Buck Owens

management of the various business interests of , by this time, his well-known son Buck Owens

In 1976, Hazel Rutherford remembered the family as well as anyone in Howe as her memories were associated with the old Davis Chapel in west Howe

"In those days everybody went there, and we all knew each other pretty well. Edith Ellington Owens was about the same age as me," said Rutherford in 1976

Longtime Howe resident Freddy Holcomb once had a visit with Buck Owens in Bakersfield, California in the late 1990s at the Crystal Palace which is the museum for Buck Owens

"He was a lot bigger guy than I expected He had his hat on and I walked over to him and shook hands with him," said Holcomb

Instead of taking the normal fan approach of telling him a song he likes, Holcomb got personal with him and asked him how he knew the Davenports in Howe, Texas

"He just kind of took a step back and his mouth fell open," said Holcomb

He then told him that when his family lived in Howe they were poor as they could be Owens then

Continued from page 5 proceeded to tell Holcomb that Mr Davenport had a grocery business Mr Davenport (who's home and business was located at what now is Memorial Park at the corner of Kosse Street and Denny Street) never asked Buck Owens father if he had money to pay or if he would have money to pay Truett Davenport always sold the Owens family groceries on credit and never hassled the family about payment. After Alvis Owens paid off his bill with Mr Davenport, they left Howe, but Buck Owens decided to always stay in contact with the Davenports

Until the death of the Davenports, Buck Owens was still sending them a Christmas card each year He told Holcomb that he didn't have much contact with them other than that, but he wanted to make sure that they knew he didn't forget what they did for their family

At that time, Owens was giving performances at the Crystal Palace, but that night's performance was sold out

"He asked me if I was coming to the show tonight and I said it's good news for you because it's sold out, but bad news for me because I won't be here tomorrow," said Holcomb "He called a guy in the office and said, 'make sure my friend here has a seat tonight ' I had a front row seat and a chicken fried steak courtesy of Buck Owens "

Holcomb said he was as gentle as could be and thought that was because he talked to him about his history in Howe, Texas

Holcomb also asked him about his birth home in Sherman hoping to preserve his home place

"He laughed and said he wasn't born in a house I said, 'what hospital?' He said, 'I wasn't born in a hospital I was born in the back seat of a car They were trying to get mother to the hospital '"

The stretch of US Highway 82 in Sherman is named the Buck Owens Freeway in his honor His first Howe recognition may come in May as he has officially been nominated for the Howe Hall of Honor by a Howe citizen