City Council honors the Bulin family

At the Kennedale City Council meeting Monday night, June 27, 2016, the family of Alvin ?Red? & Hazel Bulin was recognized for their contributions to the City of Kennedale. A brick with the Bulin name will be placed in their honor at the TownCenter Park. {{more:[Read full story]}}

Alvin (1900-81) & Hazel Bulin (1907-97)

Alvin “Red” Bulin and Hazel Austin were married June 3rd, 1922, raising a family and spending their entire lives in Kennedale while becoming one of the cornerstones of the community.

 

With their large family, the Bulin household always had plenty of activity. People would drop their kids off at the Bulin home in the morning and pick them up after work.

In the 1930?s, Red Bulin helped the WPA build the rock walls in front of the old red brick school house. Those walls still stand.

Mr. Bulin, who was a building contractor by trade, became one of the leaders in the community in the push for the incorporation of the City of Kennedale in 1947.

Alvin Bulin served as Kennedale?s first and third mayor

Red, as most knew him, became the first mayor of Kennedale, elected two different times, serving from September 1947 through April 1950 and then again March 1953 through February 1954..

He also served on the Kennedale school board and was City Marshal in the early 50?s. And, according to Detective Magazine, he solved the murder of Ma Stanley in September 1952.

Red also had a rare talent that everyone talked about and remembered, he could write forward and backward with both hands, a trait he passed down to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Hazel Bulin ran the Village Drug Store and Soda Fountain, which became popular with the local young people who would hang out and read comic books.

 

The Bulins also owned the cleaners and the local funeral home.

 

Hazel, always active with her church, received an award for being a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Kennedale for 75 years.

Alvin and Hazel had five children: Catherine, Jerri, Jean, Virginia & Tommy. Alvin and Hazel were affectionately known by their family as Granddaddy and Memaw.

 

Thomas (1932-02) & Viola Bulin (1935 – )

Several generations of the Bulin family attended the council meeting

Tommy was a self-taught musician who took up the accordion at an early age, and many more instruments throughout his life. He played piano in church. He and Viola sang together, as he played at many venues locally, including several nursing homes. They shared this act of kindness with their children and grandchildren, influencing them to use their gifts to enrich the lives of others.

 

Tommy had a couple of embarrassing moments that have become part of family lore. At the age of 5, he got himself locked in the bread box in the front of the local grocery store. That story was eventually retold in Reminisce Magazine (2006).

 

And then there was the ?beer explosion? of 1953. According to the story, shortly after he was married, Tommy developed a terrible tooth ache and was given beer by ?one of the guys? to relieve the pain. The beer made its way to the freezer in the Bulin household, but Viola was having none of that. She put the beer in their outside burn barrel because she did not want it in her house. It blew up. The lid and bricks covering it flew over the house and landed in the middle of highway. Everyone thought the cleaners blew up next door. When they found out it was exploding beer, it was blamed on John, a student preacher living with Alvin & Hazel. They all thought he was hiding his beer in the burn barrel.

With four sons, Viola was active in Boy Scouts. She also taught Sunday school and often helped in their church?s nursery. She has always been devoted to giving the love and attention necessary for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to develop bright futures.

Tommy and Viola spent their lives together working in the community, singing, and serving their church. They are affectionately known by their family as Memaw and Pawpaw.