NETX Crossroads

Cory Tittle gets a huge hug from Aria Satterfield at the Special Olympics event held in New Boston, Texas in April. Athletes from all over Northeast Texas competed at the annual event.

Photo by Susan

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The benefits of a

Captain good

By TIM EMMONS

J.K. Hileman Elementary School in Queen City received a wonderful gift after Christmas this year, and it’s a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.

J.K. Hileman Principal Mandi Stringer came across the Hidden Acres Puppies’ Facebook page in December and noticed the business was running a “Giving Back”

campaign as a way to bless communities.

Hidden Acres Puppies wanted to donate Captain the Cockapoo to one deserving charity, humanitarian organization or individual in need of a loving dog.

Hidden Acres Puppies is an organization that breeds dogs and helps get them trained to become great service animals

for groups of people or individuals.

The company set up an application for veterans, single parent homes, adoptive parents, non-profits or other families or organizations looking for a service/emotional support dog, that can’t afford one otherwise.

They received many touching stories from some incred-

Principal Mandi Stringer sits with Captain the Cockapoo who became a Bulldog through an amazing donation from Hidden Acres Puppies.

ible people and found it hard to choose just one, but the letter they received from J.K. Hileman Elementary Principal Mandi Stringer really pulled at their heartstrings.

The letter read, “As a principal of an elementary school, I have researched and dreamed of providing our students at J.K. Hileman Elementary School with a campus dog.

Sometimes the greatest gift you can receive is a gift that keeps on giving. Especially one that can help many people of different ages with a variety of problems.

J.K. Hileman Elementary

The number of children entering the classrooms each day needing social and emotional support has grown to an overwhelming number. Many students are children of trauma and having a dog on campus would benefit many children and staff each and every day.”

The amazing staff at J.K. Hileman Elementary won the campaign and so Captain the Cockapoo became a Bulldog.

Hidden Acres Puppies had this to say about Captain going to QC ISD.

“We feel very blessed to be a part of such a wonderful community and it is an honor knowing one of our Hidden Acres Puppies will make such a positive impact on the lives of so many children. We want to say a huge thank-you to the administration at J.K. Hileman Elementary from Queen City. Without your caring hearts this would not have been possible.”

Of course, Principal Stringer’s initial reaction to all of this was sheer excitement.

“I was very excited. I opened an email on January 1, and really couldn’t believe that we had been chosen to receive Captain and then I had to begin the process of getting permission to receive the dog,” Principal Stringer said. “It was rewarding to think that someone had done something so generous and now so many are going to benefit from it.”

“We have almost 400 students here at J.K. Hileman and this dog will be owned by elementary therefore he will get to continue to influence lives for years to come,” Principal Stringer added. “I’m grateful for the support from the community, parents and our administration to welcome an idea that’s not traditional.”

As Principal Stringer said in her letter to Hidden Acres Puppies, this was something she’s been researching for a long time.

“I have been researching service animals in schools and how they can help children for about 10 years now. This started with a project I did with high school students visiting the Ronald McDonald Charity Houses in Little Rock,” Principal Stringer remarked. “They had a service dog there for the families that had children in the hospitals and our high school students always talked about how much they felt having a dog at school would help them so I began to do some research and have discovered that this is a way that schools can use dogs. I have also talked with other campuses in other cities that do have dogs on campus and asked about their program and how it worked.”

“This was a long-term goal for me to introduce to J.K. Hileman Elementary but in December I saw on the Hidden Acres Puppies’ Facebook page that they were giving back to the community by awarding a dog to a non-profit organization. So, I applied and wrote a story about J.K. Hileman Elementary and how I felt that our students could benefit having a dog on campus,” Principal Stringer added. “We have many students who have various needs. Some come from homes with trauma, and some come from good homes that experience anxiety and stress. After his training Captain will be able to help all students in many ways while they’re on campus each day.”

Principal Stringer has taught all levels of school from K to

12 in her career and has come across students of different ages that have different issues going on in their lives.

“I don’t think you can separate needing help by age. I think that any age, it doesn’t matter when something happens, it’s still going to be a defining moment in their lives,” Principal Stringer said. “I think that at an elementary level we want to create a family atmosphere for them to come into and having a dog to love on creates that even more so than what we can do as humans. Sometimes kids will open up to someone who can’t talk back to them and that’s why they say that a dog is man’s best friend. At any age level I feel that kids could benefit from having a service animal.”

Mental health is an important part of children’s overall health and well-being. Mental

health includes children’s mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. It affects how children think, feel, and act. It also plays a role in how children handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

Mental health disorders in children are generally defined as delays or disruptions in developing age-appropriate thinking, behaviors, social skills or regulation of emotions. These problems are distressing to children and disrupt their ability to function well at home, in school or in other social situations.

The numbers posted on the internet are staggering. More than 4-in-10 (42 percent) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29 percent) experienced poor mental health over the past few years.

More than 1-in-5 (22 percent) students seriously considered attempting suicide.

About 3-in-4 children with depression also had anxiety (73.8 percent) and almost 1-in-2 had behavior problems (47.2 percent).

Over the past few years students with ADHD was at 9.8 percent (approximately six million), anxiety 9.4 percent (approximately 5.8 million), behavior problems 8.9 percent (approximately 5.5 million) and depression 4.4 percent (approximately 2.7 million).

Through the comfort and companionship that service animals provide, students dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other types of mental disorders, may feel calmer and safer.

This is Principal Stringer and the staff at J.K. Hileman’s

hope for Captain as he transitions into an emotional support dog for nearly 400 kids.

Hidden Acres Puppies delivered Captain to the elementary staff on Saturday, January 28. After a campus tour, Principal Stringer took him to a training facility in Texarkana where he will complete a 4–6-week service/therapy program.

Once he has reached his goals in that setting, he will receive his service animal vest and will join the elementary staff on campus to continue on-site training in his work environment. There will be a process the staff will follow as they introduce Captain to the student body.

He will first reside in the counselor’s office where she will allow students with specific needs to visit him on a scheduled basis.

Once he is acclimated to his environment, he will begin visiting classrooms where all students will interact with him. The staff’s final goal will be for Captain to enjoy time on the playground with a grade level at a time allowing all students to interact with the dog.

The school is doing a fundraiser to be able to raise funds for service training, food, and supplies to help settle Captain in his new home at J.K. Hileman Elementary.

For every dollar given, the student will receive a paw print with their name on Captain’s welcome wall. The class that collects the most money will host Captain’s welcome party.

When Captain gets settled into his new home Principal Stringer believes over time the kids, staff, parents, community and administration will see the benefits of a good Captain. ✽

Captain, J.K. Hileman

Elementary’s new service dog, gets acquainted with Principal Mandi Stringer, Counselor Fabia Kennedy and Vice Principal Lesley Dotson.

Duck, Duck, JEEP!

Rubber ducky, you’re the one. You make … Jeeping lots of fun?

By SUSAN LINDSEY

That’s right, Ernie! Thanks to a worldwide phenomenon, rubber duckies aren’t just for bath time anymore.

Jeepers across the globe are spreading their own brand of love by “ducking” their fellow Jeep enthusiasts. So you may be asking yourself, “What is ducking?” If you don’t own a Jeep or are new to the world of Jeeping, you’re not alone. Just like the Jeep Wave, it’s a Jeep thing.

Ducking is the act of placing a rubber duck on another Jeep, usually the door handle, windshield, wiper, hood or even the wheel, sometimes with a kind note included to let the owner know they’ve been ducked. These notes are either on a paper or card affixed to the

duck or hand written on the duck itself. And its purpose is to show respect for the vehicle and spread positivity.

“It is 100 percent to make other people laugh and smile. It is about kindness. If you see a Jeep that you like or you see a Jeeper and you want to make them smile, give them a duck,” said Allison Parliament, the 34-year-old creator of the ducking movement. “It doesn’t matter what kind of Jeep you drive, as long as it is a Jeep brand vehicle we welcome them. And it’s all about the community.”

But how did it start?

The humble beginnings of ducking stem from Parliament’s need to smile after she was subjected to an act

of hate by a stranger in her small home town in Ontario, Canada.

When COVID was in its early stages in 2020, Parliament, a dual citizen of both the US and Canada, was returning home to be closer to her family before everything was in lockdown. She crossed the border with Alabama license plates on her Jeep which caused an angry resident to corner and verbally assault her.

“During COVID, some people had the idea that Americans were intentionally coming into Canada to cause problems,” Parliament said. “I didn’t want people to feel the way I did. And I didn’t want people in my world or around me to feel unsafe. There is nothing weirder

than feeling uncomfortable in your own country.

“I had bought a bag of ducks originally to hide around my house and torture my other half because I have a wicked sense of humor. And after I bought the ducks, I actually saw another Jeep that had the lift on it, big tires and all the cool stuff. I wanted to tell him, ‘Nice Jeep.’ But I didn’t see him around. I always carry around a permanent marker because I like to doodle. So I wrote on one of the ducks with one of the markers and put it on the Jeep. I got caught doing it. The guy started laughing, and thankfully he was very sweet and thought it was a really good idea. We hashtagged it on Instagram. Lo and behold

we started getting followers, so I created a Facebook group and page and we went viral. It’s been a crazy ride ever since.”

The hashtag #duckduckjeep took off like wildfire and little rubber ducks began landing on Jeeps everywhere.

Jeep officials caught on to the grassroots movement and have given their seal of approval. The Official Ducking Jeep Est2020 Facebook page is endorsed by Jeep and run by Parliament. Today, Parliament says, there are more than 72,000 people from all 50 states and more than 30 countries sharing their ducks and “duck ponds,” or collection of ducks lined up along their dashboards, with the masses.

It’s so popular among enthusiasts, Parliament said it has become a family adventure for many, including her own.

Kathleen McLain, a Bowie County Jeeper, said she got

duck fever when she found her first duck on her family’s Jeep Gladiator.

“I got so excited and I wanted another duck and another one and another one,” she said. “When I get one it makes me all excited. I’m like a little kid on Christmas morning.”

Her pond now sits at more than a dozen ducks and she hopes to continue its growth. The fun, she adds, is in the randomness of finding them when out and about both in town and while traveling.

McClain said giving them is just as rewarding as getting them.

“I love giving ducks as much as I love getting them. Just to see the smile on someone’s face as they come out to find one on their Jeep is a great feeling. Someone may be having a tough day and to know that you’ve made their day a

little brighter feels amazing,” said McLain. “It’s just fun to see someone’s expression when they walk up to their Jeep and they see a duck on the door.”

There are still some Jeep drivers who love to duck other Jeeps but are still waiting to add to their own duck pond.

“I have ducked other Jeeps, but I’ve only been ducked by my sister,” said Ginger Finigan, another Bowie County Jeeper. “(My sister) has a one too and she’s been ducked four times in two months.”

While the phenomenon is growing in popularity, there are still a few haters of the trend. Parliament said she was victimized while in Tennessee.

“Some guy didn’t like the ducks and decided reaching into my Jeep to hurt me was okay,” she said.

But the assault did not

change the message from  her or the group.

“We push positivity no matter what. Yeah, it was a bad situation, and somebody made a poor choice but ultimately the sacrifices that we’ve made for safety are worth it because it makes other people happy,” Parliament added.

The ducks that have been left for discovery come in all sizes and range from traditional yellow duck to the specialty duck to even personalized blingedout ducks.

“I have one that somebody took the time to put individual aquamarine-colored jewels all over and it had to have taken her hours to do it.It rides with me all the time,” Parliament said. “I’ve even crocheted some that I give out at events.”

McLain said they keep a stash of varying ducks on hand to try to match the duck they

leave with the Jeep they are leaving it on.

And just as each duck is unique, so are the Jeeps they are put on. A quick glimpse at the official Facebook page will show ducks on a host of different Jeeps from the gas-powered Wrangler to the battery-operated child’s Jeep. Remember, if it’s Jeep brand, it’s welcome.

There are only two rules when it comes to ducking, she adds. Number one: be polite and nonintrusive in the act. Number two: it cannot be used to advertise a business.

“We do not allow or endorse that. I make nothing and we ask others not to as well because that is not the meaning behind Duck, Duck, Jeep. We started this 100 percent to share kindness and, because of the rules we have to follow for Jeep, we are non-profit,” Parliament said. “I have such a strict

set of rules to make sure we are not infringing on their copyrights … We have to make sure we follow the rules that they gave us or we could lose Duck, Duck, Jeep.”

The Official Jeep Ducking group has given away 36,000 ducks since its inception and shows no signs of slowing down. Parliament has put more than 115,000 miles on her personal ride traveling to various events hosted by Jeep across the United States and Canada to spread love and positivity through rubber duckies and has more than 60 events on her schedule for the season.

To find out where Parliament and the Official Jeep Ducking group will be or just to follow and share ducking stories, like the Official Jeep Ducking page on Facebook and be sure to share the hashtag #duckduckjeep. ✽

Hoops Hotbed

Mount Pleasant enjoys basketball success in 2023

By QUINTEN BOYD

The city of Mount Pleasant found much to be proud of on the hardwood this past basketball season as teams played well all season for their hometown.

With four teams in the state rankings for much of the year, two completing an undefeated regular season, three finishing undefeated in district and winning their respective district titles, two advancing to the regional tournament and two teams playing their first ever UIL schedules, Mount Pleasant fast finds itself becoming a hoops hotbed in East Texas. The successes did not go unnoticed across the state as five players: Mount Pleasant’s Payton Chism and Paris Beard and Chapel Hill’s Katie Hart, Mackenzie Espinosa and Braden Buchanan – were named to their respective Texas Association of Basketball Coaches AllState teams.

The Mount Pleasant Tigers reached a high TABC ranking of fourth in class 5A and won 34 consecutive games. This season alone, Payton Chism scored his 1,500th point, Kelcey Morris surpassed the 1,000 career point mark and Head Coach Joey Chism won his 200th career game.

The Tiger seniors will graduate with three appearances in the regional tournament in their four year careers as well as three district titles and a second place finish. Mount Pleasant will need to replace

that stellar senior class but saw strong seasons from their younger teams.

Team members were seniors Xavier Hills, De’Keivous “Kevi” Heath, Kelcey Morris, Payton Chism, Luke Hampton and Kyler Smith; juniors Jordyn Hurndon, Kai Price and Antez Jeffery; sophomores Reggie Webster and Tanner Marshall and freshmen Carter Chism and A’shad Smith.

The Mount Pleasant Lady Tigers reached a high ranking of fourth in class 5A and won 36 consecutive games. Guard Paris Beard scored her 2,000th career point and guard Jordyn Hargrave surpassed the 1,000 career point mark as the team advanced past the area round for the first time under Head Coach Tina Carrillo.

The Lady Tigers also won their third consecutive district championship this past season and have a bright future with two undefeated junior high teams and a solid subvarsity program.

Team members were seniors Paris Beard, Kendal Walker, Jordyn Hargrave and Morgan “Pinkie” Brooks; juniors Ella Cross, Conlee Zachry, Essence Hurndon and Autiuana “Auti” Johnson; sophomores Aziyah Farrier, Eva Hampton, Ja’Yani Shannon and Autumn Leroy and freshmen Jay’len Jackson and Miyah Farrier.

The Chapel Hill Lady Devils advanced to the regional finals this season and reached a high ranking of 11th in the state. Only two teams beat the Lady

PHOTO BY QUINTEN BOYD

PHOTO BY QUINTEN BOYD

Devils in their last 24 games –Tenaha, who advanced to their own regional tournament and Winnsboro – who advanced to the state tournament.

Chapel HIll eliminated fourthranked Pottsboro to make the regional finals for the first time since 2019 and senior guard Katie Hart surpassed 1,000 career points this season. Head Coach Garry Davison, in his first season at Chapel Hill, won his 800th career game as a coach.

Team members were seniors Hannah Rhea and Katie Hart; juniors Kaylee Tompkins, Ellie Wooten, Madison Manning, Abigail Thrapp and Mackenzie Espinosa; sophomores Keira Hawkins and Neeley Grimes and freshmen Kayda White and Karlee Rodgers.

The Chapel Hill Red Devils reached a high ranking of eighth in the state with a winning streak of 29 games. A year after sharing the district title, the Red Devils

won it outright this season, going undefeated in district play.

There are likely strong seasons in the near future for Coach David Schmitt’s Red Devils as the JV also claimed a district championship.

Team members were seniors Alexander DeSantiago, Casey House, C.J. Kump and Rylee French; juniors Jaydyn Haley, Cayden Martinez, Adrian Ramirez, Braden Buchanan, Anthony Ramirez and Julian Soto;

Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates! Rivercrest Independent School District

and sophomores Isaac Bailey and Max Daniel.

The Red Devil JV finished the season winning their second consecutive undefeated district championship. Team members were Rhett Barley, Ethan Stanley, Ricky Ramirez, Karter McCollum, P.J. Ramirez, Kade Barley, Jaydyn Madison, Carter Alphin, Abbott Harbour, Dylan Shipp, Levi Rodgers, Brantly Whitaker, Dylan Olvera, Angel Banda and Therin Nunn.

Harts Bluff kicked off their firstever full UIL hoops season as the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs took the court for the first time in an official district. The teams, coached by Bradley Lambeth (boys) and Harland Johns (girls), took part in the Court of Dreams game against McLeod at Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Dec. 14.

The Lady Bulldogs finished fifth in their first UIL season and picked up a win over 3A Palestine Westwood.

Team members were junior Kaitley Green; sophomores Perla Solorio, Alexa Arzate and Allie Mayfield and freshmen Kaylee Clay, Yaretzi “YaYa” Sanchez, Saray Prado and Peyton Cameron.

The Bulldogs finished fifth in district play, one game out of the playoff hunt. Harts Bluff also picked up a win over Class 4A Caldwell in the TRMC Tiger Town Tournament.

Team members were juniors Ashyr Carrington, Jacob Lilly,

Cohen Williams, Layken Adair and Isaac Anguiano; sophomores Hunter Green, Matthew Rowland and Avyn Carrington and freshmen Cayden James, Brayden Craddock and Kayden Mason.

The Christian Homeschool Athletic Association of Mount Pleasant (CHAAMP) also had a strong season on the court. The Hawk varsity boys finished 22-8, one of the organization’s best all-time seasons, and advanced to the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championship Big South Regional Championship game. The Hawks are slated to return three starters and draw from a solid set of subvarsity squads.

Team members were seniors Silas Peterson, David Tagg, C.J. Horton, John Luke Angier, Connor Frank, Adam Roseberry and Austin Davis, juniors Drew Wigley, Philip Angier and Cooper Fulton and sophomores Caelan DeLisi and John Hall.

PHOTO BY QUINTEN BOYD

PHOTO BY QUINTEN BOYD

Mount Pleasant Independent School District Salutes its

Sonia Garcia

E.C. Brice Elementary

Marquita Peters-Jones Vivian Fowler Elementary

Tracey Collier Frances Corprew Elementary

Esther Okolo Child Development Center

Jason Barfield P.E. Wallace Middle School

Natalie White Annie Sims Elementary

Kristi Houchin Mount Pleasant High School

Ronald Henry Mount Pleasant Junior High

Patrick Jones 36 years of service and respect in his hometown

By RYLEIGH STEGALL

The man that everyone calls whenever they need help. Patrick Lavell Jones has been with the City of Mount Pleasant for 36 years. Mount Pleasant is Patrick’s hometown, he has grown up here and all of his family is here. Patrick started working for the city on February 12, 1987. When he first started he was working in utility and was the youngest there. One of the crew chiefs took him in and showed him everything. This man was able to tell Patrick the date and why a water line was put in, also he was able to know exactly where to turn off the water without the help of a map. Being able to show Patrick this helped him memorize the city’s grid and be more efficient with his work. This man was Ben Thompson he and Patrick worked together for two and a half years. Patrick left the city in 1993 and went to Texas Utilities. Before he left all of his coworkers told him “you can’t leave the city.” Patrick replied “I need to, so I can support my family,” they told him “that he would be back”. Patrick did come back to the city after being gone only six months.

When Patrick came back to the city he was the Maintenance Supervisor. While he was the supervisor, he had many people look at his skin and say that he wasn’t the right color to be a supervisor. He said that people would come to the job sites asking questions and his coworkers would tell them they had to talk with him. But those people would not even look at

him, so they would go to the city and they would tell them that they had to talk with Patrick. When they would come back to him to talk, they would have their head bowed in shame because of the way they acted. But Patrick didn’t let the way they acted toward him reflect in him helping them.

He also dealt with name calling and all racist names that people could think of. He still has to deal with this today, he has people that will throw rocks at their trucks and yell profanities. Patrick didn’t let that stop him, he does just as Jesus says to do “turn the other cheek.” Through all of the racist name calling and people

saying that he wasn’t the right color to be a supervisor, he still believes that all of the good has outworked the bad since he has been with the city.

Patrick and his wife Betsy have been married for 36 years. They have three kids and six grandchildren. They love each other so much even through their ups and downs because they used their downs to strengthen their relationship. Patrick and his family go to Sheppard Street Church and has been going there all his life.

While working for the city he has had many great people come into his life and been able to help them, just as his coworkers had helped him.

Patrick even helped a man who didn’t trust anyone to read and write. While working for the city, Patrick has seen and dealt with a lot. But he doesn’t let the bad discourage him. Working for the city he realized that this was his second family because when there was a death or a loved one was in the hospital the city was there for their employees and coworker. This meant a lot to him and he made sure to show that they were a family to him as well. If there was someone who needed assistance he would be there. Patrick has always been the man behind the scenes and always has the heart to help anyone.

Patrick has worked under three engineers, five mayors, and currently seven city managers. Patrick has been living by the quote “no matter how people treat you or mistreat you, always treat them with respect”. He goes by this quote because he’s had to deal with the racists’ name calling, but also because he was raised to always show respect to others no matter how they treat you. Patrick will always be grateful to those who took him under his wing and helped him so he could better himself. He’s also grateful for his wife who has always been there for him, even if she would tease him about being extra excited to go to work than to stay at home.

We all can learn from Patrick to be the best that we can and not let the bad in life get us down, because “no matter how people treat you or mistreat you, always show them with respect.” ✽

Patrick and Betsy Jones

Spring Cleaning DIY

By SUSAN LINDSEY

Spring may have already sprung, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get a jump on organizing your home to make it work for you.

Barbara LaFleur, the owner of Creating Organization in Queen City, Texas, says an organized home helps bring about a better mental and professional mindset and can even help with personal relationships.

“It is amazing when people begin to see progress. Depression lifts. Anxiety lifts. A freedom occurs. People just don’t realize how disorganization affects their day-to-day lives, their relationships, their mental health. It’s just amazing. It’s like they have a newfound freedom,” she says.

LaFleur is a certified virtual professional organizer and member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

“I simplify people’s home environment, their work environment and their life so they have time to do what really matters to them,” she says.

No matter the level of organization needed for a home, LeFleur says there are a few things to keep in mind when beginning the journey.

1. Begin By Decluttering

To LeFleur, clutter is just an overabundance of “stuff” which can accumulate anywhere for a variety of reasons. She says that to really get a home organized, the clutter must be sifted through.

“You can never begin a project unless you get rid of the clutter first,” LeFleur says. “You don’t want to organize stuff you’re going to get rid of.”

She recommends that as you sift through, throw the trash away immediately and then create piles designated as items to keep and donate.

“If it does not add value to your life or make you happy when you see it, get rid of it,” LeFleur says.

Donated items should go into a donation box or bin and placed outside and out of sight to avoid the desire to rummage back through. Items that will be kept need to then be stored in their lifelong home that works best for you.

“An organization system needs to be created that works for you individually,” she adds.

2. Start Small and Create A Schedule

Starting small is always

more productive than tackling a large task all at once, LeFleur says. Even if it’s just a drawer, finishing a small project will motivate you to keep going.

“Set a timer for 15 minutes,” she says. “You’re going to feel encouraged and motivated. Results always produce motivation. Maybe that’s all you do that day. The next day, set your timer again.”

And for each small project, she says remember the rule of decluttering: separate, find a forever home for items that will be kept and get those items that you want to give away out of sight.

“Everybody needs a plan but don’t make it too rigid. Instead create a schedule,” she says. “If you don’t have a schedule, you will never see progress.”

Creating a schedule also helps prevent multi-tasking and omits distractions.

“Multi-tasking is what I call dirt-daubering and it is not productive,” LeFleur says. “Once you leave something that you’ve focused on, then you switch focus to another thing and try to switch back, it takes the brain so long to engage back. You just don’t make any kind of progress.”

3. Remember, Organization Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

Just as no two snowflakes falling from the sky will ever look the same, organization techniques that work for one person won’t always be the best solution for someone else. Because of this, LeFleur says there are no set of essential tools to run out and buy before beginning the process.

She adds that the styles of organization are not the same for each person. Bins and boxes aren’t for everyone.

“A person with ADD (attention deficit disorder) needs to have things visible where they can find them. Someone without ADD may want everything put away out of sight,” she says.

This is why she doesn’t recommend hiring someone or having a friend or family member taking the task over.

4. Make It Fun

Making things fun really depends on an individual. Having something rewarding to look forward to after a task is completed or putting on upbeat music are ways that some find enjoyment, LeFleur says.

“Pick something that you really love or enjoy,” she says.

5. It’s Okay To Be Emotional

Sometimes the overabundance accumulates because there is some kind of emotional bond associated with things. When that happens, it is okay to take some time to reflect on the emotions.

“It is perfectly okay to cry or be emotional. I had a client whose daughter was 26-yearsold and she still could not part with the baby butt paste she used to use on their diaper rash. It took us 15 minutes to work through the emotions for her to get rid of that,” she says.

LeFleur said take the time to process those emotions because throwing out certain things that haven’t been used in a while and will never be used again can still weigh on our hearts.

If the emotional bonds are too severe, it can lead to hoarding which requires a

mental health professional and someone with the proper credentials working with a client to help identify the underlying issues.

6. Work With A Professional and Identify Triggers

When the task seems too daunting to tackle alone, it may be time to call in a professional organizer like LaFleur to help.

“Sometimes clients just need a boost to get started,” she says.

“I work with them in developing a plan for them that is very detailed, step-by-step that relates to their current situation and their goals.”

A professional organizer doesn’t just come in and do the job for a client. LaFleur says her job is to understand the whys of each client’s situation and transfers skills to help her clients to be self-sufficient in the long term.

“Anybody can come in, straighten up, organize and make it look nice then be gone. But I feel like I do not do my job if I do not transfer those skills to my clients. Otherwise, all I am doing is creating a dependency and the need for me to come back in six months because they are right back where they began. I don’t think that is helping a client. I need to know my clients, know their lifestyles, know their personalities, know what makes them click.”

While some people prefer a hands-on approach when it comes to working with a professional organizer, there are still those who feel a sense of trepidation when inviting someone into their personal space. LaFleur says many of her clients work with her via online platforms which allows them to maintain a level of privacy

while still getting the benefits of a professional to help them create a detailed plan that is personally tailored to their individual needs.

She adds that no one should never feel ashamed to hire a professional to help when they need a boost.

“Sometimes, people are ashamed to reach out to someone because they feel like they’re a failure. I work with some accomplished people and that is nowhere near the truth. They’re successful in life, they’re just overwhelmed. They don’t know where to start so they just shut down,” LaFleur says. “I never see that part of it. All I see when I look at a home is opportunities.”

Pricing for a professional organizer can vary depending on the level of organization desired and intensity of the work required. ✽

Carroll Shelby 100 year legacy

Born in Leesburg on January 11, 1923, Carroll Shelby began his love of fast vehicles at a young age. His father, Warren Hall Shelby, was a rural mail carrier in Leesburg and delivered the mail by horse and buggy in his early days. Carroll enjoyed accompanying his father, and when Warren Shelby purchased a dark green 1925 Willys-Overland, Carroll enjoyed the faster traveling.

Carroll’s cousin, William Julian, said that Carroll’s neighbors would sometimes feel concern over the young boy’s safety. His father would tie Carroll’s wagon to the back of his car and pull his young son around town. Carroll also had a pedal car that he would attempt to drive to school until he decided that using his feet alone was easier than pedaling the wheels.

At about seven years of age in 1930, Carroll developed a serious heart condition. When his father transferred to a post office in Dallas, the whole family picked up stakes and moved to Spurlock Street. Warren Shelby loved both cars and airplanes, and

Carroll once quoted his father as saying, “Son, there’s no man born with a drop of red blood in his veins that doesn’t enjoy a race of some kind. If you happen to like automobiles, that’s okay with me. I like ‘em too.”

William Julian mentioned another reminiscence with Carroll when they ran an errand to Leesburg while Carroll was visiting family at home.

“Carroll and I went to Leesburg on an errand in that car [the Willys-Overland]; he was three years older than I am, and he couldn’t have been more than 13 or 14. We

got to Highway 11 and instead of crossing toward Leesburg, he turned toward Newsome. Carroll said, “I can get 68 miles per hour out of second gear,” and he did.”

After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1940, Carroll joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 before Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7. This was because he wanted to learn to fly.

Trained at Lackland Air Force Base and an expert bomber, Carroll was kept stateside training other bombardiers because of his heart condition which kept him out of combat.

There are rumors that Carroll would fly low over a girlfriend’s house and drop boots out of his cockpit with notes in them. He did marry Jeanne Fields on December 18, 1943.

At age 29, Carroll entered in his first sanctioned competition race in 1952. Two years later he turned professional, and eight years later he retired from driving with three national championships, and numerous wins in Europe. Five years later, his

“Yesterday’s history. Tomorrow’s a mystery. So live for today.”

~ Carroll Shelby

took his son to Love Field where Carroll had the opportunity to fly in the “Tin Goose”.

Courtesy photo

Shelby Cobras became the first American-conceived car to win the FIA International Manufacturer’s Championship for Grand Touring Cars.

Carroll set the speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, was named the National Driving Champion by the Sports Car Club of America, received Sports Illustrated’s “Sports Car Driver of the Year” in 1956, won 19 consecutive races in 1957, and was awarded the New York Times “Driver of the Year” award in 1958. In 1959, Carroll won the prestigious Le Mans Grand Prix, being only the second American-born driver to win the 24-hour endurance race.

The U.S. Sport Car championship was Carroll’s final win as heart pain worsened. So he went to designing mustangs instead. His legacy is the famed Shelby Cobra, the fastest production model ever made when it was displayed at the New York Auto Show in 1962. His 2013 Shelby GT500 had the most powerful production V-8 engine in the world--at 662 horsepower--and a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour.

Carroll was known for his striped bib overalls in which he raced and which became known as his special trademark. Once, when his luggage was lost before a race, he blamed his losing the race on not having his

overalls with him.

Through his racing, Carroll became known internationally. He was one of eight people to be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in June, 1986. At the time, he was working on a high-performance version of Chrysler cars to be produced in low volume. His goal was to produce cars that would match the expensive European models at a fraction of the price. In 1991, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Carroll was an entrepreneur with an ever-busy mind. He tried several business ventures including a dump truck and concrete business, chicken farming, real estate, developed and eventually sold his own brand of chili to Kraft, and was part-owner of a ranch near Terlingua where he helped start the Terlingua Chili Cook off. This last venture has lived on in both the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), and even assisted in the starting of the nationally known Chili’s restaurant.

Carroll also bought hunting rights in several African countries and led safaris to hunt elephants.

Carroll met another hobby, miniature horses, in 1980. He enjoyed the little ponies so much that he ended up owning

about 200 of them. He also bred miniature mules, and raised Kobe beef cattle for a time. He owned a couple of ranches in Camp County, and often came back to his roots to enjoy home and family.

Loved by the community, not only for his generosity but also for his personality, many stories are remembered including the following:

Edward Jackovich, a druggist at Eckerds (now CVS), asked his coworkers to be sure and get Carroll Shelby’s autograph next time he came into the store should Jackovich not be working. Shelby did enter the store one day, and Jackovich learned from his coworkers that they had forgotten to get the requested autograph.

Jackovich was not pleased and let his coworkers know this. But when his next birthday rolled around, Jackovich was present-

ed with a magazine containing Shelby’s picture, and yes, the race car driver’s autograph that they had secured but hidden for a birthday present.

“I felt so bad,” Jackovich remembered.

Carroll underwent a heart transplant in 1990, and a kidney transplant in 1996. At the time of his death on May 10, 2012, Carroll was one of the nation’s longest-living heart transplant recipients.

Carroll Shelby’s legacy lives on in the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program at the Northeast Texas Community College, numerous car clubs, and the Carroll Shelby Foundation-created in 1991 to help children and young people needing acute coronary and kidney care. Many thanks to Carolyn Anders for her invaluable research which contributed to this article. ✽

Frank Durrum was with Edward Jones for 42 years before he retired. While in his last year of the Army, he set out to learn about interviews so he could find a job after he was finished in the Army. He got books on how to interview because, in the early 80s, the oil industry was the hot industry. He looked into the industry and bought a dark blue pinstripe suit.

He initially thought that he

Frank Durrum

Looking back on 42 years of service to Mount Pleasant

By RYLEIGH STEGALL

would end up in the oil business as an executive or in another position. He didn’t know a whole lot about the oil industry, only that it was the industry to be involved in.

Durrum grew up just down the road in Jefferson. He had come home for Thanksgiving and asked his mother “do you know any places around here where I can look for a job when I get out?” Durrum wanted to settle back into a small town

like he had grown up in. His mother’s friend referred him to one of the East Texas Baptist University Business Professors, so that he could get to know people who know about opportunities in the area.

Durrum put on his navy blue pinstripe suit to go meet one such gentleman. One of the first things he told him was “you look like a stockbroker. I want you to go talk to my stock broker Jim Heron.” He was one

of the original brokers in Texas with Edward Jones.

When Durrum started with Edward Jones there was only one office in Sulphur Springs, Paris, and one in Marshall where Jim Heron was located. There were fewer than five offices in East Texas and possibly 20 offices in Texas. Nowadays there are around 80 offices in this region. All of the offices that are here today are offshoots of his.

Being the humble man Durrum is, he said “I was the first one here but, I had nothing to do with putting those offices up, but I guess I pioneered the way.”

He talked to Edward Jones and became interested in the company. Durrum interviewed Edward Jones in February of 1981. He wanted this job badly because he had a wife and two kids at home to support.

Durrum had been through Mount Pleasant plenty of times while traveling to see relatives. But when he went through the town again, he thought that it was a “pretty area and it looked prosperous, like it would be a good place for a Jones Office.”

After five months of doing cold calls, that thought became a reality for Durrum. He opened his own office at 203 W 2nd St.

After a stint of success Durrum began looking for a different office. He found where his

office is today. He bought the vacant block, built his office, and then sold the other sections for other businesses. He helped make the block into the four plots that it is today.

Before Durrum came to Mount Pleasant, there weren’t any kind of stockbrokers. He began knocking on doors making cold calls and some people would tell him “ You’ll never make it here.” He didn’t let that hinder him, because he immediately started doing business right away. At the start, he would have customers come to his home for their appointments so they could discuss business.

Frank Durrum said, “I’ve been blessed, I’m blessed to have stumbled in with Edward Jones.” Durrum lives by the golden rule of “treat people like you want to be treated” and of course, “Go Army, Beat Navy.” ✽

Making a Name

Jackson James making a splash in Texas Music world

By TONI WALKER

There’s a new name on the Texas Music scene, and he hails from Hughes Springs. Jackson James has already begun making a name for himself as he performs multiple nights each week anywhere that will have him.

From his signature country style of overalls and an impish grin, you can tell there’s just something of an old soul in Jackson James, and that’s just how his fans like it. James hails from Hughes Springs, deep in the heart of Cass County, but he was born in Huntsville, and has been playing shows all over the Ark-La-Tex. According to his management company, Rock ‘n’ Rowe Music Management, James has received praise from many, including legendary radio DJ Tom Michaels, of 98 Rocks. Michaels, who saw one of James’ early performances at the KnightLight Tavern in Jefferson, said “It was nice to experience many of the songs that the band performed. It was great to see people as young as you are, playing some timeless songs that were probably recorded before your parents were born. We couldn’t help but sing along.”

James found his love of music at an early age, growing up in church and listening to Gospel music. He also admits there was a drive to excel past his peers, as well.

“I discovered my love for music through Gospel and growing up in church, but my dad has a lot of guitars so I grew up always seeing them and wanting to play them one day,” James said, before adding “I also had some school friends that started playing and I wanted to be better than them at something.”

James has developed his musical sound and persona from a variety of influences from across many genres.

“My biggest musical influences are Chris Stapleton for his song writing and vocal style, I also like Chris Cornell for his vocal ability and style. Other influences would be

like Tony Rice, Ralph Stanley, Vince Gill, Matchbox 20, and Pearl Jam,” James said, adding that he would give anything to sit down with the late Keith Whitely if possible.

“From his beginnings he (Whitley) was an excellent bluegrass player and was highly respected and then in his older years he became a mainstream country legend.,” James said. “Even though he died young, he accomplished so much. I think a lot of people, including myself, will never get to experience that at that age. It would be cool to hear from his side of things and what his work ethic and day to day process was like.”

Though his musical influences are wide and varied, James admits that there is no particular celebrity he looks up to.

“I look up to my parents a lot because of how hard they work for me and all they’ve done to

make sure I succeed,” James admitted.

James has dubbed his musical style as “Redgrass” a mixture of bluegrass and Red Dirt that he plans to grow into a new sound.

“We just ordered new koozies that say “The Redgrass Kid.” That’s what I’ve kinda called my style because I love Bluegrass but I’m an East Texas boy at heart that loves the music of Red Dirt, so my plan is to merge the two into a fresh new sound. At a live show I do my originals along with a wide variety of covers ranging from Roger Miller to Whitney Houston to Nirvana,” James explains.

James currently shares his unique sound on just about any stage that will stand still, from restaurants, festivals, music venues and more. His song choices have led to his being invited to be a regular

fixture at venues across East Texas. Richard Penner with The KnightLight said he loves having James perform because he, “reads the audience very well,” and, “entertains by knowing what they want to hear.” He also is known to play locally in Daingerfield at Mug Shots and in Jefferson at Auntie Skinners. But he dreams of one day gracing the bigger stages.

“My dream venue would probably be Red Rocks or the Ryman Theater, Madison Square Gardens would be cool,” James said before pausing. “Come to think of it, Billy Bob’s is my dream venue because I’d love to record a live album there one day.”

James said he has big plans for the future, including a multi-state tour and songwriting sessions.

“I plan on playing shows all the time and staying on the

road consistently until something takes off. I’m going to keep working hard and my dreams will come true with time,” he said. “A lot of people take pictures to remember the best times of their life or to try and forget the worst times of their life, but when it comes to me, I like to write down everything and then sing it. I don’t write for anyone but myself and if people like it, then that’s great. I’m nothing more than a boy from East Texas, writing out my story one song at a time.”

For more information, or to see videos of live performances, visit Jackson James on social media: TikTok and Instagram @ jacksonjamesband and Facebook @jacksonjames. For booking, contact Tori Lyle with Rock ‘n’ Rowe Music Management at (936) 662-6673 or by e-mail at contactjacksonjames@gmail. com. ✽

What makes this a honeybee?

By ROGER AND SUE FARR

If it is shiny, smooth, and stings repeatedly, it is not a honeybee and may not even be a bee. Around here, it is probably a wasp or a hornet. Learning a bit about our beloved, and incredibly useful, honeybee brings agriculture and life in the country a bit more into focus and gives a greater appreciation for the One who created all things.

In the 1760s, Carl Linnaeus developed the terms used today in biology to identify different living organisms. Think back to your high school days, momentarily. Do you remember good

old Carl Linnaeus pictured at right from Wikipedia? Do you recall memorizing “KPCOFGS” or “King Philip Crossed Over For Good Soup” in your biology class? Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician Linnaeus in the 1760s developed the terms “Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species” as a taxonomical ladder to categorize every living thing in the universe. Using Linnaeus’ system, the honeybees normally kept in North America would be described as:

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Phylum: Arthropoda

(exoskeleton, jointed legs)

Class: Insecta (3 body parts)

Order: Hymenoptera (wings)

Family: Apidae (hairy)

Genus: Apis (bees)

Species: mellifera (honey bearing)

The honeybee species Apis mellifera is abbreviated Apis m., and it has several subspecies. Most Northeast Texas beekeepers keep Apis m. ligustica, the Italian honeybee. The subspecies Apis m. scutellate is kept in Africa and can be very defensive. The subspecies Apis m. carnica is the Asian honeybee which is physically smaller than ligustica and likes to nest in open trees.

Pictured are the three types of bees in a healthy colony.

Are you with us so far?

Within Apis m. ligustica there are three castes of bees. In this picture from the University of Florida Honeybee Research Lab, you see a drone (letter a), a queen (b), and a worker(c) honeybee. The drone bees, about 500 in a healthy colony, are the males. Their singular job is to inseminate virgin queens. Queens, usually only one in a colony, also have one job: laying eggs. Queens decide whether to lay a fertilized

Not everything that looks like a honeybee is actually a honeybee or even a bee. A flying insect may be yellow and black with transparent wings, and it may buzz in your Dr. Pepper can and sting your lip, but it still may not be a honeybee or even a bee.

egg or an unfertilized egg. The unfertilized eggs become drones and the fertilized eggs usually become workers. A fertilized egg can become a queen, depending upon what the worker bees feed the larvae.

Confused yet? It gets even more interesting in the worker caste of Apis m. ligustica. The workers exhibit a trait known as age polymorphism: the age of the worker bee determines what tasks she can perform for the colony. Workers that are 1 to 11 days old clean the cells used to raise new bees and they feed thousands of developing bee larvae with a substance their bodies produce, which we call royal jelly. Workers 12 to 21 days old produce wax from glands on their

bodies, receive the incoming nectar and pollen from foragers to store in cells, and perform guard duty at the hive entrance. Workers 22 days old and upwards forage outside the hive for nectar, pollen, water, and resin. Foragers perform their work mostly outside the hive until they die at about 45 days during the summer months. Honeybees produced in late autumn have the ability to live for up to six months and then nurse the developing larvae in the spring, so the colony can successfully overwinter.

Beekeepers in the spring create new honeybee colonies by taking a mix of bees of different ages, on frames of brood (developing bees), pollen, and honey, from an existing colony and placing

them in a new hive box with a new queen. How beekeepers encourage the bees to produce a new queen is another whole topic! Beekeepers provide sugar water to new honeybee colonies, because most of the bees in the rapidly expanding colony are not old enough to leave the hive box to forage for nectar and pollen. (Sue says, “There is no one old enough in the colony to drive to Walmart for groceries!”) Another consequence of age polymorphism is that when a queen honeybee dies, the colony will soon contain only forager age bees. These bees can no longer clean cells, feed larvae, care for the queen, store resources, or produce wax. Only the young worker bees can produce the food necessary to

feed the developing larvae. Even if a beekeeper notices that there is no brood in the colony, and adds only a new queen, the colony will still die. Without the young nurse bees there are no bees in the colony of the correct age to perform necessary tasks inside the hive box. Why in the world does all this matter? It takes the right kind of bee, bringing in the right kinds of nectar and pollen, and able to do the right honeybee jobs at the right time for everything to work as the Creator intended. When you see honeybees in your garden, look up, and thank God for creating such as amazing insect to pollinate the fruits, nuts, and vegetables we all enjoy. Exactly how they do this is a story for another time. ✽

Where a story ends

a new one begins

The date was January 27, 1973, eleven hours before the cease-fire in Vietnam. That was the date that would stop Sgt. John O’Neal Rucker from ever seeing his only daughter. Sgt. Rucker was sleeping at the time when he was hit by a rocket attack, becoming the last American who died at Da Nang during the Vietnam War and that war’s last enlisted casualty. However, that is where this story begins, not ends.

The story of O’Neal began in Kilgore, Texas, as featured in the last edition of Crossroads. He was born on March 17, 1951, and shortly after that moved to Linden, Texas, his hometown. After graduating

By SHAWN LARSON

from Linden-Kildare High School, even though he had a high draft number, he volunteered for the Air Force in February 1971. O’Neal told his parents and friends he wanted to serve and make the Air Force a career. When the Air Force asked him for his assignment preference during basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, he volunteered for service in Southeast Asia.

O’Neal was initially assigned to NKP, Thailand in April 1972.

In July he went TDY to Da Nang with the 18th SOS and was PCS’d to Da Nang two days before the fatal rocket attack.

O’Neal was scheduled to return to Thailand before coming home. Instead, he lost his life

when, on January 27, 1973.

It was on January 25, 2012, when a new story was written concerning Sgt. Rucker. That was the date that Tia McConnell first learned that there was a high chance that O’Neal was her father and realized the significance of his death in the closing of the Vietnam War.

“In March of 2010, I went to Vietnam and met up with other adoptees from all over the world, some of us went to Australia, Europe, and Canada. At this time DNA testing was becoming the “thing”, I received a test kit there, I did the swab and sent it in in April of 2010, but was unsure if I really wanted the results, it could hurt someone, I could

be rejected, all the emotions so I didn’t pay for the results until August of 2011,” says McConnell.

“In November of 2011, I got a third cousin match, the closest I had, oddly enough he lived in Houston, and I was going to Houston to see a friend and met him and his wife, who worked at a genealogy library. She didn’t know who my father was but gave me a lot of surnames to research. I did a lot of research when I got home. I had enough information to know that I was born in DaNang, in the summer of 1973, probably in June. I am a nurse so I researched how premature I could possibly be and worked to pinpoint a conception

L-R: Roger Manning, brother-in-law; Margie Manning, sister; Marsha Bradford, sister; Travis Bradfor, brother-in-law; Rose Dulaney, cousin; Mae Rucker, mother; Vicki O’Neal, niece; Patti Rucker, niece; Tia McConnell, daughter; Dr. Vance Cortez, cousin; and Sandy Rucker, cousin-in-law. Photo: SMSgt Patrick Nugent (Ret.)

range, but everything came up empty-handed. At the end of December 2011, I had to take a break, it was consuming, and I was ending up disappointed and exhausted.”

“In January I realized that I was looking for someone alive. I had to remember how many people died in Vietnam, so I had to also look at the deceased as well. I began on the wall website, I knew I had been conceived somewhere between August and November of 1972, it would be the only survival being premature and full-term between May and July. So, I estimated that my father had to be alive at least until November of 1972.”

“I would then research each KIA (Killed in Action), where, and when, luckily there were some filters to help. If he were killed in the south, I knew that it wouldn’t line up because DaNang is in North Central Vietnam. I also knew that the majority of my DNA matches

were from the south, so if the KIA was from North of Oklahoma, I could be reasonably assured that they weren’t my father.“

The break came when “on the morning of January 25, 2012, I came across John

O’Neal Rucker, from Texas Killed in DaNang, I clicked further, and someone had commented on a party they attended in November of 1972. For whatever reason it struck me, and I realized he was from Texas, another match-up. I Googled his name and saw his picture and knew it had to be him, I LOOK JUST LIKE HIM. I then found what would be my grandmother’s phone number (O’Neal’s mom) and sat on it all day.”

“I think I felt fear initially, what if I was rejected, fear that I could potentially hurt someone or a lot of people, I could hurt my adopted family, my parents, the whole family. However, the fear turned to

curiosity, then I realized that I was ok, and finding these answers was necessary for my well-being and to know me better.”

“Finding my family was amazing. When I called who would be my dad’s mom, my grandma, I thought it would be so bad, it was two days before the anniversary of his death, but she paused and said, “I’ve always had a feeling”. We did DNA through the FTDNA database and

there was no match, but she kept persisting there were too many similarities and there had been missed matches before, so we did a very expensive individual study, and we matched. I met them all in July of 2012.”

“It’s been nice to find biological roots,” says McConnell. I have an amazing family and we all keep in touch. I am forever grateful to the Rucker family for not closing that door, and I love them all.”

Tia McConnell, daughter of SSgt John O’Neal Rucker, participates in the Wreath laying ceremony in front of the Cass County Courthouse.

Footstone for SSgt Rucker.

When asked how her adopted family took to her journey, McConnell explained… “My adoptive family has been so supportive and encouraging. I know how loved I am by my entire family. Although I use words like adoptive family and biological family to me, they are just family all of them. Blood does not distinguish one as more important than the other, even the guys in the AC119 group who have adopted me as their niece are my family. Because sometimes there is that one really lucky individual who was blessed so much that they were meant to be loved by so many people and be family to them. That’s me. I have not found my mom, maybe one day.”

Since finding her long-lost family, she has been able to learn a little about her dad. “I have been told or read that

he was very gentle, kind, and patient, I like to think that’s where my compassion as a nurse comes from. How he always wanted to help everyone. From reading his letters he was an adventurer and always put his family first.”

The family of the late local Sgt. John O’Neal Rucker was honored with other Vietnam War Veterans on Saturday, February 4, at the courtroom of the Historic Cass County Courthouse in downtown Linden, Texas. This fell in conjunction with the 50thanniversary commemoration of the end of the Vietnam War.

When McConnell was asked about her feelings concerning the event, she started by expressing that it was a difficult question. “While the lessons of war need to never be forgotten, I feel sad because we are having to remember them

this way. I have never met my father, but to the girl who does not know her real birthday, it’s a loss and it still hurts. I am very happy that he will be honored.”

One of the people from the AC119 group that McConnell now calls family; Vance Clarke (CMSgt, Ret, USAF) says fondly: “It is remarkable that amid war and the loss of SSgt John O’Neal Rucker, that his daughter, born in Vietnam would find her birth father’s family. The creation of DNA tools for the public, and Tia McConnel would use it and find the Rucker’s...”

“And wow, that Mae Rucker would pause and realize that she had a feeling about this and her son and pulled Tia to them. It is a small miracle that by all accounts seems truly meant to be. Tia says it so well, “I am blessed to have so

many people who are willing to love me and call me family!” The Air & Space Forces Association was so pleased to work with the AC-119 Gunship Association and the relationships they had with the Rucker family. We are blessed to have helped commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the full measure of devotion given by SSgt Rucker, and to witness this family and how they are carrying out their lives. What a great opportunity for us to see Love in action! We are thankful for the opportunity to know this story, to share it, and to be a small part of the Rucker family story.”

If you would like more information on Rucker’s story and the stories of the people he served with you can visit the AC-119 Gunships website www.ac119gunships.com. ✽

THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF TRUST

At Encompass Health, the first thing we build for our patients going through rehabilitation after an illness or injury…is trust. Here we offer advanced technologies and treatments, but what makes our programs even more powerful are the nurses and therapists who are passionate about helping patients get back to what matters most. It’s why we’re the trusted choice in rehabilitation services .