I was born in Colorado City 57 yrs. ago

I was born in Colorado City 57 yrs. ago. I moved away after my parents were in a plane crash in 1958. I used to come back and spend summers with my Grandparents and had lots of friends there. I was just wondering where some of them are.....people like Dan Steakley, Sammy Majors, Johnny Trulock, Sammy Parham, Dana and Eddie Deregibus....Mike Caddell...Mary Margaret and Sally Sparks.
I grew up with great memories of Colorado City...The Lazy Day Drive-In....The Lone Wolf Drive In....The Round Top Diner....Lake Colorado City....The Baker Hotel .
As I look back , summers in Colorado City reminded me of the movie American Graffitti. It was a great time.......just plain and simple.
I hope Colorado City is still that simple, innocent place.

I too grew up and was raised in Colorado City, Tx and I do have alot of fond memories growing up in C-City. Even though I still live in the area, I miss my hometown because Colorado City, Tx will always be my hometown regardless of where I live. I have fond memories swimming at the local park swimming pool, cruising on Hickory Street with my friends and stopping for a drink at the local Sonic drive or Dairy Queen or catching a movie or driving out to Lake Colorado City or Lake Champion. It's funny now looking back how many things you can do in a small town. I particularly miss participating in sports and all of the great local C-City fans who supported us and my friends. I'm in my late 30's now but I too remember the the Lazy Day Drive-In, the Lone Wolf Drive In, the Round Top Diner, the Baker Hotel and Lake Colorado City. When I able I still occassionaly stop in Colorado City when I'm traveling along I-20 and visit old friends and family whenever possible but I do agree with the former nice C-City female and previous posting who stated it C-City reminded her of the iconic movie "American Graffitti". She made a great comment and a great comparism. Colorado City, Tx IS a great ALL-American small town with Great schools, VERY FRIENDLY local people and a Great place to raise a family. Whenever someone grew up in Colorado City or near it and maybe moved away but yet hears someone say they're from "C-City"--your hometown--you can't help but smile and think it's pretty cool. Maybe it's just nostalgia or being homesick. Colorado City is just a nice small town to call home. Go C-City "Wolves"!

Jessie wrote:

I too grew up and was raised in Colorado City, Tx and I do have alot of fond memories growing up in C-City. Even though I still live in the area, I miss my hometown because Colorado City, Tx will always be my hometown regardless of where I live. I have fond memories swimming at the local park swimming pool, cruising on Hickory Street with my friends and stopping for a drink at the local Sonic drive or Dairy Queen or catching a movie or driving out to Lake Colorado City or Lake Champion. It's funny now looking back how many things you can do in a small town. I particularly miss participating in sports and all of the great local C-City fans who supported us and my friends. I'm in my late 30's now but I too remember the the Lazy Day Drive-In, the Lone Wolf Drive In, the Round Top Diner, the Baker Hotel and Lake Colorado City. When I able I still occassionaly stop in Colorado City when I'm traveling along I-20 and visit old friends and family whenever possible but I do agree with the former nice C-City female and previous posting who stated it C-City reminded her of the iconic movie "American Graffitti". She made a great comment and a great comparism. Colorado City, Tx IS a great ALL-American small town with Great schools, VERY FRIENDLY local people and a Great place to raise a family. Whenever someone grew up in Colorado City or near it and maybe moved away but yet hears someone say they're from "C-City"--your hometown--you can't help but smile and think it's pretty cool. Maybe it's just nostalgia or being homesick. Colorado City is just a nice small town to call home. Go C-City "Wolves"!

Jessie.....Thanks for your comments about Colorado City. It is nice to hear that someone else feels the same as I do about C-City. And it is good to know that even though there is 20 years differnce in us, we still experienced the same things in good ole Colorado CIty. As I said , I didn't get to grow up there but I am proud to have been born there and I loved the 7 years that I lived there. Then there were those WONDERFUL summers that I spent there with my Grandparents and all my friends. Those memories just give me "warm fuzzy feelings".
I would love to hear others memories of their years growing up in Colorado CIty. I would like to share all of this with my Grandkids someday. Actually, I would love to load them up and bring them all to Colorado City and show them where "MIMI" hung out.
Come on folks.....let's hear about your memories of Colorado City :)

i was born in c-city in '71. my mom was born there in '49 and my dad went to high school there.(he was from silver but moved to c-city)

sam majors is here (i now live in midland) and has a jewelry store. sam parham is a name that i have heard all my life but that is about it.

c-city is a place that will always be "home" i moved to midland in 1980 after my parents divorced. everytime we drive thru i tell my wife that i was born here...she smiles and says she knows.. "you tell me everytime".

you did forget about the villa inn. we used to eat there after church on sunday. and the sportsman's club on the lake.

i had a neighbor named jessie who had a brother named "chipper"

brent

Hi Brent......
Thanks for reminding me about the VIlla Inn. My grandmother and I ate there all the time. She loved their rolls :) AND I forgot about the Sportsman Club. We also went there a lot. They had the biggest glasses of sweet tea. My grandmother had a cabin on the lake....so I grew up there on the lake. If you see Sammy Majors, please tell him that Sherry Simpson says HI.(not sure if he will remember me or not).

Come on folks.....surely there are more of you out there with great memories of C-City..........let's hear them.

Thanks Brent.......I might know your Mom. We would be close to the same age. Maybe she has some great memories to share.

do you know a susan kirshbaum ?

mom knows all the folks yopu mentioned and says that sally sparks still lives in c-city (she thinks she married a neff)

also, stetson cowan just passed.

brent

Yes, my parents and Susan's parents were in the plane crash together. My Dad was killed but my Mom survived. Are you related to Susan?

no. my mom asked me to ask you. her name is cheryl and my uncle (her brother) is cary. they lived across the street from kelly elementary.

she also mentioned landaus, col tex, ruddick park and max bermans as cool places in c-city.

i will most likely be there sat to look at a property to buy..anything you want me to look at for you ?

brent

So Brent, did you buy any property today in C-City? How about the Baker Hotel? Is it for sale :)?
My Dad and Mom were friends with Selma and Willie Landau and they also were friends with Max Caddell ....Caddell Transport.
We used to have a farm at Cuthbert and one at Fairview. Sure wish we still had them. I would love to have a place to come to in C-City.
Who else does your Mom remember?

Well, well, well ... I stumbled across this site, and read all of your comments above. I just had a trip down memory lane. I grew up in Colorado City, TX. Was born in Big Spring, but moved to Colorado City shortly thereafter, and attended K-12th grade there. I will NEVER forgot the life I had in Colorado City, TX. I now live in Houston, TX and have for 22 years. I graduated in 1980. There are something about small town values. I lived across the street from the Deregibus family on 13th street. I'll never forget, I threw a rock at Frank Deregibus' car when I was a little kid, and I into so much trouble. My sister, Dwainna Wulfjen, married Urda Wulfjen. They are still married to this day and live in Midland, TX. I saw Sally Sparks and Mickey Neff (they are married) at a funeral last year. I saw Larry Helm, the veterinarian in C-City as well. It was actually his mom who passed away. My dad M.D. Williams owned and operated M.D. Williams Pump Company until he passed away in 1985. My brother, Dobie Williams, took it over, but eventually sold everything. I have fond memories of Colorado City. I remember the yearly rodeos and Mitchell County Fair. How could you forget about Truck Town? Perfect place for a greasy cheeseburger. Back when I was there, they had The Cattleman's Restaurant. Of course, the Sportsman Club was famous for their chicken fried steaks. Remember the little girl Sallie who used to work as a waitress out there? She was a trip. I was a lifeguard at the Colorado City Country Club during the summers. My mom (Betty Williams) used to work at the Montgomery Ward catalogue store, then opened her own store, called "Little Critters", right across the street from the Colorado Drug Store. Of course, how could we forget the Lazy - Day drive in. Mr. and Mrs. Feaster cooked up some mean burgers and fries. Of course, the KVMC radio station, Seven Wells on Lake Champion. Remember Ben Franklin's store, right across the street from J.C. Penney's. Remember too, there was a Perry's thrift store. That was when downtown was hopping, well more than it is today. Remember the July 4th 'Fly In' at the local airport. Those were cool. I remember taking a plane flight with J.O. Dockrey over the city. It was cool. Remember Western Auto, Ramage Appliance, and White's Auto Store? How about E-Z Way Superette? I used to sack groceries when I was 15 years old. My brother in law, Urda Wulfjen, owns property at Lake Champion. He is selling lots out there. He has several for sale. Lake needs to come up a little for it to be considered "lake front" property! Anyway, I do have fond memories of Colorado City. I haven't been back there in years. When I did go back, it wasn't the same. My dad, grandmother, and aunt are buried at the local cemetery there. Other than, I have no other ties there, which is really sad. Growing up in Colorado City were some of the funnest times in my life. I remember getting a bunch of people together, and having a "tailgate" party many a time. People would just show up, and this was before cell phones, the internet, or anything. There weren't but a few places to go, so eventually everyone ended up at the same place. Life was so simple back then. How could we forget about the Dairy Frost, next to the Lazy Day. I remember going to the Palace Theatre often. They had a pay phone in there. Here's how chinchy we were. When the movie was over, we would call our parents, let the phone ring "once", then hang up. That was Mom/Dad's clue to come and get us. Remember the Colorado City Play House? I could go on and on if I weren't so tired. If you had asked me if I were going to post to a website about "Colorado City Memories" when I woke up this morning, I would have laughed, but this has been a trip down memory lane. I enjoyed reading all the information from everyone.

hey, kirk my mom says that she went with you on your senior trip. my grandmother, jean, worked at ez way for a thousand years. i remember you from the country club...you had a brat with two seats in the back ?

any way, no i did not buy any property, didn't make it down to look. my step-grandad preston farmed a cuthbert and my grandmother lived there until she died.

brent

Hi Kirk,
I have been out of touch for a few days but just now got to read your comments. I think it is awesome that people have the same fond memories of C-City. I remember going to the Fly In's with my Grandmother, Bertha Simpson. I also remember the name J.O. Dockery. I think he was a friend of my grandparents. The Deregibus'(owned FORD MOTOR CO.) were friends of my parents. Actually, they were in the other plane when my Mom and Dad and the Kirschbaum's crashedi in Mexico. I hung out with Dana and Eddie quite a bit when I came back in the summers. My Dad was a DJ at KVMC for quite a while ,Goodwin Simpson.
I remeber Raymond Fuller Grocery Store (some of this is probably before your time). My grandmother had a really fun cabin on Lake Colorado City and some of my friends and I would go hang out there and swim and water ski. It was just down from Coopers Cove. That was the muddiest water I have ever swam in but I loved it. I will never forget the day my Grandmother shot the head off of a water moccasin snake on the cabin steps.(What a pioneer lady she was)

Brent, sorry you didn't get to purchase your land yet....don't give up. What a great place to have. I remember my Grandmother talking about someone with the name of "Preston". They owned the land in Cuthbert and Fairview ever since HER father hoemsteaded it. She always told how they came in on covered wagons and he stood on a small rise and said "All this land I see, I claim." Don't know if it was true or not but it sure made a great story as we were laying on on a quilt beneath that big starry Texas sky.

Oh, I also remember playing with "Horny Toads" in the yard. They were everywhere....big ones and little baby ones. Are they still around?

Is there any website with old pictures of the days of Colorado City? I would love to see some old pics. I have a box full from my Grandmother I could share if anyone was interested.

If you all know anyone else with memories of C-City, encourage them to come here and reminesce. I love checking to see who has commented. I love reliving the "olden days".
Thanks everyone.........keep 'em coming,
Sherry

yes, preston married my grandmother. he was my step-grandfather...(duh)

i spent a lot of time in cuthbert. preston had a horse that i could ride all over the place and a big stock tank that i fished in and a windmill tank that i swam in.

don't see too many horny-toads around midland. can't say abou c-city. we caught hundreds when i was a kid.

has anyone mentioned BOJO's ??

oh...youtube has some video of c-city

Boy, what a trip down memory lane. I remember all the places mentioned in all the above posts. I lived in Colorado City all my life til about six years ago when I got married and moved to Big Spring. Boy, my husband had to drag me kicking and screaming, but things are grand today. I know it's not very far but it's not often these days I get to go back. Kirk, I remember you, my mom used to do your grandmother's hair. I remember going out to the house with her to wait while she prettied up Betty and we even played together a few times. I really liked your Dad, he always made me laugh. Even tho it was before my time,(hee hee) i remember hearing about the cafe that had a turning roof (the Round Top Diner). I used to work a the Dairy Frost when I was in high school. and I sure remember those hamburgers Mr. and Mrs. Feaster used to churn out. Remember Earline, too?
Penny Lane was a fixture for a few years and it was exciting when the Sonic Drive in came to town. Cooper;s Cove was the place to go for a good swim and Bojo's was a good hang out for a while.

I too visited Colorado City from time to time to visit my grandparents. I don't know the names of a lot of the places, but remember Silver was so small you could blink and eye and be through there in seconds. My Grandparents Mary and Boyd Vardy lived there until they dies. We called them Mommy and Papa. Eventually my cousin John Rankin bought the house and I believe he still lives there. He has a daughter named Lacey. My grandmother worked at the school in the Cafeteria. My grandfather worked at the gas station and a motel. I thought it was a Best Western, not far from the Highway. I remember the community pool from when I was 5. We lived there for a short time and I was a mascot with the Brownies in a parade through town. My father was James B. Vardy and we were raised in CA. We knew Virgie and her two daughters. I last saw them about 24 years ago. In fact, that was my last trip out there. I can be reached at dw timeoutt@aol.com in case I don't make it back here. Enter subject, Colorado City.

I was born in Colorado City and lived there until 1962. We moved to to Big Spring. I always thought Colorado was the one of the best places to live. I used to walk all over town on Saturday selling Grit Papers. I now live in Alabama but one of these days I plan to go back to Colorado and spend a week and just reminisce.

Thought those that were reminiscing about the July 4th fly in would like to know that J.O. Dockery passed away on the 4th of September, 2008. He really loved to fly his plane. J. O. is my husband's uncle.

Sorry to hear about Mr. Dockery. My grandmother always took me to the Fly-In. It was one of her favorite things to do. I remember him. I looked on You Tube to see videos of Colorado City. It sure brought back more memories. I wish someone could take some more of town and the Lake. My
Grandmother lived on Locust St.(739 Locust) I think....right on the corner. I would love to see if her house was still there. I can't begin to tell you where her cabin on the lake was except if was just up the road from Coopers Cove. It used to be painted yellow and up on stilts with a channel running under it and when the Lake had plenty of water in it you could pull your boat in under the house and then walk up the stairs into the cabin. It had a porch (she called it a "catwalk") on the front and the back.
Wow, I would love it if anybody could take some pictures of the old places.
Someday I am coming back to C City to remember the "good ole days" :)

Sherry,
I was told about this blog today by a friend...how great to read the love people still have of C City! My maiden name was Sample, I
graduted in 1971 with Joe Kirshbaum, Brent's
uncle, Cary May...and know of all of those you have mentioned. I have been here 53 of my 55 years! I have seen a picture of Joe's dad, Joe
looks so much like him! Joe lives in Abilene, Tx,
I talked with him in July while my husband was in the hospital there. Actually, my husband owns
KVMC-KAUM...he added the FM in the 80's, both
stations are simulcast..Im not sure but we may have a picture of your dad! I will check and see.
I loved Brent's grandmother, Jean...she was cool!
Sally is married to Mickey Neff, Mary Margaret is
married to Robert Cox, they all live here. Frank and Francis Deregibus live in New Mexico, I dont think Frank is doing well...they havent been back here recently. I knew Eddie, he was so cool, he became a chiropractor and lives up north, maybe
Virginia? If you would like to view our website,
go to realcountryonline.com , it will ask for our zip code..79512, click on enter. We post pictures of current happenings in town...homecoming, various events etc. We live at 4th and Chestnut, the old timers remember it as the Broaddus house, just east of the Methodist church. Our town is still simple to an extent, but seemingly the juvenile crime seems to be on the increase...my husbands bike was stolen from our yard about a month ago...thanks to some businesses and individuals posting a reward, someone heard it on the radio, and told my husband that someone had left a bike in their motheres yard on the south side....we were happy to find it, just wish we could have found out who took it! Still, when you can walk your dog after dark in downtown Colorado City, it's still pretty safe!! Who were your grandparents?? If there is any questons you have,please post them and I will find the answer....time and economy can really bring down a small town...but it's still home!