Pictorial History of Eagle Lake High School Volume I and Volume II

About the Book

In compiling the history of Eagle Lake High School, it would be impossible to list the number of classmates that have contributed writings, pictures, publications, newspaper clippings, etc and not leave someone out.

This history could have never been produced without numerous alumni of Eagle Lake High School sending in treasured photographs and news articles for addition into this book.

A special thanks goes to the Eula and David Wintermann Library for their remarkably maintained archives whereby many of the photographs and articles of ELHS history have been preserved. Further appreciation is extended for their allowing the material to be removed and professionally scanned for addition to this history. Their cooperation added greatly in the overall research and contents within.

Research and Contents from an Article in the Eagle Lake Headlight Written by Mrs. Chas. W. Causey 1962, The Book Entitled A History of Eagle Lake, A Book Entitled Colorado County Chronicles, and Various Articles Found in Older Eagle Lake Headlights all assisted the author in tracking certain dates and happenings in history. The history reflected in this book has been added throughout the text from stories and events that alumni sent to Sidney Struss via the World Wide Web, in person, and via email.

It would have been impossible to highlight all classmates of each individual year, but those that responded to the author via email and letters were chosen as the classmates that would be highlighted for each class year.

About the Author

Sidney Elmer Struss, author of two previous history books, ELHS Reunion 2000 and The Struss Family Heritage, really set his goals high in his newest release, Pictorial History of Eagle Lake High School, with over 1600 photographs and approximately 1000 pages. Mr. Struss, a former graduate of Eagle Lake High School in 1968, stopped all work on his third book, a novel entitled In the Face of Adversity, to rewrite and expand on ELHS Reunion 2000 to make it more comprehensive. His novel,Adversity, is expected to hit the shelves in the Spring of 2006.

Sidney E. Struss, after graduation from Texas A&M University, married Barbara Jean O'Dell, an Austin High School and St. Edward's University graduate. They have two girls and three grandchildren. After the passing of Sidney's father, Elmer A. Struss, a 1939 graduate of Eagle Lake High School, they resumed the operations of the family business in Eagle Lake which was started in 1921 by Sidney's grandfather, A. J. Struss. They are third-generation owned and operated, and are the oldest continuous retail business establishment in the county.

Within just a year of moving back to Eagle Lake, Texas, the author was elected Mayor of the City of Eagle Lake. He and his father, Elmer A. Struss, are the only father-son mayors elected in the history of Eagle Lake, Texas.