 Venita Hartson
(1903-1965) was a Denison schoolteacher. Her maiden name was Carroll.
At the time of this story in 1943-44, she was teaching at Hyde Park
school, a rural school which was later annexed by the DISD. In 1946 she
was appointed principal (reported in The Denison Press)
of Raynal Elementary. She taught briefly at Central Elementary (where
she is listed in the 1946 Denison City Directory) after Hyde Park but
before Raynal. In the early 1950s she married her second husband, Otha
O'Dell. When I attended Raynal in the late 1950s I knew her as Mrs.
O'Dell. She died in a fire shortly before Christmas in 1965. At the
time of her death she was still the principal at Raynal.  Denison Herald December 24, 1972 "Christman Tradition Alive by Giarraputo Clan" An 84-year-old Denison Christmas tradition was kept alive again this year when Russell and Tony Giarraputo once more had "holiday candy making parties" for family friends.  Using the same equipment brought over from Europe by their late father, who operated Tony's Candy Kitchen in Denison for years, the two men made several hundred pounds of candy canes, Christmas candy ribbons and the peppermint pillows. While the two men handled the making of the candy, both adults and children who were invited to a candy making "did their own thing." They took the rolled warm candy and not only made canes, but bent it into whatever their minds could create - from bow ties to snails. But this year, the two men went one gian step father than usual. Russell Giarraputo, who is the Grayson County Juvenile Officer, added the State Mental Health and Retardation Center at Lufkin, and the Crippled Children's Center in Sherman to his list. The brothers made extra large batches of candy and sent to Lufkin and Sherman for distribution over the holidays. Ever since their father's death, the two men have brought in friends and for 30 to 40 days before Christmas they have their evening candy making sessions. They closed up shop this year on Wednesday, giving them a couple days rest before Christmas.   Biography Index Italian American Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |
