settled in Fort Worth, Texas, where Jane received her public school education. After graduation

from high school, Jane attended the University of Washington for two years. She married a young man

who was employed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the State of Washington. Jane and her first husband

have one child who was born in Washington State—a daughter named Kimberly. The family moved to

Virginia, where Jane’s husband accepted employment as a civilian employee of the Army Corps of Engi-

neers.

Jane’s first husband became the Executive Director of the Virginia Association for Retarded Citizens.

Jane helped youth and adults with special needs find jobs and adapt to their work environments. She

also worked as a teaching assistant.

Jane and John met while both were working with Boy Scouts with special needs. They have been mar-

ried for 27 years in August of 2018. Jane’s daughter lived in Houston and her mother in Fort Worth, so

Jane and John had opportunities to travel around Texas while visiting relatives. They liked what they

saw, so they moved to Fredericksburg in 1996—shortly after John retired. After a short stint in a rental

house, they bought a home on Dinosaur Ranch Road west of Fredericksburg and then later had a home

built in Fredericksburg.

John and Jane were members of the Richmond Gem and Mineral Society in Virginia. After moving to

Fredericksburg, they joined the Fredericksburg Rockhounds in 1996, at a time when the club was still

quite small. John has always enjoyed collecting rocks and Native American artifacts and Jane is an avid

“birder.” They’ve enjoyed field trips where Jane spent her time looking up and John spent his time look-

ing down—the perfect couple. Both Jane and John have been active members of the Fredericksburg

Rockhounds. Jane has been in charge of refreshments and has also worked diligently on other commit-

tees, as well as the annual show. John has served as Show Chairman, Treasurer, and AudioVisual Tech-

nician. John also has made name tags for several years. Both Jane and John have been excellent mem-

bers. They have outstanding reputations for stepping forth and taking on whatever needs to be done

without fuss or commotion.

John is an amateur but skilled photographer. He has gone out of his way to preserve his family’s pictori-

al heritage. Because of his employment with IBM and specialized knowledge of computers, individuals

and organizations in the community turn to him for help with their computer problems. Both John and

Jane are active members of the Fredericksburg Native Plant Society and Friends of the Fredericksburg

Nature Center.

*The above was prepared by Glenn Thompson based on interviews on 03/21/18 and 03/25/18.


April 28th Field Trip

Please read these instructions carefully so that you get to the meeting site.

///

Three Rivers is located at or near the junction of U.S. HWY 281 and TX HWY 72, about 91 miles south

of San Antonio ( 11/2 - 2 hrs).

At HWY 72, head west toward Choke Canyon Reservoir. LOOK FOR JEFF STREET ON THE

LEFT. IT IS ADJACENT TO THE CHOKE CANYON LODGE.

Turn left onto Jeff Street and park along the roadside. Please do not take up spaces at the lodge park-

ing area. Fees will be collected there, and then we will caravan to the ranch. WEATHER PERMITTING.

At the ranch, park on the hilltop, a couple of hundred yards from the plowed fields. DO NOT PARK

DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. IT IS A ONE-WAY ROAD AND EXITING AT DIFFERENT

TIMES WILL BECOME REALLY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU TRY TO FIND THE OWNER OF THE

CAR THAT HAS YOU BLOCKED IN. We will not help you. We will be hunting.

///

Arrive at the Jeff Street meeting area by 8:30am. The caravan will leave at 9:00am sharp.

The hunt will cost $25.00 per person plus a $1.00 club fee ($26.00 total).

Stay in the designated hunt area. You will recognize it by the 18-inch deep furrows over the entire area.

Root plowing was done fairly recently and rocks are visible. If it has rained there recently (a week or so),

all the better.

This is an active ranch and livestock may be loose. Leave them alone. Domesticated cattle are still wild,

they have only learned to tolerate our presence. DO NOT GO NEAR A CALF—MOTHER IS WATCH-

ING.

WE MUST VACATE THE RANCH BY 3:00 PM SHARP.

Bring your own water, snacks, and collecting gear. Wear sturdy shoes as ankles will be at risk in the

furrows. We may have help getting your buckets back up the hill. If you dig for a rock, FILL IN THE

HOLE, or we may never be allowed back.

Should there be significant rain before Saturday, the hunt is likely to be cancelled. The field is too dan-

gerous if wet.

If you have any questions, please contact Keith King or Sam Rodgers.

EXTRA: You may also find the meeting area if you drive south on TX HWY 16, and then turn east on

TX HWY 72. The lodge will be on your right. I do not think that this route is faster. Good Hunting!

— House Ranch Rock Hunt —


Fredericksburg Rockhounds Meeting Minutes — April 2nd, 2018 —

Lee Adams opened the 7:00 PM meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Membership Committee:

Introduced and welcomed our 9 new members. The Membership Committee is in need of a volunteer.

Program Chairman Patti Felts presented:

A DVD with speaker John J. Renton PhD titled “Volcano Activity-Nature of Earth.” Patti announced

that May’s program “All You Need to Know about Tumblers” will be presented by Mr. Keith King.

Old Business:

A motion was approved to accept March 2018 minutes as they appeared in the newsletter.

New Business:

Lee will be adding a Tip of the Month to the Newsletter. Lee gave an example of “How to Clean Jewelry”

using Ivory and Calgon soap in hot water.

Miscellaneous:

Lee and Judy participated in a field trip sponsored by the Geological Society of San Antonio to the

Tessman Ranch, located South of San Antonio. Lee reported that both he and Judy searched for 3 hours

and the search resulted in about a quart of petrified wood. Most of the wood size was about that of a half

dollar. Keith King also reported that that ranch no longer plows the ground because they are now more

focused on oil.

Lee reported a sale April 7 in Rusk, TX. that will be selling large amounts of rock and equipment. The

couple selling rock and equipment is Keith and Toni Harman. Virginia Adian said she believed they are

the vendors at our show that crack geodes.

Sam Rodgers reported an Eagle Pass field trip through Karen Anderson. Sam contacted Karen and

asked her to let the group know the field trip was Saturday, April 7th .

Karen Anderson spoke about the Alpine Rock Show that she and Andy attended over Easter weekend.

She said there were 10 members from the Fredericksburg Rockhounds that attended the Alpine show

and that Sam Rodgers was a vendor at the show. Karen said that she and Andy went on a road cut, field

trip in the Alpine area that weekend and Andy found all the good rocks. Maybe Andy is a rockhound af-

ter all.

Keith King reported that while in Alpine he attended two successful field trips.

Lee announced that Mike McBride Oil, Chevron in Kerrville, is selling cutting oil for $25.00 per gallon.

Claude Townsend said he uses oil from the San Antonio Mineral Oil Company that sells for $12.00 per

gallon.

Thanks to everyone that brought food. We had quite a feast.


Donor Door Prize

Lee Adams Onyx, 2 West Texas Jasper stones

Richard Brzezicki Ohio Flint

John Crone Petrified Wood, Chalcedony, Larimbre Ranch, Alpine, TX; Chalcedony, Southern Utah

Frank Rowell & Patti Felts Ammonite pair

Don & Betty Hall Oro Grande Garnet, New Mexico

Robert Mitchell & Callie Weaver Mahogany Obsidian and Arizona Petrified Wood from Jim Grays Rock Shop Holbrook, AZ 86025

Thomas Mitchell Real Road Rock (formed by road crews)

Wayne Price Nickeloan Magnegite or Citron Chysoprase

Door Prizes:

A motion was made and approved to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 P.M.

Minutes submitted by Judy Adams, Secretary

Errata — Regarding the April 2018 Newsletter —

1.) A correction to Chester Hohmann's biography.

Chester only played for Pat’s Cubs, not the Fredericksburg Giants and Pats Cubs. Also the incident

describing the gradual reduction of personnel at an Army base occurred at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, not

in Korea, as stated.

2.) A missing announcement in the Events section regarding the monthly Fredericksburg Rockhounds

meeting and identifying the intended program for that meeting.

April 2, 2018 — FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS: This meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday,

April 2nd, at the Golden Hub Senior Center located at 1009 N Lincoln, Fredericksburg, Texas.

By popular demand, our April program continues the explosive theme of volcanoes. The second

of the series is "Phases of Volcanic Activity," also from The Nature of Earth: An Introduction to

Geology with Professor John J. Renton. We should have a red hot good time!

—Patti Felts


This Month’s Events

— May 2018

Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society

May 5-6, 2018 — LUBBOCK, TEXAS: Show and sale; Lubbock Gem and Mineral Society, Lubbock Me-

morial Civic Center; 1501 Mac Davis Lane; Sat. 10-06, Sun. 10-05; Adults $4, Seniors $3, Students $2,

Children Free; 60th Anniversary show; This year the Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society is Hosting the

South Central Federation Convention (SCFMS). Vendors with Jewelry, Loose Stones, Rough, Cabs,

Slabs, Geodes, Beads, Gemstones, Mineral Specimens, Crystals, Fossils, Spheres, and Lapidary Tools.

Hourly door prizes. Drawings for two grand prizes, one for Kids and one for Adults. Numerous display

cases and large rocks in our “rocks you can touch” area! Our kid’s area will have games and grab bags,

and we will feature our new fluorescent tent with rocks that “glow in the dark”. Proceeds support the

LGMS (501(c)(3) organization), and scholarships in the Earth Sciences at Texas Tech. Contact Walt

Beneze, PO Box 6371, Lubbock, TX 79493; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site:

www.lubbockgemandmineral.org

///

May 2018 Fredericksburg Rockhounds Meeting

May 7, 2018 — FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS: This meeting will take place at 7pm on Monday, May

7th, at the Golden Hub Senior Center located at 1009 N Lincoln, Fredericksburg, Texas.

• The program for this meeting will be a lesson on tumblers by Keith King. This is an easy way to

polish rocks, so it should be good for both beginners and old hands.

—Patti Felts

///

Fort Worth Gem & Mineral Club Annual Show

May 26-27, 2018 — FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Annual show; Fort Worth Gem and Mineral Club, Will

Rogers Memorial Center; 3401 West Lancaster; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; Adults $5, Seniors/Students $4,

Children 16 and under free; Gem, mineral, fossil, bead & jewelry shop. Contact Janice Craddock, PO Box

123975, Fort Worth, TX 76116; e -mail: [email protected]; Web site:

www.fortworthgemandmineralclub.org

*For more shows at later dates, or outside Texas, visit www.rockngem.com


The club will no longer mail out hard copies of the newsletter to members. Those who have provided the club with an email address will continue to receive notifications via email when the newsletter is published for viewing online.

Every online newsletter will now feature a link to a PDF version of itself in the section titled "Print or Save This Newsletter" where you can save or print your own copy.

If you need a hard copy of the newsletter each month and cannot access the online newsletters — http://fredericksburgrockhounds.org/newsletter/ — to print your own, then please let the president, Lee Adams, know. He will provide printed copies for those who need them at each monthly meeting.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.

— Josh and Melissa Hazer, [email protected]

Newsletter Hard Copies & Mail-Outs

Happy Birthday!

• Miriam Poteet — May 3

• Jane Crone, HLM — May 5

• Susan Olson — May 12

• Doris — May 18

• Sabastian Williams — May 18

• Kingsley Osborn — May 21

• Brian Burrer — May 22

—Please note: If we missed your birthday or have listed it incorrectly, please let us know so we can correct it!

[email protected]

May Birthstone & Flowers

Today, the emerald is associated with wisdom, patience, and growth though traditionally it signified love, fertility, and rebirth.

Emeralds are deep, rich green and many people associate the color with the vibrant technicolor of The Emerald City in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.

Lilies of the Valley stand for humility, sweetness, and a return to happiness.

Hawthorn Plants are all about supreme happiness and hope.

Emerald Lily of the Valley Hawthorn Plant

Majoros, Martie. "May Birthstone: Color and Meaning." Almanac.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. April 19, 2018. "May Birth Flowers." Alamanc.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. April 19, 2018.

The May birthstone is the emerald; the flowers are the lily of the valley and the hawthorn plant.


Purpose of the Fredericksburg Rockhounds:

To share knowledge and appreciation of gems, minerals,

fossils, and other natural wonders, and the art of jewelry

making. We do this through educational monthly meetings,

field trips, an annual gem, mineral, & fossil show, and do-

nations to schools. We’re affiliated with the American Fed-

eration of Mineral Societies, and the South Central Federa-

tion of Mineral Societies.

Membership and Meetings:

We meet at 7:00 P.M. on the first Monday of each month at the Golden Hub Senior Center, 1009 N Lin-

coln, Fredericksburg, Texas (except in June, when we have our annual picnic). See map, below.

Annual dues are $3 for juniors (under 19 years), $8 for individuals, and $15 for families; due in January.

Newsletter correspondence and newsletter advertising: [email protected]

All other correspondence: Fredericksburg Rockhounds, 412 S. Adams St, Fredericksburg TX 78624

Visit our website at fredericksburgrockhounds.org for more club info, field trip news, club photos, and

lots of interesting hobby-related website links.

Club Info

Your ad here for $25/year

For more information, please contact the newsletter editors by emailing us at:

[email protected]


Articles for each month’s newsletter must be received by the 15th of the month.

Send them to your newsletter editor via email: [email protected]

You may also use the form on our Contact Page to submit your articles: http://fredericksburgrockhounds.org/contact-us

A copy of the Club MEMBERSHIP LIST is available TO MEMBERS ONLY, via email (or paper mail if necessary). Contact Virginia Adian at [email protected] or 830-755-6105

The Club CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS are posted on our website: fredericksburgrockhounds.org/constitution

Newsletter Articles and Club Info

Monthly Meeting Map

Club Officers and Committee Chairs

Club Officers for 2018:

• President: Lee Adams – (830) 796-8890

• 1st Vice President: Tom Carswell – (830) 792-2160

• 2nd Vice President: Patti Felts – (325) 248-6040

• Past President: Andy Anderson – (830) 370-2177

• Treasurer: John Roup – (830) 896-4955

• Secretary: Judy Adams – (830) 796-8890

Committee Chairs:

• Programs: Patti Felts – (325) 247-6040

• Field Trips: Patti Felts – (325) 247-6040 and Sam Rodgers – (210) 240-7721

• Hospitality: Susan Olson – (830) 997-8516

• Membership: Brenda Smith – (830) 895-9630

• Historian: Sara Verstuyft – (830) 998-7350

• Media Equipment: John Crone – (830) 990-9823

• Annual Show: Jim Gedeon – (830) 456-5419

• Newsletter: Josh and Melissa Hazer

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