What keeps them coming back each year — and what they are looking forward to at the 2023 in-person meeting?

We recently talked with four Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative members who have been regular attendees of the Annual Meeting for years. We wanted to know what keeps them coming back each year — and what they are looking forward to at the 2023 in-person meeting.

NANCY LITTLEFIELD

Resident of: Paige

Bluebonnet member for: 16 years, although Littlefield’s family members have been Bluebonnet members since 1939, the year the cooperative was founded. 

Number of Annual Meetings attended: 22, including meetings attended with her family. 

Favorite part of the Annual Meeting: In addition to the door prizes, Littlefield enjoys the music before the Annual Meeting begins. Her favorite was a fiddler at the 2017 Annual Meeting who had learned his skills on YouTube. Littlefield has won a few prizes at Annual Meetings, including the hammock she is sitting on, above.

HELEN WEISER

Resident of: Giddings

Bluebonnet member for: 16 years; Weiser’s family has owned land in Giddings since the 1940s, she said, making her a multigenerational member of the cooperative.

Number of Annual Meetings attended: 15

Favorite part of the Annual Meeting: “I just enjoy the information that is shared,” Weiser said. “I like to know where Bluebonnet is spending money to help communities and the service it provides.”

JIMMY AND YOLANDA DAVILA

Residents of: Luling

Bluebonnet members for: 13 years

Number of Annual Meetings attended: 10; Jimmy and Yolanda (here with dog Chloe) usually go to the meeting with their neighbor, Mitchell Short.

Favorite part of the Annual Meeting: The Davilas like learning about the cooperative and the activity in Bluebonnet’s service area. “After hearing about growth at the 2019 Annual Meeting, I felt informed and prepared for the changes when I began to see the construction around the Luling and Lockhart area,” Jimmy said. Yolanda said she likes the prizes, too.

DOUGLAS AND DIANE LEUTZ

Residents of: Lexington

Bluebonnet members for: 9 years

Number of Annual Meetings attended: 5; Douglas and Diane Leutz have attended every Annual Meeting since 2017; Douglas is a second-generation Bluebonnet member whose family were members for more than 40 years; he became a member in 2014.

Favorite part of the Annual Meeting: Douglas has been attending events at The Silos on 77 (formerly the Sons of Hermann Hall) his entire life, he said. He enjoys the parties there, especially on a Tuesday afternoon in May. “It is nice to be able to go and enjoy the memories I have there and see everyone at Bluebonnet,” he said.  Diane said her favorite thing is a chance to win a truck.

Sarah Beal photos