Nesbitt Memorial Library
Columbus, Texas

Last Updated February 29, 2012
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News from 2010-2011  
2011 Live Oaks and Dead Folks Harold Weiss, Jr. Presented Yours to Command
Columbus Elementary Trick or Treaters David Todd on the Texas Legacy Project
Mark Chapman, An Artist Writes Live Oaks and Dead Folks 2010
Denton Florian, Sam Houston the Movie Anatomy of a Fire by Lexie Maxwell
2011 Summer Reading Program Pam Walker on Organic Food Producers in Texas
Maudine Brubaker, Peggy Colt in The Way of the Dove

Nancy Koehl, Library Director
Linda LaRoque, Romance Writing Workshop Smallwood, Howell, Kearney on Texas History
Texas Film Round-Up News from 2006-2009
Peter Fletcher, Classical Guitarist News from 2002-2005
2011 Live Oaks and Dead Folks
The 2011 Live Oaks and Dead Folks tour was held at the Columbus Odd Fellows Cemetery on November 4 & 5.  Around 300 tourists passed through the sites of 11 notable Columbus residents.  Bill Mosley, Gary Chandler, Sharon Turner, Paulina Van Bavel-Kearney, Bob Gillespie, Jim Kearney, Jacob Truchard, Diane Callen, Bill Stolle, Donna Pustejovsky, Rebecca Boulware, and Betty Jo Seifert portrayed the "Haints". The annual event benefits the Nesbitt Memorial Library. 2011 Live Oaks and Dead Folks Photo Spread
Columbus Elementary Trick or Treaters
October 31, 2011, over 130 children from Columbus Elementary School came through the library for boo-kmarks and treats.
Mark Chapman, An Artist Writes
Mark Chapman, military veteran, oil man, real estate mogul, and artist,  presented his book An Artist Writes on October 11, 2011 to 20 attendees at the library.
Denton Florian, Sam Houston the Movie
Denton Florian led the team that created the documentary Sam Houston: American Statesman, Soldier, and Pioneer. He presented excerpts of the film and lively stories about Sam Houston to 35 attendees at the Nesbitt Memorial Library on September 20, 2011.. 
2011 Summer Reading Program
Storytime volunteers Erin Koehl, Amber Berger, Toni Rooks, Cherlyn Wilson, Shana Neisner, Joan Brune, Rhanda Lattimore, Donna and Jerry Pustejovsky entertain the children in this year's Summer Reading Program "Dig up a Good Book".  Professional Storyteller and Magician Julian Franklin (left) ended the season as a special treat.

 June 2011 photos

July 2011 photos
Maudine Brubaker, Peggy Colt in The Way of the Dove
Maudine Brubaker signed books on June 15, 2011, and spoke on her lifelong desire to write and the events that led to her first published book Peggy Colt in The Way of the Dove. Pattison resident is eighty four years old. Her email address is MaudineBrubaker@yahoo.com.
Linda LaRoque, Romance Writing Workshop
Central Texas resident Linda LaRoque held a Romance Writing workshop and book signing on May 14, 2011. She has published several books since retiring  retired public school teacher and has published several books.
Texas Film Round-Up
The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) and the Texas Film Commission collected over 300 home movies from Colorado County in VHS, 8mm and 16 mm formats for a massive digitization project.  Nesbitt Memorial Library was designated as a collection site from March until April 16, 2011.  DVD copies and the original movies were to be shipped to the participants within three months, but because there was more participation than expected, TAMI sent out notices that it could take at least a couple more months.
Peter Fletcher, Classical Guitarist
On March 3, 2011 classical guitarist Peter Fletcher from New York City was engaged by the Nesbitt Memorial Library Foundation for his fifth visit to Columbus. He  recently recorded with the Moravian Philharmonic in Prague.  An intimate group of 21 enjoyed his performance. In the photo with Fletcher are library director Nancy Koehl and assistant librarians Susan Archuletta and Bernadette Marsh.
Harold Weiss, Jr. Presented Yours to Command
  On February 24, 2011  Harold Weiss, Jr. presented his book, Yours to Command: The Life and Legend of Texas Ranger Captain Bill McDonald to a couple dozen patrons. He gave a lively presentation on Captain McDonald's career which included investigating the Reese-Townsend feud in Columbus. Weiss is Emeritus Professor of History, Government, and Criminal Justice at Jamestown Community College, and lives in Leander. In the photo are Donald Peikert, Weiss, Mrs. Weiss, and library board chairman Roger Wade.
David Todd on the Texas Legacy Project
  David Todd, co-author of  The Texas Legacy Project: Stories of Courage and Conservation, had a book signing on January 29, 2011. At least 60 guests attended the event in the historic Depot at the Wray Ranch.  The book captures Texas citizens’ efforts to conserve the state's resources and protect the health of its residents. Todd is the coordinator for the Texas Legacy Project, an archive and documentary series sponsored by the Conservation History Association of Texas, in Austin. He co-wrote the book with David Weisman. Part of the proceeds from the books sales at the event benefitted the Nesbitt Memorial Library.
Live Oaks and Dead Folks 2010 Cemetery Tour
The 8th Annual cemetery tour was held at the Columbus Odd Fellows cemetery on the chilly evenings of November 5 & 6. Eleven Columbus historical figures were portrayed by volunteers who braved 21 combined performances for over 300 "tourists".   Our volunteer actors were Bob Gillespie, Bill Stolle, Lorraine Novosad, Gary Chandler, Diane Callen, Bill Mosley, Jacob Truchard, Lorrie Walla, Paulina Van Bavel-Kearney, Jim Kearney, Betty Jo Seifert. This event is hosted by the Nesbitt Memorial Library Foundation, Inc., and also involves a small army of behind the scenes workers.
Anatomy of a Fire by Lexie Maxwell
Approaching one year since the Piney Woods fire of July 4, 2009, Lexie Maxwell, Wildland Urban Interface Specialist from the Texas Forest Service spoke on this and other catastrophic fires in the region.  She presented photos and spoke on mitigation and prevention.  Members of the Columbus, Bernardo, Cat Spring, Industry, and Weimar Volunteer Fire Departments were among the 49 in attendance.
Pam Walker on Organic Food Producers
  Pam Walker, author of Growing Good Things in Texas, spoke to 50 attendees on June 17, 2010 about successful, small organic food producers.  She is in the photo on the left with Bob and Mary Ann Pickens who suggested Walker for this event. In the photo on the right with Walker, are Martha Eilers of the Schulenburg & Weimar In Focus Together project, Amy and Shaun Jones of goingtothecountry.com in Praha, and Jerome Peters of the Horticulture Committee of Austin County.
Summer Reading Program 2010
This year's program "Catch the Reading Express" roared to a close on July 27. Six storytellers, 107 children participated this summer. Thirty one children completed their reading goals of 70 books or 1,750 pages. Julian Franklin, puppeteer and magician was featured again for the closing program and he presented the works of Chris Van Allsburg.  Ninety-six children and parents were present and four names were drawn for $25 Walmart gift cards.
Nancy Koehl, Library Director/Archivist
Nancy Koehl was selected to serve as Director of Nesbitt Memorial Library over several applicants by the library board and the City of Columbus, and began in June 2010. Nancy graduated from the University of Texas and taught English at Columbus High School for 14 years. During this time she completed her master's degree in library science at Sam Houston State University.  She then became the librarian at Columbus Junior Highs. After ten years at CJH, she became the librarian for Sealy Junior High School and Sealy Intermediate School. She has also served on the Nesbitt Memorial Library Advisory Board. She is interested in continuing the Nesbitt tradition of providing an extensive collection of local archives, genealogy resources, and Texas history. She has stepped up to the increasing public demand for electronic resources by upgrading the internet access, placing the library catalog online, and she looks forward to adding even more archival material and indexes to the website. She also has plans to expand the young adult section for high school students, and is considering extending children's story time beyond the current summer offering.
Smallwood, Howell, Kearney on Texas History
Three Texas history authors that have been active in the work of the Nesbitt Memorial Library spoke to 55 attendees on May 6, 2010, about their most recent publications, all in the Nesbitt Memorial Library collection.

Dr. James Smallwood presented several of his books, including his most recent one, The Feud That Wasn't, which reinforces the interpretation that Reconstruction was actually just a continuation of the Civil War in another guise.  This work was designated the "Most Significant Scholarly Book of 2008" by the Texas Institute of Letters. Smallwood is Emeritus Professor of History at Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Kenneth W. Howell's latest book, The Seventh Star of the Confederacy: Texas During the Civil War, received the Pate Award in Civil War History, presented each year by the Fort Worth Civil War Round Table for outstanding original research on the Trans-Mississippi sector of the war. The book contains written by  Dr. Smallwood, and by former Nesbitt Memorial Library director Bill Stein.
James Kearney presented his book, Nassau Plantation: The Evolution of a Texas Slave Plantation, a study of the organization of German noblemen who attempted to settle thousands of German emigrants on the Texas frontier in the 1840s, and the role of the slave plantation from the German point of view. Kearney currently teaches German at Katy High School and has been a featured speaker at numerous conventions and symposia on Texas-German subjects.