Virginia Webb Shahan, First lady and Matriarch of Alamo Village
Virginia's family owned and operated the sprawling 35 square mile
ranch where the now famous movie set is located.
Virginia Webb grew up on this ranch then attended Baylor
University where she met her future husband Happy Shahan.
Soon after Virginia and Happy married, her Father passed away and
they received a request from Virginia's mother to move to Brackettville
and take over the ranch duties that were becoming to much for her mother
to handle alone. Happy had also been offered a lucrative position with
Humble Oil Company about this same time, leaving the young couple with a
decision they knew would effect the rest of their lives. Realizing they
needed time to make this difficult choice, Happy asked for and received a
leave of absence from his new position at Humble Oil Co.
Owning land, cattle and horses had been one of Happy's childhood
dreams and this looked like the perfect opportunity to see if his dream
of ranching would agreed with him. Apparently it did, because he and
Virginia stayed In Brackettville and ranched her parents property for 53
years before Happy passed away, leaving Virginia to take over the ranch
duties by herself in 1996.
Happy may have been the one who made Virginia into the first lady
of Alamo Village, but it was definitely Virginia who made Happy into a
Rancher.
Virginia has an innate love for the land now called the HV ranch,
also known as Alamo Village. As a child she grew to love its history and
still walks the property searching for arrowheads just as she did as a
young girl. Walking the ranch in search of primitive treasures lost long
ago by the Indians who once thrived off the same land is what Virginia
calls her "meditation time". Who knows what goes on in her mind as she
walks the rugged country that she has always called home. Does she
reminisce about her youth spent on the ranch, her parents and sister, her
adult years with Happy, Jamie, Tully and Tulisha? Perhaps she pictures
life as the Indians once lived it, or does she find herself studying how
best to solve one of the never ending problems, that arise daily from
the responsibility of running not only Alamo Village but the ranch as
well? I don't know if those are the thoughts that run though Virginia's
mind, but I do know that the time she spends exploring the ranch is when
she talks to God.
Her faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has become most
important in Virginia's life. With his help, she has managed to stay
atop every challenging situation that life has thrown her way. Ranching
through the lean years, raising three children, managing the stores at
Alamo Village, helping Happy oversee countless teenagers every summer --
and the most difficult challenge of them all: facing these tasks alone
without the help of her life long companion and partner James T. "Happy"
Shahan.
A tower of strength shadowed by a powerful icon of a man, she
truly was the wind beneath Happy's wings. Yet the Virginia I know and
love stands in no one's shadow. Funny, charming and very tender hearted
is how I would describe Virginia Webb Shahan. The same woman who can be
tough as leather when dealing with the business world or buying jewelry
at market, finds it most difficult when saying good-bye to her A.V. kid's
at the end of each summer.
I remember one Labor Day in particular. It was time to close
the trading post and for me to pack and head home to Illinois. Virginia
threw something down on the counter and said, "Baby, that is for you,"
then hurried to her back room. I picked up the small package opened it
and found it was the black hills gold necklace that I had been admiring
all summer. Needless to say, the gesture brought me to tears. It was
Virginia's way of saying "I love you, and I will miss you, but I wont
tell you goodbye." I have found many of the things Virginia says are
said with out words.
This lady has also been known to give great advise. I remember
receiving a phone call from a boy back home, wanting to send a ring and
rekindle a relationship. I didn't have a clue how to handle this, so I
marched straight to the back room to talk to Virginia. She said, "Baby,
it doesn't matter if you love him or not. If a man leaves you once, he
will do it a second time. Call him back and tell him No." I did as she
said, and I have echoed that same advice to others several times since.
Many of us have wonderful memories of "Miss Virginia." We share
them each time we get together, but there were also those who spent their
summer at Alamo Village, who never took the time to get to know "the lady
in the Trading Post." That was indeed their loss, for anyone who thought
they knew Happy Shahan, never truly knew him unless they also got to know
Virginia.
We love you Virginia. Your influence has changed our lives for
the better, and, on behalf of your former Village Kids, allow me to say
thank you. We appreciate it more than you will ever realize.
