Every Monday in the small Lee County community of Serbin, Texas, four ladies of Wendish descent gather to prepare 200 pounds of noodles that will be sold locally and all over the United States as a fundraiser for their beloved Texas Wendish Heritage Museum.

You may say, “Who are the Wends?”

The Wends (also known as Sorbs / Lusatians) are of Slavic ethnicity and lived in the River Spree area of Germany.  During the 10th century they occupied a large part of central Europe, and developed a common language. Conquest and assimilation with other cultures left only a few true Wends by the 19th century.  

Theirs is a story that began like many who immigrated to Texas – Three months on a ship  from Germany to settle on the Texas prairie.  But, there’s a twist – before embarking on this journey in 1854, these 600 Slavic “old Lutherans” as they were called, formed a congregation and called Pastor John Kilian to be their spiritual leader.  It is widely considered to be the only time in United States history that a whole congregation immigrated together.  

I know this story well – as it’s my family’s heritage.  My great-great grandfather, Johann Dube was one of the elders of the congregation who was sent to the Texas General Land Office in Austin after arrival in Galveston on the Ben Nevis ship  to purchase a parcel of land for the new settlers. Purchasing the Delaplain League, these 4254 acres were subsequently portioned out to the Wendish families according to their ability to purchase.  Ninety-five acres were carved out for St. Paul Lutheran Church (now one of the painted churches), a school and cemetery. 

The church and school are still the center of this community of Wends who have held onto their land through the generations.  And located within a stone’s throw is the Wendish Museum, full of artifacts, costumes, and history – the only one in the United States dedicated to this hardy group of Slavs.  

About the Museum  

The Texas Wendish Heritage Museum is located a few miles from Giddings, Texas. It consists of a  complex of buildings which includes the old St Paul school buildings, two original log cabins, and  an exhibit of carpenters and farming tools.  Wendish Genealogy can be researched in the Lillie Moerbe Caldwell Memorial Library.  At the center of this covered complex is a modern building with a display interpreting the history of the Wends.  

Of particular interest, a specialty of the Wends are beautifully decorated Easter eggs.  Four different techniques are used to create the intricate designs:  “Scratch” where you scratch the color off of the dyed egg, “acid” which is used to remove the color, “embossed” where colored wax is painted on the egg, and “batik” which is a multi-step process.  They are lovely to behold!

Now back to those noodles!  At Texicureans we talk a lot about traditions being passed down through food.  Noodles are that for my family – they always accompany a holiday meal and the question ultimately arises – “and who is making the noodles this year?!”  

A major fundraiser for the Wendish Heritage Museum is the sale of traditional handmade egg noodles.  The “Noodle Sisters” gather faithfully every Monday morning, using around 500 farm raised eggs to create over 200 pounds of noodles, which will be sold locally, and all over the United States. The “sisters” Judy Boriack, Carolyn Noack, Mildred Perry, and Linda Jones are proud of their craft – it is truly a labor of love for their Wendish heritage.  

Marian Kasper Weiderhold joined me in the kitchen to cook a batch of these wonderful noodles.  A many-year docent of the museum, she  is proud of her Wendish heritage and generously shared her personal history, extensive knowledge of the Wends,  as well as her recipe.  

 Visit www.texaswendish.org to learn more about the Wends of Texas. You may order noodles at https://texaswendish.org/product-category/food 

If you’d like to try your hand at making the noodles – here’s their recipe – pared down, of course!

Or you can order from the Wendish Heritage Museum and simply cook them.  

 

 

Chocolate Truffles and Texas Justice

Who would have thought that a Texas District Judge would be a hobby Confectioner?  Well let me introduce you to The Honorable Judge Stephanie Bascon!

Judge Bascon worked for a candy confectioner in college and has honed her skills through the years as an avocation.  We hopped into the kitchen where she shared her knowledge of chocolate and the truffle process.  She even showcased for us an 11 pound block of Callebaut Belgian chocolate that was a staple for her mentor! 

Valentines just calls for chocolate!  And this month we’re going to show you that creating your own – in the form of truffles, can be super easy with dramatic results.  

But first – as your mom would say, “Eat your dinner and then dessert!”  So, here’s a little history on the Texas Judicial System.  (Then we’ll get to those truffles!)

Texas has a unique Judicial system history. Its formation was Influenced by Spanish, Mexican, Republic of Texas and United States governance.  

Here’s a quick historical summary:  From 1716 – 1821 the Spanish system was closely tied to the Catholic Church and royal authority.  The Mexican rule era (1821-1836) when Texas was part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas, used municipal councils for local disputes, but all higher courts were referred to Saltillo.  

During the time of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) the judicial system closely resembled and was modeled after that of  the United States.  Due to lack of funds, however, frontier law enforcement was difficult.  After joining the Union, the US common law was adopted but also included some Texan traditions.  

District Judge Gary Steel has a love of Texas’ unique Judicial history and was kind enough to share his insight with us:  

“We have two supreme courts in Texas – the Texas Supreme Court for civil matters and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters.  Both are the highest courts in the State and have no overlapping jurisdiction.  Almost all states, including the Federal System, combine ultimate, or courts of last resort, into one court which has jurisdiction over all matters – civil and criminal. 

  We are in the minority of states because we elect all our judges, as opposed to the appointment system used by the other states. We are even in a greater minority because our elections are by political party.    

The judicial system is made up of several different levels:  Appellate courts, which include the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals, as well as several intermediate appellate courts and District Courts which are the highest trial courts in the state. All of the above were formed by the Texas Constitution. 

Next there are County Court at Laws, which are statutory courts.  Their jurisdiction varies according to the powers given to them in their specific legislation. 

Then there are justices of the peace and county judges.  County judges have limited judicial powers. These are also in the Texas Constitution and among other limited jurisdiction trial courts for smaller misdemeanor and civil matters. 

Finally there are many magistrates who are appointed by varying elected judges whose decisions are almost always appealable to an elective judicial officer. 

Judge Steel adds,   “From a Texas historical perspective, I find it interesting that when Stephen F. Austin went to the government of Mexico in 1834 to file his grievances, one of his major objections was that Mexican judicial law did not include a jury system.  Austin was arrested on this trip and held in Mexican prison for a year and a half.  Since Texas Independence, the right to a jury trial has been a pillar to the Texas Judicial System.”

Thank you Judge Stephanie Bascon and Judge Gary Steel for your service.  

Now for some dessert!