The Comanche Chief (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985 Page: 12 of 32
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PAGE 2B
THE CQMANCHE CHIEF. COMANCHE. TEXAS 76442
THURSDAY. AUQU8T8.1986
Derroll Caraway, Gertrude Hen-
eley and Ethel O’Dell are remem
bering highlights of former school
days.'
Vonita Powers mounted a chair I
and called for attention to bring
up-to-date announcements, in-
cluding Energy's pending role in
the Sesquicentennial observance.
Fred Trimble of Dallas, age 87.
took the honors for being the
oldest person present.
Mila Mae Weeks of Osage, Min-
nesota, traveled the farthest to be
present. John Nicolas Baskin, son
of Greg and Denise Baskin, was
awarded the prize for being the
youngest person at the
Homecoming. All were presented
with handmade gifts.
Derroll Caraway opened the free-
will donations toward the upkeep
of the community building with a
$20 bill as he passed the hat. As
the count reached $298 he tossed
in another couple of dollars to
make the kitty an even $300. The
final count came to $330 With mail
contributions from Ganelle Cox
Cleves in memory of her parents.
Perry and Grace Cox and from her
sister, Rhonda Cox Heather, who
added the footnote, "My roots are
there!"
Dale I sham pronounced the
benediction and the food line
rowed up on either side of the
bounteous tables. It simply isn’t a
Texas country picnic without
bowls of black-eyed peas, potato
salad, fried chicken, garden-fresh
tomatoes and meringue-topped
plate pies.
I overheard one man remark,
“Decisions, decisions...what more
could I ask!"
On visiting with Harmon Kemp
of Lamkin t learned that he is the
last living member of his family.
His parents, George and Annie
Belle Smith Kemp, reared eleven
children, six boys and five girls, in
the Energy community.
Glen Stephens of Carlton asked
if I remembered the old C. C. Bax-
ter General Mercantile store that
used to be the central gathering
place in Energy. He further stated
that he was born on May 11, 1900,
in the Baggett community and
followed in his father's footsteps
as a rural cattle buyer. He smiled
as he recalled his role as a teen-
ager in driving cattle to the stock
pens at Dublin to await shipment
to Ft. Worth. His pony, Old Bald,
was so-named due to his bald-faced
coloring.
“After the cattle were penned^ I
would gallop down town for a bowl
of chili and a nickel soda pop. 1
can’t recall my first freight train
trip with cattle, but my last was in
1961." Swift & Company was the
dominant buyer.
Another memory that brought a
smile was recalled driving his
(Continued on Page 3B)
HATS AND CAPS out front in 1925-26 school photo
by Jewell Dukes Huddleston
faces, hugs and greetings in a
pleasing cacophony of sound and
body English 1 drifted through
the room. Neon lights overhead
and two big ceiling fans added to
the atmosphere as Vonita Powers,
Earline McPherson, and Mae
Willingham bustled about in the
kitchen area arranging the multi-
numbered covered dishes from the
bulging picnic baskets..
At a child's table near the piano
sat young Mike Osborn, age 7,
from Jacksonville, Texas, busily
doing a bit of free-form painting
with a box of water colors.
Quite a circle of ex-Energy
pupils were checking out a collec-
tion of early day school pictures.
Among them was Eva Mae Tully
Price of Pottsvijle who was on the
winning girls basketball line-up
through the years of ’29, 30, and
’31. Mae Willingham's photo
album was getting the once-over
by one and all with many delighted
exclamations as old friends and
other days were recalled.
In came the Magness sisters,
Ethel, Willie and Gertrude. Ger-
trude, who now resides in Portales,
New Mexico, taught school at
Energy for five years and doubled
as basketball coach as well during
that time.
I chatted with Mrs. Wade Bran-
nan, an East Texan who married
an Energy native. The Brannans
now call this area their home after
Wade's retirement a couple of
years ago.
The Baskins from Port Neches
and Livingston arrive and I am
captivated by young John
Nicholas, age 1, and his brother,
Bryan Lee, age 3'/2, equally
lovable.
Behind me I heard a woman say,
“Didn’t you hiss my dog one
time?" A man's voice answered, "1
don’t know. How old was I?”
1985 Energy Homecoming
Sunday morning was a typical
summer day. Only a slight south
west breeze and no clouds in sight
to break the heat. I headed out on
Highway 3& over the overpass
with Energy my destination. As I
neared Northcutt’s Fruit Stand I
passed an automobile with the
hood up. No big deal. But, as l
drove past I noted that the two
with their heads under the hood
were senior citizens, about my vin-
tage, and women, at that! I turned
around and offered help. They ex-
plained their problem and thanked
me, wishing me a pleasant day. I
drove on to the Union Cemetery
crossroads and took the Farm
Road toward Pettit.
I had the road to myself. No
traffic. No traffic at all arid no ac-
tivity in the fields, but many hay
biscuits on either side of the road.
Certainly a bumper crop this year.
Pettit...still no traffic. I took a left
at the crossroads and headed East
glancing at the mileage and
making a guess at the distance.
Suddenly, on topping a rise in
the highway, I was in Energy with
the freshly painted community
building at my right. Rows of
vehicles were parked on the new-
mown grass on both sides of the
building. I found a vacant spoff
and joined the line-up, rolling my
car windows down as I reached for
my notebook.
A trio of men were standing on
the porch as I made the steps. One
asked, “Did you go to school at
Energy?" "No, I’m from Duster,”
I replied. “Other end of the coun-
ty," he remarked.
If one could have bottled the
essence of the Energy community
spirit! Happy voices, smiling
ENERGY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM, 1930:
Pictured are (1-r) Mila Mae Middleton, Mae
Pettit, Lillie Cates, Eva Mae Tullis, Pauline
Stephens, Ruby McPherson, Lessie Conway,
Viola Knapp, Margie Mae Cates and coach,
Gertrude Magness.
STEAM-POWERED THRESHER and wagons loaded with grain. Note the cook's wagon.
Thrift Mart Supermarket
Congratulates
MAMIE HEDGEPETH
Comanche
HARDWARE STORES
Master Car Wash
Acrosft From Ned's Grocery on Do U-on llwy.
It's Incredible
UUky? Easy Knlrnnce nnd | |
» ■ _ Exit, Large and
High Pressure Olenn Stalls
1/itx of Detergent Soft Water
RentThe
Rug Doctor
The original "steam
carpel cleaner with
(he Vibrating
sr
xrv t'm
Hot Wax
Plus Hot Rinse Water
WE WELCOME FOOD STAMPS
every day low price
GRAIN-EKD DEEP
TENDERIZED FREE
Bone $2?? Sirloin $1?? Round *1
GANDY’S
ft QT BUCKET
Nestea
Ice Cream $3,s
nvoz. sonyruB /jello puddino .„h
Margarine $lw Pie Filler 2/89
2SKVGA7, orWlVOAi; HOUSE A GARDEN
15'aoc
Trash Bags ,197 Hot Shot *2*
3-pt. tension
adjustment
GOOCH
Fruit Juice “"6/$2
While
Supplies
Coca-Cola ■
HOM-MAID tSCOUN
Bisquits 5/*l
AURORA „
Toilet Tissue
Swing-Arm Clamp Lamp
with adj metal arm, large
shade, porcelain socket 32 in.
long 100 W. White si wh
QUANTITIES LIMITED
Lopper slices stray branches
with Teflon-S"-coated upper
blade. Hardwood handles,
vinyl grips. 523761
QUANTITIES LIMITED
0 Towels 3/$2°°
«a. pimmi J A
*1°° FRESH FRUITS
4 KOI.IA
LET US SLICE YOUR LUNCH MEAT AND
save SAVE SAVE SAVE sa<
11 Different Sandwich Meats
Spiced Luncheon *1?
| Open Monday-
Saturday *
7:30 to ft:00
402 W. Central
Grocery-Market
n‘ Exxon Station
HARDWARE STORES
Our $500 Lucky Loot Winner
Hardware and Gifts
356-3171
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH
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Wilkerson, James C., III. The Comanche Chief (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985, newspaper, August 8, 1985; Comanche, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1143148/m1/12/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Comanche Public Library.