Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 149, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1998 Page: 2 of 56
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Sec. A, Page 2—CHEROKEEAN/HERALD of Rusk, Texas—Thursday, April 30,1998
Emmett H. Whitehead
nri , i / TT 1 J
publisher
LberekeeaD Herald
Marie Whitehead
WAf JL Mm.%r w MAF 1 M.M. V M. MIL %A.
editor
April 30,1998
Texas' oldest continuously
published weekly newspaper.
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel Feb. 27,1850
Jim Hogg State Historical
Park, Rusk
Caddoan Mounds State
Historical Site, Alto
Texas State Railroad State
Historical Park, Rusk
Scene in Passing
Marie Whitehead
e-mail: herald@e-tex.com
Four weeks ago, we said
"hello" to April. Seems like
only four days ago, how-
ever, because here we are brush-
ing off the welcome mat for May!
Not just the calendar month, but
all that the month traditionally
offers in activities! Leading a long
list for May we find Mother's Day,
graduation and a multitude of
events to be observed. Pick
several that will benefit from your
support and then...ENJOY!
We had a rare opportunity last
Thursday. Up in the morning sky,
6 a.m. A happy face. A smile in
the sky. Little crooked, though. Did you join your
writer for a wondering look-see? And did you think
about its next configuration? 2,056. Yep, that's
when viewers can expect to see again Mars,
Venus and the Quarter Moon in such a "happy"
proximity! It seemed logical to get up early and
catch the early show! The year 2,056 is quite a way
down the road. May not get to hang out on Earth
that long. Oh well, it's one more thing we can mark
off our list of "things to do." We've done it!
More and more folks are sending us e-mail.
Thanks! Here's a note from Jan Ferguson who
asks, "Do you recall any military plane crash in
Cherokee County during the 1940s? Or has anyone
ever mentioned a plane crash to you that occurred
in the 1940s? " Our first answer to both questions
is "no," but some of you readers may recall such an
event. If you can help Jan, bring the info to our
office, or e-mail her at jiferguson @webty.net.
Since Yours Truly and the Better Half had not yet
moved to Cherokee County, we don't remember.
And for those who occasionally indulge in histori-
cal research, the files for this publication, prior to
1948, are housed in the Heritage Room of the
SFASU Library in Nacogdoches.
Coming from around the world, literally, every
28 days is RHS Grad Glenn Wick, Class of'76.
He dropped by our office last week for a fun visit,
brought his beautiful wife, too. Glenn works for
Chevron In New Guinea which is kind
of north of Australia. He has worked
for them 17 years now. In the
beginning it only took 36 hours to ^
get from there to Rusk. Now it
takes two days with a few lay- \ try slowing down.
overs. He works 28 days and gets
28 days off. Transportation cost for —•••••• •• • •
each trip home is about $5,000. He is happy that
the company picks up that bill! He has worked in
Utah and Colorado, also. Glenn is a drilling
supervisor. This visit home was unusually
special...his also beautiful daughter got married!
Some of you will .remember his outstanding ability
as a baseball player for the Eagles. He and his
family live at Hudson Chapel which is still the
prettiest place to him.
We had another office visitor that I didn't get to
meet. But he left a few thoughts for sharing. Jed
Morris from Alto was in the Navy, stationed in
Indiana. He came by just to see what our office
looks like. He enjoyed his subscription to this
paper so much while he was away from home!
What a fine compliment to us! He says we were his
big link to home. He'd read each issue from cover
to cover! Now he's back in Alto where he and his
wife helped their daughter celebrate her first
birthday April 5. He attends First Baptist Church
in Alto. It is good to welcome Jed and family
"home." And, we hope he continues to find enjoy-
ment in our labor of love!
Another e-mail from former staffer, Amy
Halbert. After her move to the Metroplex, getting
settled in with a new job and home, she had to de-
Letters Policy
Our mail bag is frequently a mixed bag.
The Cherokeean/Herald values readers' letters
and differing viewpoints. All submissions to "let-
ters to the editor" must contain the writer's
name, address and zip, along with a daytime
telephone number so we may contact you with
clarification or confirmation.
Also, letters must not contain information or
allegations deemed libelous. We do not publish
form letters or copies intended for mass distribu-
tion to other publications.
Generally speaking, the shorter the letter, the
better its chances for publication. Write us at
P.O. Box 475, Rusk, Tex. 75785 or send us a FAX
at (903) 683-5104.
Our E-mail address isherald@e-tex.com. Please
include a daytime telephone number for clarifi-
cations and verification.
Clferokeeaq/Herald
USPS 102-520
POSTMASTER:Send addreae chinga* «O: CHEROKEEAN/HERALD, P.O. BOX 47S • RUSK, TEX. 7B78S
Periodical Postage Paid at Rusk, Texas 75785
Texas' Oldest Continuously
Published Weekly Newspaper
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel, Feb. 27,1850
Consolidation of The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
Published weekly on Thursday by
E.H. Whitehead Enterprises
818 N. Main • Rusk, Tex. • 75785
(903) 683-2257 • (903) 588-7771
(409)858-4141
FAX (903) 883-5104
Subscription ratas payable In advance:
Cherokee County SIS per year
Outside/Cherokee County ..SIB per year
Outside Texas S20 per year
Loans or CDs
Cñecfaur
rates 1st:
683-2277
Citizens 1st
bank q
Member F.D.I.C. ««
High Points From El Camino Real
rail briefly for gall bladder
surgery. But she is recovered and
looking forward to a visit home,
soon. Her Grandmom, Jimmie
Halbert, has been hospitalized
recently, and Amy wants to see
her, of course.
Here's a note from Loretta
Rix, which she found penned to
her home door. "1 travel over 17
counties in East Texas for my job.
I have never seen anything as
lovely as your yard of wildflowers.
It is a beautiful gift to the City of
Rusk and visitors who happen
upon it. Thank you for your
efforts." The writer is Betty Patton of Kilgore who
added a postscript of inquiry, "Did you broadcast
seed? If so, where did you get the seed and when
did you plant?" Well, it looks like Loretta and
Jerry have been blessed with a new friend! Like
the one vote that really counts, one flower seed
planted counts, too! It is a beautiful world!
Monday, April 27 was the 55th wedding anniver-
sary of James and Tommie Russell. The happi-
ness of such a celebration was dampened a bit by
his health problems but as all of us know, who've
been there, we can go forward with faith and hope.
Tommie asks that they be remembered in prayers
by everyone. Both are 25-year, retired employees
of RSH and they are active members of Sover-
eign Grace Baptist Church.
Another couple observing an April 27 wedding
anniversary is Fred and Bessie Lunsford. It was
60 years for them. And they are wished the best,
too.
It was good to chat with Doug Bradford in Alto
last week. With the Better Half, conversation is a
tnp down memory lane. They have shared many
common interests. Doug and Nita are grandpar-
ents, a very important topic of mutual interest!
One of the Grandsons is a pilot, flying a nuge
plane that provides in-transit, re-fueling for the
President's plane on long trips. Thought about
asking if the Grandson had met Paula
Jones...then thought better of it!
#• • • 1—It is good to report the constant
improvement of our friend
For fast-acting relief, * Lucille Heard. After a fall,
0 surgery for a broken hip, therapy,
# she is home and on the mend!
Certainly her daughter Kahlan
and son Dan Howell and their
families are delighted with their Mom's fast snap-
back. She is getting gold-plated care at home from
Arlene Waggoner!
Friends of the Rev. Wayne Clute share his loss
with his family. He was the pastor of First Chris-
tian Church in Rusk. His constant optimism and
faith will be missed. He and his wife Thelma have
blessed our area in many avenues of service since
moving to Rusk. Their son, also a minister, is one
of our radio stations' featured speakers at 10:30
each Sunday morning.
A mix of glad and sad was felt as friends wished
Donald and Loberta Clayton farewell during a
reception last week at Citizens 1st Bank. The
couple arrived here only four years after we came.
And they quickly became pillars of strength in all
things good for the area. The Claytons are moving
to Abilene where their son, Dr. Lawrence
Clayton and family, reside. If he's hearing the call
to "Go West, Young Man," we may soon hear that
he's breaking new ground with a new business, out
west! They will be missed...but they are wished
The Best! In closing here's a bit of wisdom from
Lily Tomlin for all of you who travel in the fast
lane: "For fast-acting relief, try slowing
down!" But...speed up your smiles!
It has sure been a busy week
around the Hall of Justice, but I
knew I couldn't let my readers
down on Alto's many goings on.
The rain Sunday night was sure
a great way to start the week. I
was beginning to think we
weren't going to have any April
showers. I don't know why I'm
telling you about the weather,
you can watch that on TV. I need
to tell you things you don't
know, if you want your quarter's
work.
Alto Lions Club is holding its
sixth annual garage sale on
Saturday, May 2 from 8 a.m. - 2
p.m. It will be held at the Lions
Club Building in downtown Alto.
If you don't want to buy any-
thing and just need to get rid of
some stuff, the Lions will accept
donations until May 1. Arts and
crafts vendors will be located
outside. Alto Butane has
donated a fish cooker that is
going to be raffled that day. A
$1 donation will get you a chance
to win it. All proceeds of the sale
go towards community projects
and the Lion's Eye Foundation.
Don't miss your chance to get a
bargain and help out, too.
On Wednesday, May 6, K.R.
Wood, Steve Fromholtz and
others will perform "Fathers of
Texas" which is a history of the
Texas revolution in song. I fist
came across this brilliant piece
of work while on a visit to the
Alamo last summer. We jour-
neyed to Luckenbach, Tex. a few
weeks ago to see the show
performed there. My children
became so interested in our rich
Texas history after listening to
the "Fathers of Texas" CD that I
decided this might be a great
way to get our school kids more
involved in history. Russell
Turner and I put our heads
together and after talking with
the principals from Alto and
Rusk Elementary schools
decided to get the "Fathers of
Texas" show performed for the
kids during school time. The
PTO organizations from both
schools are sponsoring the
shows. The problem with that is
a lot of adults wanted to see the
show, too. So we decided to have
one performance at night. The
night show will be at 7:30 p.m.
May 6 at the Cherokee Civic
Theatre in Rusk. Tickets are $6
Chris Davis
e-mail: elcaminoreal@inu.net
and can be purchased at
Bodacious Barbecue in Rusk,
and I will have tickets in Alto,
also.
The Alto Elementary PTO
will have a meeting on Thurs-
day, April 30 in the cafetorium.
Members will elect new officers
for the 1998-99 school year.
School board candidates have
been invited to introduce them-
selves at this time. If you
haven't met any of the new
candidates, now is your chance.
Alto Elementary PTO cookbooks
are still available and can be
purchased for $7 at the meeting.
Alto had a chance to meet the
new school superintendent last
Thursday night. A good crowd
turned out to see the new faces.
His name is Dr. Floyd Worley,
and he comes to us from Apple
Springs. He and his wife seem
like nice folks, so let's make 'em
feel welcome when they get to
town. I am sure you can find out
a whole lot more about him
somewhere else in this paper.
There might even be a picture of
him. I meet people from every-
where who stop by the Hall of
Justice to see me (whether they
want to or not) and I talked to a
gentleman the other day who
said that Dr. Worley was a fine
fellow and we were lucky to be
getting him. I was proud to hear
that bit of encouraging news
from a stranger. Along with the
fact that our school board put in
many a long hour hunting for a
good one. I think he'll probably
be just what the doctor ordered.
Years ago, there was many a trip
made from Alto to Apple
Springs, but I guess this is the
first time anybody from Apple
Springs made a trip to Alto.
The Alto skyline got a new
addition this week. The New
Hope Baptist Church got a
new steeple this week. Wyzo
Griffin was getting everything
prepared for the steeple each
time I passed the church last
week. I think steeples are put
on churches to keep us pointed
in the right direction. And in
these troubled times we are
living in you can't get enough
reminders. Congratulations on
your church steeple, New Hope
Baptist Church.
The Alto Homecoming
Committee had their first
meeting for next year's home-
coming festivities. Liz Pearman
was named chairman of this
year's committee. This is a big
job, but we can make it a lot
easier if we all pitch in and help.
There will be lots of places where
you can help, so decide what you
want to do and volunteer. The
exact date has not been set, but
it should be sometime in Octo-
ber. We've had a great time at
the Homecoming for the last two
years, so let's keep up the
tradition.
On May 1, Mark Landrum
will celebrate his eighth birth-
day. I'll bet he gets whatever he
wants for his birthday. Being an
only child does have its benefits.
Happy birthday, Mark.
I was going to try and do better
in my column this week and say
something nice about my neigh-
bor, Virgil Schochler, but I
couldn't think of anything. He
staked and tied his tomatoes last
week. I can't believe they have
grown that much with all the
cold nights and dry weather.
The garden looks pretty good,
despite the fact that he is too
stingy to water or fertilize it. I
hope somebody shows the new
superintendent what Virgil's
truck looks like. We wouldn't
want him to get run over as soon
as he gets here.
Every time I think I'm going to
have a short column, I keep
thinking of things you need to
know that can't wait until next
week. I hope I haven't left
anything out. That's all for this
week.
I'll see ya next week. And
remember, You cannot show
kindness too soon because
you never know how soon it t
will be too late.
Guest Commentary
Last weekend's 'I Remember Mama'
provided a good evening at the theatre
By Gloria Jennings
Staff Writer
Those who attended the Chero-
kee Civic Theatre production of "I
Remember Mama" shared a treat
last weekend. The light comedy is
a family story written by author
Kathryn Forbe. The play "I Re-
member Mama" by John Van
Druten center around the life of a
loving mother who sacrificed her
need for a "new warm coat" for
needs of her husband and chil-
dren.
Sissy Crysup was wonderful in
her portrayal of Mama. Her eyes
sparkled as Mama figured out ways
to take care of her family.
I was particular proud of my
brother by marriage, Elam Hol-
comb, who came in at the last
minute to take the part of Papa,
when the original cast member
underwent surgery. Elam was ter-
rific in his portrayal of a down-to-
earth father, who loved his family
without reservation.
Heather Orsack played the part
of the older daughter, Katrin
(Kathryn Forbe) very well. She
was entertaining and a delight as
she presented herself as the self-
ish child, who wanted things like
other children in her class at school.
She had love for writing and Miss
Orsack moved the play along with
the various scenes portraying her
life in the family.
Mama amused you as she vis-
ited with the famous writer, Flo-
rence Dana Moorehead, (played
by Mary Lewis) to obtain informa-
tion on how to become a writer.
Always figuring on how to get what
she wanted, Mama in her Norwe-
gian accent, swapped recipes with
the author for advice on writing.
Several laughs resulted from Ms.
Lewis' appearance on the stage.
Mama was a sight going into the
hospital to visit her baby daughter
even though it was against the
rules. She just wanted to tell her
she couldn't have company until
the day after surgery. After she
did that she told Katrin that she
would not go back to the hospital
until the child could have com-
pany because it was "against the
rules." Dr. Johnson played by
Ronnie Dickson, Nurse Anne,
played by Kim Dickson, and Nurse
Jane, played by Roxann Newcomb,
were good in their parts and moved
the plot along very well.
Little Dagmar played by Kellie
Floyd was precious. The appear-
ance of Uncle Elizabeth with
Dagmar was a delight for all and a
heart was drawn almost to tears
at the thought of putting the ani-
mal to sleep. But Mama saved the
day, although she thought she was
doing what she had told her fam-
ily, "I have got to kill a cat!" In-
stead she only put the animal to
sleep for a few hours, which re-
sulted in a complete cure from the
cat fight several nights previously.
Uncle Elizabeth, whose real
name is Boots, is the pet of director
Zelwanda Hendrick. Boots an-
swered the curtain call with the
rest of the cast and on Sunday
afternoon really made a ham of
himself running between the legs
of other cast members.
Amanda Smith as Christine was
great as the sister, who always
wanted to make sure Katrin knew
how she was taking advantage of
the family.
Richard Carroll Jr. was true to
life as he played the part of the
elder brother, Neis.
As you watched the parson, Noy
Pruitt as Mr. Hyde, you couldn't
help but chuckle as he presented a
hot check to Mama for payment of
his rent. He brought laughs from
Cast members
rehearsed with vigor
during a work session
prior to the show's
opening.
the crowd as he played his part.
Like many families coming from
the old country, there were ex-
tended family members such as
Aunt Trina, Aunt Sigrid, Aunt
Jenny and Unc'^ Chris. Bobbie
Floyd played the part of Aunt
Trina, who wanted to wed and
finally did marry Mr. Thorkelson,
played by Rick Vick. Aunt Sigrid
was played by Diane Baird and
Frances Green played Aunt Jenny.
Bud Breen as Uncle Chris de-
lighted all as his loud mouth and
bold personality frightened all of
the rest of the family except Mama
and Papa. Betty Breen was Jessie,
Uncle Chris's wife, who family
members never accepted.
Jessica Dickson played the part
of Madeline, Katrin's friend.
Lydie Vick served as technical
and assistant director. Kay Jor-
dan was stage manager; Bessie
Lunsford, Mrs. Breen and Bob
Estes did the set design; Mary
Wilkes was in charge of make up;
Kristopher Vick and Rick Vick
were lighting assistants; Betty
McLain, Mr. Breen and Janie Estes
were set assistants; Ms. Wilkes
and Kevin Smith, stage crew; Mar-
celette Broussard, publicity; Jane
Browning Parsons, ticket chair-
person; Gloria Dotson, Camille
Jones, Carmen Dotson, Virginia
Penney, Mrs. Broussard, Flossie
Nixson served as staff; Stan
Palmer, marquee; Laura Smith
and Mary Buchanan, house per-
sonnel; and Mrs. Penney, Mrs.
Nixson and Gloria Dotson, co-
chairpersons for staff.
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 149, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1998, newspaper, April 30, 1998; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152370/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.