Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 16, 1989 Page: 4 of 28
twenty eight pages : ill. ; page 24 x 15 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
vv
4A—Burleson Star, Thursday, March 16, 1989
Teen couldn't see all the good things
that go to make life worth the living
BY SALLY ELLERTSON
A troubled 13-year-old teenager
who was a Burleson resident for
only six months, ended his life just
a few minutes into a new day on
Saturday, March 11.
Lance Alan Gaffney, 853-A
Summercrest, shot himself once in
the head with a .45-caliber Colt aut-
omatic gun at 12:12 a.m., accord-
ing to the Burleson Police Depart-
ment report. The police arrived at
12:14 a.m. Lance was transported
by Careflite to Harris Hospital in
Fort Worth where he died at 5 a.m.,
according to a hospital spokesper-
son.
"His focus was on negative
things. He could not see enough of
the good things around him to
make life worthwhile," Lance's
mother, Donna Gaffney of Broken
Arrow, Okla., said.
Lance came to Burleson in Sep-
tember of 1988 to live with his fa-
ther, Bill Gaffney.
"We feel like he was a very sen-
sitive person who kept too many
feelings inside. He didn't work
enough with his own problems,"
Donna said. "He talked to people as
long as it wasn't about his feelings.
He was always helping other people
with theirs."
Donna said that Lance and the
I
CONSUMI H
PHE f f RREO
Service.
Quality & Fair Value
Physicians
Shaw Medical Ctr.
(&S©
SMtH Sfttw. M O —
7:3* AM~*O0na
7:30 AM—1:30
family and Emsrpncy Mtdical Ctr.
295-1121 MtOMMlt.
34 Haim OiN,) <»•*'«*'»
....
FEATURED ON TOUR
I WHITE f, GREEN PHONE*
BOOK COVER
family had gone through counsel-
ing.
"We worked with him exten-
sively on getting in touch with his
feelings but he just closed off and
wouldn't let people into the deepest
things he was feeling.” Donna said.
"He was very angry with society
and he didn't accept reality well. He
tried to escape reality and he did
start hanging around with a group
of kids that started encouraging that
thinking and the acceptance was
there. He chose a group of friends
that did accept him.”
Lance lived in Broken Arrow,
Okla., prior to moving to Burleson.
Donna said that he played soccer for
six years as a forward and loved it.
He had also recently taken up
skateboarding.
"He was very good at sqpcer
and proud of his achievements,”
Donna said.
Lance dreamed of living in a
peaceful place.
"He had a dream about living
in the countryside, kind of secluded
and peaceful," Donna said. "He
fantasized that if he could live on a
lakeside or on a hill, he could have
that peace. He liked fishing, loved
camping and animals. He liked it
simple and uncomplicated."
Lance got off to a rocky start
when he entered Burleson Junior
High School as an eighth grader.
"He had problems at first ad-
justing," Patsy Varley, the alterna-
tive education program (AEP) teach-
er said. "He started off rocky but the
last few weeks he had been very
upbeat, in a good mood, joking
around with us, and he was getting
excited about going back to his
classes."
Friday, the day before Lance
died, he had been dismissed from
AEP and was getting ready to go to
regular classes for the first time
since he came to Burleson.
"We took him around Thursday
to show him where his classes
would be and showed him his
locker," Varley said.
Lance was bom Aug. 8, 1975,
in Tulsa, Okla., to Bill and Donna
Gaffney,
Funeral services took place
Tuesday, March 14, 1989, at 2
p.m. at Christ United Methodist
Church in Tulsa with the Rev. Ro-
bert Pierson officiating. Burial was
at the Memorial Park Cemetery in
Tulsa.
Lance is survived by his par-
ents; a sister, Angela Gaffney of the
Broken Arrow home; and grand-
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Shep-
pard of San Antonio and Suzanne
Engeszik of Bakersfield, Calif.
SHAMPOO - CUT & BLOW-DRY
$6.00
ULRA CUT/
"/ (unity Hair Stxlin^ ( enters of I exas"
855 N.E. Alsbury Rd. • Burleson Town Center
447-8078
Easter Excitement
Did Easter Creep Up On You?
Let Us Fill Your Easter Basket...
30% OFF
Thru Saturday, March 25!
*Doe« not include layaway*, special orders or previously dil
aXa ah
Easter
1
f
Merchandise
previously disc, merchandise.
MAKE MINE
437 S.W. Wilshire
Trellis Square
447-1219
Open Mon.-Fri.
,J.Q-5;30
Sat. 10-4:00.
PEANUT BUSTER
RARFAITS
FOR PEANUTS!
201 8.W. Wilshire
Burleson
99
4, Monday, March 13
C* thru
^ Sunday, March 26I
Everybody’s going nutty for the DQ PEANUT
BUSTER PARFAIT! With layers of DQ
goodness, peanuts, and plenty of hot fudge. On
sale now for under a buck! Peanuts!
THIS b^>C0UNTRY
• Re*. TM Am. D.O. Cotp 1968 Tex. D.Q. Op. Coun 'At paiticipetin* Dairy Queen stores
» * * * # 4# v*
SUBSCRIBE
l.
' .7 r - ■ f nr
A 15) !•
Instant
Credit
to those
who
qualify
MasterCard
DISCOVER
VISA
Add 3%
For Charges
295-6250 295-8721
Open 9:00 to 6:00 Monday thru Saturday
PRICES GOOD ONLY AT 333 S.W. WILSHIRE
THE STORE AT THIS ADDRESS WILL CLOSE MARCH 31st
(Next to Jose’s Restaurant)
FREE LAYAWAY
FREE DELIVERY
NOT AFFILIATED WITH TERRY FURNITURE IN CLEBURNE
■IBM * Wiivull
Solid Oak 5 pc. Dinette
Claw Feel Carved Edge
Bassett & Lane Recliners
Sofa Loveseat End Table Corner Table Cktl. Table
,299°° Reg. s2.499°°
Reg. s699'
Only 5 to choose from
Solid Wood
Bunk Beds
BraStS
Plant\
Stands
$499
White & Brass
Day Bed
Early American Sofa
Table
4 Chairs
Glass-Oak-Brass
latching Chest
3 to choose from
Bunkie'Mattress
Some Merchandise Marked Below Cost
Reg. 24900
THE STORE AT 1480 S.W. WILSHIRE WILL REMAIN OPEN
PLEASE CHECKOUR BIGGER SELECTION & DISCOUNT PRICES
Sh9 11i
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Moody, James. Burleson Star (Burleson, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 46, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 16, 1989, newspaper, March 16, 1989; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760840/m1/4/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Burleson Public Library.