Victoria County Judge Ben Zeller is an eighth-generation Texan whose deep roots in the Lone Star State date back to Stephen F. Austin’s “Old 300” settlers.
Ben graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston-Victoria with a Bachelor of Business Administration and later earned an MBA from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Before entering public service, he worked in the financial sector at Wells Fargo Bank and Texas Dow Employees Credit Union. Ben was elected in November 2014 as one of the youngest county judges in Texas.
Ben has been passionate about public policy since his teenage years and is a past president and current Legislative Chair of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. In 2018, the University of Houston-Victoria named him Young Alumnus of the Year in recognition of his professional accomplishments. That same year, Texas A&M University-San Antonio honored him with its inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award.
He has served on the boards of the Texas Association of Counties, Texas I-69 Alliance, Victoria Economic Development Corporation, and Texas Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund Advisory Committee, and as an ex officio member of the Citizens Medical Center Board of Managers, among many others. He is also an honorary member of the Texas A&M Chancellor’s Century Council. He was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response and has also served as president of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, as an elected member of the State Republican Executive Committee, and as a mentor in Victoria’s public high schools.
In his role as County Judge, Ben wears many hats, with responsibilities ranging from county budget and operations to emergency management, economic development, public health and safety, and all facets of county and Texas public policy.
Ben and his wife, Jamie, an emergency room nurse, have been married since 2008. They enjoy spending time with their three children and their rescue dogs, Daisy and Chester. Ben also enjoys hunting, golf, and outdoor recreation on his family’s ranch. The Zellers are active members of their local church in Victoria.
On this day in 1835, the Battle of Goliad took place.
From the Texas State Historical Association: "Despite the action at Gonzales not all citizens diverted their attention from Goliad. Linn and Benavides, who had gone to Gonzales to train the volunteers amassing there after the battle, tried to persuade them to intercept Cos before he reached Bexar; but finding most unwilling, the two joined a company of about fifty men under Ben Fort Smith and William H. Jack, who set out to liberate Goliad and Copano from Mexican occupation. Another company of about forty men, mostly from the Matagorda area, organized under Capt. George M. Collinsworth, then marched to Guadalupe Victoria, picking up recruits along the way. Though the Matagorda company organized to carry out Fannin's plan, Fannin apparently had no personal connection with the expedition. The unit reached Victoria on October 9. There the men ate, rested, and were reinforced by some thirty additional volunteers from Victoria, Goliad, and the surrounding area, including Silvestre De León, Carbajal, Dimmitt, and Benavides, who had arrived with Linn ahead of Smith's company. Linn sent word to Refugio asking for volunteers; many arrived in time to participate in the attack.
Forty-nine men of the company then signified on October 9 their intention to "take up the line of March for Goliad" by signing the "Compact of Volunteers," a solemn pledge to "give the population of that town protection against military domination . . . [and to] stand firm to the Republican institutions of the Govt. of Mexico and of Coahuila & Texas under the constitution of 1824." Most of the Victoria-Refugio area volunteers did not sign the document, probably because of the shortness of time and the considerable recruitment at Victoria. The ultimate strength of the Collinsworth company probably reached some 120 men.
While at Victoria, Dimmitt, a De León colonist, received word from a contact at Goliad that Cos was on his way to Bexar and had left only a small garrison at the old Presidio La Bahía. Collinsworth marched his company southwestward across the prairie and after dark reached Manahuilla Creek, where they rested and sent a small party under Ira Ingram to scout the town. They were surprised by the appearance of Benjamin R. Milam, who had just escaped from prison in Monterrey and was traveling "to reach my countrymen in Texas." The well-known Milam was welcomed into Collinsworth's company, which resumed its march. Guided by those familiar with the area, the men reached Presidio La Bahía at about 11:00 P.M.; the scouting party was now reunited with the main unit. Before, during, and after the assault the company was additionally reinforced by volunteers from the Refugio area, including James Power, Ira J. Westover, Hugh McDonald Frazer, Thomas G. Western, Thomas O'Connor, John James, John B. Sideck, Samuel McCulloch, John Malone, Walter Lambert, Armand Victor Loupé, Charles Shearn, and John Dunn.
The Texans took the garrison by surprise and battled for about thirty minutes before capturing the presidio. Sandoval and Sabriego were among the prisoners, though almost twenty Mexican soldiers escaped to warn the Copano and Refugio garrisons, which then moved to Fort Lipantitlán. Prior to surrendering, Sandoval also sent word to Cos informing him of the situation. The Texans suffered several wounded but none killed; Sandoval lost three killed, seven wounded, and twenty-one made prisoner."
"On this day in 1821, a filibustering army under James Long surrendered at La Bahía to Mexican forces commanded by Colonel Juan Ignacio Pérez. The Long expedition was an early attempt by Anglo-Americans to wrest Texas from Spain. The expedition was mounted by citizens in the Natchez, Mississippi, area who were opposed to the boundary of the Louisiana Purchase as set up in the Adams-Onís Treaty. After initial successes in 1819, the filibusters were driven out by Pérez in October of that year. Long regrouped and joined forces with José Félix Trespalacios, who was organizing an expedition in New Orleans to support the Mexican liberals. Long established his headquarters at Point Bolivar, where he was joined by his wife, Jane Long, the "Mother of Texas." He later broke with Trespalacios, and the expedition led an uncertain existence at Fort Las Casas on Point Bolivar until September 1821, when Long and fifty-two men sailed to capture La Bahía. The town fell easily, but four days later Long was forced to surrender to Pérez. Long was taken prisoner and sent to Mexico City, where about six months later he was shot and killed by a guard. With Long's defeat and capture at La Bahía the early filibustering era in Texas came to an end."
It was an honor to be asked by Martha’s Sembera’s family to participate in her 107th birthday celebration! She is a remarkable woman with a wonderful family…and, as far as I know, the oldest resident of Victoria County. Happy 107th birthday, Martha! What an incredible milestone and a life worth celebrating. ...
"On this day in 1864, Milton Holland, of the Fifth United States Colored Troops, earned the Medal of Honor for action at Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, Virginia. He was born a slave in either Carthage or Austin, Texas, in 1844. After enlisting in the United States Army in 1863, he rose to the rank of regimental sergeant major and led his regiment after all its white officers were either wounded or killed. He received the Medal of Honor on April 6, 1865, and was mustered out of the service on September 20 of that year." -Text and photo source: Texas State Historical Association Learn more: www.tshaonline.org/texas-day-by-day/entry/885...
Today we honor the families of service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We owe a debt of gratitude we can never repay, but may we do our best to live lives worthy of such great sacrifice. ...
