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• The Record • Week of Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Prom night proves to be a night to remember Debby Schamber For The Record It was a Cinderella evening and not an ugly stepsister or even a mean girl was in sight. It was certainly a night to remember for high school girls who are currently in foster care. Every girl wants the chance to feel like a princess, even it is only for one night and girls in foster care are not any different. Most won’t ask their foster parents for the money needed to get their special dress and needed accessories. On this special night, with some help from volunteers from the community got together for a day and night of pampering and fun. Girls in jeans and sneakers disappeared into shimmering satin and tulle gowns and emerged lovely, poised young women. The purpose of the event was to outfit teens in the foster care system who wished to attend their high school proms this spring in style. When they arrived there were racks bulging with gowns of every color, style and fabric. In addition, there tables with shoes, evening bags and jewelry. Hair and makeup experts were on hand to make each
and every girl feel like a princess by the end of the night. This year, the event was bigger and more lavish than ever. The Courtyard in Groves was the venue where volunteers from Valero, The Jr. League of Beaumont, Mary Kay consultants, SETX Career Institute of Silsbee, Touch Stone Jewelry Consultants, The Service League of Port Arthur, The Quota Club, CASA, high school students from PNG High School and many other volunteers and community groups partnered with Child Protective Services to make this event possible. “Tons of gowns were donated by the citizens of Orange County and they were beautiful,” said Shari Pulliam of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Shelly Manning along with friends and members of North Orange Baptist Church gathered more than 40 gowns for the event. Everyone became involved in the project, young and old. Some of the people who donated did not have a gently used dress to donate and instead purchased a gown for the event. As more and more dresses were donated and each more beautiful than the last, the women became more enthused about the proj-
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ect and vowed to make it an annual event. “What a blessing it was to help these girls,” Manning said. The Jefferson County Child Welfare Board underwrote the cost of everything else with help from other various Child Welfare Boards from around the Region including Orange County. One High School junior at the “prom,” said when she got the invitation and she had no idea what a lavish event it was going to be. “I think it’s a good opportunity for us to experience,” she stated. She eventually picked out a one shoulder style black and hot pink dress with a ruffled skirt donated by Fleur de Chic of Orange. Another teen attending, was looking glamorous in a beaded apricot one shoulder gown. “I think it was real nice for CPS to think of us and help us out with prom,” she said, adding it also was a good opportunity to get out and make new friends. One young lady stepped out of a dressing room in a stunning magenta number with an intricately beaded bodice and full tulle skirt. The magenta set off her skin tone perfectly, and she’d found shoes and an
Obits. from 7A Donald Jr; her daughter Samantha Louisa Lowe and her husband Tommy; grandchildren Shannon Patronella (John), Scott McDonald (Michelle), Sophie Croaker (Michael) all of Orange, and Mackenzie Lowe of the University of Texas at Austin; greatgrandchildren are Jaclyn and John Paul Patronella, Samuel and Madison McDonald; Peyton and Aiden Croaker all of Orange. Many other family, friends and loved ones will miss her beautiful personality. John Patronella, Michael Croaker, John Paul Patronella, Jim Foster, Tim McDonald and Slade Skinner served as pallbearers. Honorary Pallbearers were Samuel McDonald and Aiden Croaker.
Esperanza “Hope” Perez Vidor E s p e ranza “Hope” Perez, of Vidor, died Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at Vidor Manor. Funeral Services were held Saturday, March 23, at Claybar Funeral Home Chapel in Orange with the Rev. Paul Sumler pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Vidor. Burial followed at St. Mary Cemetery in Orange. She was born on May 6, 1926 and Hope was the daughter of Longino and Enriqueta Jaime. She was known locally as the “Avon Lady”, cared for the elderly and worked at the local grocery store. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ed-
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evening bag to match. There was only one tiny hitch; a zipper was broken. A swarm of women and girls surrounded her to brainstorm solutions to the problem. It wasn’t long before she was ready and the belle of the party. “This is a great example of what team work will do to make one girls night be a dream come true, “Pulliam said. But, the girls were not the only ones pampered this year. High school boys were treated to lunch provide by Buffalo Wild Wings, hair cuts donated by Sports Clips in addition to white shirts, vests and ties of their choice from Al’s Formal Wear paid for by The MidSouth Jefferson County Community Partners. They also arrived in style to the dinner and dance that night provided by the Tri-City Corvette Club. The young men said they had never felt so special in their lives and they couldn’t wait to arrive at the Prom in style. “This was the 8th annual “Girls Night Out” Prom Project for Region 5, and it proved to be the grandest of all,” Pulliam said. Once the party is over, the girls and boys take home their new attire so they can use it at the prom where they attend high school. ward Perez; son, Edward Perez Jr.; four brothers, Alfonso Jaime, Regino Jaime, Ramon Jaime, Rogelio Jaime; and sister, Reyes Cortez. Hope is survived by her daughters, Nelda Shipp and husband, Archie of Fairhope, Ala., Dolores Cantu of Los Angeles, Calif.; three grandchildren, Belinda LeBlanc, Joseph Perez, Christina Lotter and husband, Matthew; three great-grandchildren, Kaitlin Linder, Alyssa Linder, Trice LeBlanc; and three sisters, Azucena Castillo, Herminia Cevallios and Aurora Cantu all of San Antonio. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, Maryland 21093.
After picking out a dress and being pampered, girls in foster care prepare for their prom night.
ter known as Popeye’s Grocery Store and she was employed with the city of West Orange as a secretary. Mary was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend who will be missed dearly. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, John and Martha Young; husband and father of her children, “Popeye” Glenn Sandlin; and granddaughter Shara Ellis. Mary will also be joining in heaven three of her sisters and three brothers, Mamie, Eleanor, Hazel, Preston, Aubrey and Jim. She is survived by husband Don Wilson of Orange; daughter and son-in-law Amy and Tom Anderson of Orange; son, Bry-
an Sandlin of Orange; son and daughter-in-law, David and Dana Sandlin of Orange; step children, Donna and Steve Dearing of Hawaii; Kathy Rose of Houston; and Cyndi Riemer of Kauai; sisters, Gladys Hall of Orange and Nelda and H.D. Lamont of Athens, Texas, brother, William D Young and Nelda of Grand Prairie; sisters-in-law Mary Perry Young, and Shirley Young, both of Orange. Mary also leaves behind 10 beautiful grandchildren she greatly adored. Her nephews Jerren Young, Jay Young, Duane McCarver, Christopher Jennings, Justin Jennings and Joshua Wheat served as pallbearers.
Mary Wilson Orange Mary Elizabeth Young W i l s o n passed away on March 19, 2013 in Beaumont, surrounded by her loving family. A funeral service was held on Saturday, March 23, Dorman Funeral Home in Orange with Pastor Mike Rhodes, Elder Gary Rhodes, Elder Pat Young and Elder Vernis Stanaland officiating. Burial followed at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens near Bridge City. A native of Port Arthur, she was born on Feb. 26, 1938 to parents Martha Elizabeth (Cryer) and John Allen Young. Mary was a lifelong resident of Orange and was a member of Canaan Primitive Baptist Church in Orange. She was owner and operator West Ave. Grocery; bet-
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