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Q. My wife was the first female firefighter in San Marcos. I think there were newspaper articles about her. How can I get copies of those?
A. It is nice to be able to do research from home these days, and it’s easy to find articles like this on the library’s webpage. Just go to San Marcos Public Library's webpage and click on “eLibrary.” Look for “Local History Resources.” Click on “Pathfinder for Local History” and you will see “Digital San Marcos Daily Record.”
This question came from Paul Westover. His wife, Myra Derkacz Westover, was indeed the first female firefighter in San Marcos, according to an article in the San Marcos Daily Record dated Sept. 14, 1977.
Here are some quotes from that issue: “The atmosphere around the San Marcos central fire station has been relaxed this week, even though the city’s first female firefighter trainee came to work Monday. It’s not as if a total stranger had come to work. Twenty-three-year-old Myra Derkacz knows just about everyone who works in the fire department. She has been a frequent visitor there since her brother Todd joined the force last fall.
“Derkacz has been working toward a job as a firefighter for 2 years and if she makes it through the training this fall and becomes certified, she will have reached her goal.
“She came to the vocation in a not-too-roundabout manner. ‘I thought about being a forest ranger for a long time. That goes back to junior high school. My sister came to visit us at home one year and she said there were girls getting into fire departments and that I ought to come to Texas and try out.’
“Originally from Pennsylvania, Derkacz has been in Texas for a year. She has been working with the city water department at the main pump station while waiting for an opening on the firefighting force.
“If she makes it through her training, her shift will be 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off. She will be sleeping in the same room as the rest of the firefighters on the second floor of the firehouse. Small signs that read ‘In Use’ have been made to indicate when Derkacz is using the restroom or shower room.
“She sees having a brother on the force as an advantage.
“The most appealing aspect of the job, she said, is that of helping people. ‘You’re outside a lot. You’re not at a desk all day. It’s exciting, too. That’s not the most important thing, but it does get your adrenalin going,’ Derkacz explained.”
People who have been here a good while may remember Myra Westover from her days at the popular Wesray Café. It was located where the Root Cellar now is. Becky Bray was her business partner in that enterprise.
