Hero Stories

Honoring Our HEROES

Sergeant Major Bill Shoemaker

My hero is my dad. He was raised on a farm near Winnsboro, Texas. Dad was drafted and following high school graduation, reported to basic training, declining a basketball scholarship. His unit became part of the occupational forces. Dad returned home in 1946, enlisted in the Army Reserves, and joined his brother’s accounting firm in Marshall, TX. In 1949, he joined the 49th Armored Division of the Army National Guard. The unit was mobilized for active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis and spent time at Fort Polk. Dad served until his retirement in February 1987 – a total of 41.5 years. Dad served our church, First Baptist Marshall, as a deacon and church treasurer for several years. He was a Master Mason, a member of the Knights Templar, and a Shriner. Dad served the Marshall Lodge as Worshipful Master and served the district as District Deputy Grand Master. My parents were married almost 46 years when Dad passed in 1997. My dad was a good man who loved his Lord, loved his family, and was proud to serve his country.

Honored by Patrice Frisby

Cory Allen Teague, Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Southlake

Cory is the husband of Natalie DeGraffenreid Teague, APRN, FNPBC, father of 22-month old, Scarlett Reid Teague, and new baby boy, Brett Hagen Teague. Cory has been a firefighter/paramedic for the Southlake Fire Department for the last 12 years. Cory and his family reside in Sanger, Texas. He is the son-in-law of Randy & Linda DeGraffenreid. We are extremely proud of Cory and all his accomplishments, especially during the COVID pandemic.

My hero is my mother, Katie McArtor Fullerton, who embraced the many changes that she experienced during a long and full life. As a young woman, she rode on horseback to teach in a one room school. Although she was tiny, she managed the students successfully although they had previously run off a male teacher. She married my father, Willard James Fullerton, in 1928 and they were full partners as they worked through the Great Depression to operate a dairy farm and rear four children. I was the last to arrive and was fortunate to experience my mother’s endless love and encouragement and her great enthusiasm for life.

She volunteered for many good causes in her community and repeatedly chaired her church’s bazaar when she was in her eighties. She was a cancer survivor. The day I took her home from the hospital after surgery was primary election day. She insisted on going to vote before going home because “I’ve never missed an election in my life and I’m not going to start now!” Her dedication to her family and to her community and her positive attitude provide a shining example of a life well-lived.

Honored by Rosemary Grose

Perry Reese McNeill

• Graduated from high school in Honolulu, Hawaii. • Served in the United States Air Force in Texas and Ankara, Turkey. • Graduated from Oklahoma State University with associate degree in engineering technology, BS in mathematics, MS in natural science, and doctorate degree. Passed Professional Engineers Exam and received license. • Taught 26 years at Oklahoma State and 10 years at UNT. • Taught 2 years at Southern Colorado State University. • Provided consulting for Phillips Petroleum in Oklahoma, IBM in Texas, World Bank in Algeria, Yemen, and Brazil. • Served as Chairman of Board at Denton Chamber of Commerce. • Served on the Planning and Zoning Commission. • Served four years on City Council, two as Mayor Pro Tem. • Served one term as Mayor of Denton. • Served on the original board for Serve Denton. • Great husband, dad, granddad, and friend to many. • Never met a stranger.

Honored by June McNeill and daughters Michelle Kitto and Tracy Bayliff

Ted Blixt was a US Air Force veteran. He was an amazing and intelligent man who made a difference everywhere he went. After traveling the world as a quality control inspector, one of his professional accomplishments was tapping into a volcano for the steam to run a power plant in Indonesia.

Ted was a lifetime member of Cleburne Elks Lodge #811, serving in all chairs including the Exalted Ruler or as he called it, the “Exhausted Rooster.” He also served as Master Mason (Scottish Rite) of Freemasonry, Ft. Worth Chapter, and at Glen Rose Blue Lodge. He belonged to American Legion (Austin), was an avid volunteer at Operation Blessing and at Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleburne. While in AA he changed many lives. He even saved a few who either tried to or were contemplating suicide. He blessed many people with his positive attitude, dedicated faith, contagious personality, and love for those around him. Ted left this earth on February 13, 2022. He left a hole bigger than most can fill; this world will never be the same!

Honored by Tanya & Joel Blixt

Wendy Noble and Carrie Powell

Wendy Noble is the Street Outreach Specialist and Permanent Supportive Housing Case Manager with Giving Hope, Inc., where she has been fighting homelessness in Denton County since 2016. Wendy is from Dallas, where she spent almost two decades experiencing chronic homelessness and battling drug addiction. With close to eight years free from addiction, Wendy gives back to our community by sharing her story and empowers those who are still suffering. In 2020, Wendy was awarded Denton County's Frontline Service Provider Award for her work in the Street Outreach Program. Carrie Powell is the Street Outreach Coordinator for Giving Hope and is passionate about ending homelessness in Denton County. Carrie came to Denton in 1993 to attend TWU. She met her husband of 20 years and has one child. Carrie was the Women's Coordinator for local outreach at Vision Ministries for six years. She was integral to the founding of C7 Human Trafficking Coalition and served as chair and board member from 2016-2021. She started as a volunteer on the Street Outreach Program with Giving Hope in 2017 and was hired as staff in November of 2020. Both ladies travel to known encampments and other places where folks are living unsheltered.

Honored by Tanya & Joel Blixt