Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 150, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1999 Page: 2 of 16
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Page 2—CHEROKEEAN/HERALP of Rusk, Texas—Thursday, June 24,1999
Emmett H. Whitehead
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publisher
LberobccaD Herald
Marie Whitehead
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editor
June 24,1999
Texas' oldest continuously
published weekly newspaper.
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel Feb. 27,1850
GRASS ROOTS
v
by Stan Lynde
a
Jim Hogg State Historical
Park, Rusk
Caddoan Mounds State
Historical Site, Alto
Texas State Railroad State
Historical Park, Rusk
Scene in Passing
Marie Whitehead
editor @ mediactr.com
The phone rang at 6:55
a.m. on a recent morning.
It was Monday, June 7.
The unidentified caller couldn't
wait to direct our attention to
his news, saying "The State
Railroad has received a
million dollars worth of
advertising!" He was excited!
And rightly so. The call
stemmed from an editorial/
commentary in The Dallas
Morning News. This well
known publication featured in
"Texas Diary" an article
su1- headlined, "This train is a timeless trea-
sure. " And the writer's words are a timeless
treasure, too, when considered in the light of how
many readers they have! The author presented a
graphic account of our steam locomotives and the
scenic route traveled between Rusk and Palestine.
Lots of good adjectives! It closed with a suggestion
to readers, "Before the Texas State Railroad closes
for the season, pack up the family and experience
the golden age of steam engines yourself." Such an
unexpected bonanza! With sincere appreciation we
thank The Dallas Morning News for its testimonial
of support for OUR train! The caller? He didn't
say. But he sounded just like our friend, Morris B.
Elliott.
.Another call this week came from a rooted in
Rusk gal, now living in Victoria. Neka Rhodes
loves the land of her beginnings and she wanted
more info on dates for "Boxcars, BBQ and The
Bridge." She hopes to get up here for the event.
Jerry McDonald has been the driving force
behind BBB and he says it is being very well
received! The Chamber office will provide assis-
tance to all callers. Toll-free, it is 1-800-933-2381
...with one more weekend to go!
A miracle woman. Janis Hood Nickle, called
also with business. Then we talked briefly about
her miraculous recovery from cancer. She was sent
home with no hope. After about two weeks, she
says she told God that if he wasn't going to take
her on, she would just get up and out and on with
life! And she has. Thursday she mowed her yard
on a riding mower, of course, and on Friday she
canned a bunch of green beans. And she had built
a railing around her home's porch! She sounds
effervescent, bubbly, and looks forward to years of
service to others. She attends meetings, talks to
people who are cancer victims, their family and
friends. A new life is unfolding for Janis...and so
recently it appeared life was over. She was grateful
for the success of her brother Alan's recent triple
bypass heart surgery. God and Janis are a super
team.
More good news came Friday from Jane and
Don Parsons. She writes, "Cole is going great this
week. He is back to being lively and is eating again.
He has gained weight and Patti says that he has so
much energy that he is wearing her out. That is
music to our ears." Jane is speaking of her precious
grandson, Cole McStay who has been struggling
with cancer for close to a year. The report a week
earlier indicated "Cole Man" had had a sinking
spoil! It is great to report that he has snapped back
and is on the road to better days.
With a renewal came greetings from the Mid-
west. Sue Madden Smith expressed her pleasure
in reading news of home each week. She and her
spouse had recently enjoyed a visit from Kelton
and Betty Sue King Ferguson of Tyler. Betty
Sue is a former Ruskite, too.
Another former Ruskite, Jan Butterfield
Waggoner and spouse Jack, were in town last
week. They come to enjoy her family's farm
occasionally and hope to retire here in the not too
distant future. Jan and Jack share a hobby—
horses! We can understand that! They live at
Waverly, once called Old Waverly, now just
Waverly. The land of your writer's beginning. I
was born at New Waverly! That's Walker County.
There is something about this Cherokee County
soil. I remember back when we lived in Livingston,
folks said that if you ever drink water from
Choate's Creek, you can never leave. The same
concept might be applied to Cherokee County and
its famous tomatoes! If you ever eat them, you
can't leave! Well, at least tomatoes are one of many
reasons for natives to want to come home.
Our longtime neighbors, Wallace and Mary
June Gard, were kind enough to share produce
from their garden recently. Corn,
beans, tomatoes, onions, pep-
pers, squash. It was like touch-
ing hands with yesterday to have
the privilege of eating foods
grown and harvested only a few
hundred feet from where we live.
Once upon a time just about all
folks ate food grown nearby. Now
it comes from all over the
world...to grocery stores. It was a
remembered experience! And we
appreciate our Neighbors!
Speaking of, one of our neigh-
~~bors, Margie Wallace, had a
more than stressful last week.
Granddaughter Terri came from California to
spend a month's visit with her parents, Eddie and
Ginger over near Laneville in Henderson County.
Ginger is Margie's daughter. She noticed an angry
place on Terri's leg. Long story short. It is an early
stage melanoma, now removed, awaiting biopsy
report. Then Margie's son, Dewayne, had a nearly
fatal drop in blood sugar. Doctors say he has
hypoglycemia and a fine future. He will enjoy a
high protein diet and get to eat about five times a
day! Some would enjoy? Then—granddaughter
Regina had surgery, but is now home. She is the
daughter of Margie's daughter Doris Marie
Parker. And her spouse is Leslie Parker...whose
mom now lives with them and she is doing just
great! Can you see how stressful it was for Margie?
All at once? Mercy!
On other stressful fronts, it is with deep sadness
that we comment on the recent deaths of our own
Mary Cobble Ray, wife of the late Knox Ray,
and a longtime good government friend, Bob
Bullock. The ache of letting go is there but we cam
be glad that they were here.
The First United Methodist Church will páy
tribute to Carmen Dotson during a reception
Sunday afternoon, on her retirement as financial
secretary. At First Baptist Church a farewell fete
luncheon is planned next Sunday to honor Beth
Egbert who has resigned after 18 years service.
Congratulations go to Earl and Ruth Ross on
their 53rd wedding anniversary!
In a kind of last minute round-up of people seen
in passing, the list includes Melba Ballard who
says her mom, June Cooper, continues to receive
treatments...and friends...at Houston. Among her
visitors last week were Gov. and Mrs. George
Bush. He was there to tour the facility. June's day
was made super bright when an administrative
aide later returned to her with beautiful flowers
given by Gov. and Mrs. Bush. Wow!
More good news from Leroy Ballard. He has
been released from Rehab in Tyler and is now on
his own! In the bosum of family, however! He is
adjusting to the use of "new legs" he now has after
the loss of his own because of diabetes.
Everyone hopes that Jenny Bell's recovery
continues 'cause she has had one more rough time
of it! Heart surgery, a return trip for repair and
one more trip to check her throat for a possible
obstruction. It is reported that she may be home
soon! Her spouse Herbert is a pillar of support!
And if you can believe it, Lloyd Pipes was at
the Courthouse Cafeteria last Wednesday! Some of
us thought he was still in the hospital! He said, "I
haven't won the war, but I have won this battle!"
Great sense of humor.
Eugenia Perry is to have back surgery. It was
slated for this week, but prelim tests indicated
additional testing of her heart would be
required...before the surgery. Her daughter Kathy
is the head nurse at Woodland Heights Hospital in
Lufkin, so we can console ourselves that she is
getting the best in treatment. Her son, Ronnie
and wife Mary Ann, have come in to be with
Genia. And they, by the way, are moving to
Pennsylvania pretty soon! We all thought they had
returned to Texas for good, but we understand how
it is with the military! Their daughter Leigh Ann
is pursuing a master's degree at Baylor. Would you
guess that I had a recent visit with Anita Ruth
Ocker? She is one of the West Side's newest
business owners, after her purchase of Birdie
Richey's dress shop.
Trippers this coming weekend will include Keith
Clements and his wife and daughter. They are to
attend his niece's wedding at Independence, Mo.
But the neat part of it is that his parents will be
there, too, and they don't know he is coming!
Aren't surprises among the best moments in life?
Clferokeeaif/Herald
USPS 102-520
POSTMASTER:S*nd ddr#M changas lo: CHEROKEEAN/HERALD, P.O. BOX «76 • RUSK, TEX. 75785
Periodicals Poslaga Paid al Rusk, Texas 757B5
Texas' Oldest Continuously
Published Weekly Newspaper
Established as the Cherokee
Sentinel, Feb. 27,18S0
Consolidation of The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
Published weekly on Thursday by
E.H. Whitehead Enterprises
618 N Main • Rusk, Tex • 75785
(903) 883 2257 • (903) 586-7771
(409) 858*4141
FAX (903) 683-5104
Subscription rates payable m advance
Cherokee County 115 per year
Outside/Cherokee County..$18 per year
Outside Texas 120 per year
Loans or CDs
C/iecfylWr
rates 1st:
683-2277
Citizens 1st
bank
Member F.D.I.C. BP?
IT'S JUST SIMPLE
MATHEMATICS, SHAG..
IF N0U HAVE TWO KIDS
W0BKIN' VOU GET HALF
AS MUCH DONE.
© 1999 Stan Lynde
Distributed by Cottonwood Publishing
www.oldmontana.com
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High Points From El Camino Real
Chris Davis
e-mail: elcaminoreal@inu.net
We have certainly been
blessed with nice
weather so far this
summer. By this time last year
we were already on our second
or third week of 100 degree
temperatures. The weather and
the new dollar store opening up
in town has Alto folks in a state
of jubilation. If things keep
going this good around Alto we
may have to go somewhere else
just to get the smiles off our
faces and let our smile muscles
rest for a while. The new
quarters are working great, so
throw one in the paper machine while the news is
good.
The Dollar General Store opened up on
Wednesday and you would have thought they had
a three- headed calf or something over there the
way people were pouring in. Virgil had to park at
the Hall of Justice and fight the traffic across the
street with his slow walking stick in order to have
a look. People were laughing and buying every-
thing they could whether they needed it or not. I
-bought a pair of socks just becaupe I can't remem-
ber ever being able to buy a pair of socks in Alto.
Virgil didn't buy anything because he's saving his
dollar. Kathleen and Judy over at the bank
couldn't wait for the bank to close so they could
come shop. If people get this excited over a dollar
store I shudder to think about what would happen
if we ever get a Target here.
"Mamma Ruth" Baron celebrated her 90 th
birthday with a big party at First Baptist Church
on Saturday. Mama Ruth has kept nearly every-
body in Altos kids at some time or another. Her
birthday was June 16. Two of her Grand daugh-
ters Terrie Bauer and Sherrie Stewart along
with Betty Moore and Beverly Milner hosted
the party. Her three sons along with lots of
grandchildren, great grandchildren, and friends
attended the party. When Virgil found out she had
a money tree at the party, he wanted to have one.
Happy Birthday, Mama Ruth!
A very special lady in the Weeping Mary
Community Moonie Green is having a birthday
on June 25. Another member of the Green Clan,
Sharonda Green had a birthday on June 18.
Ironda Jenkins celebrated one on June 19.
When Paula Green comes by the Hall of Justice
she is a regular Weeping Mary walking birthday
calendar. Happy Birthday Ladies!
Brother Littlefield is throwing another one of
his delicious artery clogging barbecues down at the
Pentecostal Church on Saturday June 26 between
5 & 8 p.m. He is going to be cooking up ribs,
brisket, and sausage with all the trimmings plus
dessert. Adults can eat for $7.00 and kids 3 to 10
can gobble it up for $5.00. That bunch can pray,
sing and eat, so you better get there early because
when the preacher starts cooking they do more
eating than praying and singing. It is hard to sing
with a rib in your mouth.
I've been getting real worried lately about our
little community churches. Little churches like
Lynches Chapel, Old Palestine, Mt. Zion, Weeping
Mary, Campground, and Cold Springs don't
always gain new members when
folks move into our area like the
big town churches do. Most of
these little churches have
historical markers in front which
means they have been here for a
long time acting as the center
point and anchor for their
communities. If the anchor is
ever lost the community will
drift away soon after. When you
get a chance visit one of our
country churches and if you don't
have a church home you might
""find one there. If some of those
old pews could talk we could
learn some valuable lessons from them.
I don't know whether it's because I'm getting
older and wiser or if it's because of the harvest
season, but I think young men today are looking
for the wrong things in the young ladies. I see
these young boys are out chasing girls just for
their looks, but I think the best way to find a good
wife is to look for purple. I'm not talking about
those with purple hair you see in the big city
shopping malls. I'm talking about girls with
purple fingers in June, "purple hull pea shellers".
If a girl has purple fingers it means she'll work
and she's probably a good cook to boot. That
purple hair might change colors a dozen times and
the good looks may fade from her body, but the
work ethic that girl with purple fingers has will
last a lifetime. Instead of having all those typing
tests at school, they ought to time how long it
takes a girl to shell a bushel of peas. I can remem-
ber sitting under the trees in the summertime with
my great-grandmother and grandmother along
with all the great aunts and uncles shelling peas
and visiting. Every once in a while we'd have
homemade ice cream to help the shelling along.
Pea shelling can be quality family time when
everyone gets involved. You guys go ahead and
pick'em like you want to, but purple fingers could
be the key to your happiness. There are more
brown noses than purple fingers these days, but
that's another story.
Virgil has got another crazy idea brewing and I
can't talk any sense into him. He has been watch-
ing all those people over in Kosovo on the TV and
he's noticed they all drive tractors. He said they
must have some real good dirt over there if they
are all farmers and he wants to get a load for his
garden. I told him they weren't the big air condi-
tion tractors like they have around here so they
must not raise enough stuff to pay for one. Virgil's
kinfolks came over here on a boat from Germany.
If we could send him back on the next boat going
that way he could hitchhike over to Kosovo and get
him a load of dirt and land mines. I believe that is
the only thing that would loosen up that packed
rocky ground of his.
If anything happens around your place that you
want everyone to know about either call me and let
me put it in the paper or tell a little old lady before
she goes to the beauty shop. If neither one of these
methods is fast enough be in the café about seven
and tell your tale there. I'll see ya next week! And
remember, Don't miss the magic of the mo-
ment by focusing on things to come.
Letters To the Editor
Congratulations to Rusk
for the Nice Town It's Become
Lt.
In the spring of 1957 my husband, Glenn, after just
finishing his Journalism degree at Sam Houston
State accepted his first job as a newspaperman with
the Rusk Cherokeean.
He worked for the Whiteheads as a reporter and
later as editor until February 1963. It's hard to
believe that 39 years have gone by. Since that time
we raised three daughters, have nine grandchildren
and Glenn taught Journalism at Sam Houston State
University for 25 years before his death in November
of 1995.
Last weekend, June 12, Roxanne, our first daugh-
ter and I came to visit Rusk for the day of Boxcars,
Barbeque and The Bridge.
So much has changed but what a nice town you
have developed. It's hard to find country prettier
than East Texas and the divided fourlane highway
between Rusk and Alto is proof (I knew I was in
Cherokee County just by the quality of the highway).
Your town square is pretty, inviting and interesting.
I wish we could have been there when the old fash-
ioned soda fountain was open because it looked so
inviting.
The production of "The Bridge" was well done and
we enjoyed it very much.
The use of music, laughter and tears is such a good
way to tell some of your history and display your local
talent.
We climbed the steps at Butler Park and Roxanne
began talking about what a neat place to bring the
children for a picnic.
Congratulations on what you have done for Rusk,
Alto and Cherokee County. It was a good place to be
in 1957-63 and its growth has maintained the history
and respect for those that worked and sacrificed to
make it all possible.
Norma Brown
Huntsville
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 150, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1999, newspaper, June 24, 1999; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152430/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.