Thelma Pelzel of Burlington and LaVoyce Doskocil of Westphalia were recognized for their work with the Bell County Extension Education Association.

Ms. Pelzel was named Texas Treasure 2008 and Ms. Doskocil was named Outstanding District Director at the state EEA conference in Corpus Christi earlier this month.

Ms. Pelzel is very proud to have been honored at the state level.

“I cried I was so happy,” said Ms. Pelzel, EEA member since 1985.

She has not yet received her certificate of appreciation; Hurricane Ike delayed its shipment. But at the conference, the Texas EEA Board of Directors presented her with a corsage and round of applause.

“I also got to take my picture with Heloise, that columnist who does Hints from Heloise,” Ms. Pelzel said. “She was the keynote speaker of the conference.”

Gale Pomykal, president of the Bell County EEA Leedale Club, is the one who first nominated Ms. Pelzel for the title of Texas Treasure - the award that recognizes behind-the-scene workers who constantly participate but never seek credit.

“(Ms. Pelzel) is creative and delightful,” Ms. Pomykal said. “She sees a need and then jumps in to take care of it.”

Describing Ms. Pelzel’s contributions to the Leedale Club, Ms. Pomykal said Ms. Pelzel has served in countless programs and fundraisers.

“She’s done our club brag boards - those are big posters that tell what our club is all about and everything we’ve done,” Ms. Pomykal said.

Ms. Pelzel has also helped produce EEA fashion shows and carry out administrative functions. A favorite duty is to participate in the Hello Friends program.

“It’s a program where people who live alone buddy up and take turns checking on each other every day,” Ms. Pelzel said. “That way everyone is taken care of, and everyone gets a visit.”

One of her most memorable contributions to the club, Ms. Pelzel said, was when she and her husband gave a program on automobile mechanics.

“I was the little old lady of Pasadena. I dressed up for it,” Ms. Pelzel said. “That’s the kind of things we do - continuing education. You never know when you’re going to be alone and your car will break. You’re going to have to be able to fix it.”

After Ms. Pelzel won the Treasure title at the county level, she had to compete against the other nominees at district. As director, Ms. Doskocil selected Ms. Pelzel for the honor, which made her eligible to compete at state.

“She’s a grassroots member - a real hard worker,” Ms. Doskocil said. “(Ms. Pelzel) has been at it for a long time and never looks for a word of praise. She deserves this.”

At the state level, Ms. Pelzel was one of 12 people nominated for Texas Treasure 2008. Letters of recommendation swayed victory her way.

Ms. Doskocil is also honored to have been recognized by the state EEA board. She received a gold bracelet engraved with her name and years of service.

“It’s wonderful to have been chosen,” Ms. Doskocil said. “I worked for it. Being director, it’s a job.”

An EEA member since 2001, she oversees the activities of 19 Central Texas counties in District 8.

“That’s 16 active counties with 127 members,” Ms. Doskocil said. “I attend meetings in Bell County, but as director, it’s my job to act as the liaison between the county EEAs and the state board. There’s four to six clubs in each county. I get my letters out, informing them about what’s going on in the state and when their reports are due.”

For the two years she’s been director, Ms. Doskocil has also been responsible for managing the fall training conference for new chairs, vice chairs and treasurers. She also conducted the district’s spring conference

“(Ms. Doskocil) wears a lot of hats,” Ms. Pelzel had.

Ms. Pomykal describes Ms. Doskocil as a very dependable leader.

“She gets the work done and done properly,” Ms. Pomykal said.

The accomplishments of Ms. Pelzel and Ms. Doskocil are a credit not just to the EEA but also to the Bell County Extension office in Belton.

“They were awarded based on their dedication, work ethic and volunteerism,” said Linda Fuchs, Bell County Extension agent for family and consumer science. “We are very excited to have them honored. They do such valuable work for the Association.”

The EEA is a branch of the Bell County Extension.

“It started out as a home demonstration club with programs on things like canning and sewing,” Ms. Doskocil said. “But as time evolved, it turned to a group that offers continuing education for adults.”

The EEA covers a variety of topics including health, safety, scam awareness and emergency skills.

Very proud of the two state winners, Ms. Pomykal said their accomplishments show what outstanding characters belong to the Bell County group.

“They are truly leaders who set a good example of community service,” Ms. Pomykal said.

--tlunsford@temple-telegram.com