Miss Norma Frels

Transcription dated 3 August 2007 prepared by MaryFrances Flournoy for the Wharton County Historical Museum

From the El Campo Citizen, El Campo, Wharton County, Texas dated Friday 7 March 1941

MISS NORMA FRELS DIES IN VICTORIA; RITES WEDNESDAY

Miss Norma Frels, popular owner and operator of the Normana Theatre, passed away at the DeTar Memorial hospital in Victoria Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. following an illness of more than four months. Miss Frels had made El Campo her home for the past eleven years and was one of the most popular and best loved women in this city. She was a member of the Methodist Church, Woman's Club, Garden Club, Chamber of Commerce and various other civic organizations and had always upheld the best and cleanest of conduct in connection with her Theatre. While not a member of the Band Mothers' Club, she had always offered her assistance in any way possible to help the Band members.

Miss Frels was born at Frelsburg, Texas, the daughter of William G. Frels and Margaretha Leyendecker Frels, deceased. Before becoming associated with theatre management, she was a teacher in Texas public schools. She was a graduate of the Sam Houston Normal Institute and was also a student at the University of Chicago.

Surviving are two brothers, Rubin Frels of Victoria and C. W. Frels of Yorktown; and five sisters, Mrs. Ella Bemus of Houston, Mrs. A. H. Muske and Mrs. Selma Gray, both of Brookshire, Miss Victoria Frels of Huntsville and Mrs. W. A. Struss of Columbus. She is also an aunt of W. R. Muske of Victoria.

Funeral services were held in Victoria at the home of her brother, Wednesday at 2 p.m. with burial in the Columbus cemetery at 5 p.m.

Pallbearers were Paul Gerry, J. E. Mickelson, John Priesmeyer, El Campo, L. D. Williams, Billy Swinny and Roy Meyer, Victoria.

Among those attending the funeral from here were Mrs. Theo Priesmeyer, former girlhood friend and with whom she had been staying.

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>From the El Campo News, El Campo, Wharton County, Texas dated Friday 7 March 1941

RITES HELD FOR MISS FRELS WED.

Many Attend Services for Civic Spirited Resident of 11 Years

El Campo was shocked and saddened to learn Tuesday of the death of Miss Norma Frels, owner and operator of the Normana theatre and for 11 years an active and vital factor in the civic life of the community.

She died Tuesday afternoon at 1:15 o'clock in a Victoria hospital. She left here last October to be with her brother there and was taken a few days later to the hospital. Until recently it was believed she stood a good chance to recover. She took a turn for the worse about three weeks ago and for the last 10 days the close friends who knew of her condition despaired for her life.

She was an active and zealous member of the Woman's Club and Garden Club here and during her 11 years in El Campo made the Theodore Priesmeyer residence her home. She took an active part in the Methodist church, of which she had been a life long member.

Although she had been a teacher for many years, Miss Frels since El Campoans knew her was a partner with her brother Rubin Frels of Victoria in the management of the chain of Frels theatres in the gulf coast section. She became active manager here in 1930 and immediately entered into the club and civic life of the community.

Her teaching work carried her to many communities in this section of Texas. One of her former students was Father V. A. Raska, who recalled that she was his seventh and eighth grade instructor in the Hallettsville schools. He also remembered her as a kindly teacher who had complete command of her class and was obviously well prepared for her profession.

One of the resolutions Miss Frels made when she was a teacher was many times carried out in El Campo. She said that rural students who never had access to clean entertainment were missing some of the finer things of life. Annually she had a special show, free of charge to rural students. But any mention of a child unable to see a show always brought a free ticket, although the recipient and rarely the public ever learned of it. Her generosity was proverbial.

Services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Rubin Frels residence in Victoria with Rev. J. Russell Brown of El Campo in charge. Burial was that afternoon in the Odd Fellows cemetery at Columbus.

More than 50 persons from El Campo and many others from the numerous communities in which she had taught attended the rites. The Normana theatre here was closed all day Wednesday in honor to its manager and owner.

Pallbearers were J. E. Michaelson and Paul Gerry of the Normana and John Priesmeyer, all of El Campo; L. D. Williams, Billy Swinny and Roy Meyer of Victoria.

Miss Frels was born at Frelsburg, Texas, the daughter of William G. Frels and Margaretha Leyendecker Frels, deceased. She was a graduate of the Sam Houston Normal Institute and later received degrees from Texas University and the University of Chicago.

Survivors are two brothers, Rubin of Victoria and C. W. Frels of Yorktown; five sisters, Mrs. Ella Bemus of Houston; Mrs. A. H. Muske and Mrs. Selma Gray both of Brookshire; Miss Victoria Frels of Huntsville and Mrs. W. A. Struss of Columbus.

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From the El Campo Weekly Citizen, El Campo, Wharton County, Texas dated Friday 31 July 1936

EDUCATED FOR COLLEGE PROFESSOR MISS FRELS TURNED TO MOVIES

Miss Norma Frels, owner and operator of the Normana theater, was educated with a view to becoming a college professor, and she entered professional life as a teacher. She attended Colorado University, the University of Chicago, and Texas University, completing her last year in 1924.

The lure of the motion picture business was even stronger, however, than her love for the teaching profession. She entered this business at Cuero, purchasing the Dreamland and Queen theaters. Later she built the Normana theater in Cuero. In 1930 she sold her interests there, and in the summer of the same year she opened the Normana at El Campo.

She has operated the Normana continuously since it was opened. This week-end an informal birthday celebration will be held in honor of its sixth anniversary and the remodeling and refurbishing which have made this theater the object of civic pride in the El Campo community.

Miss Frels is associated with her brothers, Rubin Frels of Victoria and C. W. Frels of Yorktown, in the ownership and management of a theater circuit embracing El Campo, Victoria, Yorktown, Wharton and Bay City.

"I planned to study abroad and qualify myself to be a university professor," she stated. "The World War came along and interfered with that ambition. I loved teaching, but I feel that I am still teaching. I have showed the people more on the screen than I could ever teach.

"I get a real thrill out of the motion picture showhouse business. It hold [sic] a wide variety of appeal and a never-failing interest. I enjoy especially the contacts with children nearly all of whom are my friends."

Miss Frels has identified herself actively with the community life of El Campo and on numerous occasions has offered the facilities of the theater free of charge to community enterprises.

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