Welcome, fall — the season of crisp mornings, golden afternoons and cozy evenings that invite us to slow down and savor life’s simple pleasures. The air feels a little cleaner, the coffee a little warmer and the colors around us richer and deeper than ever.
Autumn reminds us that change can be beautiful. Leaves turn, days shorten, and yet everything feels somehow just right. It’s a time for football games and hayrides, sweaters and bonfires, pumpkin patches and gratitude.
Whether you find joy in the crunch of leaves underfoot or the comfort of a favorite blanket, fall offers something for everyone — a fresh start wrapped in nostalgia.
So, breathe in that cool air, pour yourself a cup of something warm, and take it all in. Here’s to a season of reflection, renewal and all the cozy moments in between.
Happy fall!
Austin & Jennifer Lewter Publishers- Texoma Farm & Home
What parents can do to control kids’ screen time
Texoma Farm & Home
Modern parenting poses unique challenges that parents from previous generations did not need to confront. Among the more challenging hurdles parents must clear involves managing kids’ screen time, which is no small task given the prevalence of devices in the modern world.
Excessive screen time can lead to a host of negative outcomes for youngsters. A 2023 study published in the journal Cureus that examined the effects of excessive screen time on children reported a host of negative outcomes affecting kids’ physical and mental health as well as their development. Authors of the study noted such outcomes include:
• Diminished language development that can reduce the quantity and quality of interactions between children and caregivers
• Lower academic performance in later years
• Obesity
• Sleep disturbances
• Depression
• Anxiety
The authors of the study noted the effects of screens are not entirely negative, particularly when parents ensure kids’ screen time is not excessive. Screens can enhance education and learning and thus have a positive impact on cognitive development. There’s much to gain from proper screen use, and parents can try the following strategies to govern kids’ screen time so they are not vulnerable to any of the negative outcomes associated with excessive screen use.
• Set screen time guidelines. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers age-based guidelines concerning screen time, noting that children two and young-
Among the more challenging hurdles parents must clear involves managing kids’ screen time, which is no small task.
er should be very limited in their use of media and screen time. The AAP recommends children between the ages of two and five be limited to no more than one per day of high-quality programs. Children between the ages of six and 10 should be limited to 1.5 hours per day, while kids older than 10 should be limited to no more than two hours per day of recreational screen time. Parents can utilize these guidelines to limit excessive screen use.
• Encourage more traditional play time. The Mayo Clinic recommends parents encourage unplugged, unstructured play time. The American Psychological Association notes that a vast body of research has found that play that isn’t organized or directed by adults or older peers
is necessary for kids’ physical, emotional, mental, and social development. Parents can emphasize and encourage more traditional play time that does not involve devices with screens.
• Keep screens out of bedrooms. The Mayo Clinic notes the significance of keeping devices out of bedrooms, where usage can be difficult to monitor, particularly when kids go to bed at night. Parents can make it a rule to charge devices overnight and outside of bedrooms in an effort to ensure kids aren’t looking at screens after bedtime.
Screens can foster cognitive development, but it’s important that parents make every effort to limit the amount of time kids use screens each day.
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Jill Sheppard, B.S., SLP/Audiology, Licensed Fitter and Dispenser of Hearing Instruments (LFDHI), and co-owner of HearCare & Associates in Sherman and Gainesville
Life is a constant flow of sounds, overlapping and ever-changing. Hearing loss can be overwhelming, causing you to withdraw from the world. WIDEX Allure™ provides crystal clear speech, so you can stay fully engaged, hearing with greater balance, vibrancy and authenticity. With its innovative technology and refined design, you can embrace life fully, balancing your focus, easily transitioning between soundscapes.
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The technology – and the expertise – are here. The astounding combination of auditory training, along with innovative hearing devices, can help enhance listening skills and improve speech understanding. Which is remarkable in itself, because struggling to understand communications is exhausting. When we can’t hear, our brains work harder, possibly diverting resources from memory or critical thinking.
Since research suggests that hearing loss is a common chronic health condition among older adults, it’s especially disconcerting to know that, if left untreated, it can affect cognitive function. The good news is that treating hearing loss may help prevent or slow cognitive decline. Adding auditory training is a holistic approach that addresses both sensory and cognitive needs using specialized communication techniques and advanced technology that can help you process sounds more effectively. There’s even an app designed to help train your brain.
Jill Sheppard, B.S., SLP/Audiology, Licensed Fitter and Dispenser of Hearing Instruments (LFDHI), and co-owner of HearCare & Associates in Sherman and Gainesville, is now a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), bringing added knowledge and skills for your highest level of care.
“Nobody wants to admit their world is getting muffled or feel isolated when they can’t follow a conversation,” Sheppard said. “But there is growing evidence that auditory training, combined with hearing aids customized to your hearing loss and lifestyle, can help alleviate the strain and enhance your ability to hear in a variety of environments.”
Auditory training is a clinically validated process that helps you hear with your brain, not just your ears. It improves hearing comprehension and strengthens
listening skills to support easier hearing and recognition.
Even without cognitive difficulties, consider the ways hearing loss diminishes your quality of life. You may find yourself turning up the volume on the TV or struggling with phone conversations. Maybe you try to avoid asking people to repeat themselves. Some stop listening to favorite music. Crowds may become overwhelming. It’s easy to see why withdrawing from challenging environments is a common choice.
What if you could hear well again, rediscovering the joys of sounds that are important to you? We don’t put off getting glasses or contacts to improve our vision. Why wait to improve your ability to hear clear, natural sounds again?
There are remarkably sophisticated hearing aids available now that are practically invisible, that produce a pure spectrum of sound, that connect you with streaming devices, that hold a charge for up to 37 hours and that utilize new technology to reduce background noise, helping you focus on what you want to hear. And they come in a variety of colors! So, what’s keeping you from getting your hearing evaluated?
Hearing loss is easy to deny and can be hard to adjust to. At HearCare and Associates in Sherman and Gainesville, we know that admitting you have hearing problems can be a challenge – even if you’re simply acknowledging it to yourself.
“Many people are proactive about having their hearing checked, but for others, it might take having something happening in their life, or with someone they love – or they miss something very important,” said Kenneth Sheppard, Jr., Licensed Fitter and Dispenser of Hearing Instruments (LFDHI), and co-owner of HearCare & Associates.
“The first step is having your hearing assessed to determine the cause of your difficulty,” Jill Sheppard continued. “It’s an easy process that’s painless, non-threatening and, according to some of our patients, even fun! You’ll want to learn the root cause of your hearing difficulty and treat it in a way that meets your preferences, budget and lifestyle.”
You’ll want to learn about all your options, including the remarkable new precision hearing technology that is clear, intuitive and future ready! For instance, the WIDEX Allure™ is powered by a W1 chip that is four times faster and has four times the memory capacity, offering the ultimate balance between clear speech and natural awareness. What that means for you is the ability to hear purer sounds with greater ease; a seamless sound quality that mirrors the natural auditory system.
Features include a wind- and touch-resistant microphone, an enhanced push button for phone conversations, LE audio streaming, optional apps and accessories and a more comfortable position behind the ear – even if you wear glasses.
Learn how the newest technology and the additional benefits of brain training can help you enjoy an active life again. There’s confidence that comes with hearing well; a delightful ease in connecting with friends and family. We want you to hear well again.
Call HearCare & Associates at 800868-2650 today. We look forward to hearing from you.
What parents can do to build financial security
Texoma Farm & Home
he daily life of a parent of a school-aged child can be hectic. In addition to busy work schedules, parents with school-aged youngsters must contend with school schedules, extracurricular activity commitments, meal planning and preparation, and a host of additional obligations. The fast-paced nature of daily life can make it hard for parents to find time to focus on longterm goals, including financial security, which many moms and dads admit is a significant concern.
A study from Ameriprise Financial released in April 2025 indicated that 60 percent of parents are concerned that balancing financial trade-offs will affect their long-term financial goals. That study surveyed more than 3,000 American parents, more than half of whom felt tradeoffs like expensive family vacations were invaluable but still compromising long-term financial goals like having enough money in retirement. Balancing short-term family needs and wants with long-term financial goals can be difficult, but parents can try various strategies to protect their financial futures.
• Avoid taking on credit card debt. Debt is a complicated topic. The vast majority of homeowners go into debt to buy their homes, and real estate is considered a sound investment, even if people must borrow and pay interest on loans to purchase a place to call their own. But not all debt is created equal, and some forms of debt are
particularly detrimental to long-term financial security.
A recent study from the credit reporting agency Experian found that the average American carried $6,730 in credit card debt in the third quarter of 2024. Consumer debt also is a problem in Canada, where TransUnion reported the average credit card debt in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $4,681. Credit cards typically charge high interest rates, which makes it easy for debts to snowball when card holders cannot pay their balances in full. When parents have substantial amounts of credit card debt, they’re more likely to miss out on wealth-building opportunities like investing for retirement.
• Take advantage of opportunities to build wealth. Wealth in retirement is not an unattainable goal, but it’s one
that will require sacrifices.
Retirement investment vehicles like employer-sponsored 401(k) programs and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can help parents grow their money for retirement.
Parents who need to catch up on retirement savings can save more by increasing 401(k) contributions by an additional percentage point each year. That won’t have a dramatic effect on take-home pay, but over time that additional investment can grow 401(k) balances by a significant amount. The same goes for IRAs, which can start out with smaller contributions and gradually increase to meet the maximum allowable amount each year. Parents can automate such contributions so they are not tempted to spend that money on more expensive vacations or other pur-
chases that can threaten their long-term financial security.
• Make long-term financial security a top priority. It seems simple, but prioritizing long-term financial security is how many people make it to retirement without financial concerns. The temptation to spend lavishly on vacations, entertainment and luxury items can be significant, but such expenditures threaten parents’ long-term financial security. By prioritizing retirement savings, parents can secure their financial futures and still create lasting memories with their children.
A significant percentage of parents are concerned about their long-term financial security, but there are ways to meet long-term goals and enjoy a comfortable retirement.
Parents can try various strategies to protect their financial futures.
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Make your Oktoberfest celebration unforgettable
Millions of visitors travel to Munich, Germany, each year to take part in a celebration of Bavarian culture known as Oktoberfest. Although the name implies that the world’s largest Volksfest (people’s festival) occurs in October, the majority of Oktoberfest actually happens in September, and runs from between 16 and 18 days. For 2025, Oktoberfest begins Saturday, September 20 and runs through Sunday, October 5.
Though it may seem like Oktoberfest is just a beer festival, it’s actually a celebration of community, food and music. The origins can be traced back to October 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen and the citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate the royal event outside of the city gates.
Whether one can trace his or her lineage to Germany or not, people of all backgrounds take part in Oktoberfest revelry, even hosting their own fests at home. The following ideas are some ways to create your own unforgettable Oktoberfest celebration.
Erect a beer tent
Visitors to Oktoberfest in Munich will find massive beer tents, each operated by Munich’s traditional breweries. These are the only official beer providers of Oktoberfestbier. People replicating Oktoberfest celebrations nearer to home can include beers by Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten-Franziskaner, and be sure to serve at least one Märzen-style lager at the celebration. Set up a beer tent with all of the beverages widely available for guests to enjoy.
Texoma Farm & Home
The following ideas are some ways to create your own unforgettable Oktoberfest celebration.
Offer popular culinary delights
Beyond the bevy of beer available, guests to an Oktoberfest celebration will anticipate traditional and hearty Bavarian specialities. Options include hendl (roast chicken), schweinebraten (roast pork), würstl (sausages), brezen (pretzels), and many other culinary delights. Side dishes like potato salad, sauerkraut and red cabbage also are popular.
Wear the right folk attire
Traditional Oktoberfest attire includes lederhosen for men and dirndls for women. Lederhosen consists of leather shorts, often with suspenders, worn with a checkered shirt. A dirndl is a dress consisting of a bodice, blouse, skirt, and apron. The outfits are not just costumes, but a celebration of Bavarian heritage. Men and women may accessorize with Alpine
hats, Haferl shoes and Loferl socks.
Set the scene
Many people wonder why the official colors of Oktoberfest are blue and white, despite this not matching the colors of the German flag. In fact, Oktoberfest builds its color scheme around the Bavarian flag. Bavaria is a state within Germany. It is one of the 16 states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany, and it has its own traditions, dialect, cuisine, and more.
Play Oktoberfest music
Traditional Bavarian oompah bands, polka bands and other sing-along folk drinking songs are often played during Oktoberfest celebrations. Each style contributes to a festive atmosphere. Oktoberfest is a lively celebration of Bavarian culture and history.
Equine Safe Haven rescues horses, restores hope for people in need
by Mackenzie Johnson
Whether a barn’s foundation rests on the sandy footing of Florida or the rugged, mountainous terrain of Colorado, equine-centered operations dot the landscape of the United States. Across the country you’ll find pastures filled with horses, tack rooms spilling over with well-worn saddles and barn aisles dusted with hay that always seems to find its way back, no matter how often it’s swept. However, one specific type of barn not as common state-
wide takes up residence on the North Texas plains of Whitesboro.
Within the barn walls and fenced paddocks of SaddleHawk Ranch, Equine Safe Haven is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that, in simple terms, educates economically or physically disadvantaged individuals in horsemanship and carriage driving using equines saved from slaughter.
The unique operation—not just nationally but globally—
Volunteers from Equine Safe Haven participated in the the 2025 Collinsville Pioneer Day Parade.
was founded by Katrina Lomax and her husband, Kenneth Wendel.
“It’s education-based in horsemanship,” Lomax said. “We teach people how to work with a horse – basic skills like grooming, picking their feet and hooves, exercising them and general care. The nonprofit is especially geared toward veterans, people over 65, people with disabilities that aren’t always visible to the naked eye or those considered economically disadvantaged. It’s therapeutic to be with an animal that can’t talk back, and we help participants build both physical and mental fitness. It teaches compassion and leadership through horsemanship and basic skills.”
Although the mission to help those on the margins through a four-legged companion certainly makes them distinctive, what really puts Equine Safe Haven over the edge is its devotion to acquiring horses for the program when they are at their very last stop in life – the kill pen.
“We use horses that were saved from slaughter,” Lomax said. “We go to this one particular sale barn and only buy the ones that are going to ship that week. We don’t go to auctions and bid on horses. Some of the horses we have were purchased only hours before they would have been shipped, and we stopped them from getting on the truck to go to Mexico for slaughter.”
Within U.S. borders, horse slaughter for human consumption is not legal due to USDA regulations and federal funding restrictions. However, depending on state laws, the export of live horses for slaughter to neighboring countries remains legal.
“The ones we get from the pens are driving horses,” Lomax said. “They’ve been driven most of their lives, some having started their career in harness racing. Some have raced and won over $100,000 at tracks up North. But when their racing career is over at four or five years old, they often get sold to the Amish community. The Amish buy these horses because they’re already somewhat trained to drive, and they will put miles and years on them. Then, at the magic age of about 18, you’ll see them go through auctions.”
By the time Lomax purchases them, many of these racehorses have already passed through multiple auctions up North. With the constant turnover and nonstop breeding, countless horses are shuffled through the system. Because of this steady supply of younger stock, once an ex-racehorse reaches its upper teens, the buyers who first took it off the track often send it back to auction in favor of a younger horse, one that doesn’t need extra feed in the winter or costly joint supplements.
“A lot of these horses could go to auction in Ohio, then the next they’re in Iowa, then they’re in Kansas. And as they get down to Texas, they’re not eating properly due to the stressful environment,” Lomax said. “They develop ulcers, they get skinny. And then who’s going to buy that horse, let alone buy
a
driving horse in Texas?”
Despite the concerning conditions these horses are found in, Lomax’s lifelong involvement with horses has enabled her to see beyond the protruding ribs and cracked hooves.
“I see past that, and I really look at them,” Lomax said. “I’ve had horses my whole life—30-plus years—and I know what to look for. I know how to find that beginner horse with a good mindset, and I’ll buy it for more than the meat price he’d bring.”
The rehabilitation process for these horses can take anywhere from one to six months, not including the three-week quarantine required upon arrival to protect the health of the other horses on the ranch. Still, when the time comes to place a rescued horse into the program, the results prove well worth the emotional and financial investment.
“You take owning horses for granted,” Lomax said. “I’ve had horses all my life, but that’s not something most people get to experience. When these horses come to us, they need rehabilitation because they’re malnourished and have lived through traumatic experiences. Getting to see the change and the connection between the horses and the students is a big deal.”
While Equine Safe Haven has a clear focus today, that wasn’t always the case. Every nonprofit has to start somewhere, and in this case, it began with Lomax’s love of horses and her husband, who had little experience with them.
Although both are originally from New York, their paths didn’t cross until later in life, when their careers brought them together, setting the stage for what would become the nonprofit.
The couple’s work took them across the country, but their need for wide-open space brought them to New Mexico, where Lomax taught horseback riding and hosted horsemanship and driving clinics.
“SaddleHawk Ranch started in New Mexico in 2022,” Lomax said. “We bought two driving horses—one we still have today—and from those two, interest grew, leading us to purchase more. While there is a big roping community in southwestern New Mexico, most people hadn’t owned a horse before. It took them some time to reach the point where they could harness a horse themselves, so the program was very much geared toward beginners.”
Wendel was one of those beginners when the pair first met, planting the seed for what the nonprofit is today.
“I’m not comfortable riding, but I’ll get in the carriage and I’ll drive,” Wendel said. “It’s just another way to experience horses that I feel comfortable with.”
The connection between comfort and carriage driving goes beyond helping people overcome fear – it also provides access for those with disabilities.
“A lot of people might not be physically in condition to get on a horse and ride because it does take a lot of different skills
and muscle groups to get on that horse and ride it,” Lomax said. “But with carriage driving specifically, anybody can do that rather quickly and learn rather quickly.”
Although the ranch was initially founded to let people experience horses and driving without the responsibility of ownership—rather than specifically serving those facing disadvantages—the couple soon realized that greater need.
“Our biggest inspiration was when we met this woman named Alyssa Lucero,” Lomax said. “She has a degenerative disease that worsens over time, limiting her mentally and physically. We had been doing carriage driving for a little while and had started looking for people with disabilities who loved horses but couldn’t get out much. I came across a flyer advertising a roping event that was a fundraiser for Alyssa, since she comes from a family of ropers. I contacted her and her caretaker and asked if she’d like to come see the ranch and try driving.”
Lucero began coming out every week. Eventually, one of Equine Safe Haven’s board members donated funds to purchase a wheelchair-accessible carriage just for her. With Lomax by her side, Lucero drove that carriage in July parades, Christmas parades and even during rodeo intermissions. That experience became the driving force that shaped the nonprofit’s purpose.
While the New Mexico facility still operates primarily as a guest ranch, Lomax and Wendel relocated the operation to Whitesboro in May 2025, largely due to the relentless dust storms that plagued New Mexico. Additionally, North Texas offered more opportunities for people to learn carriage driving, a bigger platform to show that drivers with disabilities can compete and a chance to highlight the value of their rescued horses.
Since being in Texas, Lomax and Wendel strive to promote their mission in any capacity they can, especially through parades and community events.
On Sept. 20, 2025, Equine Safe Haven participated in the Collinsville Pioneer Day Parade, where the organization had the honor of carrying and presenting the Grand Marshals.
Beyond being involved in community events, this year Equine Safe Haven will be creating an entirely new one of their own. On Saturday Nov. 1, 2025, the nonprofit will be putting on the first annual North Texas Ranchers Ball, an elegant evening full of dancing and dinner designed to not only support Equine Safe Haven, but the equine community at large.
“We wanted to put together an extravagant decadence for the community, whether you have a horse or not,” Lomax said. “There will be a DJ, dinner, a special wine tasting with Red River Winery and more. North Texas doesn’t have anything like this, and we’re hoping to do this annually to celebrate your horse, celebrate you and celebrate the community. It’s something that people can look forward to.”
Equine Safe Haven’s Ronin with his two first place ribbons, from the April 2024 horse show in Canutillo, Texas. He won these in “driving” obstacles classes
Individual tickets or a table of eight to 10 can be purchased. All proceeds from the event will go towards expanding the outreach of Equine Safe Haven – the core objective of the entire operation.
“Getting emails from students saying their lives have changed—whether from inspiration or coping with divorce or sickness—is special,” Lomax said. “Having a silent equine partner to lean on gives them a reason, and that is our reason.”
From every community event, new and old, from every student—veteran or differently-abled—to every horse, aged and repurposed, Lomax and Wendel witness the difference their work makes; and they want to see it flourish.
“Our end goal is to keep putting people together with horses to see what lives we can change,” Wendel said. “Changing lives – one horse, one person at a time.”
A SIMPLE ROAST HAM AFFORDS HOSTS MORE TIME TO MINGLE WITH GUESTS
Texoma Farm & Home
Hosting for the holidays is a time-consuming responsibility. Hosts welcome all that comes with inviting loved ones over for the holidays, but many might admit cooking for a crowd is a chore that takes up most of their time.
The time-consuming nature of holiday cooking leaves many hosts looking for less complicated meals that would afford them more time to spend with loved ones. The following recipe for “Roast Ham” from Lines+Angles is a straightforward dish that will let hosts spend more time with guests and still ensure everyone enjoys a delicious homecooked meal this holiday season.
Roast Ham
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 apples, cored and quartered
1 8-pound cooked ham, trimmed Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Warm the honey with the mustard in a heavy-based saucepan, stirring until smooth and starting to bubble at the edges of the pan. Set off the heat.
3. Arrange the apple quarters in a large roasting pan and place the ham on top. Score a diamond pattern on the outside fat; brush with some of the honey-mustard glaze, seasoning with salt and pepper at the same time.
4. Bake the ham until the thickest part of the ham registers at least 160 F, about 1 hour 20 minutes; brush with more of the glaze from time to time.
5. Once the ham has reached 160 F, increase the oven temperature to 450 F and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and starting to caramelize.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving. Can also be chilled and served cold.
SUGAR COOKIES FOR YOUR HOLIDAY BAKING SESSION
Baking cookies is a holiday tradition. Although there are many different cookie recipes out there, no cookie-baking session is complete without traditional sugar cookies. Sugar cookies are ideal for cutting and decorating, which makes them great selections for holiday baking sessions. This recipe for “Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies” from “Butter, Flour, Sugar, Joy” (Sourcebooks) by Danielle Kartes is perfect for family baking sessions this holiday season.
Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Yields two dozen cookies
Cookies
11⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 egg
Seeds scraped from one vanilla bean
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 pinch salt
4 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
In a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand, cream the sugar, butter, and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; add the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and salt; mix well.
Add the flour and cream of tartar and mix by hand until it just comes together. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is best.
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 1⁄4-inch thick rough circle and use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until set.
Continue this process until you’ve used up all the dough. Cool cookies on sheets of foil and frost once completely cool. These cookies are fine to eat right away, but Kartes feels they get their signature touch when frosted and left out overnight. The author does not put them away until the next morning.
For the frosting, cream the butter, cream cheese, almond extract, and salt until light and fluffy; slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Kartes likes hers less sweet, so she uses 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, but you may use up to 6 cups. Feel free to color small bowls of the frosting and decorate the cookies with sprinkles or tiny candies.
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Downtown Main Street Muenster, Texas
Celebrate your next event in our historic building with timeless charm and modern amenities.
Our venue is perfect for all gatherings -- bridal or groom dressing rooms, meetings, parties, rehearsals, reunions, showers, vendor pop-ups and wine tastings. Rentals include tables, chairs, tablecloths, decorations and so much more! Just bring your food, drinks and specialty party wares.
Whitesboro’s Baum survived the Battan Death March
by Jacquita Lewter
This story was originally published in the December 2008 issue of Texoma Living magazine. Its subject, Charles Baum, passed away in 2013. Its writer, Jacquita Lewter, passed away in 2015. Veterans Day is Nov. 11 and we are moved to share this story again all these years later.
More than 60 years ago, Charlie Baum found his world turned upside down because of events in a place most Americans had never heard of, a rocky peninsula on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, which separates the South China Sea from Manila Bay. It is called Bataan.
Water Street
Charles Edison Baum was born on July 19, 1917, in Whitesboro to George Campbell Baum Sr. and Callie White Baum. He was a great- grandson of Captain Ambrose B. White, who founded Whitesboro in 1848. He was the youngest of three boys. G. C., Jr., and Al Baum were his older brothers. He also had a half-sister, Nettie Baum Ashley.
Baum grew up on Water Street, and his story sounds like something from Booth Tarkington or an Andy Hardy movie. He was a quick kid, a bright kid who made good grades. He made friends easily, he played football, and Sunday mornings would find him at the Methodist Church.
Baum graduated from high school in 1937 from the same building he had entered as a first grader. A short time later, he took a job with E. T. Allen, Sr., in the grocery and grain business. “I did a little bit of everything at Mr. Allen’s store. I was a delivery boy, I stocked the grocery shelves, and I moved the sacks of grain. And he was like a daddy to me,” Baum said. “After my daddy died, he sort of looked after me. His son, E. T., Jr.— we all called him ‘Mike’—was like a brother. We were best friends.”
When France capitulated to the Germans in the spring of 1940, the Congress of the United States passed the country’s first peacetime conscription act. Inductees were to serve only one year. (In August of 1942, Congress extended the time of service. Speaker of the House of
Charlie Baum
Representatives, Sam Rayburn, stepped down from the rostrum to cast the aye vote that broke a 202 to 202 tie.)
On June 6, 1941, two months before Rayburn’s vote extended the draft, Charlie Baum had enlisted. “I was the only one at home. My brothers were married and had families. I didn’t want them to have to go. I felt that it was the right thing to do.”
He joined the Army Air Corps. “I went to Sherman to volunteer,” he said. “Then I rode the Interurban to Dallas. I was sworn in that same day.” The army liked men like Baum. He was twenty-four years old, stood nearly six feet tall, and weighed a healthy 215 pounds.
When he got back to Whitesboro, he told first Mr. Allen of his decision and, later, his mother. Recalling the reaction of his employer and close friend, Baum said, “He took me to the back of the store where we each sat down on a sack of grain, and he talked to me just like a daddy.” The recollection of this conversation held sixty-seven
TEXOMA HISTORY
years ago brought tears to his eyes.
When he told his mother, Callie Baum made a simple request of her youngest son. “Mother asked me to read my Bible daily, if I could. I did my best to honor that request all the time I was gone,” he said.
The Defense of the Philippines
Baum received his brief basic training at March Field, California, and by September he was at Clark Field on Luzon in the Philippines. He was assigned to the 7th Material Squadron attached to the 19th Bombardment Group.
For the Americans in Hawaii, the war began at 8:30 in the morning on December 7, 1941. Nine hours later, nine hours during which little or nothing was done to prepare Clark Field for what was sure to come, the Japanese struck there. Baum operated a .50-caliber machine gun in the defense of Clark Field and the Bataan Peninsula.
He remembered being on guard duty Christmas Eve, 1941. The unit had fallen back to the edge of the dense jungle. As he paced off the perimeter of his assigned area, he suddenly came upon two trees illuminated with hundreds of lightning bugs. “They were lit up like Christmas trees,” he recalled. “I stopped and looked up. I could see God’s face in the top of one of the trees.”
On April 8, 1942, Pfc. Baum (actually he was a sergeant though his promotion had not been made official due to poor communications) and his unit were in front of the first line of contact. He and a second lieutenant dropped back to prepare machine gun pits in case of retreat. “We used the machine gun to hold back the enemy as we retreated,” he recalled. “We fired 18,000 rounds in about four hours time. The gun barrel bent from being overheated.”
Immediately, the squad dismantled the gun and retreated with the Japanese in pursuit. The Americans scrambled to the position where the front line was supposed to be established. No one was there. The enemy attempted to surround them, and they fought back. “I had my .45 on my side,” Baum said. “We were chased almost to Camp Cabanatuan. We tried to form a line, but orders came down that night to surrender.” Ordered to stack their weapons in preparation for the surrender, the squad tossed them into the sea instead. “We stacked them in Manila Bay,” Baum said with a little chuckle.
When he asked a Japanese colonel if the prisoners would be treated properly, the officer replied, “We are not barbarians.”
At dawn on April 9, with 10,000 Americans still stubbornly defending the island of Corregidor off the tip of Bataan, Maj. Gen. Edward P. King surrendered his used-up army of 75,000 (11,796 Americans, 66,000 Filipinos and 1,000 Chinese Filipinos) to the Japanese.
Half a world away back home in Whitesboro, Cal-
lie Baum and other family members received word that Charles E. Baum was missing in action. It would be eighteen months before they would learn that he was a prisoner of war.
Prisoner of War
The victors were unprepared to deal with the vanquished. The Japanese had expected the Americans to continue fighting for several more months and had anticipated no more than 25,000 prisoners. Gen. Homma, overall commander of Imperial forces in the Philippines, already had decided to move the POWs to Camp O’Donnell, an American air corps base about one hundred miles north of Marivales, the principal city in southern Bataan. Knowing that many of his soldiers were sick, wounded and weak from months on short rations, Gen. King offered to use American trucks to transport the prisoners. Gen. Homma refused. They would march.
Baum was one of the first group of seventy-five men to make the continuous four-day-and-night march. His “uniform” was a pair of shorts, and he carried a New Testament hidden inside the waistband. The Bible was a gift from USA Chaplain Ernest A. Israel, signed and dated June 30, 1941. The inscription reads: “Good luck, Charles.” Baum carried the New Testament throughout his captivity. A diary entry written on a blank page reads: “Dec.14 – Sunday – I pray they will keep this day holy.”
The Japanese showed little concern for their captives on the march. The prisoners got neither food nor water. They were not allowed to stop and rest. They were prodded with bayonets and were under constant threat of being shot to death on the spot.
“I remember coming up on a sugar cane field,” Baum said. “I broke from the march and ran to the edge of the field where I pulled up two stalks of cane. A guard came after me waving and slashing his bayonet. It was early morning and the sun was in his eyes, and I managed to duck and weave underneath his slashes.” After several failed attempts to strike Baum, the guard left him alone and began to focus his attention on another nearby soldier. This man was not as fortunate as Baum had been.
A second incident during the forced march was recalled with poignant clarity. “We were passing alongside a bar ditch that was partially filled with muddy water,” Baum said. “I pretended to stumble and fell face forward into the ditch. I began drinking all the water that I could gulp down, just as fast as I could before the guards stopped me. When I raised my head I saw the bloated body of a dead soldier in the water nearby.” Baum paused for a moment to collect himself before continuing with the story. “That water still tasted good to me.”
Baum has no way of knowing exactly how many men
died during the complete forced march which relocated 75,000 men. “I saw several men shot on the way,” he said. “Many of the men were already wounded. Many were sick and were too weak to walk. Another soldier and I carried a man who was unable to stand on his own for a good six hours.” Baum paused again. “Finally the guards made us leave him. We had to lay him down right there on the road. We moved on a little ways, and then we heard a shot. We all knew what happened.”
Of the 75,000 who left Marivales, 54,000 arrived at Camp O’Donnell. Some Americans and many Filipinos had found opportunities to escape and taken them. It is estimated that 5,000 to 10,000 Filipinos had died or been murdered along the way, along with 600 to 650 Americans. Death on the march was an iffy thing. Some of the Japanese soldiers guarding the prisoners treated them, if not well, then at least humanely, while a half a mile up the road, prisoners were murdered without apparent cause.
In the Camps
Baum was kept at Camp O’Donnell for sixteen days, and then he was sent out on a salvaging detail for the Japanese. After a month and a half of this detail he became ill with malaria. No medical attention was given to the prisoners. “We looked after each other the best we could,” he said. “Even if you were sick, you still had to work. If your fever got up to 105 degrees, you could ‘stay in’ for the day. Otherwise you had different camp jobs to do.”
The malaria brought chills with the fever. Baum remembers wrapping himself in three blankets and still being unable to stop the shaking. Later while in a different camp location, he developed beriberi, a disease of the nerve endings which brings about muscular paralysis, weakness, and extreme weight loss. This is caused by the lack of vitamin B in the diet.
“We had very little food provided by our captors,” Baum explained. “A small serving of rice every day, and sometimes it was every two days. We had to forage for anything else to eat. A starving man is not too particular about what he eats. We ate dead fish, worms, grass, grasshoppers, chemical salt, soup made from the stalks of pepper after the Japanese had removed the peppers, or soup made from the bones of animals.”
Once they butchered and cooked a mangy camp dog that had strayed onto the premises. Baum chewed animal bones in order to provide calcium to his undernourished body. He cleaned his teeth with charcoal.
After contracting malaria Baum was sent back to Camp Cabanatuan in Central Luzon. There he served as first sergeant of Company F. His job was to supervise the burial of allied prisoners who were dying at the rate of twenty-five to seventy-five each day. The mounting malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria took a heavy toll. Very few medical supplies were available at Luzon, and these items were largely smuggled in by the Filipinos. “These men would have been executed immediately if
Route of the Bataan Death March that began on April 10, 1942 and covered 85 miles in six days.
they had been caught,” Baum said.
The prisoners were subjected to frequent beatings and barrages of verbal insults and accusations. There were inconsistencies in the guards’ behavior and treatment of their charges.
“We never knew what to expect,” said Baum. “They required us to learn the Japanese language. We had to learn in five minutes to count off perfectly. The men who failed at this task were beaten until they could perform satisfactorily.”
Even so, there were snatches of human kindness and compassion. Once when Baum was quite ill with malaria, one of the guards brought him some bananas. “His name was Tanaka, and I had been teaching him some English. I think he appreciated that and the fruit was his way of thanking me. He saved my life.”
The Land of the Rising Sun
In the spring of 1944, Baum and other Americans were moved by ship to Japan. “The transport ships that carried us were old antiques,” he said. “They herded us in like cattle. We were prodded on board with bayonets.”
During the ninety-day journey, Baum witnessed American
soldiers go crazy with the effects of the malaria and jump overboard into the ocean. There was very little food and very harsh treatment. The transport ships were unmarked, and the two vessels immediately following Baum’s ship were sunk.
When the ship arrived in Japan, Baum and the other men were taken to Osaka where they joined fifty British and 150 Dutch POWs who were already at work in a copper factory. They made copper plates used for submarine batteries. He would remain here until WWII ended in 1945 and the camp was liberated. He weighed eighty-six pounds when he was freed.
During the forty-two month ordeal, Baum never doubted that he would survive and return home. “I learned to control my mind,” he explained.
“I read my Bible as much and as often as I could, just as mother had asked me to do. I made plans for later, after I got home. I thought about survival all the time. Those men who gave up died fast. You learn to get by.”
The Bible got passed around among the other prisoners, too. Often they would ask to borrow it just to read a favorite passage. Baum kept a dated written account on the blank spaces of its pages. He also managed to keep his class ring with him and a lucky $2.00 bill that belonged to a friend back home. Baum was “holding” it for him at the time of his enlistment.
In the weeks following the Japanese surrender and his liberation, he was carried by hospital ship to Tokyo Bay, flown to a Manila replacement center, and transported by ship to San Francisco. He was provided with doctors and medical care and placed on a nutrition regimen that slowly increased his food intake and allowed him to begin to gain weight.
The End of the Long March Home
Charlie Baum came marching home on Friday morning, October 26, 1945 when he came back to Whitesboro. His family, friends and neighbors, Whites-
boro schoolchildren who had been dismissed from classes for the day, and the entire town were with Callie Baum at the train depot to welcome her boy home. “Mother never lost faith that I would come back,” Baum said. “All that time and she never wavered. She told everyone she met that God would bring me home again.”
Shortly after his homecoming, Baum met Waunema Ruth Chisum. “I didn’t know her before,” he said. “I saw this really pretty girl wearing a lacey dress walking down the street one day. I said, ‘Man alive! Who’s that gal?’ And Mr. Allen introduced us.”
A courtship began, and the couple married June 24, 1946. Daughter Kay was born in 1949, and a second daughter, Susan arrived in 1954. Baum opened an ice cream parlor and confectionery business downtown, which he ran for a couple of years. In 1948, he enrolled in Austin College, where he attended classes for the next two years. Friend Norman Bennett lived in Gainesville; he would stop by on his way to class to pick up Baum, and they would carpool to Sherman.
In the early 1950s, Baum served as Whitesboro’s postmaster. When the political party in power changed, he was replaced. He took a job working in the hardware business with a local store and was looking into the possibility of purchasing the business. Instead, his life course took another turn and headed him down a different path.
In 1953, Superintendent Lyman Robinson offered Baum a job teaching at the junior high school. He accepted the position teaching science, math, health and P. E. He also coached football and girls’ basketball. His teams excelled under his tutelage. “I ran those girls forty-five minutes straight nearly every day—up and down those bleachers. I had them where they could move on that court.” He went back to Austin College and completed the twenty-one hours necessary for a degree and certification by attending nights, week-ends, and sum-
Charlie Baum
mer sessions. He graduated in 1955. He taught until 1965, when he left education to become postmaster a second time. He held that position until his retirement in 1981.
In 2004, the Whitesboro Intermediate School Gym was dedicated and named in his honor. On that occasion the tribute read in part, “Charles E. Baum for his lifelong service to country, community, and family.”
“Life is good,” Baum said with a smile. “I do not harbor any animosity for the things that happened to me. Would I do it all again? Yes, I sure would. We’re the luckiest people on earth. You’ve got to go through something to appreciate it.”
This Month’s Featured Pet...
Bonnie the St. Bernard
Bonnie is a 10-month-old St. Bernard who lives on a farm in Pottsboro, Texas. Her mom, Amanda Perdue (pictured), has been working with Vicki Nourse at PlayStayTion Pet Resort and Training in Sadler, Texas to ensure Bonnie has all the tools she needs to be her very best self. Thanks to hard work and discipline, Bonnie recently graduated from her 30day training program. What a good girl!
Courtesy photo
It starts with us
by Austin Lewter
Charles Baum was a friend of mine. He was born, at Whitesboro, in 1917.
He was the grandfather of a childhood friend and a lifelong public servant.
Charlie was in the Philippines when Bataan fell. Subsequently, he was captured and spent the majority of World War II as a prisoner of war.
He was one of few Americans who survived the Bataan Death March before being liberated in September 1945.
We spent endless childhood hours listening to Charlie retell his POW experience. Many of you, who grew up here, did as well.
It wasn’t always easy for him to tell, and it wasn’t always easy for us to hear, but it was imperative they were told.
It was from Charlie Baum, and these stories, I learned it is okay for a grown man to cry. I got to know Charlie in another sense, later, as an adult. That childhood friend, his grandson, died unexpectedly at the age of 20.
We grieved together.
A few years later, I came back here to manage the hometown newspaper, and I joined the Rotary Club.
At the time, I was the youngest member in the group. Charlie was the oldest.
He was the elder statesman, and many was the club meeting that ended with Charlie telling stories about how our little town once was — over lunch, of course.
After the war, Charlie came home and married his sweetheart. He graduated from Austin College, was appointed postmaster, served on the County Draft Board and eventually became a teacher and a coach. One of my favorite Charlie Baum stories did not come from his time as a soldier. Rather it occurred when he was postmaster.
In 1951, Congressman Sam Rayburn
appointed Charlie postmaster of Whitesboro, Texas. I suppose postmaster appointments are still officially made by congressmen nowadays, but it was much more of a hand-selected process back then.
As far as Mr. Sam was concerned, Charlie Baum, War Hero, was the right man to oversee the only federal office in Whitesboro.
His postmaster duties included Charlie driving to Bonham every month to meet with Mr. Sam himself.
I don’t know much about the inner workings of today’s postal service and Congress, but I doubt each postmaster is expected to meet with their congressman once a month. It was a different time.
Charlie told me, upon one trip to Bonham, he arrived early and was asked to wait in the reception area.
This was in the early 1950s.
He said there was an older man ahead of him. They struck up a conversation.
“I am the postmaster in Whitesboro,” Charlie told the stranger.
“Oh yes,” the man said. “Charles Baum — I know who you are. I remember reading the newspaper stories about you in the war. I know Mr. Rayburn has been very pleased with your work in Whitesboro.”
Charlie said, from there, the old stranger began to talk about every rancher in Western Grayson County and how many head he owned.
He knew every farmer’s name and how many acres he had planted. He knew the name of every oilman and how many rigs he had producing.
“We had a nice conversation,” Charlie told me. “Then, the man left for his appointment with Mr. Sam. I never got his name, but as soon as he left the room, I realized I had just been talking to Senator Lyndon Johnson.”
Can you imagine a time when Senators and Congressmen actually met and talked to one another?
Can you imagine a time when a Senator actually knew the name, and biography, of the postmaster in a small hamlet well outside of Dallas, Austin or Houston?
More than anything, can you imagine a time when your United States Senator actually knew the names of, and details about, each rancher, farmer and oilman in some random part of the state?
This all harkens to a time when folks actually talked to one another, and public service was considered the highest honor bestowed upon a person.
It is a time and place our nation needs to get back to — before it is too late.
Not all of us can be Lyndon Johnson or Sam Rayburn.
But everyone of us can be a Charlie Baum. That is, everyone of us can dedicate our work, and our lives, to our community.
Everyone of us can find ways to help our neighbors.
Everyone of us can tell important stories or our experiences to the young people in our lives.
Everyone of us can be like Charlie Baum. It starts with us.
If we can be more like Charlie, the Lyndons and Sams will follow.
Charlie died in 2013. When he did, he reminded me (again) it is okay for a grown man to cry.
Austin Lewter is the owner and publisher of the Whitesboro News-Record and Texaoma Farm & Home. He is also an instructor of journalism and broadcast at Tarleton State University where he also serves as the director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism. He can be reached at alewter@ntin.net.
Tips to prevent pickleball injuries
Pickleball has inspired millions of devotees. According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, roughly 36.5 million individuals played pickleball in 2022, and 45 percent of players who participated in a YouGov study conducted between August 2021 and August 2022 indicated they planned to play more pickleball in the coming six months than they had in the previous six months.
Pickleball is thriving, and that’s great news for those who love the game. Unfortunately, pickleball also has proven beneficial to orthopedic practices. A 2023 analysis from UBS estimated pickleball injuries could cost Americans nearly $400 million in 2023. Seniors are especially vulnerable to pickleball injuries, as a 2021 study published in the journal Injury Epidemiology found that 86 percent of emergency room visits related to pickleball injuries affected individuals 60 and older.
Injuries are a part of any sport, and pickleball is no different. Though there’s no foolproof method to guarantee pickleball players don’t get hurt playing the game they love, the following are some tips that can reduce injury risk.
• Gear up. Pickleball is a competitive sport, but there’s a tendency among some players, particularly novices, to take a casual approach to the game. Veteran players may know better, but anyone new to the game should be sure to wear the appropriate gear when playing. Athletic shoes with ample traction can reduce the likelihood that players will slip or fall. The right racket also can reduce risk for elbow injuries. The sporting goods experts at Dick’s Sporting Goods note that paddles should feature a light to medium weight, comfortable grip and a large sweet spot. The right paddle will be different for everyone, so novices are urged to speak to veteran players for advice on which paddle might be best for them.
Texoma Farm & Home
Though there’s no foolproof method to guarantee pickleball players don’t get hurt playing the game they love, the following are some tips that can reduce injury risk.
• Embrace physical activity. Pickleball can be a great workout, and players can reduce their injury risk by embracing physical activity even when they are not playing. Leg exercises can help build lower body strength, but strength exercises that focus on the upper body also can reduce injury risk.
• Loosen up before playing. Taking the court right after getting out of the car is a recipe for injury. Arrive five to 10 minutes before a game and use that time to loosen up. A short walk and some subsequent stretches can help players make sure their bodies are not too tight to play. Some brief warm-up exercises and stretching can reduce muscle tension and make the body less vulnerable to injury.
• Hydrate before, during and after a
game. The experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine note that water cushions the joints, which helps athletes maintain their flexibility. Flexibility can reduce injury risk, particularly in a sport like pickleball. The 2021 study published in Injury Epidemiology noted that 60 percent of pickleball injuries are sprains, strains or fractures. Remaining flexible can reduce athletes’ risk for sprains and strains. Johns Hopkins recommends adults consume between six and 12 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of sports play and to drink between 16 and 24 ounces afterward.
Pickleball is wildly popular, even though pickleball injuries are common. Players can embrace various strategies to reduce their injury risk.
