Erath County Living - Spring 2017

SPRING 2017

BOSQUE RIVER ADVENTURE The Bosque River Adventure gave volunteers and students alike the opportunity to learn more about the Bosque River Trail and to become more involved in the community.

STEPHENVILLE’S OWN RAT ROD A fourth generation McCann in Erath County, Justin had never thought of building a vehicle from scratch, but building an automobile in thirty days and only spending $3,000 sounded like a good time to him.

Jim Sharp isn’t simply a cowboy. He’s one of the bull riders who turned Stephenville into the Cowboy Capital of the World with the creation of The Professional Bull Riders.

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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contents

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Collier Diamond C Ranch: Generational Blessings

Putting family first, the Colliers continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way.

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Bosque River Adventure

The Bosque River Adventure gave volunteers and students alike the opportunity to learn more about the Bosque River Trail and to become more involved in the community.

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Lonn Reisman

Lonn Reisman has created a legacy. A legacy the growing Reisman family is already carrying forward into the next generation of Texans.

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The Ancient Link Between Harvest and Table A rare gem stands ready for resurrection in downtown Dublin.

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Bringing Together a Community, One Artist at a Time

AccessARTS Director Cathy Knoll is bringing more than the arts to the special needs residents in the community.

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Jim Sharp: A Bull Rider, Friend & Father

Jim Sharp isn’t simply a cowboy. He’s one of the bull riders who turned Stephenville into the Cowboy Capital of the World with the creation of The Professional Bull Riders.

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Twenty Years of Quilting Memories

Celebrating twenty years as a guild, the members of Town ‘N Country Quilt Guild come together each month to share their lives and their love of quilting.

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Sarah Miller: Justice is Served

The result of all those miles of walking and those hours of talking was a glorious win for Sarah Miller, the first woman Justice of the Peace in Erath County in 1972.

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Floyd’s Café

If you live anywhere close, you know the reputation of this historic building as a friendly place to stop, eat a satisfying meal, enjoy some conversation, and relax.

about t he cover

The cover photo represents the hard, rewarding and honorable work of the Cowboys and; Cowgirls of Erath County. Read more about one of the greats, Jim Sharp, on page 54.

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contents

96

Dr. John Hubbard’s Mission: Economic Growth for Stephenville

Touching people’s hearts and lives in Stephenville, Texas through giving citizens the amenities they want is a mission eagerly undertaken by Dr. John Hubbard.

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Small-town Success Story: The Rise of Twisted J

Twisted J is a brand that started with humble beginnings in Stephenville, Texas and rose to achieve worldwide appeal.

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Diabetes: Empowering Through Education

Through the Diabetes Self-Management Program at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville, many are able to not only educate themselves but also lead healthier and more productive lives.

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Playing from the Heart

Courtney Patton has always been in love with music, and the singer/songwriter is even going to be recording her next album close to home at a recording studio in Stephenville.

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Stephenville’s Own Rat Rod

A fourth generation McCann in Erath County, Justin had never thought of building a vehicle from scratch, but building an automobile in thirty days and only spending $3,000 sounded like a good time to Justin.

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inisesvueery

Hometown Happenings

A glimpse inside a few of the exciting events recently held in Erath County.

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Hometown Happiness

Congratulations to Erath County’s newlyweds.

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Scenes of Erath County

Take a look at a few more of the reasons why we think Erath County is a great place to live.

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From the Publisher

We hope you are having a great start to a new year! We are so excited to bring to you a new issue of Erath County Living. We have grown to love these moments – brainstorming, creating, and packaging something so special just for you. We can’t express enough how much we love Erath County and the faces that we meet with every issue who truly motivate us to be better and to share their stories with the rest of you.

With every issue, we fall deeper in love with Erath County…and this issue is no different! We are so thrilled to celebrate another year with you – sharing your stories and getting to know you, the ones who keep the world turning in this corner of the world – and what a beautiful corner it is!

In this issue we rediscover Sarah Miller, the first woman elected Justice of the Peace in Erath County in 1972 who after devoting 24 years of service to Erath County, stays busy today with many activities including running the Republican Women’s Organization.

We also visit with John B. Collier and wife, Metta, as they gear up for the first Diamond C Ranch sale in more than 25 years happening May 5th -6th. Putting family first, the Colliers continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way.

You don’t want to miss reading about Stephenville’s own singer/songwriter/ mom, Courtney Patton. Patton discusses with us her lifelong love for music and her upcoming album that she is set to record in Stephenville.

We want to thank our advertisers for making this publication possible and free to the community. Help us express our gratitude by shopping local and visiting their establishments to pick up your complimentary copy.

This publication is about you! Please feel free to email us your events to add to our calendar, photos of your events to add to our upcoming section of “Hometown Happenings,” or any stories you would like to read in the next issue.

We would love to hear from you!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for up-to-date events, announcements, and important information about Erath County you don’t want to miss!

With all that is happening in Erath County and the wonderful people we have met along the way, the future has never looked brighter. We give thanks to God for our many blessings and look forward to a great year to come! Here’s to 2017!

Until the next edition, wishing you many blessings,

Jus t i n an d Hayley S ix K y l e an d Hal s ey Clark Justin.RedFin@gmail.com (817) 301-3828 Kyle.RedFin@gmail.com (817) 304-1044 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Erath County Living Magazine Red Fin Publishing

www.ErathCountyLiving.com

PUBLISHER

Red Fin Publishing Justin & Hayley Six Kyle & Halsey Clark

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Justin Six

CREATIVE | DESIGN

enVision Creative Services

CONTENT DIRECTOR Hayley Six

Hayley.RedFin@gmail.com CONTENT COORDINATOR Noel Betush

Noel.RedFin@gmail.com SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR Halsey Clark

PROOF READER Hayley Six

PHOTOGRAPHERS Brooke Mendenhall Photography Cross B Photography Janzen Jackson Photography Justin Pack Photography Dudley Barker Photography Kimmie McKinney Photography Lindsey Sullivan Photography Southern Grace Photography S. Roskilly Photography Twisted Roots Weddings Whitney Chilton Photography

COVER PHOTO

Jim Sharp Photo by Cross B Photography

SALES

Brenda LaComb Justin Six Kyle Clark

CONTRIBUTING Connie Lewis Leonard

WRITERS Brad Keith Jessa McClure

Joyce Whitis Karen Wright

Martha Helton Peggy Purser Freeman Rebecca Parvaresh Shelby Clayton T.C. McKeown

CONTRIBUTORS

Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council Dublin Chamber of Commerce / EDC Stephenville Chamber of Commerce

Erath County Living© is published semi-annually by Red Fin Publishing.

www.ErathCountyLiving.com P.O. Box 1239 | Weatherford, TX 76086 (817) 301-3828 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein.

Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

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COLLIER DIAMOND C RANCH:

Generational Blessings

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BY C O N NIE LE WI S LE O NARD PHOTO S BY T WI S TED RO OTS PHOTO GRAPHY

PUTTING FAMILY FIRST, THE COLLIERS CONTINUE TO THRIVE NO MATTER WHAT LIFE THROWS THEIR WAY.

“The more people you know, the better your luck,” John B. Collier, Jr. (Papo) said. With only a fifth grade education, he started working in the poultry business and became a self-made, successful entrepreneur. Believing it was important to be diversified, he branched out from poultry to eggs, dairy cattle, butter, and cheese. He secured the contract to produce powdered eggs for all the allied forces during WWII. At his Diamond C Margarine Plant, he developed the idea for pats of margarine. Later he formed and operated Diamond C Oils.

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In 1939, while out contracting turkeys, Papo stopped in Stephenville where a local banker asked him if he would like to buy some land for $13 an acre. He owned the ranch for several years before telling his wife, Ruth Rominger Collier (Mamo). Growing up on her family’s ranch in Bridgeport, she could ride and work cattle with the best of the cowboys. She is credited with helping grow the ranch to over 14,000 acres and creating the excellence that permeates the 75-year history of the Diamond C Ranch operations.

John B. Collier, III, worked in all aspects of his father’s business endeavors until he died in an automobile accident at an early age. John B. Collier, IV, always enjoyed a close relationship with his grandparents. After suffering from rheumatic fever at age six, young John said, “If ever I get out of this house, I’m going to stay outside always.”

His grandmother directed activities for him that weren’t too physically strenuous. He took golf lessons and learned to hunt and fish at the Diamond C Ranch.

Donning his favorite attire of cowboy hat, western shirt, belt, jeans, and boots earned John, IV the nickname “Cowboy.” Growing up, he enjoyed the benefits of city life in Fort Worth and country life on the ranch. Mamo and Papo made the drive from Fort Worth to Stephenville every weekend for nearly fifty years, often with Cowboy in tow.

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Cowboy says he was blessed to have friendships with a diverse group of people from the wealthiest to the poorest, the educated and uneducated, along with businessmen and cowboys. He grew up playing golf with many of the wealthiest men in Ft. Worth but spent most weekends working and associating with ranch hands who had little or no formal education.

Cowboy didn’t think anything about having his own car and parking in the teachers’ parking lot when he was in junior high. At 6’3”, he loved playing basketball. His father, who was busy running the family business, found out when he made All-District team and put a stop to it because of his heart murmur.

Since he was not allowed to play sports, Cowboy embraced the Collier work ethic. His father gave him his own route, selling and setting up cheese in supermarkets, earning his own paycheck. With tears threatening, he said, “I recently heard from a friend who said, ‘If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had lunch, but you gave me a quarter every day.’ I don’t even remember that.”

When Armour & Co. chose the Diamond C Ranch as one of their three progeny testing herds, Cowboy got the opportunity of a lifetime. He spent three summers traveling across the U.S. with Harold White (head of Armour BCI Research), learning how to evaluate top purebred bulls. By the time he was 17, he had visited most of the best purebred herds in 43 states. He looks

John B. Collier IV, his wife Metta and their five grandchildren

back on this experience as the best education possible in preparation for his future in the seed stock cattle industry. While still in college, John B., IV made most of the management decisions concerning genetics and performance testing on the herd. He saw a bright future using AI for these new breeds, especially Simmental and used the auction as a platform from Billings, Montana, to David Rockefeller’s estate on the Hudson River. He still follows his grandfather’s practice: “When someone comes to the ranch, treat them like a king.”

Metta Burney attended Lamesa High School and attended summer school at TCU immediately after graduation. One of John’s friends told him he was sitting next to the “hottest chick ever.” John’s friend introduced them, but after a couple of dates, she wasn’t impressed.

John graduated, and they didn’t see each other for several years until a mutual friend’s wedding.

They dated through the summer and married in December 1971. Metta went on to graduate with degrees in interior design, art and business. John enrolled in a ranch management program at TCU, and Metta took some classes with him.

For three years they stayed in Fort Worth several

“OUR FAMILY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY BLESSED AND IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO A COMMUNITY WE LOVE THAT’S BEEN SO GOOD TO OUR FAMILY. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GIVING."

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days a week, spending the rest of the time at the ranch.

John said, “We wanted our children to grow up in a family friendly small town atmosphere, so we made the decision to make Stephenville our home. We were living at the Ranch Headquarters before moving to town so the children could attend school. It was a crazy, busy time in the cattle industry and at home, as well. I was involved as an officer and eventually President of the American Simmental Association and was gone all the time.” Metta stayed home and raised the children during those busy years.

When the Simmental bubble burst, prices dropped.

The oil and gas, real estate and cattle industries crashed at the same time. Interest rates soared. Tax laws changed, eliminating passive losses. Collier Diamond C had lots of assets but not a lot of cash flow. They sold most of the cattle and many other assets. This gave John the opportunity to begin playing golf again, setting course records and winning seven Senior Amateur Tournaments.

The kids were older and involved in athletics, so he enjoyed having more time to spend with his family.

Metta says, “Family is our first priority. Our three children are our greatest accomplishments and John B. Collier V, his wife and two children

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Courtney, her husband and three children

we’re proud and thankful for the extraordinary adults and parents they’ve become. They’ve each married spouses we’ve embraced and are proud of, as well. Our five grandchildren and grand dog are pure joy. . . . God is so good!”

Their three children are physically and spiritually beautiful. Christi graduated from SMU with a communications degree. She worked as a television producer in NY for ABC, NBC, HBO and ESPN. Married to a pilot, they live in Dallas where she continues to work in broadcasting.

Courtney also graduated from SMU. She went to work for Ross Perot as a senior recruiter in his health care and technology divisions before moving with her husband to Graham where she is a stay-at-home mom raising their three sons.

John B. Collier, V graduated from Texas Tech with a business degree and currently lives in Weatherford, where he’s employed as manager of EOG Lease Properties. He and his wife have a daughter and a son, John B. Collier, VI.

Metta is an actively involved community volunteer serving on several boards and associated with several different organizations. She says, “Our family has been incredibly blessed and it’s a privilege to be able to give back to a community we love that’s been so good to our family. It’s all about the giving. The reason we work in the cattle business is to feed God’s people. John reads, studies and gives 100% to his passion of improving the genetics of our herd. His path and mine may differ, but ultimately we are on the path together, supporting one another in all we do, hoping to leave our little corner of the world a better place.”

JOHN COLLIER CHANGED THE CATTLE BUSINESS • Armour Beef Cattle Improvement program from 1960 to 1967 • Diamond C Ranch became one of the most recognized ranches in the world • 850 beef cows artificial insemination bred using semen from many European breeds • August 24, 1974, Diamond C Ranch held their 1st Simmental Production Sale • Set and still hold record high prices in three categories of cattle selling • Largest Simmental herd with 1100 at the ranch, 250 in South Dakota and 100 in Illinois

Christi, her husband and the Colliers' grand dog

DIAMOND C JUBILEE CELEBRATION • May 5th -6th, 2017, the first Collier Diamond C Ranch sale in more than 25 years • “Unique Event” featuring pure bred Red Angus • Recognition of all past Diamond C employees in attendance • Celebration of John B’s 70th birthday • For more details, visit their website:

www.collierdiamondcranch.com Hometown Living At Its Best

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Bosque River Adventure

BY SHELBY CLAYTON PHOTOS BY JUSTIN PACK

Play is the highest form of research – Albert Einstein

T

his philosophy was put into practice when six busloads of elementary students gathered on the last Friday morning in September for the first ever Bosque River Adventure, a learning experience designed to introduce fourth graders to the Bosque River Trail and give them a unique opportunity to learn more about local wildlife and the history of the area. The students were met at the Bosque River Trail and Stephenville Historical House Museum by Tarleton State University students and professors and other volunteers who braved the brisk 52 degree temperatures with coffee and doughnuts in hand, ready to do their part in educating the children.

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“I think it [the Bosque River Adventure] is a really good idea. Many of the students may not have had an opportunity to be introduced to things in their community -- things that they might not know about otherwise,” said Gina Gaines, a fourth grade English/ Language Arts teacher.

The Bosque River Adventure, a day of interdisciplinary activities, is the result of a partnership between Bosque River Trail and Corridor Education Sub-Committee, the city of Stephenville, the Stephenville Independent School District, and Tarleton State University.

“We wanted broad involvement,” said Jill Burk, Tarleton’s representative of the BRTC education subcommittee. “The Bosque Adventure is a great partnership, and we hope that is becomes an annual event students look forward to attending.”

At 9 a.m. the students from Hook Elementary filed off the buses with an abundance of energy and eagerness to start the day. Laughter and the sounds of music and 20

Erath County Living

excited conversation filled the air as the students rotated through the ten learning stations that allowed the students to do a wide variety of hands-on activities.

One of the stations focused on identifying local plants and the types of trees that grow along the river. The leader pointed out dandelions, talked about the various trees, and noted invasive plant species. When the bell rang to go to another station, many students were so engaged in the experience that they were reluctant to move on.

Art and music were two of the more interactive stations. Lead by Tarleton art and music majors, the fourth graders had the opportunity to be creative and have a little fun. At the music station, the students played games like “Little Sally Walker” and learned new songs.

The art station provided the students an opportunity to take chalk in hand and reveal their artistic sides.

They covered the sidewalk in their drawings. Flowers, rainbows, hearts, crowns, cartoon characters, and various other doodles scattered the ground.

The kids squealed and giggled as they held animal

models at the station inside the old schoolhouse at the Stephenville Historical House Museum, where they learned about animals that live along the Bosque River. Students listened attentively and showed off their knowledge of birds and other animals. They were asked to identify raccoons, blue birds, foxes, red birds, coyotes, and other animals commonly seen in the area. They were taught about the creatures as well. This was just one of the stations manned by members of Tarleton’s Wildlife Society.

At the next station, students were taught about the ecosystem and habitats surrounding the Bosque River.

They learned how ecosystems work and how to protect the ecosystem around the Bosque River Trail so that others can enjoy this experience.

The Wildlife Society also had students play a game about predator/prey relationships. The kids were taught about safety zones and how animals, like quail, survive in the wild. The students also got candy, which one student said made it “the best game ever.”

Students rotated through the ten stations that allowed them to do a variety of hands-on activities.

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One of the stations featured Dr. T. Lindsay Baker, a Tarleton professor who specializes in Texas history, standing in front of the John Tarleton Farmhouse, in period clothing teaching students about the Bosque River.

The students were mesmerized while listening to Baker speak about Marqués De San Miguel De Aguayo and his naming of the Bosque River. As Baker spoke, several other teachers commented that the students were never so quiet in their own classrooms.

At a station run by Tarleton kinesiology students, the fourth grade students got to burn off a little excess energy. Jumping rope quickly became a contest of “I bet I can go longer without messing up than you,” and “I can jump higher than you.” The students also ran in place, stretched, skipped, and did jumping jacks.

At another station, the fourth graders posed for photographs on the bridge at the Bosque River Trail.

One of the stations that the kids seemed to enjoy the most was about soil erosion. As one student put it: “Cool, we get to play in the dirt!” They learned about different kinds of soil and how the rain affects the Bosque River.

The planners hope this year’s event becomes an annual tradition.

Along with the events of the day, the students were given t-shirts designed by two of their classmates, Jayci Smith and Devin Arms. Devin was enthusiastic about winning the t-shirt contest and getting to spend a day at the park.

And Jayci said she “was nervous about winning at first, but I finally felt a little better after meeting the school board. I’m having a lot of fun.”

The teachers at Hook Elementary believed that the event was a great opportunity.

“The event’s great,” said Kim Smith, a math and science teacher. “ All of the students are having a really great time. A lot of students don’t come to this side of town and see what’s here.”

“It’s been a really great event. It’s great that all of these volunteers are here and that everyone came together for this event,” said Stephanie Atchley, Hook Elementary principal.

The Bosque River Adventure gave volunteers and students alike the opportunity to learn more about the Bosque River Trail and to become more involved in the community. The planners hope this year’s event becomes an annual tradition.

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2016 RIBBON CUTTINGS The second half of 2016 proved to be a successful one for new businesses as the Chamber hosted 32 more ribbon cutting ceremonies. For more information on services provided by the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce including business resources, community information, and a listing of upcoming events, visit

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LONN

REISMAN

BY BRAD KEITH

PHOTOS BY DR. CHET MARTIN AND PROVIDED BY TCU AND THE REISMAN FAMILY

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LONN REISMAN HAS CREATED A LEGACY. A LEGACY THE GROWING REISMAN FAMILY IS ALREADY CARRYING FORWARD INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF TEXANS.

P

hysically, Lonn Reisman is not an imposing man.

But he must turn sideways, skinny himself up a bit, and shuffle more than walk as he rounds the corner of his desk to take his seat in what has fast become a crowded office.

He can barely fit past a pyramid of glass-encased basketballs embroidered with the records and titles won by many of his 28 Tarleton State men’s teams.

When Tarleton added a west wing to Wisdom Gym to house the athletics department more than a decade ago, it appeared Reisman and staff had more room than they would ever need. But in Reisman’s office, where the trophies, plaques,

basketballs, nets, and other memorabilia have continued rolling in, space is limited.

Like time in the day of a man serving as both athletic director and head men’s basketball coach for a steadilygrowing university boasting more than 10,000 students - and fulfilling both roles successfully.

But that’s not all Reisman is doing these days. He’s making time for family - not that he hasn’t always, but now it’s for grandchildren, extended family and, yes, even the most cherished members of his Tarleton family.

Like many families, it’s grown through the years, and like many coaches, so has Lonn Reisman.

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Once a fireball removing neckties, breaking clipboards and even kicking chairs, Reisman is the same competitor today he was when he first arrived in Stephenville in 1988. But he’s learned to channel that intensity, turning to the ‘Reisman stare’ to argue most calls he doesn’t agree with, and to the legendary ‘Reisman stomp’ that has given fans and players alike goose bumps at Wisdom Gym for most of three decades.

The only clipboard broken in Wisdom Gym the last few years was a victim not of Lonn, but Chris Reisman, his son and associate head coach who as much as anything represents what the growth of the Reisman family has meant to the careers of both men.

In so many ways, Lonn Reisman is different from the coach who first had to revive the Tarleton program from the dead, bringing it back to respectability his first year on campus after the men’s program had just two winnings seasons the previous 27 years.

But in so many ways, Lonn Reisman is the same coach who instilled pride in the Tarleton basketball program with Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles even before adding the title of athletic director and steering all

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of Tarleton athletics into NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference.

What’s different?

His team photos hang from the walls of his office, but while there are more now than before, those have always been there. It’s the pictures of the grandkids, the ones who weren’t even a thought on the young coach’s brain when he left a junior college head job to come to Texas.

“Any of my players will tell you that my demeanor in practice changes if any of my grandkids show up,” said Reisman. “I had players who used to say I softened a little when my daughter, Lonna, would come to practice, but now it’s when the grandkids come, and I soften up a lot when they are around.”

Chris Reisman was six-years-old when ‘Dad’ moved the family to Stephenville to take the Tarleton job.

“I don’t even know if Chris remembers anything from when we first arrived here, but he was the typical coach’s kid - always in the gym and close to the team, always wanting to have as much to do with Tarleton basketball as he could.”

Now, it’s Chris, who played point guard for the Texans, who oversees many of the day-to-day operations of the basketball program. There’s no doubt, the elder Reisman has said repeatedly, that the development of Chris as an associate head coach has prolonged his father’s career.

Lonn Reisman has had many good assistant coaches through the years, but none were Chris.

“He’s ready to be a head coach at this level, and he will be a good one. He is a scientist when it comes to scouting and breaking down film, he’s a great time manager and staff manager and he’s a great recruiter,” Lonn Reisman said. “Chris has meant the world to this program, and there is no doubt having him by my side is a big reason I’m still able to do this.”

And now Chris’ son, Rush, 6, is a mainstay around the program, stretching with the team before games, high-fiving players as they are announced during starting lineups, and often in his father or grandfather’s arms before they are even through handshaking the opposing team following games.

“It’s a great reward to take what we’ve built here and get to share it with the children in the family. I can’t think of anything better.”

“To see Rush getting to be a part of everything here, to see the love he has for this basketball program and for Tarleton, it’s just so special to share that with him,” said Lonn Reisman, who has even joked publicly that the program has already received an early verbal commitment from Rush, a future point guard.

But Rush isn’t alone, and that’s okay. Grandpa Reisman has plenty of love to go around.

Love for Mayci, 6, and Malli, 3. They are the granddaughters of Reisman’s wife, Misti, and like Rush, are the apple of the coach’s eye.

“Whether it’s Rush or Mayci playing soccer or just playing basketball with them in the driveway, I just love having the grandkids around, and as much as they enjoy it, I think I get even more out of our time together than they do,” says Grandpa. “It’s refreshing to be around, children, around youth. Especially at that age where they are just learning so many things for the first time, and they are curious about everything and all they want to do is be like Mom and Dad and Grandpa. This is just a golden time to be around them.”

What the grandkids haven’t changed about Lonn Reisman, experience has.

“A lot of it is I’ve just gotten older, and I’ve learned things through the years. Most situations that come up I’ve dealt with before,” said Reisman, who exceeded 600 wins this past season and is sixth among active coaches and 16th All-Time in Division II coaching victories.

“These days, I know what we will be facing and I have a plan built on experience of how we should attack it.”

That’s called wisdom, and with it has come even more patience.

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“One thing I’ve improved so much through the years is being patient. I’m more patient with my family, more patient with my staff and more patient with my players,” Reisman said. “I’m sure taking time to play with the grandkids has helped with that.”

There’s nothing intense about kicking the soccer ball or dribbling the basketball with Rush and Mayci. Those are games where even the winningest active college coach in Texas - at all levels - doesn’t keep score.

“I think with most coaches, early in their careers, their main focus is doing everything they can to win and to recruit the best players and it’s easy to get tunnel vision where that’s all you are aiming at,” Reisman said. “As you get older, your priorities start to change some. That doesn’t mean winning isn’t always a priority, but there are other things outside of the game that take priority, too.

“My happiest times now are looking up and seeing Mayci or Malli in their little cheerleader outfits (their mother, Blaine Hamilton, is the Tarleton cheer coach) or Rush in Tarleton gear and seeing them already invested in our program and becoming such a big part of it,” Lonn Reisman said. “It’s a great reward to take what we’ve built here and get to share it with the children in the family. I can’t think of anything better.”

What’s the same?

Reisman doesn’t have to be as fiery as he once was to be the best coach he’s ever been.

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Erath County Living

Entering the twilight years of his legendary career, he has guided Tarleton to South Central Region championships and berths in the Elite Eight each of the last two years, matching the accomplishments of his 2004-05 and 2005-06 teams. He has now led Tarleton to four NCAA regional titles and Elite Eight appearances, and twice the Texans have moved on to the national semifinals and “final four.”

Reisman still anchors his team with relentless man-toman defense and a monster home court advantage while developing the mental mettle necessary to also win on the road.

“We’ve been consistent. Many coaches build programs in a way to win right away, but while we always want to win now, we have been very careful to build this program in a way that it can stand the test of time,” said Reisman.

“To do that, we have to be consistent as coaches. We have to remember these young men are students, not just athletes. We have to make sure they are staying on top of their schoolwork and that they are representing our program and our university in a first-class manner. If that isn’t the case, we have to fix it immediately.”

That consistent approach to leadership and life off the court has certainly carried over to when the Texans are on the hardwood. And opponents are usually left defenseless.

Or, as is often the case against Reisman’s teams, offenseless.

“We’ve been known for years as being one of the best defensive teams in the country,” Coach said. “I’ve always said, we may not be having the best shooting day, but we can still play great defense and give ourselves a chance to win.”

And just like the little things that make one successful in life, Reisman focuses on little things on the basketball court. He has for years. Consistently.

“We take charges, we dive for loose balls, we pride ourselves on the little things that not everyone is willing to do at the level we are,” he said. “That is why we’ve been able to win consistently here at Tarleton.”

It’s why he hasn’t had a losing season this century, and why his players go on to become attorneys, principals, fire captains, and for many, even coaches themselves.

When will it end?

Reisman says he doesn’t have a target date for retirement, but he does have an interesting way of looking at it, one he adopted from his longtime mentor, Jack Hedden, an old boss when Reisman was an assistant at Southeastern Oklahoma State. You know, when he discovered a long lanky athlete named Dennis Rodman and taught him how to rebound.

“Coach Hedden says one day I’ll be driving to work and I’ll realize I don’t want to be there anymore,” Reisman said. “That day hasn’t come for me yet, and I don’t have any idea when it will come. I don’t know when I’ll be ready, but when it’s time, I’ll know.”

Between the addition of grandkids and his continued success at Tarleton, he doesn’t have time to spend

pondering retirement. There is another youth soccer or basketball game to get to, another championship basketball team to build.

Family is most important in the life of Reisman, but there’s a Tarleton family he still feels he can’t let down.

“I’ve been asked many times by my peers, ‘Why are you still at Tarleton? You’ve had opportunities to go to another level,’” explained Reisman in an interview as he was on the cusp of victory No. 600 in Stephenville. “I tell them this - ‘I came to Tarleton at a special time and built a special program. How many people can sit in their office today, look up at pictures of 28 teams, know every kid on that wall, know what they’ve done with their life and know you were a big part in shaping their future? I can’t leave these kids, I can’t leave the 1988 team, nor can I leave the 2015-16 team, because that’s what it’s all about.

It’s not about money, it’s about relationships. You can’t take money to heaven, but you can make sure you’ve done the best for the kids you’ve coached for 28 years and help them make something out of their lives.’”

Lonn Reisman has created a legacy.

A legacy the growing Reisman family is already carrying forward into the next generation of Texans.

“You can’t take money to heaven, but you can make sure you’ve done the best for the kids you’ve coached for 28 years and help them make something out of their lives.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT:

Amber Peterson

I

graduated from McKinney High school 1998 and trained at Wellness Skills Massage School where I graduated with honors that same year.

Three years later I obtained my Massage Instructors License and managed the intern program as well as taught Health & Hygiene and Hydrotherapy at The Massage Institute in Plano Texas. Over the years I have had some fantastic opportunities 36

Erath County Living

working at high end spas in Metroplex where I trained staff, developed services, managed, and grew my practice. In 2006 my husband and I moved to Erath county and in 2011 I decided to open my business and grow a long awaited dream. Today, I am blessed with a fantastic staff that are true professionals who are not only personally motivated to exceed client expectations but also see the value in working as a team.

Photo by Lindsey Sullivan Photography

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT AND HOW HAS IT SHAPED YOU? I’m not sure that pregnancy is an accomplishment but after 13 years together we are finally expecting our son River. Before that it was to bravely start my business during the recession with $500 in my pocket. It has taught me to work hard for what I want in life and to never give up, even when it gets hard. To have faith in what you love and that there will be hardships and to believe in myself and in the passion of others.

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO AND WHY? I have always wanted to travel to India where yoga began and enjoy an authentic experience of the Ayurveda culture and the yogi lifestyle.

IF YOU HAD TO PURGE ALL BUT 5 POSSESSIONS, WHAT 5 THINGS WOULD YOU KEEP? I'm taking it that this is not a survival situation :)... If I could only keep five items, I would take my wedding

ring. It symbolizes a bond that I have with a special person. My iPod because life would be boring without music! My Kindle because I'm an avid reader.

And for vain purposes...

My flatiron.

and friends shared. The innovation in so many parts of technology that was happening at the time was amazing and though it has shaped society as we know it, it was not so disconnected and harsh as today.

IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WHAT’S THE FIRST EXTRAVAGANT THING YOU WOULD BUY? I’d probably get that perfect vacation home or two, :) by the water and in the mountains, and make it a point to visit there as often as possible.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR CAREER? The people, my clients and my staff. Customer service and mentoring have both truly been my calling and I get to enjoy both of those every day I'm at work. I love seeing smiling faces on both sides of the counter.

WHAT SKILL WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN AND WHY? I have always loved every aspect of the spa industry so to have my license in skin care would be the ultimate opportunity to offer the most to my clients.

ASIDE FROM NECESSITIES, WHAT ONE THING COULD YOU NOT GO A DAY WITHOUT? I couldn’t go without music! It's truly the backdrop of my life.

I grew up listening to the 80's staples like Journey, Genesis, and Whitney with my mom. With my dad I listened to classic rock of The Doobies and Clapton, as well as, classic county.

We were with my aunt and uncle a lot and they liked the oldies, KLUV was always on the radio.

My grandmother listened to big band and Singers like Fred Astaire and Billy Holliday. I really can say I have a love for all types of music.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? Crazy as it may sound a loaded baked potato can actually make my day better. A side of good ranch would be a cherry on top!

IF YOU COULD LIVE IN ANY HISTORY PERIOD, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? I think I’d live in the 70's. I love the clothes and family care free vibe families

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? Art class was my favorite in high school. My plans after high school was to have a career in fine arts or anything where I could be creative. After I found my passion in massage I decided that it would always be a fun hobby.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITION? I adore spending time with the cousins and seeing all of the kids together during the Thanksgiving holiday.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? My favorite flavor of ice cream? That's a trick question to ask a pregnant girl so I'm going to go with my most honest answer...

Butter pecan, cookies n' cream, and vanilla with milk.... And that was before I was expecting :) WHICH ANIMAL BEST REPRESENTS YOU AND WHY? I think a Phoenix. I have overcome a lot in my life so far and always have faith that I will keep going.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? If I could have one superpower, it would be to shapeshift.... For obvious reasons. ECL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE?

It's not a bible verse but the poem "Footprints In The Sand" has always resonated with me. It still makes me tear up when I read because I know it's true.

THE ANCIENT LINK BETWEEN

Harvest &Table

By Karen Wright Photos provided by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce n their prime, as many as 300 gristmills dotted the Texas landscape, providing sustenance as well as commerce. The mills were an important part of survival in the rugged early years in the American west, because they made it possible to put bread on the table, the most universal of foods. But as technology advanced, most mills were abandoned and eventually torn down.

Fewer than 10 remain today.

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The Dublin gristmill was the community’s first stone structure and its only four-story building (counting the basement). It kicked off Dublin’s transition from wooden plank buildings to stone structures. And it is an architectural monument that was built to last.

Construction must have been quite an ordeal for local rock masons Joe E. Bishop, Rocky Davis and Old Frank Hamilton. They hand-cut the mill’s native stones at the request of local businessman William T. Miller, a Georgia native who helped establish Dublin’s first mercantile business. Horsepower and any crude lifting equipment the masons might have been able to invent helped with the lifting of the thousands of heavy rocks that make up the mill. Putting them in place may have been more an art than a science, since the stones had to support the weight of the building itself and be symmetrical enough that, more than a century later, it is still standing tall and straight.

The Dublin gristmill was the community’s first stone structure and its only four-story building.

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Erath County Living

Through its 134-year history, the mill has seen days of productivity and some of inactivity and even a few of neglect. But today it is enjoying a resurrection as a rare monument to another place in time. The building towers majestically over W.M. Wright Historical Park, which features a pavilion and an historic log cabin. The Dublin Historical Society, which owns the park, has watched over the mill decade by decade, protecting it from weathering and providing needed support.

“Looking at the working parts inside, it appears that the power-driving shaft from the original steam engine must have come into the building through the basement wall,” speculates Ben Pate, who heads up restoration of the structure. “From the basement, belts connected the shafts, making it possible to provide power from one single source to all four stories of equipment.”

The concept was simple but efficient, as long as everything worked in tandem.

As technology developed, a crude oil engine replaced the steam engine in 1918. “At that time the mill was still grinding grain, corn and wheat, making it a vital part of commerce in the Dublin area. Farmers would bring bags of produce to town and would leave with finished bags of flour or corn meal. Without the mill, they would have

Feed Mixer

had to find a means to grind it themselves to have bread, which was the most universal of foods,” Pate said.

In 1926, when the mill was purchased by W.M. Wright and his son-in-law, Ted Robbins, the grist mill underwent yet another conversion when it became a hammer mill to produce animal feed.

Historians are delighted that the actual equipment that separated the seeds from the husks and then ground them into feed is still in the mill. Other equipment that remains in the mill today could blend the different types of feed.

As massive changes of the industrial age challenged the old feed mills, the Dublin mill ceased to operate, although owners may have continued selling pre-mixed feed in sacks for some period of time.

“Then one day, it ceased to operate,” Pate said.

“It appears the crew simply closed the doors one day and walked away, leaving behind many of the mill’s components and memories. It is a reflection of the commercial strength of the agrarian community.”

The rebirth of the mill as a local landmark and popular tourist draw started in 1974 when Ted Robbins and his wife, Leta Wright Robbins, gave the building and adjacent land to the fledgling Dublin Historical Society.

The following year, the mill was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark.

Martha Wright McKinney, of Waco, has long had a keen interest in and appreciation for historical preservation of her grandfather’s mill. In 1991, when the mill was 100 years old, Mrs. McKinney and her friends of Waco’s Henry Downs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a DAR historical marker to the mill.

Today that marker proudly hangs beside the old mill’s front door, along with the Texas State Historical Landmark plaque.

Mrs. McKinney visited the Historical Museum in 2007, bringing numerous photographs and documents with Miller genealogy, enriching the museum’s files. A few years later, she returned to the museum, bringing a generous donation to help with the restoration program. Her gift became the seed money for the current renovation project.

The mill has remained the centerpiece of Wright Park, where the 1855 Turnbow-Barbee log cabin, the syrup mill, the wishing well and a pavilion dedicated during the country’s bicentennial celebration are some of the most photographed structures in town. Many a senior picture or bridal announcement featured the historic structures as backdrops, as have various celebrations, reunions and parties.

The restoration of the mill began in earnest in 1999 with the announcement from the Texas Department of Transportation of a grant to the City of Dublin to restore the exterior walls and roof.

The grist mill was an important part of downtown commerce Hometown Living At Its Best

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With the historical society’s dream of using the structure as a visitors’ center, the focus has recently turned to the interior. The goal is to preserve as much of the “inner workings” as possible so that visitors could visualize how the grinding process worked.

A dream of the Society is to recreate the actual grinding process for demonstration purposes. Pate believes that “all or most” of the essential parts may still be in the mill today, although many parts are disassembled and relocated to other floors.

Donald Del Cid, architecture professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, and his students have assisted on several visits to the mill, along with Jacobs Engineering interns, in cataloging the items inside and developing ideas for how to present the building to the public.

Repairing and refinishing the mill floors has been a badly needed but demanding project for the past few months. Pate has created a “see through” floor opening (protected by rails and thick acrylic) so that visitors can look into the basement without having to venture down rickety steps.

Martha Wright McKinney at Waco event

Pulleys and shafts are found on three floors of the building

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Erath County Living

Ben Pate and Mary Yantis

Top priorities now are the creation of a handicapaccessible bathroom and installation of heat and air, which is being overseen by Pate, along with the Historical Society directors and the society’s longtime leader Mary Yantis.

Mrs. Yantis proudly announced, “I think we are on the verge of getting this completed. It’s been a long time coming.”

Pate, who has become the public face of the mill, has recently taken his “show and tell” on the road. The mill was the subject of an October reception in Waco, which honored Mrs. McKinney for the donation that sparked renovation to the interior.

Pate recently presented the power point, along with large pictures and some of the mill equipment, to a Sunday afternoon audience in the mill. Most of the visitors had never been inside and took advantage of the opportunity. He has also told the gristmill story to the local Lions Club, the Rotary Club and the Garden Club, and, given the chance, to passersby on the street.

Pate commented that when work is going on inside the mill and people see the doors open, many stop by to see for themselves.

“One visitor who stopped by the mill a few days ago said that in the northeast United States, older buildings are appreciated and preserved. In Texas we tend to tear down buildings when they get weather worn. So having

this building, in the great preserved state it is in, makes it and Dublin a destination worth visiting,” Pate said.

Pate, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Texas Christian University, recently retired after a career in television with Channel 5 and Channel 8 in the metroplex. His credits include too many newscasts to count and children’s programming at both stations, including Mr. Peppermint and The Children’s Hour.

He chose to return to his childhood home after retirement, a community which has long known and respected the Pate family name. Ben’s father, Dr. Joe J. Pate, was a longtime Dublin doctor, as was Ben’s brother, Dr. Joe R. Pate.

When he started making retirement plans, Pate contacted Mrs. Yantis and asked how he could be involved with the museum. The two became immediate friends even though they had not known each other previously.

“Growing up in a small town endears you to each other,” she said.

“When I realized Ben’s passion for history, we knew he would be an excellent curator for the Dublin Historical

“Having this building, in the great preserved state it is in, makes it and Dublin a destination worth visiting.” – Ben Pate Museum,” Mrs. Yantis said. This was a position that Mrs. Yantis had herself held since she retired from Arlington public schools and returned to her hometown.

Pate and Mrs. Yantis, along with the community’s strong proponents of historic preservation, are respectful of Dublin’s architectural monuments and their heritage.

“These architectural monuments cultivate pride of our heritage, which makes us unique in the world. And architectural monuments are great attractors of tourists because visitors want to experience the ‘spirit’ of the place and the past,” said Pate. “With each preservation effort, we are expressing our gratitude to the people in the past, who had vision.”

Hometown Living At Its Best

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S

One Artist at a Time

By Rebecca Parvaresh Photos provided by Cathy Knoll

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Erath County Living

A

ccessARTS Director Cathy Knoll is bringing more than the arts to the special needs residents in the community. This program is breathing in new life, joy and love to those who are limited in their abilities to participate in the fine arts under normal circumstances.

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There is no disputing the positive effects of the AccessARTS program throughout the Cross Timbers Area. The smiles on each face and the twinkling eyes of each participant as they pick up a paint brush or strum an instrument is evidence enough that AccessARTS Director, Cathy Knoll, is bringing more than the arts to the special needs residents in the community. This program is breathing in new life, joy and love to those who are limited in their abilities to participate in the fine arts under normal circumstances.

In 2012, Julie Crouch, Executive Director of the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council (CTFAC), was challenged to find a new avenue of outreach to the local special needs community. The mission of the CTFAC is to enrich the artistic environment and make art accessible to all citizens of the Cross Timbers Area. “I immediately contacted Cathy and asked her how can we meet this challenge,” Julie said. “We needed someone to administer and direct the program and I knew Cathy was the best.

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Erath County Living

She jumped at the chance and she has created something amazing. She was given carte blanche on the curriculum as far as how she does and what she does to accomplish this vision. Across the curriculum the participants encounter all kinds of art mediums. She truly helps to achieve our mission, to give access of the arts to all citizens.”

Working as a Board Certified Music Therapist in the Cross Timbers Area since 1978, Cathy is aware of the benefits available by going beyond the classroom for this sector of the community. “Julie asked if I had some ideas for providing arts-related experiences for people in our community with disabilities. I was so familiar with the interests, needs, and challenges of all these individuals, that the idea for the AccessARTS project just jumped in my head.”

Quickly the program took shape and the group found itself with two main purposes according to Cathy. “The purposes of the AccessARTS program are to provide

Hometown Living At Its Best

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opportunities for individuals in the community and students in Stephenville and Dublin ISD schools who have significant developmental disabilities and other challenges to participate actively in enriching learning experiences focusing on classic visual art, drama, and music, and to provide a resource for teachers and classroom aids for effectively teaching the fine arts in their life skills classrooms.”

Currently, students enrolled in the life skills classes in all levels of the Stephenville and Dublin ISD are participating in the AccessARTS program. The program is also offered to around two dozen adults with special needs in the community. Reaching out to those who are often unable to participate in traditional programs benefits everyone per Cathy. “Our community as a whole benefits any time the lives of a specific group of people are enriched. Each class or group takes a field trip to my home arts studio (AccessARTS Clubhouse) for a one-time 2-hour AccessARTS experience. Each session is custom-designed to meet the needs of the individual students. Because I spend time weekly with each of these individuals in music therapy at their schools or other venues, I am personally familiar with each of these individuals, so I can customize the arts experiences in a way that allows each person to participate to their maximum potential. The AccessARTS Clubhouse provides customized opportunities for our friends with significant limitations to experience the fine arts and to

With all parts working together, an underserved portion of the community is now bringing new levels of beauty to better Stephenville’s public places.

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Erath County Living

join with others to create artistic masterpieces in their own style. “ Due to the work of the CTFAC and a sponsorship from the Stephenville Evening Lions Club, the AccessARTS program brings all the community together to experience art through creation or appreciation. The art created by the program is displayed throughout town in public places. They have a large collaborative painting of van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ on permanent display in the children’s section of the Stephenville Library. With all parts working together, an underserved portion of the community is now bringing new levels of beauty to better Stephenville’s public places.

For more information on the program, contact Cathy Knoll CathyKnoll@gmail.com or Julie Crouch at the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council julie@ctfac.com.

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By Joyce Whitis Photos by Cross B Photography

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After his championship in ’88, he finished 2nd in ’89 to Tuff Hedeman, then claimed another championship in ’90.

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Sundown on the Square

The 2nd annual Sundown on the Square was once again a great success.

Many gathered to celebrate and honor the legendary Erath County Pro Rodeo Cowboys and Cowgirls and also took part in the enjoyment of wonderful entertainment, great food, and good friends. We’re already looking forward to next years event!

Photos courtesy of

Riley Studio

TWENTY YEARS OF

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Quilting Memories

Erath County Living

BY PEGGY PURSER FREEMAN PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE QUILT GUILD AND TAKEN BY RILEY STUDIO

I

n past centuries women came together out of necessity to create quilts for warmth and beauty.

At the old-time quilting bees, they joined their fabric like they did their lives, their hopes, and their dreams. Memories intermingled with colors and fabrics.

Joy and sorrow pieced together to form the friendship as intricate patterns and designs created something new from something old. Each quilt we see invokes memories of playing under grandma’s quilting frame, and those memories settle over us and into our hearts. The love and attention to detail stitched into each homemade quilt outlives the maker and surrounds the owners in beauty and warmth.

Celebrating twenty years as a guild, the members of Town ‘N Country Quilt Guild come together each month to share their lives and their love of quilting. The Guild began with 32 charter members. Their purpose remains the same today as it was then: To meet other quilters, to share, to learn, and teach anyone with the same interest. To preserve the heritage of beauty, diligence, and love embodied in those quilts handed down to us.

To acknowledge and encourage a concern for excellence of design, craftsmanship, and quality of materials as we perpetuate this American folk art. To become a source of information, education, and inspiration.

The first annual quilt show was held November 21-22, 1998 at the Mark and Briar Patch on Belknap Street. In 2000 the quilt show, held at the TAMU Research Center, featured a quilt depicting da Vinci’s Last Supper. That quilt was made of 51,816 pieces of half-inch square fabric.

Quilters with the children at Foster’s Home for Children.

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Erath County Living

“In 2002 the quilt show became a bi-annual event and was held in the County Courthouse on the Square in Stephenville,” Judith Meador, Guild historian, explained.

“At the time, few local quilt shows were held in such surroundings with the general public conducting business during the show.”

Over the years, group projects and individual projects by members have raised money for the community, honored heroes, and warmed those in need. Perhaps their most ambitious project shows the true miracle of quilts. The project, Quilts for Foster’s Home for Children, became the joy of many members. A driving force in that project was Mary Harris.

“We wanted there to be a couple of quilts on hand at the Foster’s Home for Children at all times so that each child would have a choice when they picked their quilt,” Mary explained. “On several occasions, when we took our

Wednesday Sewing Bee Annette Bradberry_Charter Members Dianna Frazor, Mayfield Elsie, Tolley Linnadelle, Lee Ann Frazor

then held a workday to sack the quilts (put in batting and stitch on the backing). Approximately ten guild members work about six hours each workday. The quilts were then quilted and taken to Foster’s Home in groups of about nine per quarter so that quilts were always available as children arrived. At the Guild’s quilt show in October 2010, the Foster’s Home for Children presented the Town ‘N Country Quilt Guild with the Myrtie Foster “Spirit of Sacrifice” Award.

In 2014 and 2016 the quilt show was moved to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Attendees can view beautiful quilts of all sizes and media, shop at vendor booths or the country store, have a quilt appraised, purchase a miniquilt, have scissors sharpened, or enjoy a delicious lunch of chicken salad sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes and pie. Quilt shows are held only in even-numbered years.

Tuesday Sewing Bee_Sharla Riddle, Mary Jones, Judy Meador, Kathie Cherry, Martha Jones (sewing) Hazel Ashcraft

In 2005 the guild members

donated 55 quilts for the children at Foster’s Home, providing a quilt for each resident.

quarterly group of quilts, we were able to be there when the child picked their quilt. On one occasion this young boy, who was approximately ten years of age, asked one of the quilt guild members if she knew why he had picked this particular quilt. She said no, she didn’t know why he had picked the quilt. The boy pointed to a particular fabric in the quilt and said, ‘That is because of this fabric.

Because I had something at home that had this (fabric) in it.’”

In 2005 the guild members donated 55 quilts for the children at Foster’s Home, providing a quilt for each resident. The quilt belonged to the child to be used at Foster’s Home and to go with the child when he left. The chairperson organized a workday to make approximately 30 kits for members who stitched the tops. The group

Carolyn Hayes and Anna Stilwell (left), two-term president with her great grandmother, Margaret Alla Horton’s quilt dated 1898.

Connie Hansen “Best of Show” 2016 Hometown Living At Its Best

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Pat White, Judy Meador and Kathie Cherry worked hard to create this quilt for Art Briles. It was presented to him and appriased for $1,250.

In odd-number years the Guild has joined with Cross Timbers Fine Arts Center for the “Joy of Quilting” exhibit. This month-long exhibit provides an opportunity for the community to enjoy the quilts created by the Guild and for members to display their many talents.

Kathie Cherry, current Guild president, invites guests to attend a meeting. “The Town ‘N Country Quilt Guild currently meets at 1:00 on the first Saturday of each month at Texas A&M University’s AgriLife and Research Center. Prior to each meeting the members enjoy lunch, socialize, discuss their latest projects, or visit the library.

During the meeting, members participate in an agenda, which takes care of the business. The Sunshine and Shadows chairperson relay the joys, illnesses, or sorrows of members and their families.”

The Block-of-the-Month chairperson explains the construction of a traditional or modern block. At times, 68

Erath County Living

the members may participate in a round robin; each member constructs the middle block and puts extra fabric in a bag. Each month the bag is given to another member, who will make an additional round. At a specified time, the quilts are revealed. Members also participate in charm, square or block exchanges.

A favorite event during each meeting is the Show and Share portion where members display their latest creations to the membership. Programs may be presented by members, local stitchers, or internationally known quilt instructors. Guild members also volunteer at 4-H Clothing Camp each July.

In 2003 the Guild became a member of Texas Association of Quilt Guilds. Each year at Rally Day the Town ‘N Country members have an opportunity to sell raffle tickets for their quilt, hear an internationally-known quilter/speaker, win door prizes, and enjoy fellowship

coasters for Meals on Wheels. Members made a quilt for Project Graduation 2007, cancer caps and pillows for cancer victims, and two quilts for Fisher House in Dallas.

Each year the Guild prepares a quilt for raffles. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets is presented annually to a local charity.

In almost twenty years the Town ‘N Country Quilt Guild has grown in numbers. They remain active in the Guild, sharing their talent, their passion for the craft of quilting, and love for one another and their community.

Each quilt we see invokes

memories of playing under

grandma’s quilting frame, and

those memories settle over us and into our hearts.

2016 Threads of Texas Quilt Show Committee_Nancy Scouten, Mary Harris, Mary Jones, Sharla Riddle, Kathie Cherry, Pat McNeely, & Hazel Ashcra

with quilters from across the state.

Guild member Pat White proudly talks about many hours members give to charities. “Recently, a few of us were asked to create a t-shirt quilt for the legendary coach, Art Briles. I searched high and low and collected over 250 t-shirts from garage sales and more for t-shirts from the Briles coaching era. Judy Meador stitched the quilt and Kathie Cherry machine quilted it.” At a recent United Way fundraiser, Coach Briles received the quilt.

The memories held in those old t-shirts touched him. Pat added, “We almost made him cry.”

The members of TNCQG have prepared baby items for newborns, bags of personal care items for battered women’s shelters, bibs for an orphanage in China, bags, totes, pillowcases, and pillows for Child Protective Services. They provided throws and adult bibs to local nursing homes, lap quilts for veterans, placemats and

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Hometown Living At Its Best

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Erath County Living

Sarah Miller:

Justice is Served

By Joyce Whitis Photos by Whitney Chilton Photography

I

t was a long election process that eliminated one male opponent but did not determine a winner between country girl, Sarah Miller and Bill Shannon, State Representative. There had to be a run-off for Justice of the Peace. Sarah must have sighed because it had been a tiring race what with walking across the county knocking on doors and asking for “your vote, please.” She knew that it would be hard, introducing herself to the voters, partly because she was a woman and folks back in 1972 generally thought of that elected position going to a man. And then she had always been in the background working as a clerk in the JP’s office. But she had listened and learned and was confident that she could handle the job. When she filed for the elective office, most people told her straight out that she didn’t have a chance.

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Well, some folks didn’t know Sarah Miller! She was a determined lady and was willing to work hard for whatever she thought was worthwhile. She had attended East Texas State, as had her husband, Bob. They met in college, married and lived in Dallas for a while, both working but living on one salary and saving the other because they wanted to have a cattle ranch in the country.

So that’s where Erath County came in. In 1960 they found an ideal place just off the Alexander Highway in the middle of Erath County. The couple bought the land and the house came with it. They started raising Herefords, and adding onto the house and Bill and Kathy, their children joined in making the new place home.

“So we fell in love with this place and Stephenville and enjoyed being a part of life in the country,” Sarah said.

Sarah took a job as deputy clerk in the Justice of the Peace office in Stephenville; working for JP S.W. Miller (no relation). She was his clerk for three years when he decided not to run for office in ’72 and urged her to try.

“Well, I really wanted the job, but everyone said that I didn’t have a chance. There weren’t many women in office then and besides, two very capable men were running.

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She decided that the best thing for her to do was have some cards printed to introduce herself and start walking, knocking on doors. She handed a gentleman that she didn’t know a card one day. He took it, studied it and looked her in the eye as he scratched his chin. “Well the men have got this thing so messed up I guess I might as well give a woman a try!”

Results of the Primary Election determined a runoff between Bill Shannon, former state representative and the little lady that had walked the soles off her shoes asking for votes. The result of all those miles of walking and those hours of talking was a glorious win for the first woman Justice of the Peace in Erath County.

In 1972 the Erath County Courthouse had undergone some major changes from the original plan with offices crowded together completely covering up the atrium that today graces the beautifully restored building. The JP’s offices were on the second floor, and there was hardly any room for regular business much less special occasions such as a marriage ceremony.

“I remember that first wedding that I performed,” Sarah’s eyes lit up as she laughed. This man called and

said he and his fiancée were on their way to San Antonio and they wanted to stop in Stephenville and have me do the honors. I told them that I was new in office, a woman, and had never conducted a marriage ceremony. He laughed and said, ‘well we’ve done it before, and so we’ll help.’”

That was the first of 1,697 weddings Judge Miller performed between January 1975 and November 1998.

Several times she was asked to perform marriage ceremonies between inmates at the county jail. Most ceremonies were very plain and simple, a few elaborate.

Whatever the situation, the words are the same and the couple is legally married.

In August of ’74, Erath County residents faced a major turn of events that shook up the population. One warm Saturday evening as most folks were finishing up the day’s chores or heading out for dinner and meeting with friends, every radio and television news broadcast warned residents that their generally quiet life on the farm was just about to change! They listened as a tale of terror that affected residents of Erath County, especially the northern part, which is generally heavily wooded, unfolded. Three criminals broke jail in Colorado and headed for Erath County, former home of one escaped convict. They had shot and killed a rancher in west Texas and taken three young girls prisoners that they had with them. Law enforcement thought they had stakes in Erath County and the report was “armed and dangerous.” In a few minutes

an excited voice came from the speaker, “Mrs. Ott, a housewife in the north part of the county, has been shot by one of the bandits as she tried to run away!” They broke into homes, terrorizing residents, stealing cars and guns.

They fired several rounds into a passing car, injuring the occupants, finally wrecking a stolen car on a curve and taking out on foot into the woods along highway 2303.

“Every television station was trained on Erath County for three days until the convicts were cornered on the Wise Ranch on the Lingleville Road,” Sarah said. “They had been killing the dogs at every place they stopped and their hiding spot was found because of the barking of the Wises’ big dog. I think he was part Great Dane and he wouldn’t stop barking at the woods back of the house. The officers shot and killed one of the men and the other two surrendered and went to jail. Another one died later while in prison and the third is serving life without parole.

“I generally had 15 or 20 cases a month. I remember one case way back there that had 22 or 23 people involved in a cruelty to animals case in which they were raising and fighting roosters. John Terrill was the county attorney and Bob Glasgow was the district attorney. The officers brought in all these fighting roosters and we had them caged all over the courthouse lawn. There was a regular

Sarah Miller fought a hard campaign to win her office as Justice of the Peace but that was the first and only time she had an opponent.

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crowd of spectators, the individuals being charged, the attorneys and myself. Some plea-bargaining went on so the fine for betting was accessed and I fined each the maximum. After that we heard there was contract out on my life and for the longest time, whenever I looked in my rearview mirror, there was a law-enforcement officer following me.”

“I was always on call, 24/7, and the calls that I hated most were those that came during the early hours. There were many but one that I remember…the very worst scene…ever… was those two boys out by the cheese plant that were hit by two trucks going in opposite directions.”

She stopped talking and walked the floor as if fighting to keep from remembering that heart-breaking scene.

Stopping she held her hand out and lowered it to about two feet from the floor.

“That Ford Explorer was smashed to just about this high. The bodies were strewn all over the highway. It was a scene almost unbearable to witness and I’ll never get it out of my mind.”

Another death that has left deep shadows on the retired JP’s mind is the murder and mutilation of a young girl by a dope dealer and big time gangster known as Comancho. He lived in Dallas primarily, but with a sidekick that was a Stephenville hometown boy and others brought an exotic dancer that had offended Comancho back to Erath County and ran her body through a tree shredder on a farm between Stephenville and Lingleville.

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Erath County Living

She has said that she treats people like she wants to be treated and that is the way she ran her office as Justice of the Peace.

“I can never forget walking that place with the FBI looking for any parts of that young woman so she could be identified. They were able to collect tiny body fragments and hair so that her mother identified her by matching that hair to the hair in her hairbrush.”

Comancho died by lethal injection for that and other crimes including another murder. Others involved are serving or have served time in federal prison.

Sarah Miller fought a hard campaign to win her office as Justice of the Peace but that was the first and only time she had an opponent. She retired because that was her wish, not because she lost an election. After 24 years and thousands of cases, she left office to take care of her mother so she would not have to go to a nursing home.

Bob’s father was already living in their home.

“Neither my mother, nor Bob’s father ever had to go to a “care” facility. They were right here with us,” Sarah said.

Eventually, when Bob got sick, it was Sarah who cared for her husband at home until he passed away.

Today Sarah is happy with her many activities, including the Republican Women’s Organization and the many activities at First Baptist Church; her little dog and her cat that came off the road. She likes visitors that enjoy a trip to the country where there is always a friendly face beside an open door. She has said that she treats people like she wants to be treated and that is the way she ran her office as Justice of the Peace.

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COWGIRL CORNER with

Kayelen Helton

All I wanted to do from the time I was five years old was ride horses. I started in the junior rodeos and am still competing every weekend. I was the first back-to-back Texas high school state champion breakaway roper. I have won many titles in the professional events such as the WPRA, USTRC, and World Series of team roping. I received a rodeo scholarship to Tarleton and loved every minute of it and that is why I chose to stay in Erath County. I love the area, the people, and the town.

Photos provided by Kayelen Helton

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F U N FAC T S A B O U T K AY E L E N 1 . If I won the lottery the first thing I’d buy is an indoor

6 . Besides

arena since the weather is always doing something crazy!

necessities,

2 . I’d like to learn to be able to fix things around my

something I

house because I always feel like something is breaking and I'm having to call someone to fix it.

3 . My perfect day is having my closest friends/family at the house for a cookout and roping.

able to go a day without are my animals because they are the best therapy for me.

4 . If I could live in any time period it would probably be

7 . My favorite subject in school was history, I love

the 1800s because I've always enjoyed learning about that

learning about the past.

period and the civil war. I love plantation style houses and the dresses the women wore.

5 . My biggest pet peeves are not shutting doors on the horse trailer and leaving cups/plates out on the table.

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wouldn’t be

Erath County Living

8 . In 10 years, I hope I'm married, still roping and counseling and living in Erath County!!

9 . My top three fears are failing at a goal, heights and falling, and losing people that are close to me.

Photo by Dudley Barker Photography

1 0 . My favorite family tradition is the cooking

1 6 . I wish that the social media/phone obsession

that we do together during the holidays.

would go away and people would get back to having

1 1 . My weirdest talent I used to do when I was

real conversations in person instead of on their

baby: I could spin my pacifier in my mouth.

1 2 . My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla, simple but the best.

1 3 . If I could live in a book, TV show or movie, I would be detective on Criminal Minds or Law and Order: SVU.

1 4 . The animal that best represents me is probably a dog because I'm loyal to the ones I love.

1 5 . If I could have a superpower I would be able to fly because sometimes I do not like having to drive for long hours.

phones all the time.

1 7 . The thing that motivates me the most is the feeling of accomplishment, and I love competing.

1 8 . The craziest thing I’ve ever done was when I rented a wheelchair and faked being hurt so that we did not have to wait in the lines at six flags. They let us go to the front of every ride.

1 9 . I’m a morning person! I do not like being up late at night.

2 0 . Three things from my bucket list are to go to Alaska and go fishing, travel to Italy and take cooking classes, and travel and rope in as many states as possible.

"All I wanted to do from the time I was five years old was ride horses."

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Floyd’s Café

By Joyce Whitis Photos by S. Roskilly Photography

S

ome say that you can’t miss it! Others say they never saw it! It depends upon how long you have lived around here or maybe whether you are traveling down highway 108 looking for a good place to eat. If you live anywhere close, you know the reputation of this historic building as a friendly place to stop, eat a satisfying meal, enjoy some conversation, and relax.

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Meanwhile you are sure to enjoy yourself by looking at the photos displayed on the back counter; new gray photos copied from those in the Thurber Museum thirteen or fourteen miles up the highway north beside Interstate 20. Floyd’s Café is just the most recent occupant of this famous old weathered two-story building. This building is properly known as Hannibal AM & FM Lodge #564. The men belonging to the Lodge still meet upstairs just like they have since the ’20s when they bought the two-story wooden building, used as a grocery store during the time that Thurber was a mining town.

When Thurber closed down and the owners sold all the houses where the miners had lived, the store buildings and everything that was moveable; Lodge members bought this building. It was separated in two pieces and moved in sections down what is today State Highway 108 to a piece of land about 13 miles north of Stephenville.

It must have been something to see as the building was moved in sections on log skids pulled by mules and horses.

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Erath County Living

George W. and Nora Stewart gave up a piece of their land there beside the road for the building now named Hannibal Lodge Hall. The building sits there today, just a couple of miles east of the Hannibal Methodist Church and Cemetery. George was a member of AM & FM Lodge #564 and was proud to locate this outstanding building in Hannibal, a location settled mainly by Confederate veterans in late 1860s and early ’70s. Lodge members reassembled the building, and in 1930 the bottom floor was reopened as a grocery store, like it had been in Thurber, while the Lodge members met upstairs by way of an outside staircase.

Through the years there have been many residents paying lease money to the Lodge in order to run a business downstairs. It has been a general store with gas pumps and the only stop between Stephenville and Interstate 20 (formally Highway 80). It has provided a meeting place for local domino games, community organizations and various times as a café.

During the three days in August 1974 that this area was “treed” by three convicts that terrorized this part of the county, it provided a place for neighbors to gather with their families and unite behind their guns until one of the convicts was shot and the other two caught.

Hannibal Lodge members have rented the bottom

floor to several local residents through the years including the Gordons, the Fulfers, the Morings, the Venables, the Gardners, the Careys, the McInroe Sisters, the Stockstills, the Halls, and others.

And now it is the Floyds’! In this space and in this time, Floyd’s Café is very welcome to those looking for a good place to eat and visit with neighbors. It is also a welcome to travelers down busy Highway 108 headed north or south. Floyd’s Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 to 9:00 with specials everyday including fish on Friday and steak on Saturday.

Homemade desserts are ready every day.

Tyge and Connie Floyd are local folks that happened to graduate Stephenville High School in the same class.

That was 1985 and the two had other friends in that class and never got to know each other then. Tyge had many friends at Huckabay High School, which he had attended for three years. It was only after returning in 2015 for

Stephenville Homecoming, that a mutual attraction blossomed into marriage.

“Each one of us had done pretty much what we wanted to do for years,” Tyge said as he smiled across the room at his wife as she waited on customers seated at a table of six.“I remember when I was in school in Huckabay and I decided that I wanted to enter the Ready Writing competition in UIL. My teacher didn’t think that I should try that but I insisted and then I won! I have always been like that. I know what I can do and I will give it everything I have to accomplish success. For several years since I left Erath County I have traveled the world wherever the job I wanted took me. I was always interested in hunting and fishing and I found that I could make a good living by taking others to places where they could hunt and fish and be successful. So that’s what I have done since about 2000. It was interesting and profitable, but times and situations have changed and

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Erath County Living

finally I just realized that I wasn’t having a good time anymore. I spent 250 days out of 365 traveling to other places in the world, far away from home. I met hundreds of interesting people and I was able to help them pursue their goals which was satisfying, but gradually I guess that I got homesick. I wanted to come home. I was looking for something else to add to my life. I went to school at Huckabay, played basketball, enjoyed school, and made some permanent friends. I transferred to Stephenville my senior year and graduated there. So when I came back and saw the planned reunion, well…. I just decided to go. I met Connie there and as they say, ‘the rest is history.’”

Connie, who had been listening to her husband, came over and sat down.

“Well I was tired too of doing what I was doing and that was in the medical field. I wanted to work for myself instead of others,” she said. “I began to see that I needed to be my own boss, plan something the way I thought it ought to go. I’ll work hard, get there early and stay late if I think that is the right thing to do. With this café, I get up at 5:00, five days a week so that I can make deserts for the day. Right now I come to the café and make apple pie, peach cobbler and chocolate cake. I use my own recipes.

“I plan to live the rest of my life in this community. It is the best. This is home.”

– Tyge Floyd I also make the meatloaf that we have printed on the menu.”

“She’s the kind of woman that won the West,” Tyge laughed as he looked at his wife with pleasure. “You would think that we leased this café so she would have a place to work! Well…maybe we did.”

The Floyds recently bought a place near Huckabay and Hannibal, and Tyge is spending a lot of time ‘fixin’ it up.’ “I enjoy building things and making improvements.

I really want to have a place here where neighbors and those that like our country atmosphere will come and enjoy a good meal and relax awhile with friends.

“I plan to live the rest of my life in this community. It is the best. This is home.”

Connie smiled at her husband. “That’s what we both want and we are willing to work hard to get it. Floyd’s Café…..has a nice sound to it,” she said.

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Phone: 968-4668 OPEN 6 AM

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Erath County Living

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Stephenville Chamber Happenings Stephenville Chamber of Commerce continues to bring people together through their numerous and fun filled events that take place throughout the year. Here are some of the highlights from the last few months. To find out more about upcoming events call the Stephenville Chamber at (254) 965-5313 or visit their website at www.stephenvilletexas.org.

Photos courtesy of

Safe Trick 'R Treat Costume Contest Winners - Ages 0-1

Safe Trick 'R Treat Costume Contest Winners - Ages 2-3

Safe Trick 'R Treat Costume Contest Winners - Ages 4-7

Stephenville Chamber of Commerce

Holly Jolly Christmas FestivaL 2016 The Christmas spirit was shining bright all around Downtown Stephenville as families enjoyed caroling, hay rides, dancers, snow ball fights, choirs, carriage rides, live nativity, photos with Santa, shopping, food and more at the annual Holly Jolly Christmas Festival hosted by the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce and SPARD. A huge thanks to our many sponsors, performers, vendors and volunteers that helped provide a memorable experience for so many in our community!

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Erath County Living

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Erath County Living

DR. JOHN HUBBARD’S MISSION:

Economic Growth for Stephenville

By Martha Helton Photos by Lindsey Sullivan Photography and provided by Dr. John Hubbard

“The Cowboy Capital of the World” was formed in 1854 when John M. Stephen donated land for the county courthouse, building lots for his fellow settlers and for several churches. In return, the town was named Stephenville and was designated the county seat. Since then, the city has endured frontier hardships, Comanche raids, and virtually became a ghost town during the Civil War when citizens were forced to leave. In 1871 agriculture and livestock proliferated. Stephenville became incorporated in 1889 with the arrival of The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway. In the 1890s, many of the buildings around the town square were built, Tarleton State University opened, and the community’s two newspapers merged to become the Empire-Tribune, which is still in existence. The 20th century brought more industry and the population has steadily increased.

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Stephenville’s 150+ years of fluctuating economic growth and history culminated into the formation of the Stephenville Economic Development Authority (SEDA) in 2015. The desire for a more deliberate strategy for the city’s growth nudged the city leaders to form this organization, made up of seven members selected by the City Council. The city is fortunate to have the very accomplished SEDA executive director Dr. John Hubbard helping steer the city toward prosperity and growth.

The running joke is the newly formed task force already went through its first director; she worked four days and quit. “I like to tell people, I’m not the first but I’m the longest tenured director,” Hubbard chuckled, a very tall, very affable gentleman. I visited with the director in his office, tucked behind a gift shop on the square. Our voices echoed slightly off the 100+ year old hardwood floors and cream-colored walls.

Originally Hubbard was a bit underwhelmed with the town of Stephenville. “But then when I got here and started driving around and started talking to people, I was won over. Businesses like FMC and Saint-Gobain are very involved in serving the city. We have hardworking people, friendly, caring people that care about the community.”

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As director of a new organization, Hubbard explains: “There are a lot of growing pains. But that’s the fun part about it - the challenge of getting all the processes together. The board has done a really good job of getting all the basic elements of SEDA in place. We need to really hone in on the mission statement—get what our target market is, what we want to be when we grow up, who we want to serve. Once we have that, we can say who we’re going to be.” Dr. Hubbard’s energy and passion exuded as he talked. The bottom line for his role in the economic development of Stephenville, he shared, “is about community development and giving the citizens what they want.”

Originally from Detroit, Dr. Hubbard migrated to Texas, went to Abilene Christian University, then off to Texas Tech and then eventually over to the metroplex.

He has a wealth of experience and credentials as a city manager, an adjunct professor, as executive director of Hutchins EDC with certifications as a Certified Economic Developer, an Economic Development Finance Professional and Professional Community Economic Developer. He also was selected as the 2015 Outstanding Human Capital Development Ph.D. student at the University of Southern Mississippi.

His last job before SEDA was in Balch Springs.

Because trying to complete his dissertation while working full-time was so overwhelming to him, Hubbard resigned his position as economic director for the City of Balch Springs after five years of service to concentrate full-time on writing his dissertation. The title of his dissertation is “Is Human Capital Development the Missing Element of the Aerotropolis Model?” Dr. Hubbard further explained: “Human Capital Development (HCD) is the investment of people as a resource. The aerotropolis was coined by John Kasarda meaning ‘airport city.’” He gestured as he talked, with an intent look on his face. “In my study I asked if training affects economic development efforts around airports. The study is not only helpful as I look for ways of developing Stephenville’s airport (Clark Field), but the tools from the HCD program have helped me in my job as executive director at SEDA.” Hubbard shared more about the airport vision and more: “We’re about to extend the runway at the airport, and that will give us the opportunity to bring in bigger businesses. The city owns about 109 acres around the airport. It’s an opportunity and a strength. We need to take advantage of our Agribusiness. Tarleton just received a grant to research environmental friendly ways of using

A high priority for many Stephenville residents, according to Hubbard, is to see another grocery store added to their community. cow waste. We have a lot of engineering students here, but students get their education here and then they leave.

What we need to do is attract businesses and with the airport, we can bring people here and keep people here.

That’s my vision but it’s has to be the vision of the board and the community as well. But it’s my job to educate and kind of steer them that way.”

“Right now we’re working on a deal where we have all the requirements the prospect wants—the people, the transportation and the training. What’s really good about Tarleton and Stephenville is we do have a really good mechanism in place for training the people.” Hubbard has been working on this project from day one but isn’t at liberty yet to talk about it yet.

A high priority for many Stephenville residents, according to Hubbard, is to see another grocery store added to their community. There is only a Wal-Mart Hometown Living At Its Best

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wants to come in to the city but they want to be located near a traffic signal because that’s going to increase their business. But you can’t just arbitrarily put in a traffic signal…and then a traffic signal costs a quarter of a million dollars. Then the business would have to justify if the traffic signal is worth a quarter of a million dollars.

Maybe the business will pay for the stop sign. We might do a traffic study to see if it’s justifiable.”

Outside of work he participates in a 100+ volunteer men’s acapella group called the Vocal Majority. Mission statements and goal-setting components even filter through his brain while talking about the group. Listen to this (Hubbard plays a Vocal Majority song on his iPhone): “I asked myself, ‘what’s so great about that group?’--One of these days I’m going to do a study on it—because we won twelve international gold medals. I don’t think the singers aren’t any better than other barbershop choruses.

But there are certain characteristics our music leadership team has adopted and applied to the chorus that sets us apart from other barbershop groups. We lost one time to

and an HEB—many residents travel to Granbury for more variety. Because Hubbard has a lot of contacts “just by being old and knowing people,” that will help him hammer out deals with businesses to come to Stephenville. “We also go to conferences--there’s this one-International Council of Shopping Centers--that’s a good one to go to. I target people based on our demographics.”

Larger companies already know where they want to go, explained Hubbard. “Like CVS…they’re shaped the same. They’re on a hard corner where a traffic signal is located. They have it figured out to traffic count, population, and household income. They know if they put their stores in a certain location they can anticipate exactly what they can sell down to what they can stock in the aisles. They have it down to a science.”

Smaller mom and pop stores aren’t as knowledgeable.

“I had a lady in Balch Springs come see me and said she liked to cook fish. She had no business plan so I walked her through that. What I do is look at businesses based on what they want, based on what we have. Say a business 100

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a group who had modeled themselves after us. After that we sat back and asked ourselves, ‘What’s our mission?’

We wanted to touch people’s hearts. Simple. Those same things can even apply to SEDA. We’re a new organization.

We need to decide what our mission is--then take those steps to be the best in the world. Vocal Majority is nothing special in itself—I think it are the processes and the attitude of the chorus that makes it special and that’s what I’m going to do—apply those principles to this organization here. That’s what I’m hoping to do.”

Touching people’s hearts and lives in Stephenville, Texas through giving citizens the amenities they want… is a mission eagerly undertaken by Dr. John Hubbard.

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

2016 Cowboy Capital of the World The Cowboy Capital of the World once again hosted an amazing rodeo event.

More than 600 cowboys and cowgirls from all over the world participated and over $140,000 in awards was paid out in winnings. Congratulations to all the champions!

Photos courtesy of

Cross B P hotography

S M A L L-TO W N S U C C E S S S T O R Y:

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Twisted J is a brand that started with humble beginnings in Stephenville, Texas and rose to achieve worldwide appeal.

BY T.C. MCKEOWN PHOTOS BY SOUTHERN GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

D

eriving its name with inspiration from the family’s surname and the family ranch, Cody and Luann Johnson started the Twisted J brand six years ago in the form of a boutique.

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“It’s harder to make a living as a rancher than it used to be, and after my father passed away, I wanted to take the ranch in a different direction,” Cody said. “So, my wife and I came up with the name Twisted J, and we’ve sort of morphed into a clothing company.”

The boutique—which started out being operated by only Luann and the Johnsons’ eldest daughter, Bayli—quickly grew in popularity amongst Stephenville shoppers.

“The boutique really took off and started to shape our brand. Then, we woke up one day, about two-and-a-half years ago, and found ourselves opening up a clothing company,” Cody said.

Today, Twisted J has its own apparel line that includes comfortable, durable T-shirts; gorgeous, uniquelydesigned tanks, blouses, and dresses; and an exquisite collection of denims of all cuts; plus shoes, boots, and even items like jewelry, accessories, and home décor.

Additionally, Twisted J offers custom screen-printing, embroidery, and patches.

What’s more is that the Johnson family ranch is now home to Corriente roping cattle, quarter horse

The boutique—which started out being operated by only Luann and the Johnsons’ eldest daughter, Bayli— quickly grew in popularity amongst Stephenville shoppers.

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broodmares, and a top-notch training facility for barrelhorse-racing and cattle roping.

“Once we got more knowledgeable about the industry and the avenues we wanted to pursue, we started to see more success,” Cody said.

The Johnsons work with major companies from all over the world and with national and regional rodeos, where they advertise their brand by way of merchandise, apparel, and sponsorships. They even partner with entertainers like Steven Tyler (yes, Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith fame).

“When Steven Tyler was putting out a country album last year, he was looking for a company to work with to fit his new style and they came across us,” Cody said.

Soon, the Johnsons and Tyler were collaborating on something much bigger. In April of 2016, it was announced that Twisted J would be presenting Steven Tyler live in New York City at the Lincoln Center. The concert, which helped to kick off the musician’s “Out On a Limb” tour, served to benefit Janie’s Fund: a philanthropic initiative founded by Tyler to provide support for girls that have been abused.

“It was a great time and it was for a great cause,” Cody said of the experience. “We got to go up to New York City, get all dressed up and walk down the red carpet with

Steven. We’ve since worked with him on several projects.”

In fact, at the time of writing this article, Cody and Luann were at the Professional Bull Riding World Finals in Las Vegas, where Steven Tyler was headlining the event.

“It’s because of [Steven Tyler] that we’re out here and it’s because of us that he’s out here! So it’s just really cool how it all meshes together,” Cody Johnson said.

2016 has been a big year for the Johnsons as Cody and Luann were invited to attend the Golden Globes and the Oscars, where Twisted J T-Shirts were included in the luxury gift bags for celebrity attendees. The Johnsons and their product were such a hit, that they were invited back to the Globes and Oscars in 2017.

Continuing to shine bright in the limelight, Twisted J T-shirts were also featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show as part of her ‘Favorite Things’ section.

Twisted J T-shirts were also featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show as part of her ‘Favorite Things’ section.

Cody credits their success to a few different things: a huge social media campaign, which is only bolstered when celebrities like Steven Tyler start hashtagging your brand; advertising at events like the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals (PBR); word-of-mouth; and a lot of hard work, plus a little bit of luck.

“We also try really hard to sell what’s trending at the moment,” Cody admits. “What’s happening this week may not be happening next week so there’s no telling, and we just try to stay on top of it all.”

Additionally, Cody says that spontaneity is a key factor in why he feels he and his wife have been so successful with their company.

“We just had wild ideas and big dreams,” Cody said.

“I’m sure if we had studied [business] or worked at the details for too long we would have been too scared to even try anything, but we just jumped in with both feet.

We didn’t have a clue what we were doing when we first started but we learned as we went along.”

The business isn’t just a husband-and-wife team, however; it’s a full-on family affair. Bayli still has a hand

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in the boutique side of the business: placing orders and managing schedules for boutique employees (it’s not just a mother and daughter store anymore!). She also helps with planning events and managing the booths at expos such as the PBR and NFR. The Johnsons’ youngest daughter, Tori, 21, is in charge of shipping; 15-year-old Clay is tech-savvy, so he runs the IT side of things; and Cody’s mother, Linda “Mamaw” Johnson, works embroidery.

“It’s an absolute honor to work with my family,” Cody said. “And we work very hard. We might say we love each other as we walk out of the room, but we all have our jobs and at work it’s work. We take it seriously and I’m very proud of my kids and everyone who works with us.”

Cody says that is one of the best parts of his job: working with his family; and the Johnsons brag about the rest of their employees, saying, “we have such an amazing group that give so much of themselves [to this company] and we just can’t say enough how much we appreciate them.”

“We’ve just met so many great people in this business,” Cody said. “If it wasn’t for this business, we never would have had the opportunities that we’ve had.

I don’t know what the future holds for us, but we’re just going to keep on putting out quality products that people enjoy.”

To shop the Twisted J apparel and accessory line online visit www.getalittletwisted.com You can also shop in person at their new store location: 2285 N. U.S. Hwy 377 in Stephenville. Not in Stephenville? Visit the website to find authorized retailers near you.

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2824 E Washington (Bus. 377) • Stephenville • 254-968-0037 114

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS 22nd Annual Choices Banquet The Choices Life Resource Center held their 22nd annual banquet on October 22nd 2016. The evening was a huge success thanks to the many who attended to hear special guest speaker Lieutenant Colonol Oliver. To learn more about this Christian ministry dedicated to preserving the value of human life, you can visit them online at www.choicesinlife.org, call them at 254-965-6031 or visit them at their office located at 1902 W Sloan Street in Stephenville.

Photos courtesy of

Justin Knippers and Meghan Dahlke.

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DIAB ETE S: EMPOWERING THROUGH

E DU CAT I ON everal years ago, Larry Fletcher faced numerous health issues.

Living with diabetes and a survivor of both a stroke and openheart surgery, he was unable to do tasks most of us take for granted.

“If I dropped something on the floor, I’d have to hold onto the wall to lower myself down, then crawl over to where it was and use the wall to help me get back up again,” he recalls.

But then he joined the Diabetes Self-Management Program at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville, the only program of its kind in Erath County.

Working with a team of diabetes educators and registered dietitians, participants learn about the diabetes disease process, meal planning and the importance of physical activity. They’re also informed about medications, blood glucose monitoring, and chronic and acute complications.

S

“Our program includes the patient as part of the treatment team and helps to equip them with knowledge and awareness of how to manage diabetes,” said Ellen Wells, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. “Effectively managing diabetes can help a person live a long and healthy life.”

The program has been recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for providing high-quality education services to people in Stephenville and surrounding communities.

To achieve recognition, programs undergo a certification process to ensure national standards for diabetes self-management education programs are met.

“Larry has been part of our program for nine years now, and we are proud of him and the many positive changes he has made over the years,” Wells said. “His blood sugar

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is under control, he is at a healthy weight, and he stopped smoking. He really cares about his health.”

Consultations at the beginning and end of the series assess a patient’s specific needs and set personalized goals for incorporating program elements into daily life.

Services include: • Group and individual counseling for Type 1, Type 2, gestational or pre-diabetes • Instruction in blood sugar monitoring and managing medications • Personalized nutritional counseling to fit different tastes and lifestyles • Education on how to detect and prevent diabetesrelated complications • Exercise, stress management and education • Monthly support group meetings for patients and their families

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The support group meets the second Thursday of every month and is led by Texas Health dietitians Laurie Lively and Ellen Wells. They often invite physicians, pharmacists and other health-care professionals to address topics of interest to people with diabetes, such as eye care, foot care, stroke prevention and medication management. Some meetings even include food prepared by the dietitians or Food Preparation and Meal Management students at Tarleton State University.

Fletcher has been a member of the support group since its genesis in 2009, and it was there in October 2014 that he heard a presentation about the hospital’s new Better Breathers Program, which is not affiliated with the American Lung Association’s Better Breathers Club.

The Stephenville program is designed to help those living with chronic heart and lung diseases, such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, asthma and other conditions. These conditions can affect people with diabetes like Fletcher, who decided to try the program and got hooked. “They’ve helped me so much,” he says. “I go three times a week. A

few of us meet there and walk together for about a mile, and then we use the cardio machines and lift weights.”

The program begins with outpatient sessions that are held three days a week for four to six weeks. During this period, the program combines education, therapeutic exercises and functional activities. The team assists participants to cope with and understand their disease process, empowering them to once again function independently. The focus is on improving breathing, monitoring symptoms, exercising with supervision, quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet.

After that initial period, participants move to a maintenance phase, in which the program is tailored to each individual, with the emphasis on healthy living.

Fletcher, who will turn 70 this month, has been a model participant, according to Brian Andrews, director of cardiopulmonary services at Texas Health Stephenville and head of the hospital’s Better Breathers Program.

“He has overcome a lot,” Andrews says. “He still has some paralysis from his stroke, but we did a lot of balance work with him. He puts in more work than most, and is here for over an hour every time. He walks, uses the elliptical and stair-climbing machines, rides the stationary bike, and works out with weights. His abdominal strength is remarkable.”

Andrews says Fletcher was hesitant to join the program at first because he already had a gym membership elsewhere. “But now he says he’s doing so much better than he was working out on his own,” Andrews adds. “The improvements in his strength are really incredible.”

With a physician’s referral, the Better Breathers team of trainers helps establish a personalized program to meet the specific needs and goals of each participant.

“And whenever we have a new problem, they help us work through it,” Fletcher says. “Most of us are older, and we get a lot of aches and pains, but they always help us with them. I’ve seen them help a lot of people.”

He says both the diabetes and exercise programs helped him get back to living. His 15-year-old grandson now spends every summer with him, something Fletcher says never could have happened before. “We rent a cabin, and we go to a family reunion together,” he says. “I’m looking forward to him getting his driver’s license.”

Fletcher says he also enjoys the social aspects of the program, and a few of the members get together on their own time.

“The diabetes and Better Breathers programs are wonderful, and they’re something every community should have,” he says. “They’ve done wonders for me, and I’ve seen them help a lot of other people, too.

“It’s really incredible that a hospital would offer services like this, instead of just treating sick people.”

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Paint the Town – Bob Becker Patron of the Year – Art Reception for Ryan Dalgliesh

In addition to the beautiful works of art on display at the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council, they also host many fun events throughout the year where people of all ages can come over and channel their inner artist. This year adults and children enjoyed the monthly “Paint the Town” events where they were able to paint along with an artist to create their own masterpieces to take home at the end of the evening. Bob Becker was presented with the Patron of the Year award, and a lovely art reception was held for Ryan Dalgliesh.

To find out more about the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council or to learn more about upcoming events such as these, call 254-965-6190 or visit their website at www.ctfac.com.

Photos courtesy of

Bob Becker receiving his Patron of the Year Award

Ryan Dolgliesh

C TFAC

Ryan Dolgliesh at his reception with his younger fans.

The Birdwells at Paint the Town in September 2016

Playing from

Heart THE

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BY JESSA MCCLURE PHOTOS BY BROOKE MENDENHALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Courtney Pat ton has always been in love with music.

Her mother even teases the 30-something, mother of two that she asked for Michael Jackson’s Thriller album for her third birthday.

Her early years were filled with singing and dancing to her favorite music. And although her mother remembers her fondness for 80s rock and pop, Patton’s musical memories are embedded in the times she spent growing up in church in Weatherford, TX.

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“Music always came naturally to me, but I never took any formal voice or guitar lessons,” she said.

When she moved to Stephenville to attend Tarleton University, she bought a chord poster at a local grocery store and hung it in her dorm room.

“I taught myself how to play, and that’s all I’ve ever done—played by ear,” she said.

When she wasn’t cheering on the Tarleton Texans football team, she was rubbing callouses into her fingers with steel guitar strings, writing songs that she admits were void of much meaning.

“I taught myself how to play, and that ’s all I’ve ever done— played by ear.”

“I was young and didn’t really have any life experience, so those songs weren’t great,” she said. “But it was a start, and now songwriting and playing my own music is the most important thing to me.”

After spending her college years scribbling out songs in between classes and social activities, Patton began performing around Stephenville.

“The Texas music scene was brand new to me at that time, and it was so big,” she said. “That’s what we’d do on the weekends. We’d save up our food money and go buy tickets to see Pat Green or whoever was playing at City Limits.”

But despite her musical aspirations of becoming a singer and songwriter, Patton put her career on hold to get married and raise a family.

“I would play shows here and there, and when my friend Mike McClure would come into town I would open shows for him, but it was never something I thought I’d do for a career.”

She spent several years just focusing on her children and trying to be the kind of wife she thought she was supposed to be. But, when her marriage ended and she 126

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moved out on her own as a single mother, she found that writing music helped her heal.

“These songs were better than anything I’d ever written and they were just pouring out of me,” she said.

“I realized that I needed to listen to that voice inside of myself and do something with it.”

While working a full-time job as a marketing director and raising her two children, she began to work on her first record.

“I took my personal vacation and went and made a record in Austin,” Patton said. “The Kickstarter campaign I started helped raise the money for that.”

She finished the record in just five days, but because she was new to the music business, it took several months for the album to be released. And when she started getting calls to perform, she realized that she couldn’t keep up the break-neck pace she was taking.

“I realized it was now or never, so I quit my job,” she said.

With a small record to her name and a desire to play the words flowing out of her, Patton began making musical connections and playing new venues. During

this time, she reconnected with a fellow artist and friend, Jason Eady.

“He also quit his day job at the age of 30 to be a full-time musician,” Patton said. “He’s a little bit older than me, so by the time we got together he had already figured out a lot about the music business. He said, ‘this is what I did wrong, so you don’t have to make those same mistakes.’”

The friendship between the two musicians eventually blossomed into romance, and the two were married in 2014. Patton said her husband not only helped her avoid music business pitfalls, but he also taught her to stay focused financially and budgeting.

“We support each other. We know that [this job] is not something you can always count on to bring in money every week or month. It takes a lot of planning.”

Aside from their collaboration on household budgets, the country superstar couple has also performed together at venues all across the state, and even had the chance to play in Europe. “[A promoter] from Switzerland said, I’m familiar with your husband’s music and now I’m familiar with Hometown Living At Its Best

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yours, and I’d like to set up some shows for you,” she said.

“So, in 2013 we went to Switzerland and Italy.”

Patton said she couldn’t believe that people who didn’t speak the same language came out in droves to hear her sing.

“They related to the music because of the way the harmonies were arranged,” she said “We made so many good friends and connections.”

The couple’s European adventure was such a success that they have been asked to come back in the spring to perform in a French music festival and several other events in Austria, Sweden, and Italy.

“It blows my mind,” Patton said. “I’d never left the country until 2013, and now I’ve gone so many times. It’s quite a blessing.”

Along with travel opportunities, Patton is also blessed to be able to pick her kids up from school every day and come to their school functions since most of her work and performances are done at night or on the weekends.

The singer/songwriter is even going to be recording her next album close to home at a recording studio in Stephenville.

“Just the thought of being able to work with friends 128

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and being able to come home at night and not have to stay in a hotel is really exciting,” Patton said.

She has strong ties to the area not only because it’s where she’s raising her family, but because it allows her to remain close to her alma mater and friends she’s had since her musical beginnings.

“I live close to Tarleton, so I love being able to hear the football stadium at night,” she said. “I got to walk to the homecoming tailgate party and see people that I’d missed.”

It’s this personal connection that comes across in Patton’s music.

“My songs are all very honest and real,” she said.

“People get that when they listen to me. They’ll say, that made me cry or that made me laugh.”

The singer admits that most of her songs are sort of melancholy, so she throws in a gospel song or two to brighten things up.

The future looks bright for Patton as she adds more performances and albums to her repertoire, but her ambitions are different than most aspiring musicians.

“I want to focus on the writing,” she said. “I’d like to be able to write songs for other people to sing so that I

can stay home, because kids are growing up so fast, and I don’t want to miss out on that.”

She admits that she’s never hoped to be famous, but instead she hopes to continue to love what she does.

“I want people to see the heart behind what I do,” she said. “I’m a very smiley, happy, talkative person, but in my heart I carry things heavily. I think a lot of artists do. That comes out in my songs, and people seem to appreciate the honesty behind that.”

Patton said if you’d like to support her music and her heart’s work, then come out to a show, follow her on Facebook, buy her records and tell people about it.

Her style leans more toward old country artists like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, and although it’s not what’s most popular in the music world, she believes it’s making a comeback.

“I think there’s a new surge of music like mine with stars like Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks, and Whitey Morgan,” she said. “It’s helping draw more attention to the traditional kind of music I play.”

“My songs are all very honest and real.”

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Daniel&&Danielle DanielleToof Toof Daniel Owners Owners

www.alliedbodyandframe.com

Phone:254-968-8003 254-968-8003 1511W. W.Lingleville LinglevilleRoad Road 254.968.8003 Phone: 1511 Fax: 254-968-8013 Stephenville, Texas 76401 1511 W. Lingleville Road • Stephenville, TX 76401 Fax: 254-968-8013 Stephenville, Texas 76401 www.qualityfloorstx.com• •dtoof@hotmail.com dtoof@hotmail.com www.qualityfloorstx.com

www.qualityfloorstx.com dtoof@hotmail.com

STEPHENVILLE

Since 1973, in partnership with our auction donors and auction buyers, WE HAVE RAISED MORE THAN

$1,000,000

FOR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS BENEFITTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. Now, we are working on our second million!

Mark your calendars for our next auction

Friday, May 5, 2017

A big

Thank you

to our community for continuing to support our

annual Stephenville Optimist Club Auction.

For more information on donations or questions, call 254.485.6740 130

Erath County Living

OFFERING ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY FOR EVERY OCCASION ENGAGEMENT • WEDDING • BRIDAL • MATERNIT Y NEWBORNS • MILESTONES • CHILDREN FAMILIES • SENIORS • EVENTS

865 S. Graham Street Stephenville, TX 76401

254-968-6494 or 817-573-4247 Service@EasterAir.com www.EasterAir.com License #TACLA57089E

W W W.FACEBOOK.COM/SOUTHERNPHOTOS • SOUTHERNGRACEPHOTO@CENTURYLINK.NET W W W.SOUTHERNGRACEPHOTOS.ZENFOLIO.COM • SARA BAT TENFIELD • (254) 434-7350

Comfort for every season 254-968-2112 www.giffordtv.com

254-968-6224 Member SIPC

HOME ELECTRONICS & APPLIANCES

FOCUS AREAS • Investors Saving for Retirement • Retirees • College Savers • Individuals with Insurance Needs Kenneth & Linda Gifford-Owners

• Estate and Trust Services Helen Golden

Lauren Jackson

Branch Office Administrator

Financial Advisor

1493 West South Loop | Stephenville, TX 76401

Invested in the Community 2215 West Washington, Stephenville, TX 76401

Hometown Living At Its Best

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HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS

Dublin Happenings The second half of 2016 was very eventful in Dublin, Texas. With events and festivities that have included ribbon cuttings, food drives, a golf tournament and more, there is always something to see and do! To find out more about these and other upcoming events, call the Dublin Chamber at 254-445-3422 or visit their website at www.dublintxchamber.com.

Photos courtesy of

Brookshire Brothers Managers Gold Team

Bargain Furniture Ribbon Cutting

Dublin National Golf Teams

First Place at the Golf Tournament

Golf Tournament Pre-party

Dublin Chamber of Commerce

Canned Food Drive

Pre-tournament party at the museum Joe Thompson with Carol and Kirk Andrews

Senior Citizen Soup Fundraiser

Red Barn Ribbon Cutting

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Erath County Living

STEPHENVILLE’S OWN

BY PEGGY PURSER FREEMAN PHOTOS BY ART & SOUL PHOTOGRAPHY

QUESTION: What do you get if you mix a 1949 Chevy truck with a 1988 Ford, add a 1995 Dodge dually and then finish it off with two 1953 Chevy truck doors?

ANSWER: A Rat Rod. And if your name is Justin McCann it’s a winner in the national Rat Rod Build-Off, hosted by Rat Rod Magazine.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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A fourth generation McCann in Erath County, Justin had never thought of building a vehicle from scratch, but this twenty-six-year-old year old strengths rooted and grew in the farming and ranching lifestyle. Building an automobile in thirty days and only spending $3,000 sounded like a good time to Justin. So he placed his name in a drawing in the 2015/2016 Rat Rod Build-Off contest.

When his name was chosen to represent the great state of Texas, he knew he had to get serious.

“I felt like I couldn’t let Texas down. I saw this old 1949 Chevy truck body in my neighbor’s yard, hidden in the grass, but I knew we had to do something different.

So, I thought--not just a work truck, but a four-wheeldrive truck.”

Justin’s love for vehicles began with his dad, Joe McCann. Justin laughed as he shared his memories of Joe racing dirt track in the ‘90s. “I watched and learned everything I could. I remember back when I was probably about five-years-old, taking the lawn mower apart in the backyard and telling my dad I was just working on it.”

“But,” Joe interrupted, “That wasn’t as bad as the truck. “He was only sixteen when I drove up and saw him

taking his truck apart. It wasn’t even paid for and he had it dismantled and laying all over the place...all the way down to the frame.”

“I wanted to paint my white truck black,” Justin explained.

“I kept thinking, he’ll never get it all back together.

But he did,” Justin’s mom added. His expertise is so well known that no one is surprised to see him owning his own company, McCann Garage and Autobody Shop, at such a young age.

Building a rat rod in thirty days began to make sense as Justin shared. “I’ve been doing auto body work since I was sixteen-years-old. So cars are pretty much all I know.

I grew up ranching and farming. If it broke, we had to fix it.”

Finding the old 1949 Chevy truck body in his neighbor’s yard and talking him into selling it to him was a great start.

“When we pulled it out of the weeds and brush, a rat ran out from under it. That was a good sign since we 136

Erath County Living

were building a rat rod. Then I found a set of axles from a 1988 Ford F-250. Attaching it and adding the 1995 Dodge 2-wheel-drive dually and making it all work on a 4-wheeldrive was tough. The hardest part was building it while holding down my full time day job. I didn’t know if it would run long enough to make it from Grafton, Illinois to Saint Louis Missouri to qualify to be in the contest.”

There’s one thing a Texas boy has plenty of—good friends. Justin phoned his friends. “I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Justin said. “My dad and mom, brother Jason McCann, Lindsay Scitern, David Gaines, Ruben Martinez, Stephen McCarty, Zac McIntare, and Chandler Cooper worked as hard as I did, late into the night and wee hours of the morning. The most unique part of this rat rod is the flip-front end. “I got an S-10 drag racing truck. I stuck a 383 stroker in it, and every time I have to work on it, it’s a pain. So I made the whole front end flip

forward for easy access. The massive ‘too ugly’ bumper is really the 4X4’s personality. The interior seats, covered in real cowhide by Karan’s Automotive Upholstery, and the steering wheel made from a chain off a hay-bailer, adds class. Riley Pemberton painted the logo on the side of the doors.”

Not only did the McCann Rat Rod run, it won the People’s Choice Award. Voted on by people across the U.S., Justin and his team brought the Rat Rod trophy back to Texas and Erath County.

NOT ONLY DID THE MCCANN RAT ROD RUN, IT WON THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD.

Hometown Living At Its Best

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Erath County Living

“It wasn’t easy, especially near the end of the month,” Justin explained. “There was the little matter of making things work together, like a ‘4th generation gear head’ and a then there was a problem with a simple little rod. The day that I needed to load it up on the trailer I was still working vigorously on the front brakes. It was braking to the point where the front calipers started smoking.

I had done everything I knew to fix it and still had the same problem. I had one day left--24 hours. Working my normal job and work until three in the morning in an extremely hot, non-insulated shop was tough. The flies kept landing on my sweaty face, driving me nuts. I just sat in front of the fan thinking, what could be wrong?

What did I have to change to make this truck work? As I looked at the brake master cylinder, I remembered using a rod from it on a previous project. I had replaced it with another one. Quickly, I loosen it up some, and as soon as I did that the front brakes released. The rod was too long--basically telling the master cylinder I was applying the brake. I ended up finding one at a local junkyard. We loaded the truck on the trailer and headed to Grafton,

Illinois. From there, the truck had to make it to Saint Louis, Missouri under its own power. As I drove, all I could think of was, ‘I sure hope the brakes don’t lock up.’”

The McCann truck made the trip—flawlessly. “The most stressful part of the build seemed to fade, Justin added. “Then the happiness that comes when you figure it out yourself and it works flawlessly hit me. Winning made it even better.” He credits some of the engineering and mathematical classes he took in college for his knowledge, “but 90 percent is what I taught myself.” he added. “I’m the first one to admit that sometimes I don’t know everything. However, I do stop to educate myself.

The information is out there--such as wiring diagrams, exploded views of mechanical assembly. You just have to find it.”

Justin hopes to compete in the 2017 Rat Rods United Competition, where you build an entry vehicle and then take it on a long trip with a group across America. “It’s about a 2000-mile trip.” Justin added. “The car I have been gathering parts for is a 1929 Ford model A Coupe. My dad has always talked about having one, and I was lucky enough to run across a body in Oklahoma.” If you catch a glimpse of the Rat Rod out and about, honk at Justin or drop into his new business. “Stephenville is a great place to start your own business.” Justin added.

Hometown Living At Its Best

139

Erath Plumbing 254-965-3000 Stephenville, TX

Serving Central Texas for over 35 years.

WE BUILD CUSTOM DESIGN IN GROUND POOLS WITH SERVICE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. Visit our store, we offer free water testing and full line of pool chemicals and parts.We are now offering Saber grills and can build the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.

www.cainpoolcompany.com 254-445-2484 | 3230 S.W. Hwy 377 | Dublin, Texas 76446

Repair & Remodel Residential & Commercial New Construction Sewer Camera www.erathplumbing.com

John Weber

Fax: 254-965-3001

Master Plumber # M-17390

2301 W. South Loop, Suite B, Stephenville TX 76401

254-965-9828 www.eandscpa.com 140

Erath County Living

2017

UBE Stephenville Evening Lions Club

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED.

In business for 64 years.

Upland Bird Extravaganza

Shooting Events

Lone Star Sporting Clays, Glen Rose

Saturday, April 1 Registration at 8:00 am, Shooting Starts at 8:30 am

Wild Game Dinner and Auction City Hall at City Limits, Stephenville

Friday, April 7

• Complete Machine Shop Services

• Portable Welding

• Welding Supplies and Gases

• 12’ Press Brake 325 T

• Trailer Parts & Repair

• ½ Inch by 12 Ft. Shear • Driveline-PTO’s Parts & Repair • J&I Truck Bed Dealer

Doors Open at 5:00 pm, Serving Line Opens at 6:00 pm

254-965-3910 | riggsmachine@embarqmail.com

www.EveningLions.org

307 East Road Stephenville, TX 76401

CROSS TIMBERS Plumbing

Master Plumbers Serving You For Over 39 Years

254-965-4086

195 W. OAK STEPHENVILLE, TX 76401

Dave Dickerson BROKER/OWNER

254.595.0066

DickersonRealEstateOfTexas@gmail.com

Paula Donaho REALTOR

254.485.3621

PaulaDonaho@gmail.com

www.Dickerson.Properties

SERVING STEPHENVILLE AND ALL OF ERATH COUNTY

WWW.CROSSTIMBERSPLUMBING.COM CLARENCE J. YOUNG M# 9776 JON C YOUNG M# 40370

Hometown Living At Its Best

141

HOMETOWN SCENES

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

- Mark Twain

Photo courtesy of Kimmie McKinney Photography

- Mother Teresa

Photo courtesy of Art & Soul Photography

Photo courtesy of Cross B Photography

What makes Erath County a great place to live?

Right now it’s the glimpses of green amongst the grey, the anticipation of sunny days filled with laughter and the promise of adventure a new year brings. Take a look at a few more reasons why we love

Photo courtesy of Cross B Photography

Photo courtesy of Choices In Life

Photo courtesy of Art & Soul Photography

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. – Aristotle Onassis Photo courtesy of Art & Soul Photography

index of advert isers Access Voice & Data, Inc................................................... 78 Ace Hardware......................................................................2, 3 Allied Body & Frame Co.................................................. 130 Associated Well Services, Inc........................................ 120 Back at the Ranch................................................................113 Barefoot Campus Outfitter................................................ 9 Baxter Chemical................................................................... 78 Bills Lawnmower Shop.......................................................112 Blue Flamingo........................................................................91 BMY........................................................................Inside Front Brooke Mendenhall Photography...................................16 Bruner Auto Family.............................................................. 71 Buckhorn Pumps, Inc........................................................... 61 Cain Pool & Spa..................................................................140 Clark Tractor & Supply..................................................... 102

Lelands of Stephenville....................................................... 61 Lone Star Ag Credit............................................................ 79 Lovell Counselling............................................................... 60 Members Trust Federal Credit Union............................91 Natty Flat Smokehouse.....................................................70 Peacock’s Restaurant........................................................ 90 Quality Floors...................................................................... 130 Riggs Machine & Welding................................................ 141 Scott’s Flowers......................................................................121 Security Storage...................................................................45 Smith Garage Doors............................................................. 71 Southern Grace Photography....................................... 130 S. Roskilly Photography.....................................................131 Star Arms................................................................................34 Stephen’s Health Care........................................................ 79

Cowboy Capital of the World Pro Rodeo Association.................................... Back Cover Cross B Photography........................................................ 120 Cross Timbers Family Services....................................... 82 Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council................................... 90 Cross Timbers Orthopaedics............................................. 5 Cross Timbers Imaging........................................................ 5 Cross Timbers Plumbing.................................................. 141 Dickerson Real Estate....................................................... 141 Dowell Water Well Services............................................... 3 Dublin Chamber of Commerce..................................... 44 Dublin Economic Development Center.......................49 Easter Heat & Air..................................................................131 Edward Jones........................................................................131 Edwards & Stokes..............................................................140 Erath Plumbing...................................................................140 First Baptist Church Stephenville..................................83 Fraser Agency, Inc............................................................... 35 Fraser, Wilson & Bryan, P.C...................................................1 Furniture Mart.......................................................................113 Gifford TV Electronics........................................................131 Hamilton Enterprises.......................................................... 25 Janzen Jackson Photography.........................................24 JJ Hampton Realty............................................................ 103 Julianne’s.................................................................................83

Stephenville Chamber of Commerce .....................................................................26-27, Back Cover Stephenville Family Dentistry.......................................... 17 Stephenville Funeral Home..............................................94 Stephenville Optimist Club............................................. 130 Swindle’s Jewelry................................................................ 114 Tarleton State University...................................................95 Texas Bank.................................................................................7 Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital.....Inside Back Texas Hill Country Furniture & Mercantile..................70 Texas State Optical............................................................ 102 Texstar Ford Lincoln............................................................121 The Dowell Company............................................................2 The Hay & Feed Ranch...................................................... 114 The Home Place.......................................................................2 The Patterson Agency........................................................95 The Salon.................................................................................112 Twisted Roots Photography............................................ 82 Upland Bird Extravaganza............................................... 141 Veldhuizen Cheese............................................................... 51 Watkins Floorcare & Coatings.........................................70 Whitney Chilton Photography........................................94 Woods Furniture................................................................ 103 Zen Spa & Salon.................................................................. 60

Please thank these advertisers for making this publication possible!

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Erath County Living

We’re ready, baby!

At Texas Health, we are proud that more families choose us to welcome their babies each year than any other health system in North Texas. So when you’re ready to be a mom, you can rest assured you’ll be in good hands. From caring for natural to high-risk pregnancies to providing breastfeeding support and childbirth education classes, we’re here for you and your little one. Plus, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville has newly renovated, spacious accommodations.

Learn more and schedule your labor and delivery tour today.

1-877-THR-WELL | TexasHealth.org/Stephenville-Baby

Doctors on the medical staff practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital. © 2016

The Cowboy Capital of the World Pro Rodeo Association was proud to showcase the future stars of pro rodeo and present $1,000 scholarships to the champions of the high school shootout at the 2016 PRCA Rodeo.

Along with producing a first class professional rodeo, the mission of the CCPRA – a nonprofit foundation – is to encourage the younger generation to further their education as they enjoy and appreciate the western way of life.

Tie-Down Roping: Chantz Webster

Steer Wrestling: Tanner Fleet

Bareback Riding: Leighton Berry & Bailey Barrett (tie)

Barrel Racing: Kambria McDougal

Bull Riding: Daniel Keeping

Saddle Bronc Riding: Parker Fleet

Team Roping: Jarett Freeman & Andrew Hill *Photos by Dudley Barker

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE 2017 RODEO HERITAGE WEEK: SEPTEMBER 17-24

WWW.COWBOYCAPITALPRCARODEO.COM M N P