Laura Freytag Valenta, born in 1883 to Bohemian immigrants Anton and Mary Freytag, married Wenzel Valenta in 1898. After Wenzel died in 1907, she was left a young widow with four children and ran a boarding house to support her family. The 54-room Travelers Hotel opened in De Leon in 1920, and by 1926 she was its dining room supervisor. In 1929, she bought the business, and under her supervision the hotel became well known for its excellent service. Civic minded, she hosted fundraisers there and opened rooms to people in need of lodging or food. Some of her children helped with hotel operations. When her health began to fail, the hotel was sold for housing. She died in 1971 and is buried in San Antonio.