Lou Halsell Rodenberger
Encyclopedia
Molcie Lou Halsell Rodenberger (September 21, 1926 – April 9, 2009) was a Texas
author
, educator, professor
, and journalist
.
Eastland County
, Texas, community of Okra (named for the vegetable
, the okra
) to educators, Austin Carl Halsell (1899-1993) and the former Mabel Falls (1904-2000). She began high school
in Cross Plains
in Callahan County
but graduated as valedictorian
from Anson High School in Anson
, the seat of Jones County
, all within the Abilene
metropolitan area
. At the age of sixteen, she entered Texas Woman's University
in Denton
(then Texas State College for Women) and procured in 1943 a bachelor of science
degree in journalism. She worked for the Kerrville Times in Kerrville
, the seat of Kerr County
in the Texas Hill Country
, before she accepted an appointment in 1947 as an English
and journalism teacher at Levelland High School in Levelland
, the seat of Hockley County west of Lubbock
. While in Levelland, she married Charles A. Rodenberger on September 3, 1949.
in College Station
first admitted women, Rodenberger became one of its first women graduate students, having obtained both her Master of Arts
and Ph.D.
, in English. She was honored as an outstanding graduate student teacher. In 1982, the Rodenbergers moved to Abilene, where she taught English at Cooper High School for two years, from 1982 through 1984. She then settled in Cross Plains and commuted to teach at Cisco Junior College
in Cisco
, the seat of her native Eastland County, and then for twelve years at Methodist-affiliated McMurry University
in Abilene. She retired as professor emerita at McMurry and was honored twice as the outstanding faculty member there.
, is a biography
of the West Texas author Jane Gilmore Rushing
who worked at the Abilene Reporter-News
before becoming a full-time writer based in Lubbock. With Susie Kelly Flatau, Rodenberger co-authored Quotable Texas Women, published by McMurry's State House Press. With co-author Sylvia Grider, she penned Texas Women Writers and Let's Hear It: Short Stories by Texas Women, published by the Texas A&M University Press
. Her other works included Her Work: Stories by Texas Women and Writing on the Wind: An Anthology of West Texas Women Writers.
Rodenberger also published many essays and articles. In 2007, she received the Stirrup Award for best article in Roundup, a publication of Western Writers of America
. Her article is entitled "Tom Lea
, Novelist: The Eyes of an Artist, the Ears of a Writer."
The Texas Tech Press has established an award in her name for the best manuscript written by or about a woman whose writing illuminates Texas history
, culture and letters, especially in West Texas
and the border region.
Rodenberger was a Texas Woman's University regent
and "Distinguished Alumna", served on the TWU Foundation, and was active in the Texas Women's Library at TWU. She was a fellow of the Texas State Historical Association
and also active in the West Texas Historical Association
, which named her as a "fellow" shortly before her death. She formerly received a fellowship from the Texas Folklore Society. She was a member and former director of the Texas Institute of Letters and served on the executive committee of the Western Literature Association.
; a son, Charles Mark Rodenberger and wife, Mary Kathryn, of Weatherford
, the seat of Parker County
west of Fort Worth
; a sister, Sue H. Neal and husband, Ike, of Cross Plains; five grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
Rodenberger died of ovarian cancer
at her home in Admiral, Texas, a small community southest of Baird
, the seat of Callahan County located north of Cross Plains. Services were held on April 11, 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in Cross Plains. Interment was at Admiral Cemetery southeast of Baird.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, educator, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Early years
Rodenberger was born in the ruralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Eastland County
Eastland County, Texas
*Carbon*Cisco*Desdemona, a ghost town*Eastland*Gorman*Mangum*Olden*Ranger*Rising Star*Romney-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Eastland County, Texas*Santa Claus Bank Robbery-External links:** at the University of Texas*...
, Texas, community of Okra (named for the vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
, the okra
Okra
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...
) to educators, Austin Carl Halsell (1899-1993) and the former Mabel Falls (1904-2000). She began high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Cross Plains
Cross Plains, Texas
Cross Plains is a town in Callahan County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cross Plains is located at ....
in Callahan County
Callahan County, Texas
*Baird*Belle Plain*Callahan City*Clyde*Cottonwood*Cross Plains*Eula*Putnam-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Callahan County, Texas-External links:* at the University of Texas*...
but graduated as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
from Anson High School in Anson
Anson, Texas
Anson is a city in and the county seat of Jones County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,556 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the seat of Jones County
Jones County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,785 people, 6,140 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,236 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, all within the Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
. At the age of sixteen, she entered Texas Woman's University
Texas Woman's University
Texas Woman's University is a co-educational university in Denton, Texas, United States with two health science center branches in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas...
in Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
(then Texas State College for Women) and procured in 1943 a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in journalism. She worked for the Kerrville Times in Kerrville
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
, the seat of Kerr County
Kerr County, Texas
Kerr County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 49,625. Its county seat is Kerrville. Kerr County was named by Joshua D. Brown for his fellow Kentucky native, James Kerr, a congressman of the Republic of Texas...
in the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
, before she accepted an appointment in 1947 as an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and journalism teacher at Levelland High School in Levelland
Levelland, Texas
Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...
, the seat of Hockley County west of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. While in Levelland, she married Charles A. Rodenberger on September 3, 1949.
College career
When Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
first admitted women, Rodenberger became one of its first women graduate students, having obtained both her Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, in English. She was honored as an outstanding graduate student teacher. In 1982, the Rodenbergers moved to Abilene, where she taught English at Cooper High School for two years, from 1982 through 1984. She then settled in Cross Plains and commuted to teach at Cisco Junior College
Cisco Junior College
Cisco College is a community college in Cisco, Texas, located in Eastland County between Fort Worth and Abilene, where Highways 183, 206, and 6 intersect Interstate 20. The campus in Cisco rests atop a hill one mile north of the town and presents a beautiful view of the surrounding country...
in Cisco
Cisco, Texas
Cisco is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,851 at the 2000 census.-History:Conrad Hilton started the Hilton Hotel chain with a single hotel bought in Cisco. Hilton came to Cisco to buy a bank, but the bank cost too much; so he purchased the Mobley Hotel in 1919...
, the seat of her native Eastland County, and then for twelve years at Methodist-affiliated McMurry University
McMurry University
McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
in Abilene. She retired as professor emerita at McMurry and was honored twice as the outstanding faculty member there.
Publications
Her publications were primarily on Texas women writers. Her most recent book, published by Texas Tech University PressTexas Tech University Press
Texas Tech University Press , founded in 1971, is the university press of Texas Tech University.-External links:*...
, is a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the West Texas author Jane Gilmore Rushing
Jane Gilmore Rushing
Jane Gilmore Rushing is a Texan novelist and journalist, who formerly was a staff writer for the Abilene Reporter-News in Abilene, Texas...
who worked at the Abilene Reporter-News
Abilene Reporter-News
Abilene Reporter-News is a daily newspaper based in Abilene, Texas, USA. The newspaper started publishing three months after Abilene was founded by C.E. Gilbert, effective June 17, 1881. It is hence the oldest continuous business in the city....
before becoming a full-time writer based in Lubbock. With Susie Kelly Flatau, Rodenberger co-authored Quotable Texas Women, published by McMurry's State House Press. With co-author Sylvia Grider, she penned Texas Women Writers and Let's Hear It: Short Stories by Texas Women, published by the Texas A&M University Press
Texas A&M University Press
Texas A&M University Press is a scholarly publishing house associated with Texas A&M University. It was founded in 1974 and is located in College Station, Texas, in the United States.-Overview:...
. Her other works included Her Work: Stories by Texas Women and Writing on the Wind: An Anthology of West Texas Women Writers.
Rodenberger also published many essays and articles. In 2007, she received the Stirrup Award for best article in Roundup, a publication of Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America
Western Writers of America, founded 1953, promotes literature, both fiction and non-fiction, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional western fiction, the more than five hundred current members also include historians and other non-fiction writers as well as authors...
. Her article is entitled "Tom Lea
Thomas C. Lea, III
Thomas Calloway "Tom" Lea, III was a noted American muralist, illustrator, artist, war correspondent, novelist, and historian....
, Novelist: The Eyes of an Artist, the Ears of a Writer."
The Texas Tech Press has established an award in her name for the best manuscript written by or about a woman whose writing illuminates Texas history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, culture and letters, especially in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
and the border region.
Rodenberger was a Texas Woman's University regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
and "Distinguished Alumna", served on the TWU Foundation, and was active in the Texas Women's Library at TWU. She was a fellow of the Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. It was founded on March 2, 1897. As of November 2008, TSHA moved from Austin to the University of North Texas in Denton.The executive...
and also active in the West Texas Historical Association
West Texas Historical Association
The West Texas Historical Association is an organization of both academics and laypersons dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the total history of West Texas, defined geographically as all Texas counties and portions of counties located west of Interstate 35.-Formation of the...
, which named her as a "fellow" shortly before her death. She formerly received a fellowship from the Texas Folklore Society. She was a member and former director of the Texas Institute of Letters and served on the executive committee of the Western Literature Association.
Family and death
Rodenberger was a member of the Cross Plains First United Methodist Church and a supporter of the Cross Plains Public Library. In addition to her husband, she was survived by a daughter, Kathryn Sue Wilcox and husband, James Keith Wilcox, of San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
; a son, Charles Mark Rodenberger and wife, Mary Kathryn, of Weatherford
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...
, the seat of Parker County
Parker County, Texas
As of the census of 2003, there were 98,495 people, 31,131 households, and 24,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 34,084 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
west of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
; a sister, Sue H. Neal and husband, Ike, of Cross Plains; five grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
Rodenberger died of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
at her home in Admiral, Texas, a small community southest of Baird
Baird, Texas
Baird is a city in Callahan County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Callahan County. The city is named after Matthew Baird, the owner and director of the Texas & Pacific Railway. The railway depot is now the visitor center and a...
, the seat of Callahan County located north of Cross Plains. Services were held on April 11, 2009, at the First United Methodist Church in Cross Plains. Interment was at Admiral Cemetery southeast of Baird.