Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Page: 2 of 20
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Cherokeean
HERALD
Page 2
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
COLUMNS
EDITORIAL BOARD
Whitehead Enterprises Inc.
publisher
Marie Whitehead
editor
Terrie W. Gonzalez
managing editor
Texas' Oldest Continuously
Published Weekly Newspaper
Established as the
Cherokee Sentinel, Feb, 27,1850
Consolidation of The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
Good News
I said when I started writ-
ing this column I wasn t
going to deal with sad
topics.
Having a death in your
immediate family certainly
falls into that category.
But I am not looking at the
death of my father-in-law,
Dan McNair, I am celebrat-
ing the 66 wonderful years he
had on this earth.
It is amazing how many
people have spoken to me and
expressed their condolences.
The man really touched a lot
of people's lives.
He brought joy to so many,
from his friends and family to
casual meetings on the street.
As the saying goes, Dan
did not meet a stranger. He
would give you the shirt off
his back and not ask for any-
thing in return.
To understand how he
affected so many lives is to
analyze his different roles.
Dan wore many different
hats to many different people.
To some he was old No. 21,
the star running back of the
Garrison Bulldogs in the late
50s.
DON WALLACE
dwallace@mediactr.com
To others he was a friend
and co-worker at Isaacs
Motors and most recently at
Rusk State Hospital.
"Motorpool Dan,'' he would
say in one sentence as he
answered the phone. He
was quick with a joke or an
encouraging story. He loved
people and being around
them made him even more
lively.
Many knew Dan for the
horse rides he participated
in. He was always ready to
ride in Gallatin or some of
his other favorite trails a few
years back.
To Dana, Scott and Tracy
he was their dad. Just about
the best one ever, but I am
kind of partial in this area.
He was a loving husband to
Arlyne for almost 45 years.
To 13 grandchildren, he
was j list papaw, the man who
was not too old to cut up and
be fun. He was the man who
I came to all their school func-
tions. sporting events and
activities.
To his friends (and they
were many) he was somebody
who loved to cut a rug at the
VFW hall in Frankston or
cast a line to catch a fish in
Lake Palestine.
He loved to support Rusk
sports and he seldom missed
a game for many years.
Friday at Rusk State
Hospital, I gave blood in
his memory, just hke many
others.
Maybe the blood will help
someone — that would have
meant a lot to Dan.
The Good News is I got to
know Dan McNair for almost
20 years.
I am a better person
because he came into my life.
Jim Hogg
Historical Park,
Rusk
Caddoan Mounds
State Historical Site,
Alto
Texas State Railroad
State Historical Park,
Rusk
I hope to have communion
with the people, that is the
most important thing."
—Pope John Paul II
1920-2005
mm?
Scene In Passing
Humans are born,
genetically endowed
with a great curios-
ity. Before we utter the word,
we know that the question
will be "why?'" As we travel
on the road of hfe and go
through a few rough spots,
we come to the place where
we ask "how?' Many today
are asking these ages old,
rhetorical questions. And
answers are there for expla-
nation. But another question
surfaces, "what?'' What do we
do to get out of the dilemma
we're in?
These words are intended
to let all of you know how
much we appveciaie your
comments regarding our
town's lost leadership. We are
truly confronted with a situ-
ation unlike any other in the
historical past of our beloved
City of Rusk. If it makes any
of you feel better to know the
fears of the Better Half, just
know that he worried more
about this town than his
family near the end. He, too,
uttered the question, "What
is going to happen to this
town when I am gone?"
It is possible that he
knew he had created a role
uniquely his own for which no
one was being groomed to fill.
All of us can take comfort in
the knowledge that this is an
imperfect world. The people
in it are also imperfect. We
have no choice but to go for-
ward with faith, trusting that
answers will come as a result
of collective efforts. And it is
MARIE WHITEHEAD
editor@mediactr.com
further comforting to consider
the possibility of something
new and better for our future.
With faith, we will surely
achieve this.
April is zooming past the
halfway mark, a witness
to the awesome event of
"tax day.'' As Sam Florian
noted last week, "The IRS,"
rewritten e-mail style, all
lower case letters, no spaces
in between, the new word
becomes "theirs.'' It is hoped
that you got "theirs" to them
by the deadline on April 15.
In between jumping from
one meeting to the next. State
Rep. Chuck Hopson paused
long enough for a camera to
catch his smile of admiration
for a particular painting. It
is the work of Arthur Sekula,
RISD art teacher, who was
selected to participate in the
prestigious 2005 Austin Fine
Arts Festival. Those of you
who know the talented young
man remember that his wife
is Susan Buchanan, daughter
of the late Fred and Mary. He
is also the brother of Shirley
Arizpe. who is the wife of
Robert. They moved to San
Antonio where he is super-
intendent of the S.A. State
Hospital.
One of our calls last week
came from a loyal Rusk ex.
Lamar Adcock. He and spouse
reside in Woodville. Some
comments in recent issues
triggered memories for him
about the way we were back
when. His home was next to
the Ed Guinn family, more
recently the James Turney
home and now the home of
Mike Murray and family.
Lamar said his first job in
Rusk was with the Cherokee
County Electric Cooperative,
helping them take service to
the rural folks.
Another heard from reader
is Madge Smith. She wanted
to give us a heads up on
plans for the homecoming at
Old Palestine. She plans to
get more details for us in the
near future.
Here's another bit of news
we should have shared
sooner. Minister of music at
First Baptist Church, Bro.
Tim and his wife, Nancy Tim-
mons, celebrated their 36th
wedding anniversary April
7. That's amazing since they
only look 30-ish. That was
the time frame I left town to
help our younger daughter
greet another birthday. My
goodness, she is making an
old woman of me.
Here's a note that floated to
i
Rep. Chuck Hopson shows off a painting that hangs in his
Austin office by Rusk ISD art teacher, Arthur Sekula. Mr.
Sekula was invited to participate in the prestigious 2005
Austin Fine Arts Festival, which was held April 2-3.
the surface from two weeks
ago. One of our favorite Rusk
grails. Dave Norton, and his
family, were in town to visit
his mom, Gloria. With him
were spouse Terri, also son,
Scott, and beautiful red-
haired daughter Barbara, a
babe in arms. They live in
Alaska. Dave, you will recall,
is a graduate of Rice Univer-
sity, and hke his dad, Scott is
equally bright. Barbara? She
doesn't have to be bright, but
she is, and also very sweet
and did I say beautiful?
Another beautiful child
has arrived. She is Shelby
Lynn, the daughter of Trey
and D'Ann Hassell. Baby and
parents are doing well, also
two beaming grandparents,
Charles Robert and Leslie
Hassell. From a distance.
Morris and Mauriete are
wearing big, happy smiles.
Condolences are offered to
the wife, children and grand-
children of Dan McNair. His
devoted son-in-law, Don Wal-
lace, is one of our staff bless-
ings. It was also learned with
great regret that Rev. Hal
McNeil died last week. He
recently retired as chaplain
from Rusk State Hospital.
Those privileged to know and
work with him were blessed.
He was a good and kind-
hearted soul.
Until another week rolls
by, which it will, and we hope
with success, hang on to
this thought borrowed from
Elbert Hubbard,'' A friend is
a person who knows all about
you--and still likes you.'' Keep
smiling?
High Points From El Camino Real
Life along El Camino
Real is moving at its
usual pace as folks
work to stay ahead of the
growing grass and weeds in
gardens and lawns. Each
season seems to bring new
chores for us to perform as
well as the regular ones we
have through out the year. I
long for the days when I could
sit around and say that I was
bored. Well, I won't bore you
with my longings for bore-
dom. You're waiting on your
four bits' worth of Alto news
and bringing it to you is one
of the chores I enjoy.
The Peacock family is still
in great need of our prayers
following the terrible auto
accident they were involved
in on April 9. The visita-
tion for Roland Peacock on
Wednesday night will be
something that folks will be
talking about for years to
come. The hne to get into the
funeral home began form-
ing a httle after 5 p.m. Cars
were parked all the way up
CHRIS DAVIS
elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
to the Baptist church and
passed the bridge heading
east. The line was still out
to the road at 8:30. Some
people waited in line Over
two hours to pay their last
respects to our friend. The
funeral on Thursday was one
of the biggest I've seen in my
life. I can't think of a better
testimony to such a wonder-
ful person's life. We'll miss
our friend but now we have
to keep praying for the health
of his wife Renee and young
son Addison. Their oldest
son, Austin, is still pretty sore
but continues to improve.
I'm sure the Peacock family
would like me to say a big
thanks for all you've done
for them during this terrible
time.
It seems hke the homecom-
ing season comes quicker
every year. When the trees
bud out, httle churches and
cemeteries throughout East
Texas schedule activities that
bring folks home to honor
loved ones past and remem-
ber years of good fellow-
ship in some of our country
churches and long-closed
schools.
Lanell Carter never fails to
remind me about the Forest
Homecoming that all the
people of that beautiful little
community love to celebrate
each year. On May 1, the
gathering under the trees at
Forest Baptist Church will
begin again. The services
will start in the Church at
10:30 a.m. with Pastor R. W.
King doing the preaching.
Afterwards a picnic lunch will
be spread under the trees and
the visiting and eating will
commence. If you have ties
to this great little community,
you had best pack that lunch
and show up for the home-
coming. If you're not there
then you'll be missed. Your
participation is the only thing
that keeps these homecom-
ings going, so do your part
and show up.
The annual Central High
homecoming will be May 1 at
the old school in the Cen-
tral High Community. The
laches have already made
their beautiful quilt to raffle
and it is on display in the
front window of the Stella
Hill Memorial Library in
beautiful downtown Alto.
There are a great bunch of
families who claim roots
in the Central High Com-
munity and if you are one of
them, then you know where
you need to be on May 1. If
that old school doesn't bring
back some memories of days
gone by then nothing will.
Dust off your lawn chairs,
cook up your food and head
out to the homecoming and
plan on having a good time.
Maybe you'll renew some
old acquaintances and make
some new friends.
Alto High School held its
junior-senior prom over the
weekend at the Crown Colony
Country Club in Lufkin. The
theme for this year 's prom
was "Night of Enchantment."
Kids that you'd normally
have to hog-tie in order to
get them out of jeans and a t-
shirt were dressed in tuxedos
and fine prom chesses and
poseel while proucl moms and
dacls snapped away with the
cameras.
When the cameras were
put away and the clust settled
from freshly shined cars
leaving for the prom, parents
waited up late for the young
ones to return. High school
memories hold a special place
in our mincls and I hope all
of our kicls stocked up some
great memories to look back
on. A big thanks goes out to
all the sponsors who stayed
up late and chaperoned our
teenagers.
I had a strange phono call
on Friday night. Of course
anytime Marion Linclsey
calls it's a strange phone call.
Marion wanted to invite me
clown to Linclsey's Barbecue
on Sunday for a Mexican food
Please see EL CAMINO, pg. 6
Cljerokeeai}
HERALD
Published weekly on
Wednesday by
WHITEHEAD
ENTERPRISES, INC.
Texas' oldest continuously
published weekly newspaper,
established as the
Cherokee Sentinel,
Feb. 27, 1850
Consolidation of
The Cherokeean,
The Alto Herald and
the Wells News & Views
USPS 102-520
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Terrie Gonzalez
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 156, No. 9, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 20, 2005, newspaper, April 20, 2005; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152675/m1/2/: accessed March 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.