Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 288, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 17, 2014 Page: 5 of 22
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LOCAL/NATIONAL
5A
Denton Record-Chronicle
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Watergate conspirator Magruder dies
He became a born-again
Christian after Watergate, an ex-
perience he described in his 1978
biography, From Power to
Peace.
By Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jeb
Stuart Magruder, a Watergate
conspirator-tumed-minister
who claimed in later years to
have heard President Richard
Nixon order the infamous
break-in, has died. He was 79.
Magruder died May 11 in
Danbury, Conn., Hull Funeral
Service director Jeff Hull said
Friday.
Magruder, a businessman
when he began working for the
Republican president, later be-
came a minister, serving in Cali-
fornia, Ohio and Kentucky. He
also served as a church fundrais-
ing consultant.
He spent seven months in
prison for lying about the in-
volvement of Nixon’s re-election
committee in the 1972 break-in
at Washington’s Watergate com-
plex, which eventually led to the
president’s resignation.
In a 2008 interview, Ma-
gruder told The Associated
Press he was at peace with his
place in history. The interview
came after he pleaded guilty to
reckless operation of a motor ve-
hicle following a 2007 car crash.
“I don’t worry about Water-
gate, I don’t worry about news
articles,” Magruder said. “I go to
the court, I’m going to be in the
paper — I know that.”
Magruder, who moved to
suburban Columbus in 2003,
served as Nixon’s deputy cam-
paign director, an aide to Nixon
Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman
FT
fry
X
F- fcr
‘All the earthly supports I
had ever known had given way,
and when I saw how flimsy they
were I understood why they had
never been able to make me
happy,” he wrote. “The missing
ingredient in my life was Jesus
Christ and a personal relation-
ship with him.”
Magruder, who was bom in
New York City on Nov. 5,1934,
held sales and management jobs
at several companies, including
paper company Crown Zeller-
bach and Jewel Food Stores. He
also became active in Republi-
can politics.
He received a master’s degree
in divinity from Princeton Theo-
logical Seminary in 1981, then
worked at a Presbyterian church
in California, First Community
Church in suburban Columbus
and First Presbyterian Church, a
200-year-old parish in Lexing-
ton, Kentucky.
But he could never fully leave
the scandal behind.
In 1988, Dana Rinehart, then
Columbus mayor, appointed
Magruder head of a city ethics
commission and charged him to
lead a yearlong honesty cam-
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Breck Smither/AP file photo
In this 1995 photo, Jeb Stuart Magruder — then pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church — poses for photos in his office in
Lexington, Ky.
and deputy communications di-
rector at the White House.
Magruder said in 2003 that
he was meeting with John
Mitchell, the former attorney
general running the Nixon re-
election campaign, when he
heard the president tell Mitchell
to go ahead with the plan to
break into the Democratic Party
headquarters at the Watergate
office building.
Magruder previously had
gone no further than saying that
Mitchell approved the plan to
get into the Democrats’ office
and bug the telephone of the
party chairman, Larry O’Brien.
He made his claims in a PBS
documentary and an Associated
Press interview.
He said he met with Mitchell
on March 30,1972, and discuss-
ed a break-in plan by G. Gordon
John D. Harden/DRC file photo
In the distance, a water tower sits partially built in Bartonville.
From Page 1A
Tower
Iiddy, a former FBI agent who
was finance counsel at the re-
election committee. Mitchell
asked Magruder to call Halde-
man to see "if this is really neces-
sary."
even more fractured.
To that end, Robison also or-
dered the attorneys for the
plaintiffs, the town and the wa-
ter supplier to agree on a trial
date and bring forward a motion
to consolidate the cases soon.
ted the permit application to be
heard in the next 60 days.
When Bartonville reached its
settlement with Cross Timbers
Water Supply, formerly Barton-
ville Water Supply Corp., in
April, the town allowed the new
application to be made. If that
permit application is successful,
as part of the settlement agree-
ment, the water supplier has of-
fered to reimburse the town up
to $350,000 in legal fees related
to the legal battles between
them.
Haldeman said it was, Ma-
gruder said, and then asked to
speak to Mitchell. The two men
talked, and then "the president
gets on the line," Magruder said.
Magruder said he could hear
Nixon tell Mitchell, “John,... we
need to get the information on
Larry O’Brien, and the only way
we can do that is through Iiddy’s
plan. And you need to do that.”
Historians dismiss the no-
The trial, which Robison said he
expected to last two weeks, has
been scheduled for April 6 next
year.
Armey, the former majority
leader of the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives from Texas’ 26th
District, his wife and some of
their neighbors first sued over
the water tower in December
2012. But after the Bartonville
Town Council settled its own
long-running battle over the
tower last month, Armey added
the town to his lawsuit.
His latest petition has two
causes of action — one for illegal
contract zoning, as provided for
in the town’s settlement agree-
ment with the water supplier,
and another for open meetings
violations.
The open meetings viola-
tions came, the petition alleges,
when several Town Council
members — enough to make a
quorurm — discussed the settle-
ment among themselves, with
members of the water supply
corporation and with another
Bartonville resident.
After the hearing, Armey
said he was frustrated by the
judge’s denial, saying he would
discuss with his attorney a pos-
sible appeal of that ruling.
“He’s given them about a
mile of slack,” Armey said.
Bartonville’s attorney Robert
Hager also appeared in court
Friday. He took no position on
the motion for demolition, say-
ing the Town Council had no di-
rection on that matter.
However, he told Robison he
wanted the court to know that
the water supplier had made a
new permit application to the
town’s Planning and Zoning
Commission and that he expec-
The water supplier also
agreed to indemnify the town
against any claims over that new
permit, including claims by the
Armeys and their neighbors.
The water supplier also
agreed to make another capital
investment in the system — an
8-inch diameter water pipeline
loop for one subdivision — with-
in five years of completing the
tower.
tion as unlikely, saying there was
no evidence Nixon directly or-
dered the break-in.
Magruder stuck to his guns
in the 2008 AP interview, saying
historians had it wrong.
paign.
An ethics commission “head-
ed by none other than (are you
ready America?) Jeb Stuart Ma-
gruder,” quipped Time maga-
zine.
From Page 1A
Seat belts
Armey has said that since he
and his wife bought the land for
their home in Bartonville, it had
always been his understanding
from both the town and the wa-
ter supplier that there would on-
ly ever be ground storage on the
lot adjacent to his.
The private lawsuit made na-
tional news in February when
word got out that Exxon CEO
Rex Tillerson and his wife, Ren-
da, were part of the lawsuit with
the Armeys through one of their
Bartonville properties, the Bar
RR Ranch.
The Tillersons and Bar RR
Ranch dropped out of the law-
suit in March. Another Barton-
ville couple, Jane and Brad Teel,
dropped out of the lawsuit in
June 2013, court records
showed.
Only the Armeys and Krystal
and Richard Vera remain as
plaintiffs in the case.
PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE
can be reached at 940-566-
6881 and via Twitter at
@phwolfeDRC.
fatalities, officials said.
TxDOT officials say that
wearing a seat belt can increase
a person’s chance of surviving a
serious crash by 45 percent.
Police in Lewisville and Den-
ton will be among those watch-
ing closely to enforce the law.
“It’s something we usually do
and while it’s not an all-day
thing for the full two weeks, we
will have our traffic units out en-
forcing [the law],” said Lewis-
ville police Capt. Jay Powell.
Police said they are hoping
the randomly selected enforce-
ment periods keep everyone on
alert so they will always wear
their seat belts.
Nearly nine out of 10 people
asked to wear a seat belt will do
so, according to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
istration.
“There are too many people
dying on our roads and many of
those deaths could have been
prevented if people took the
simple step of wearing their seat
belt,” Assistant Chief Greg Wil-
kerson of the Corinth Police De-
partment said in a prepared
statement.
“Locally, we have seen several
drivers who have been critically
injured or worse, killed,” he said.
“Many of these serious injuries
and deaths could have been pre-
vented if people had buckled
of safety belt requirements en-
acted into law in 2009.
All passengers in the back
seat must now be buckled up,
and children younger than 8
must ride in a child safety seat or
booster seat unless they are tall-
er than 4 feet, 9 inches.
Fines for those who are not
buckled up can go up to $200
per person, officials said.
up.
This year’s campaign could
result in more citations than ev-
er before, according to TxDOT.
Officials said many drivers
and passengers are still unaware
MEGAN GRAY can be
reached at 940-566-6885 or on
Twitter at @MGrayNews.
From Page 1A
Pastors
The Rev. John V. Lindsay
Just six months after Plun-
kett’s arrival in Denton, Lindsay
left a church in Chattanooga,
Tenn., to lead First Cumberland
Presbyterian Church of Denton.
What drew him to the com-
munity was “God and his call-
ing,” the people, Cumberland
Presbyterian Children’s Home
and an interest in college towns.
He recalls the people being
“very inviting” upon his arrival,
and he was excited to be in “a
new place with lots of good op-
portunities.”
Lindsay, 62, is a native Texan
who’s served as an ordained
minister for 35 years. Prior to
Denton, he presided over con-
gregations in Tennessee, Dain-
gerfield, Monroe, La., and his
hometown of Marshall, to
where he looks to return.
In his time with the Denton
church, Lindsay said he’s offici-
ated hundreds of funerals, wed-
dings, christenings and mar-
riage and grief counseling ses-
sions.
Both pastors say they are go-
ing on to pursue other ministry
opportunities.
Following the 10 a.m. wor-
ship service Sunday at St. An-
drew, 300 W. Oak St., the con-
gregation will have a reception
and brunch honoring Plunkett
and his wife, Margaret, at the
church fellowship hall.
From 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, the
First Cumberland congregation
will have a reception in Lindsay’s
honor in the fellowship hall at
the church, 1424 Stuart Road.
The community is invited to at-
tend.
release, Plunkett was also in-
volved with the Denton Com-
munity Theatre, acting in and
directing plays.
After nearly 25 years with St.
Andrew, Plunkett, 63, said it’s
time to tackle some new chal-
lenges. Beginning June \ he will
serve as interim pastor at First
Presbyterian Church in Green-
wich, Conn.
Next month marks 34 years
Plunkett has served as an or-
dained minister, he said.
“I didn’t want to sort of coast
into retirement but to do some-
thing different that would re-
quire some new types of energy,
new types of passion,” he said.
He said the focus for his final
message Sunday is a passage
from the Bible’s New Testament
Book of James that states: “be ye
doers of the word and not hear-
ers only.” Plunkett’s message will
expound on “what it means to be
doers of the word,” he said.
His most challenging and re-
warding moments preaching
most Sundays are “ushering the
congregation through times of
change,” “helping them become
more intentionally mission-
minded” and overseeing the
completion of a $3 million
church renovation and con-
struction project, says the pastor
who presides over the nearly
700-member congregation.
Among other things he con-
siders rewarding, Plunkett said,
has been seeing the congrega-
tion become “more mission-
minded, outreach-oriented” and
witnessing several people from
the church attend seminary
school to enter the ministry.
Memories of his time in Den-
ton that come to the forefront
include providing pastoral care
to people in need, caring for peo-
ple after the loss of a loved one
and baptizing babies, he said.
“It’s been an exciting adven-
ture, and I think the future out-
look of the church is very bright
and vibrant,” Plunkett said. “I
love this church and the people
in it.”
said.
“God has really blessed me in
my time here to get to know the
people not only in the church
but the Denton community,” he
said.
In his tenure in Denton,
Lindsay said he’s been chal-
lenged with “helping people see
their vision ... that they are the
church — not the minister, not
the staff — that they have to step
OBITUARIES
Derek Alexander Christopher Wakefield
Derek Alexander Christopher Wakefield, 51, of Denton,
Texas, passed away Thursday, May 8, 2014, in Denton.
Derek was born March 7, 1963, in Denton to William and
Linda (Laird) Wells.
He is survived by his mother, Linda, of Denton; a brother,
Jeff Wells, of Tioga, TX; one uncle; several aunts; and
cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, William.
Graveside service will be held 1:00 P.M., Monday, May 19,
2014, at Belew Cemetery in Aubrey, TX. Online condolences
may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com or on
the Derek Wakefield Memorial Page on Facebook.
Services are under the direction of Terri Slay and Slay
Memorial Funeral Center, Aubrey.
www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com
out.’
His most rewarding mo-
ments of the job include meet-
ing people in the community,
children at the children’s home
and watching them grow up.
“I saw them change for the
better,” Lindsay said.
In his 24 years, the pastor
said he’s also seen some people
die, but he finds comfort in
knowing those who died having
a relationship with Jesus Christ
are no longer suffering but have
The Rev. Steve Plunkett
Nearly 25 years ago, Plunkett
along with his family traveled
from Paducah, Ky., to Denton’s
St. Andrew Presbyterian
Church.
“It was [Labor] Day week-
end in 1989, and I came and
preached for this congregation,”
he recalled.
When the service concluded,
Plunkett said he, his wife and
their family stepped out of the
sanctuary and congregants re-
mained inside to vote on wheth-
er to name him the pastor.
When the vote was completed,
he said, they were asked to re-
turn to the sanctuary and Plun-
kett was asked to be the pastor.
“It was a moment of joy and
relief,” he said.
According to a church offi-
cial, Plunkett is the longest-serv-
ing pastor in St Andrew’s 152-
year history. Plunkett said the
longest-tenured pastor at the
church before him served from
1941 to 1951.
It’s also his longest stay in a
community. Prior to Denton,
Plunkett said he ministered in
Rusk for six years and in Padu-
cah for three.
For more than two decades
Plunkett has officiated over Sun-
day worship services, funerals,
weddings, baptisms and the sac-
rament of the Holy Commu-
nion, he said.
According to a church news
peace.
Lindsay said he’ll miss lead-
ing worship services, the fellow-
ship with church members and
the “different personalities” of
members.
S.
Sla^ £A(emoriaf ^uncraf Center
His week begins with drop-
in visitors and ends in quiet re-
flection as he often spends solo
time in the church working on
the upcoming Sunday sermon.
According to a church news
release, Lindsay provided pasto-
ral leadership to Cumberland
Presbyterian Children’s Home
in Denton in addition to his du-
ties at the church.
He’s previously served as a
victim chaplain, traveling to
East Texas in 2003 after the Co-
lumbia space shuttle disaster,
and to New Orleans in 2005 on
three separate visits after Hurri-
cane Katrina.
He’s also served as a chaplain
volunteer at two hospitals in
Denton and is a big supporter of
Denton high school football.
In his time traveling as a
chaplain to areas where relief
and recovery efforts were taking
place, the Denton community
supported him “financially and
prayerfully,” something he
counts as rewarding, Lindsay
Charles Lee Claytor
Charles was born on May 27, 1936, in Tuttle, Oklahoma, to
Wallace O. and Allie Claytor. He graduated from Denton High
School in 1948. His occupation was custom home builder and
owner of Richardson Paint Co. and Allen Building. His career
began in Denton and expanded through the years to Collin
County. He retired in 1984 and resided in the Allen, Texas,
area.
The focus of the final mes-
sage he will deliver to his ap-
proximately 150-member con-
gregation is God’s vision, Lind-
say said.
“It’s about... God’s vision for
the church, and they must again
make sure Christ is the head of
the church and not a person as
they go forward,” he said.
Lindsay said he intends to
semi-retire to Marshall to care
for his brother, who has a disa-
bility, reconnect with family and
do volunteer chaplain work.
“Of course, preachers never
retire,” Lindsay said. “There’s
still plenty of work to be done
there, just like anywhere with
preaching.
“I’m looking forward to do-
ing different things in different
ways, still serving my God but
doing different things.”
BRITNEY TABOR can be
reached at 940-566-6876 and
via Twitter at @BritneyTabar.
He had a love for the outdoors including horses, farming,
and gardening.
He was preceded in death by both parents; three brothers,
Wallace, Eldon, and Billy; one sister, Olen Moore; one
grandson, Jeremy R. Bates; and his faithful dog companion
Tia.
Charles is survived by one son, Mike Claytor, of Allen;
three daughters, Debbie Hoel and husband Craig of Missouri
Sharlene Claytor of Allen, and Sharon Chumbley and
husband David of Allen. He was the proud "PaPa" to five
grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Other survivors
include one sister, Mildred Baker, and her husband Bobby of
Azle, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A "Celebration of Life" memorial service will be held on
Sunday, May 18, at the Pour House Grill, 3350 Unicorn Lake
Blvd. in Denton. All family and friends are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to
Blephoraspasm Foundation or The American Heart
Association.
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Cobb, Dawn. Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 110, No. 288, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 17, 2014, newspaper, May 17, 2014; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1132504/m1/5/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .