History of Hutchinson County, Texas: 104 Years, 1876-1980 Page: 73 of 526
520 p. : ill., map, ports. ; 31 cm.View a full description of this book.
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and tried to help them. Once J.R. helped a
very inebriated man on crutches get into his
shack to keep the police from arresting him.
Another time the police impounded our car
because it had been parked for several days
and had two flat tires. We had a hard time getting
it back because it had a Wichita County
license plate on it, and then the police tried to
make us pay tow charges and storage, etc.
when it had been moved by them from our
parking area. Borger has come a long way
since the advent of the various Arthur families.
We are proud of our part in its development.
We also have a very close association with the
First Presbyterian Church. Submitted by Malnor
Arthurand are so very proud to be a part of the history
of Borger, Texas. It is our Home town.
Submitted by Elsie Ashfordtheir own living and to pay taxes. At home, he
and his wife, Evelyn, who is also deaf (from
Scarlet Fever) lead active lives. She works for
Gulf Oil Company as a Computer Operator.
Jack and Evelyn believe that "deaf people
can achieve anything". Jack says "I'm happy
that I am what I am. I like working hard to
show people that I can do a good job in spite
of my handicap." Submitted by Jack Autry, Jr.Jack Autry, Sr. and Jr.
William Glen Ashford
Family
This day has special meaning to William
Glen Ashford and Elsie Matthews Ashford,
November 13, 1978, 44 years ago today, we
were married in a little church in Hogo,
Oklahoma. We were raised on the farm and
had not been a hundred miles from home. Little
did we know that we would come to Borger,
Texas, and make it our home and love it
as we do.
We had three sons and a daughter, Billy
Cletus, Wendell Ray, Baxter Joe and Thera
Dian. Some people can say back in the good
old days, but we cannot.
We had worked for twenty-five dollars a
month and a house to live in Oklahoma, farming.
So one day, W.G. said "I am going to Borger,
Texas." This seemed like the other side of
the world, then.
But it has meant a whole new world and life
for our children and us. We went to work for
Phillips Petroleum Company. So we became a
part of Borger, Texas and Hutchinson County.
Our town became a history lesson and all of
the historical places we had in our County of
Hutchinson. We had fine schools for our children.
We have watched Borger grow, as our children
grew into fine men and women, married
and gave us seventeen grandchildren.
Billy Cletus is married to Carol and they
have five children, Darwin, Billy, Denise,
Stacy, Cleta and live in Hawkins, Texas.
Baxter Joe is married to Jessie, and they
have three children, Vicky, Kerrie, and Tracey
and live in Ada, Oklahoma.
Wendell Ray is married to Pam and they
have five children, Wendell, Jr., Nolan,
Joseph, Windy and Evelyn has their one
grandchild, Christopher Parker. They live in
Borger, Texas.
There Dian Briggs has one son Napoleon
Busby and also lives in Borger.
We have seen a lot of wonderful new things
happen in our town and county and it doesn't
dull the wonderful old true stories that we can
still learn about our town. The 25th of November,
1978, we have lived in Borger 31 yearsJack Autry Jr. Family
Jack was born December 9, 1929, in Phillips,
Texas, the son of Jack and Lucille Autry.
He married Evelyn Jane Adams. They have
four daughters, Valarie, Donna, Melissa,
Jackie, and three grandchildren. Jack is a
thirty year employee (as of 1980) at the University
of Houston, Houston, Texas. He works
in the UHCC Printing Plant. He has lived in a
silent world most of his life.
For Autry, that silence has been golden. He
contracted spinal meningitis as an infant. His
was the first case in Hutchinson County in
1931. Dr. Brooks and Dr. Hanson used Sister
Elizabeth Kenny's (1886-1952) method of hot
water and woolen packs. Dr. Brooks lifted the
baby and sheet, ... hold and lift into a tub of
hot water since his spine curved back until his
heels touched the back of his head. He had
no crippling effects. The high fever dried up
his ear drums, tympanic membrane, leaving
him deaf. His deafness was not known for a
long time.
Jack attended the Oklahoma School for the
Deaf, in Sulphur, Oklahoma for thirteen years,
and graduated from The Texas School for the
Deaf in Austin, Texas in 1949. Upon graduation
in 1949, Autry moved to Houston, which
has been his home since. Having been trained
in drafting, he sought a job as a draftsman,
but had to settle for work as a cement finisher.
Later he went to Scardino Printing Company
looking for a job and was shown an article
in a local newspaper describing the establishment
of the U.H. Printing Plant. Since he
had also studied printing one semester in high
school, he applied for the job. He was hired
on a temporary basis to help clean and sort
type in the then, one-day-old plant. Later he
wanted to begin an apprenticeship to be a
linotype operator. He learned fast and worked
hard. Many times he worked on Sunday without
pay because he knew the job had to be
ready by Monday. Autry achieved the level of
senior linotype operator. In 1977, he was
commended for his efforts with a Staff Excellence
Award.
To communicate on the job, Jack uses sign
language which he taught to some of his coworkers,
more often he just writes. Autry
reflects with a keen sense of humor about the
noise in the plant. "Noise doesn't bother me
at all! And I enjoy learning how to handle and
care for the machines". During his years at
UHCC, he has remained dedicated to his linotype
responsibilities-passing up other offers
in Houston to remain at the University.
Off the campus, he is active in various community
organizations, including the Houston
Division of the National Fraternal Society of
the Deaf (NFSD), for which he served as president
for five years. The organization is concerned
with insuring the independence of
deaf persons and encouraging them to earnDick and Joyce Autry
Richard Dale Autry Family
Richard Dale Autry was born August 5,
1931 at Phillips, Texas. His parents are Jack
and Lucille Swindell Autry. He has two brothers
and two sisters: Jack Autry, Jr. of Houston,
Texas; James Dwight Gastineau, United
States Navy Seebees; Mrs. Beverly M. Daulton,
Amarillo, Texas; and Mrs. Joe D. Hefner,
Fritch, Texas.
"Dick" married his high school sweetheart,
Joyce Wrenn (born May 8, 1930), Sunybury,
Pennsylvania. She is the only child of D.C.
and Carmen Emma Zeigler Wrenn. Joyce and
Dick were married in June of 1950.
Dick served in the Korean War, with the
187th Regiment Combat Paratroopers. After
his discharge, he moved his family to College
Station, Texas, attending Texas A
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History of Hutchinson County, Texas: 104 Years, 1876-1980 (Book)
History book describing Hutchinson County, Texas, featuring local history, photographs, illustrations, and biographies.
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Hutchinson County Historical Commission. History of Hutchinson County, Texas: 104 Years, 1876-1980, book, 1980; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20204/m1/73/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hutchinson County Genealogical Society.