The County Line - November 2011, v4i54 by MyCounty-Line.com

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Volume 4 Issue 54

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

Monthly Issue

November , In This Issue: The First Thanksgiving from various sources

Growing Up Small Town by Mike W. Norris

Texas Conservative by Chuck Norris

@Ranger Library

by Diana McCullough

Good Neighbors by Clint Coffee

Eastland High School News by Terry Everts

In Your Words

by Raleigh Darnell, EHS

Star Pride

by Ginger Tobin

Tumbleweed Smith by Bob Lewis

Love Lessons

by Vicki Stiefer

Treasure Hunters by Jerry Eckhart

The Breckenridge Wall Local Advertisers

Ol’ Doc’s Homespun Yarns by Luther Gohlke

Rising Star Bulletin Board Local Advertisers

This Week In Texas History by Bartee Haile

From the Backside

by Henry J. Clevicepin

Ruthie’s Page

by Ruth Norris

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All.

2011

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vol.4 Issue 54

The First Thanksgiving In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. Amid the controversy surrounding the original “First Thanksgiving”, many details are left open to interpretation. But there are a few things that we know for certain: 1. The first Thanksgiving was a harvest celebration in 1621 that lasted for three days. 2. The feast most likely occurred between Sept. 21 and Nov. 11. 3. Approximately 90 Wampanoag Indians and 52 colonists - the latter mostly women and children - participated. 4. The Wampanoag, led by Chief Massasoit, contributed at least five deer to the feast. 5. Cranberry sauce, potatoes - white or sweet - and pies were not on the menu. 6. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag communicated through Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe, who knew English because he had associated with earlier explorers. 7. Besides meals, the event included recreation and entertainment. 8. There are only two surviving descriptions of the first Thanksgiving. One is in a letter by colonist Edward Winslow. He mentions some of the food and activities. The second description was in a book written by William Bradford 20 years afterward. His account was lost for almost 100 years. 9. Abraham Lincoln named Thanksgiving an annual holiday in 1863. Edward Winslow’s Account (from the book Mourt’s Relation, pub. 1622) “our harvest being gotten in, our governour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labours ; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie.” William Bradford’s Account (from the book Of Plimoth Plantation, pub. 1856) “They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to fitte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & strenght, and had all things in good plenty; fFor as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fishing, aboute codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store, of which every family had their portion. All ye somer ther was no want. And now begane to come in store of foule, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besids water foule, ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besids venison, &c. Besids, they had about a peck a meale a weeke to a person, or now since harvest, Indean corn to yt proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largly of their plenty hear to their freinds in England, which were not fained, but true reports.” THE 53 PILGRIMS AT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING: 4 MARRIED WOMEN : Eleanor Billington, Mary Brewster, Elizabeth

The County Line

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(Continued on Page 8)

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

3Growing Up Small Town

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, Mike W. Norris

“Thank You” doesn’t say enough... by Mike W. Norris

I’ve been putting off writing this article for several days. Sometimes I can sit down and gather my thoughts for this piece as easily as retelling a favorite story from my childhood; the words just flow as quickly as I can type them on the computer. But the last month and a half have been some of the most stressful times I have ever encountered in my 41yrs. It was as if October arrived and every possible aspect of our little Eastland, hometown lives were thrown into chaos. I’ve been trying very hard not to go down the “woe is me” road and I have devoted several minutes of each day looking for those ever so hard to find silver linings and hidden blessings. During the course of the last few weeks, the number of surprises and disappointments have been too many to list. In fact, I started off listing them one by one and I realized that you really don’t want to hear about them all...so I deleted that paragraph entirely. See what I mean? There was a little bit of that “woe is me” road right there. That’s not what this article is about. October and November of 2011 may be the hardest times for my family to endure in quite a long while. But I’m going to counter balance that by saying that my family has been so blessed through the good times that saying “Thank you” is no where near saying enough. My wife is already back at work after spending almost the entire month of October in the hospital. We’re not sure if her kidney and pancreas are completely intact or not, but she is not on dialysis and she is not spending any of her time hooked up to a machine or taking insulin shots. She is not feeling 100% her best, but she is mostly her normal, happy, smiling self. Thank you, Lord. And thank you, Ruthie. My daughter got it in her head this past summer that she wanted to audition for drum corps and we took her to see a drum corps competition in San Antonio a few months ago. Sitting in the Alamodome as a spectator was an awesome experience and she has been dreaming of performing at that level for months. Then the Eastland High School marching band qualified for the State Marching Competition ~ you guessed it ~ at the Alamodome! My little girl got to step out onto that field inside that huge stadium and perform with all of her friends. To see the light in your child’s eyes as a dream comes true for them is irreplaceable. I am so proud of her and of her talents that it fills me with hope and joy for her and her future. Thank you, Lord. And thank you, Sherrie Bug. During the last few weeks, we have been working with our bank to refinance our house. I couldn’t believe all the red tape we kept running into and every phone call from our loan officer became a test of my patience and my sanity. I spent countless hours contemplating the aspects of living in a tent or a camper just to be done with all the headaches and paperwork. With Ruthie in the hospital and Sherrie staying with my parents, walking around the empty house all by myself it was difficult to justify the expense. But my parents held my hand and with

Texas

It’s Like a Whole Other Country. every thing else going on in their household, they helped make sure that my wife had a house to come home to when she got out of the hospital. Thank you, Lord. And thank you Mom & Dad. The first week of October, my grandmother was flown to Fort Worth. We thought she had suffered a heart attack and my parents rushed to Fort Worth after the helicopter left Eastland. At the time, I was scared that I had lost my grandmother without having the chance to speak to her one more time. As events unfolded, Granny Ruby recovered rather well for a few days. She had not had a heart attack, but she was still critically ill. Ruthie and I were able to go by and visit her before Ruthie herself ended up in the hospital. Granny Ruby is still in the hospital now...and as I am writing this, we don’t expect her to recover. She is most likely leaving us and we may spend this Thanksgiving without her. But I was blessed to get to see her and speak to her while she was able to laugh and smile with us. It wasn’t a very long visit, but it reminds me of how every moment is precious and should not be wasted. Thank you, Lord. And thank you, Granny Ruby...We Love You. With everything else that is going on, it is

easy to allow yourself to fall into a rut at work. Several people in my family and in my close circle of friends are commonly of the opinion that I don’t have a “real job”. By definition that a “real job” means I have to punch a clock and report to a specific supervisor to be told what to do every day, then no, I don’t have a job like that. But I am lucky enough to be in the position to do something that I really love to do and I am fortunate enough to have the support of my community and fellow small businesses and entrepreneurs. They say that if you are able to make a living doing what you love to do that you will never work another day in your life. Things got tight enough the last month that I went out and got a part time job. When Ruthie got out of the hospital and went back to work, I gave up the part time job so I could get back to work on the paper. Without you, my loyal reader and/or advertiser, I could never have made it through this year. You have been here for me and my family, taking an interest in these words and articles, enthusiastically sharing this little publication with others, and encouraging me to stay the course every step of the way. For that and everything else; Thank You and may God bless you all with a Happy Thanksgiving. ~mwnorris Send Comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

4Texas Conservative ■

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, Chuck Norris - The Man

8 Miracles That Saved America? By Chuck Norris

In God We Trust United We Stand

As I recently tweeted (@chucknorris), I read through the book “The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points that Saved the World,” by Chris and Ted Stewart. I highly recommend it.

Immediately afterward, I started reading their other book, “Seven Miracles That Saved America,” and I have been equally inspired by it. But it has prompted me to wonder: Is there an eighth miracle coming and needed to save our republic again? It seems somewhat audacious to point out seven pivotal moments in America without which America wouldn’t be America. But it’s hard to argue with the Stewarts on the critical events that they’ve expounded upon and argued for masterfully, especially from our vantage point and with their compelling evidence. Hindsight is certainly 20/20. There’s no doubt that America has teetered on the brink many times in its history. Where would we be if the dial of circumstances had been turned just slightly on the following seven events alone -- those they address in the book? Where would we be if the outcomes had not been as they were? --Christopher Columbus’ improbable discovery of America. --The epic survival of the first English colonists at Jamestown despite the onslaught of starvation and other fatal foes. --Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army’s Battle of New York during the Revolutionary War. --The astounding conception and formation of the United States Constitution. --Abraham Lincoln’s plea with the Almighty that turned the tide of the Civil War at Gettysburg. --The astonishing events that altered the course of the Battle of Midway in June 1942 during World War II. --The extension of freedom around the world because Ronald Reagan’s life and presidency were spared miraculously after an assassination attempt. The Stewarts make a compelling and inspirational case that those crucial events were not coincidental, but providential. The authors asked the question, Has God repeatedly intervened in the affairs of men and preserved the United States of America? Atheists would argue “no.” But the Stewarts and I and millions of other Americans would answer with a resounding “yes.” No doubt, America, God has shed his grace upon thee. I’m reminded of a quote that was brought up in their book by Benjamin Franklin, who often is pitched in progressive circles as one who didn’t believe in the Almighty’s intervention in human affairs. But Franklin was particularly eloquent on the matter and the power of prayer in government, as he addressed those who attended the Constitutional Convention: “In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine

protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard; and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need its assistance? I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?” It’s a question that needs to continue to ring from the corridors of Congress to the halls of the White House, our public schools and homes: “And have we now forgotten that powerful friend?” (On November 1st, the House of Representatives voted on HR 13, legislation introduced by Rep. Randy Forbes to reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the official motto of the United States and support and encourage its display in public buildings and schools. The resolution passed and has moved to the Senate. ~ editor) Readers might not agree with every angle of the authors’ conclusions, but no investigator of world civilizations can deny the exceptional origin, history and nature of the United States of America. The Stewarts make a statement in the book that sums up most patriots’ feelings about our country: “No man is perfect, and neither is any nation. Yet,

despite our weakness, we are still, as Abraham Lincoln said, the best nation ever given to man. Despite our faults, this nation is still the last, best hope of earth.” How contrary those sentiments appear to be to those of our current president, in light of his global apologies for America, lack of spirit for American exceptionalism, denial of America’s JudeoChristian majority and promise to “fundamentally transform the United States of America.” President Barack Obama has kept that promise. He is carrying out his agenda and mission. And if he’s allowed another four years in office, I believe there will not be a remnant of our republic that he and his administration will have not overturned. That is why I also believe we need an eighth miracle to save America -a providential and pivotal moment that spares our country from falling off into four more years of the Obama transformational abyss. The chapter has not been written. But a decade down the road, will our hindsight reveal that inspirational and historical miracle? My wife, Gena, and I hope and pray so. I feel as if we are standing at a crossroads similar to that at which George Washington stood when he wrote to James Madison in 1786, just a few years before the first president’s inauguration: “No morn ever dawned more favorable than ours did; and no day was ever more clouded than the present! Wisdom, and good examples are necessary at this time to rescue the political machine from the impending storm.” Send Comments to: chuck@mycounty-line.com

To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK NORRIS - DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris for The County Line. Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

7@The Ranger Library

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, Diana McCullough

Ranger Git ‘Er Done Day & Ranger College Day of Champions By Diana McCullough

Today was ANOTHER wonderful day in Ranger! The beautiful old First Federal Bank building is now safely and rightly in the hands of its new owners, Traci and Scott McCarty, coming to us from Las Vegas. It’ll take approximately six months to remodel the interior and I LOVED seeing the changes through the eyes of Traci this morning. I did say, “No, no!” to eliminating a staircase but Traci made me SEE IT, differently. Traci and Scott will have their offices in this grand old building; and they can conduct their business as well from Ranger, as anywhere, and maybe better. Traci also plans an Internet-type Coffee Shop in the foyer, and I am THRILLED to have them as our newest neighbors. Traci is also interested in the Ranger Citizens Task Force and quite frankly, her enthusiasm warms my heart. And we were well guarded! While we were visiting upstairs, three Ranger police officers came up. As they left, she and I looked out the front window and saw two police cars parked in front and couldn’t help but laugh. We liked them, and they were nice to us. Freidia Martindale, another Ranger Citizens Task Force volunteer who is operating a new consignment shop called “Hazel’s Boutique” in Pat Gohlke’s Out of the Past Antique Mall, texted me while I was upstairs in the old bank building. She wrote, “Yay! There is a locksmith at the bank! Yippee!” and I replied, “I am upstairs!” AND sent a picture of the view I had from the window which included FREIDIA’S car. I am still smiling about that. Life was good today! Thank Goodness for Bob Davis, my willing Library Volunteer!

Jim and Diana McCullough pose with part of the Ranger College Basketball Team, unloading brush at Ranger’s Recycling Center.

I think I can speak for our Task Force when I say, “Thank you, Ranger College faculty, students, and administration for contributing this Day of Champions.” It was a good day, and lunch was real nice, too! The college fed all workers hotdogs and hamburgers and chips and cookies in their nice cafeteria—I’m making myself hungry just remembering it! PLUS, the Church of God of Prophesy provided 50 Pizza Pro pizzas to workers. How I’m wishing for ONE MORE piece… Wendy Rodgers has agreed to be our Basic Computer Class instructor! (My mom’s idea and she is a smart lady.) Here’s the plan, first we are going to get past Thanksgiving and Christmas, because they will soon be past anyway (and ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS, by the way!), so in January, for two or three Monday evenings at 6 PM, our library will host BASIC Computer Skills classes. I’m thinking Computer Skills, (like using a mouse,

keyboard) Internet Searches (Google IS our friend) and setting up and using email, importing pictures, just fun stuff that is useful to know. So far, I have four people interested, that leaves five more computers waiting for…someone. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini has arrived! It shall be released on November 8th. Lots of hoopla over this one. I want to leave you with some quotes I liked lately: “Life is a journey, not a guided tour.” “A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships were built for.” “Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest.” “Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.” And lastly… “We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.” Please take care, and as always… ENJOY READING! Send Comments to: rangerlibrary@mycounty-line.com

Ken, Rita, Randy, and Troyce Charman “Getting It Done” on Get ‘Er Done Day!

Saturday was a good day for Ranger, too! It was a GLORIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL day and our Ranger Citizens Task Force’s SEVENTH Get ‘Er Done Day, and our third time to partner with Ranger College for their “Day of Champions”. We met at 8 AM at the college gym, and got a pickup load of seven strong basketball players. It was great! Funny how much easier the work is when you have that much help! My grandmother used to say, “Many hands make light labor.” And really, it’s just more FUN, working with others, doing something worthwhile. With our crew, we mostly hauled off brush piles, and there were crews all over Ranger. A great big thanks to Rita Charman for pitching in and getting our water supplied. The college challenged us for 500 bottles of water, and Rita MADE IT HAPPEN and more so! Our new Shoppin’ Basket grocery store was the first to say YES to the need and generously donated our first ten cases of bottled water. Our other bighearted contributors were Chillerz, Allsups (thank you, William and Angela Destro), Loves Truckstop, Cowboy Spirits, and Brookshires in Eastland. Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

8The First Thanksgiving

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, Continued from Page 2

Hopkins, Susanna White Winslow. 5 ADOLESCENT GIRLS : Mary Chilton (14), Constance Hopkins (13 or 14), Priscilla Mullins (19), Elizabeth Tilley (14 or15) and Dorothy, the Carver’s unnamed maidservant, perhaps 18 or 19. 9 ADOLESCENT BOYS : Francis & John Billington, John Cooke, John Crackston, Samuel Fuller (2d), Giles Hopkins, William Latham, Joseph Rogers, Henry Samson. 13 YOUNG CHILDREN : Bartholomew, Mary & Remember Allerton, Love & Wrestling Brewster, Humility Cooper, Samuel Eaton, Damaris & Oceanus Hopkins, Desire Minter, Richard More, Resolved & Peregrine White. 22 MEN : John Alden, Isaac Allerton, John Billington, William Bradford, William Brewster, Peter Brown, Francis Cooke, Edward Doty, Francis Eaton, [first name unknown] Ely, Samuel Fuller, Richard Gardiner, John Goodman, Stephen Hopkins, John Howland, Edward Lester, George Soule, Myles Standish, William Trevor, Richard Warren, Edward Winslow, Gilbert Winslow. In Of Plimoth Plantation, William Bradford lists the Mayflower passengers and also tells us who died during the first winter of 1620/1621 and spring of 1621. No other ships arrived in Plymouth until after

the “First Thanksgiving” celebration. The Pilgrims at the “First Thanksgiving” are all the Mayflower survivors. The Mayflower arrived in Plymouth in December of 1620. No further ships arrived in Plymouth until immediately after that “First Thanksgiving” - the Fortune arrived in November of 1621. One of the passengers on the Fortune, William Hilton, wrote a letter home that November. Although he was not present at that “First Thanksgiving,” he does mention turkeys: The letter of William Hilton, passenger on the Fortune Loving Cousin, At our arrival in New Plymouth , in New England, we found all our friends and planters in good health, though they were left sick and weak, with very small means; the Indians round about us peaceable and friendly; the country very pleasant and temperate, yielding naturally, of itself, great store of fruits, as vines of divers sorts in great abundance. There is likewise walnuts, chestnuts, small nuts and plums, with much variety of flowers, roots and herbs, no less pleasant than wholesome and profitable. No

■ Good

place hath more gooseberrries and strawberries, nor better. Timber of all sorts you have in England doth cover the land, that affords beasts of divers sorts, and great flocks of turkey, quails, pigeons and partridges; many great lakes abounding with fish, fowl, beavers, and otters. The sea affords us great plenty of all excellent sorts of sea-fish, as the rivers and isles doth variety of wild fowl of most useful sorts. Mines we find, to our thinking; but neither the goodness nor quality we know. Better grain cannot be than the Indian corn, if we will plant it upon as good ground as a man need desire. We are all freeholders; the rent-day doth not trouble us; and all those good blessings we have, of which and what we list in their seasons for taking. Our company are, for most part, very religious, honest people; the word of God sincerely taught us every Sabbath; so that I know not any thing a contented mind can here want. I desire your friendly care to send my wife and children to me, where I wish all the friends I have in England; and so I rest Your loving kinsman, William Hilton Sources: The Pilgrim Hall Museum, Google Books, Wikipedia, and other websites.

Neighbors, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm Insurance® Agent

Ways to Reduce Your Auto Insurance Premium If you’re like me, you’re always looking for a smart way to save money. Sometimes, saving money can come in the most unlikely place such as your insurance. There are several ways you may be able to cut your auto insurance costs. Higher deductibles can lower your premium as will selecting only the coverage you feel you need. Many insurance companies offer different discounts. When shopping for auto insurance, be sure to ask about the availability of these discounts and whether the insurer offers them. New business discount: May offer you a discount as a new policyholder if you have been accident-free for a specific period of time. Accident-free: Policyholders who have been accident-free while being insured with the same insurance company for several years may be eligible for reduced premiums. Discounts for other insurance lines: Premiums may be reduced if you insure your home, life or health with the same company that covers your car. Multiple cars: Premiums may be reduced if there are two or more private passenger cars in the household insured by the same company. Air bag/passive restraint: Cars that are 1993

or older and are equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may receive this discount. Certain makes and models of newer vehicles may receive the Vehicle Safety Discount because of the lower medical payments associated with them. The Vehicle Safety Discount is for autos 1994 or newer. Certain makes and models may have a decrease in their premiums because of lower medical payments associated with those specific makes/models. Antitheft devices: Some insurance companies offer discounts on comprehensive coverage premiums when certain antitheft devices are installed or built into a vehicle. Defensive driving course: Premium discounts sometimes are offered for the voluntary completion of specified driver improvement courses. Good student: Full-time students (high school or higher level) maintaining at least a “B” average may qualify for reduced premiums with many companies. These are just a few of the common discounts offered by insurance companies. For more details contact your insurance company or agent. Above all, drive safely. Send Comments to: neighbors@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

9Eastland High School News

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, Terry Everts EHS Band Director

Houston-- The Association of Texas Small School Bands is pleased to announce the selection of the 2012 ATSSB All-State Jazz Ensemble. High school band students from across Texas auditioned in twenty different regions for a place in their respective all-region jazz ensembles. The top chairs in each region were selected to record a CD that was adjudicated recently, resulting in 20 students selected for all-state honors. The ATSSB All-State Jazz Ensemble will meet in rehearsals in San Antonio, Texas, beginning February 9th and will present a concert beginning at 1:00pm on Saturday, February 11, 2012 in Ballroom B of the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. Jeff Jarvis, Director of Jazz Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach, will be the clinicianconductor of the All-State Jazz Ensemble. In the same clinic, Col. Tim Foley (USMC-ret) will be the clinician-conductor of the All-State Symphonic Band. Dennis Fischer, Conductor of the Symphonic Band, Associate Director of Wind Studies at the University of North Texas, and Professor of Music in Conducting and Ensembles, will be the clinician-conductor of the All-State

Concert Band. The Concert Band will perform winning composition in the 2012 ATSSB Composition Competition, Egypt, the Awakening by Billy Newman. Raleigh Darnell, a member of the Eastland High School Band, was selected as a member of this band. He was chosen for this honor in competitive auditions held this year across the state at region and area levels. Darnell is a private student of Pat Brooks and plays the trombone at school under the direction of Terry Everts, who is a member of the Association of Texas Small School Bands, a 1000member group of band directors in class 1A, 2A and 3A high schools in Texas. This is Darnell’s first time to perform as a member of the ATSSB All-State Band. His interests at school include Literary Criticism. He is also active in church activities at First United Methodist Church of Eastland and enjoys reading, singing, spending time with friends and is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. Raleigh is the son of Ray & Jean Darnell of Eastland. Editor’s Note: For more about Raleigh, see “In Your Words” on page 10.

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

10In Your Words ■

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, Submitted by Marsha T. Vermillion for Raleigh Darnell

Raleigh Darnell, a senior in my Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition class, was able to attend a Leadership Conference in Washington DC and New York this past summer. He wrote this article about his experience. ~ Marcha T. Vermillion, Journalism Teacher, Eastland ISD

I stood on the rocky shore, on the stony crags of ancient land, hearing the all consuming sounds, the gulls cheer, the waves roar, looking towards the horizon then turning into myself to find the clairvoyance to feel the spirit that looks to the future, towards the horizon. I was overwhelmed by the longing, the longing of Columbus, Amelia Earhart, Harriet Tubman, the Wright brothers, and many more men and women who wanted to discover a new world where all peoples could like the albatross fly to the highest heights of their aspirations without fear of plummet, to walk on the waters of trial and adversity without fear of drowning, for it is in fear that we truly fail. Before reaching the new world I first must walk on the water. That is why I speak this day. Ever since I was a young boy my family and I have gone on worthwhile ventures through national parks and state parks galore. The most notable trips were road trips to Yellowstone and the Great Lakes of which the latter is what I partially described above. I have always been one for explorative curiosity, wanting to witness the wonders of God’s creation of a blue jewel. To bring this into perspective my home, Eastland Texas, is a very minute dot on the map with less than four thousand in residence. It is a very tight knit community, so tight in fact as to weave its own social bubble that doesn’t have many connections to the outside world (except for computers). Eastland though is a beautiful town that for most if not all can be a place where a walk can be just soothing, where time stands still if only for a moment to offer peace and rest from the struggles of life. I have spent my whole life in this...bubble and I think it is about time to leave this mundane sanctum, at least for a while. Like an amateur tiger I need to find my own turf to roam. For most Americans the media is a necessary evil in order to have a glimpse of far away places. It is a shame that we have to use someone

else’s subjective yellow goggles instead of our own to see our worldly neighbors. That is one reason why I wish to be an anthropologist and also why I would hope, it would be affordable to be a part of your program. Just last summer I attended a conference in New York City and Washington DC called the Global Young Leaders Conference. This program was designed to teach students how international leaders handle global issues. There were three simulations that all four hundred scholars participated in from, a World Trade Organization trade dispute, a border conflict in the Peace and Security Council, to the Global Summit in the actual United Nations building. The whole trip was spectacular but, I believe that the people I met were the true treasure. With my own goggles I saw people my own age that had fears, dreams, and the longing for a better global future. Almost every race and nationality was represented. I was overjoyed when some of them would share their cultures with me as would I in return. The history, the traditions, the interests, and the beliefs, were all scintillating gems of wonder and excitement. This experience has convinced me even more that anthropology would be the choice of study for me, but in the end college and the budget will decide my future career along with any other unpredictable episodes of happenstance, generous donations, and some fundraising on my side. I am indebted to my community for their blessing. To say that I have been able to achieve what I have alone would be absurd and in a sense no one could on their own from day one be able to even survive. To list every influence or muse in my life in detail would be too much information, like putting too much candy sprinkles on a bowl of perfectly good ice cream. So maybe I should say where I have had these instances of the potter molding the clay. At church, at home, at school, boy scouts,

ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: You’re on the verge of graduating high school and making your mark. What are your thoughts, dreams and aspirations guiding you as you get ready to leave high school behind and move forward? Tell us. Email your one or two page articles to graduates@mycounty-line.com and watch upcoming issues of The County Line to see your articles in print. ~mwnorris

GYLC, at Abilene Texas, high school band, UIL, Spirit Wind Choir, nature, and the family farm on my mother’s side just to recall a few of the innumerable times that have made me who I am. Without these gifts and the gift of God I probably would be a mass of flesh and bone serving no other purpose then to live and die. A personal goal of mine is to place a gift under the tree of charity before I die, and like Earhart disappear into the heavens. ~Raleigh Darnell, Eastland High School Senior 2012

Anthropology The study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term “anthropology” is from the Greek anthrōpos “man”, understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia “discourse” or “study”, and was first used in 1501 by German philosopher Magnus Hundt. Anthropology’s basic concerns are “What defines human life and society?”, “How are social relations among humans organized?”, “Who are the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens?”, “What are humans’ physical traits?”, “How do humans behave?”, “Why are there variations among different groups of humans?”, “How has the evolutionary past of Homo sapiens influenced its social organization and culture?”

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

11Star Pride ■

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, by Ginger Tobin & Laura Quinn November & December

Star Pride is a group of local and area citizens who are committed to volunteering and working to improve Rising Star and make it a more beautiful and pleasant town in which to live. The wonderful support which local citizens have given Star Pride in its mission is greatly appreciated by members. Anyone who wishes to become a member is welcome to attend meetings which are usually held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Rising Star Library at 4:00 p.m. By Ginger Tobin & Laura Quinn

Rising Star Heats Up

On October 25, 2011 late in the afternoon, firefighters converged on Rising Star to participate in a live fire training exercise. For some it was something they have done before, but several in attendance had never been inside a burning structure. One of the experienced firemen said this was his first one to actually go into, also that no two fires are alike. DeWayne Hunter of the Olden Fire Department was the lead instructor, Rising Star Fire Chief Josh Constancio was the “Incident Commander”. There were several areas represented, fire personnel from May, Eastland, Gorman, Sipe Springs, Carbon, DeLeon, and Olden took part in this practice drill. This controlled interior fire exposed the trainees to deal with a fire inside, in the dark, with weak floors (due to the house being empty for a number of years). Old carpet plastic CD covers and vinyl covered furniture made the smoke a toxic mix to deal with in total darkness. Our Volunteer fire fighters went to Fort Wolters, near Weatherford, in September,and trained at a firefighter school that the Texas Forest Service sponsors. All participated in training that included a burning natural gas meter, a 250 gallon propane tank, a Christmas tree, and an oil separator out of the oil field. This type of training is not available in all areas, so it was good to have this opportunity to have hands on training before actual emergencies. Stella and Jay Ware set up a table with hot dogs, chili, chips, cookies, bottled water, and soda, so that those in attendance could refresh themselves. Story submitted by Jim Walker, photos by Laura Quinn

DOWNTOWN DECORATING

A group of enthusiastic Star Pride volunteers gathered Monday, November 14, 2011, in downtown Rising Star to begin the annual infusion of color and lights that has, in the past, made the city stand out in the local area. Rising Star Library was the first to get its Christmas glitz with a “shooting star” pole mounted ornament in front, new bright lights on the building’s front exterior, and two metal “trees” brightly shining ready to be installed in the front yard of the library. On Main Street, the group strung light-strings along the 100 block (west side) of North Main Street as well as two large pole mounted snowflakes and a large shooting star ornament at the Downtown Park. After working 4-5 hours, the group, which included Jim Walker, Butch Garrett, Loralee Garrett, Barbara Medley and Ginger Tobin, called it quits for the day and planned another work day for Wednesday, November 16 at 10 AM. Merchants along Main Street are already decorating their windows with beautiful holiday displays; and more will join them soon. The City employees have been asked to install the Christmas trees on utility poles, as in the past, to add to the holiday flavor of the City of Rising Star. They have also agreed to install the Christmas flags that Star Pride purchased, in the past, for all the citizens of Rising Star to enjoy every December. Star Pride’s goal is to have the area decorated by Thanksgiving. Any members or other city or area residents who have time to help are welcomed to participate in this group effort to have the City of Rising Star shine, even more than last year, for the holidays. Send Comments to: starpride@mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

13Tumbleweed Smith ■

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, Bob Lewis

The Texas Hamburger By Bob Lewis

Rick Vanderpool got to Texas from Georgia some years ago and found a home here. He settled in Commerce where he excelled in putting on events like the Bois d’arc Bash, an event to honor the bois d’arc tree. Many homes in Commerce are built on sturdy stumps from that tree. Rick wrote poetry and song about the bois d’arc. Among his other accomplishments he became publisher of the Commerce Journal. He makes his living mostly as a photographer, although he has authored two books, written a screen play, designed fabric, created posters and puzzles on everything from coffee to wildflowers and has some outstanding commissions. He did the photography for my book on East Texas folklore. His pictures hang in some of the most prestigious buildings in Texas. I know lots of photographers and Rick Vanderpool has found more ways to make a living with his camera than any of them. When the 500th anniversary of Columbus coming to America rolled around in 1992, Rick visited every city in the US named Columbus. He took pictures and designed a gallery showing of them. He doesn’t think small. Recently he photographed thousands of images of the Permian Basin, South Plains and Panhandle for the Texas Plains Trail. He likes the area so much he has moved from Commerce to Lubbock. More recently he spent four months traveling eleven thousand miles visiting hamburger joints in Texas. The result is his latest book, THE TEXAS HAMBURGER, History of the Lone Star Icon. He also developed a poster containing pictures of hamburgers and places that make them. He wrote a hamburger song and it’s now in the hands of some prominent musicians. “The good folks in Athens declared me their Hambassador,” Rick says with a chuckle. Athens is the legendary birthplace of the hamburger and Rick went to that city and told the folks he wanted to gather stories about hamburgers. They liked his idea and even gave him some expense money. He and the Athens people emailed 2,000 people and asked them to list their three favorite hamburger places. “I call them my hamburger helpers,” says Rick. “It

was a wonderful network of county judges, ag extension agents, tourism professionals and friends from every county in Texas. I ended up with a list of 750 Texas hamburger joints.” Rick visited all 750 of them, took pictures, listened to people extol the virtues of their favorite hamburger and was surprised to find some of the places where good hamburgers are made. “Little convenient stores with an eleven by fourteen flat top griddle make hundreds of burgers during the lunch run. All the cooks have their secret seasonings and spices.” His book contains stories about people’s favorite hamburgers. It’s published by the History Press. The legendary story says a man named Fletcher Davis made the first hamburger at an Athens café in the 1880’s (meat, bread, pickles, onions, mustard) and later took his concoction to the 1904 World’s Fair in St Louis. A COACH OF CHAMPIONS

Navarro College is one of the state’s large community colleges with 11,000 students spread over campuses in four cities: Corsicana, Mexia, Midlothian and Waxahachie. The main campus in Corsicana has a thousand students housed in dorms. The school has an outstanding athletic record. “We won the national championship in football this past school year, also the national championship in cheer leading and baseball,” says head baseball coach Whoa Dill. “We have three national championships in this little town of Corsicana with a population of 25,000 people. It shows you how good our athletic program is. We won the national basketball championship two years ago, our softball team is ranked one of the top eight in the country and the soccer team is nationally ranked. We have six sports and five are nationally ranked. We have good coaches, everybody gets along and we respect the players.” Navarro baseball teams have won the conference championship twelve of the previous fifteen years. Right

now five players from Navarro are in the major leagues and fifteen more are close to being in the majors. Whoa got his nickname because his parents were always trying to get him to slow down. Very few people know his real first name. He grew up in Corsicana and so did his wife. Both sets of parents live in Corsicana. He played at Navarro when Skip Johnson was coach. “I was blessed to come back and get this job. I played for Skip for two years, then went to UT Arlington and played for two years. I got picked by Philadelphia after my senior year, but I had a shoulder injury and had to hang it up. Skip called one day and told me he had an opening for an assistant coach and I took the job. I’ve been here ever since.” After his team won the national junior college baseball world series this year, citizens of Corsicana were at the college waiting for the champions to return home. “When we got home that Sunday night, we had a police escort to the school where more than 500 people were there to celebrate our victory. Right after we won the championship game in Grand Junction, Colorado, I checked my cell phone and I had 140 text messages, eighty-five of them from ex players, some of them majorleaguers. That shows how people keep up with Navarro College baseball. I heard from players I had coached who are now with the Padres, Rangers and Cubs. They were all texting me, congratulating me. It was awesome.” Once he gets his players recruited and settled in, Whoa takes good care of them. He doesn’t yell and scream at his players like some coaches do. His goal is to get his players ready to play Division One baseball for a major university. He says that’s more important than winning. Send Comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

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14Love Lessons Learned So Far

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, Vicki Stiefer

In-Laws and the Holidays By Vicki Stiefer

The Holiday Season is filled with smiling faces and gigantic gingerbread lattés. People are generally softer; less road rage and more reindeer noses on truck grills. Everyone sings along to Brenda Lee and you get excited about the presents, the turkey and the 3 wise men. Then it hits you like a Mac truck-you’re In Laws are coming over too! Quick, grab the handle of the shopping cart and breathe. In-Laws are tough but it will be alright. I have heard all sorts of horror stories from women all over Texas. One sweet Mother-In-Law claimed her son was being controlled and not allowed to make his own decisions. I have seen others who expected Daughter-InLaws to know family traditions from day one. Those mothers never gave the newest member of the family a chance. One told me her precious Mother-InLaw took her by the hand and told her she couldn’t help her raising because she didn’t do something mother approved. Family members have ganged up to prove a point. My own Grandmother was a holy terror to my mother but expected her to stand there with grace and dignity and take the abuse. She brought a bag of groceries to my mom and dad and told my mother, who was pregnant, she was feeding her grandchild-not my mom. When I learned about the conversation I was shocked at my own grandmother’s actions. How on earth could she be so vile? I do not think I will ever truly understand a Mother-In-Law. From a wife’s point of view she is making her husband happy so why on earth would his mother be angry? I have only figured out a little bit as I go along but will pass on my humble knowledge to you. When a man marries the woman of his dreams he is expected to leave and cleave as the bible commands. What makes it difficult is the strong bond that a mother and son have cultivated since birth. For a man to find another woman and actually be happy with her is the top sin and some mothers just cannot handle the stress it brings. They feel abandoned and left behind. What makes the bad blood is the mother doesn’t communicate these feelings to the son. She gains a daughter; she does not lose the son. I admit it is hard to see from behind the wedding cake and well wishes for your baby boy. So how do you handle your In-Laws for the Holidays? Easy, just remember, you are not the real reason Mommie-In-Law Dearest is upset. She is grieving for the loss of her son because the relationship between the two is evolving and changing, and who likes change? The mom’s whose lives revolve around her children will have the hardest time. She will take it out on the new woman in her son’s life. Yes you do have to stand there with grace and dignity and take it since she is your Mother-In-Law and she’s not really ticked at you. Life is not always a picnic. During the Holiday Season get your Mother-In-Law involved. I know you want to do it all yourself, but she is feeling left out. Don’t get me wrong, I know some Mom-In-Laws are just pure evil from the get go and they will never change, but more often than not she is just feeling left behind.

If you’re cooking the big dinner ask her to help on specific things. Ask her to taste a sauce or two and take her advice when she offers it. As long as you solicit the advice or give her a task you are in control of the situation and your feelings will take less of a beating. You are married so make it work when the time is right. She will be your In-Law ‘til death do you part. The hardest thing you will ever do is be the bigger person. It is worth it. As for the guys out there, same rules apply. Your Father-In-Law is a know it all, been there, done that kind of guy. Not one single man is good enough for his little princess. Ask his advice about a small thing. Listen intently and take it or let it go into one ear and out the other. Everyone feels heard and the days will go smoother. He might actually think you are 2% worthy of his daughter’s affections. Overall, couples have a choice. They can make it work or the relationships can become stagnant. I will say this, it is important to put down boundaries and if you don’t do it early you will have problems in the

future. Here is one thing to remember that I have learned the hard waythe child of the parent causing the issue is the one who should discuss the matter. The spouse stays out of it. Your spouse loves you enough to handle the matter. To summarize, include your InLaws whenever you can to avoid them feeling left out. When there is a problem, let the child of the parent discuss and resolve the issues. It is also a good idea to let your parents know you love them. Affection and acceptance goes a long way in making a happy home. Send Comments to: lovelessons@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

15Treasure Hunters ■

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, Jerry Eckhart

How Much Dirt Is In That Hole? Answer: None, so fill it! By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

The rains came. Cooler weather is here, and all seems well in the world of treasure hunting. A lot of those who hid inside during the torrid summer we just went through are now dragging their metal detectors out of the closet and getting out to search for their treasure. A number of folks have made some nice finds this past month. It never fails to amaze me at the variety of items treasure hunters find around Eastland County. Here is a small sampling of what has turned up. One treasure hunter found more than 50 silver coins one at a time at different places. Another made a significant find when he turned up a 1914 D penny. That may not sound like a lot until you check the coin books. It lists at $200 in the poorest condition. That paid a good chunk of what he spent for his metal detector. A third treasure hunter did even better than that. He found a Standing Liberty Quarter, valued at $1,200. It is hard for the inexperienced treasure hunter to imagine making a find like that, however it isn’t all that unusual. The secret lies in one thing. Get out and hunt.

don’t like to see their property defaced with unfilled holes. Neither do cities. Unfilled holes often cause landowners to prohibit further metal detecting. Take the treasure and leave the landscape undisturbed. A good treasure hunter often leaves the search area so neat it is hard to tell he was there. The third reason for covering your dig holes is that they are dangerous. I have stepped into an unfilled hole many times and almost sprained my ankle. Make sure you fill your holes.

own, and never gave any thought to the responsibility that comes with it. One might think differently, however, facts prove otherwise. Most discount houses specialize in low cost, low quality metal detectors. The purchaser should be aware that a metal detector is an electronic instrument that requires top quality construction in order to perform and last. The low cost units are simply thrown together with the idea of selling as many as possible. The best place to purchase and learn how to use a metal detector is through a local metal detector dealer. They are usually small businesses which specialize in metal detecting and in high quality metal detectors. They will offer training on each unit they sell which is especially important this time of year when many detectors are purchased as Christmas gifts. The big bonus is that a quality metal detector can be purchased at about the same price as found in the discount houses, plus you get the advantage of individualized service.

When you come across a place others have searched and left unfilled holes, take the time to fill them yourself. That is only good management. It doesn’t take too long, makes the place look better and assures you that you will not be told to leave. If you happen to come across another treasure hunter who is not covering his dig spots, gently remind him of what happens It isn’t unusual for old coins and collectibles to be found in Eastland County. when holes are left unfilled. Most will This county was the last civilized area around the turn of the century. It has take the hint. been called, “The Gateway To The West.” When travelers left Eastland County headed west, they found few towns and no large cities for hundreds of miles. It seems that most of those who do The railroad didn’t reach this area until 1891, and was very slow moving west. not observe the treasure hunter’s code This is a great place for old treasures. of conduct (yes, there is one) are those That leaves one big question. When who have bought their detector through are you going to get out and find your There does seem to be a minor problem. When folks go out to search for a mail order house or a discount store. share of the Big Country’s treasures? their fortune with a metal detector, they often forget to cover the holes they dig. They simply got the detector in a box, Many see no reason for filling their holes after they recover what they have had to try to learn how to use it on their Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com dug up. Reasons? One; unfilled holes are unsightly, and instantly tell others you have been there. If you happen to have a really good producing place, others will see those unfilled holes and jump your claim. Two; landowners Many other individual finds have turned up. A friend of mine has found Wheat cents, Indian Head Cents and silver dimes dating into the early 1900’s, all this past month. Another found a small plastic coin purse, with several old silver coins inside. One lady found two beautiful old lady’s compact cases in her own yard. They dated around 1910. Yet another found a choker brooch dating back to the 1890’s. In case you don’t know what that is, look at some pictures from that era. In many, you will see ladies wearing a velvet ribbon around their neck, most with a small brooch fastened to the ribbon.

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

18Ol’ Doc’s Homespun Yarns

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, Luther & Pat Gohlke

Country Doctor Believes In God-Sent Miracles by Jeff Clark Editor’s Note: Ol’ Doc Gohlke is a regular contributor to The County Line. His stories are a mainstay of this publication. This month, I’m providing a little article written about Ol’ Doc Gohlke himself by one of our other local area feature writers, Jeff Clark. I hope you enjoy it. ~mwnorris

There’s been another wreck on deadly Thurber Hill out east of Ranger, seven cars this time. Jerry Edwards flies out the front of Edwards Funeral Home, jumps in his station wagon ambulance and drives hell bent for leather to the gory scene. Back in town, Dr. Luther Gohlke makes tiny Ranger Hospital ready for the bedlam Edwards will shortly deliver to his doorstep. “This was the frontier,” Gohlke tells me, intensity blazing brilliantly from this country doctor’s deep brown eyes. Think Marlboro man but older – lanky, thick Old West mustache, blue jeans, worn western shirt, cowboy hat and boots. “This was years before paramedics or fancy ambulances with IVs. I was give out and stressed all the time back then. My life was not my own.” M o d e r n medicine hadn’t made the trip to Ranger when Gohlke first arrived in

was a beautiful girl – tall, so smart.” They married in 1955. She worked, then was a stay at home mom. He wouldn’t be where he is today without her, he confided. The young medical student worked emergency rooms and clinics his clinical year as a senior. He and another intern delivered 24 babies at San Antonio’s Robert B. Green Hospital in one eight-hour shift. “When I got to Ranger, I knew how to deliver babies.” Gohlke followed up with a six month Preceptorship with Dr. E. E. Lowery of Gateville, learning the business end of being a rural doctor. He then interned at Fort Worth’s John

Peter Smith Hospital Obstetrics Ward for a year. “It was non-stop. You lived on the ward for three weeks at a time. You couldn’t go home.” He slept on gurneys at night. Being on call 24/7 put a strain on his young marriage. They had two children and one on the way. “It was tough,” he admits. Gohlke heard that Ranger needed another doctor and came into practice with Dr. W. P. Watkins. The nearest major hospital was 65 miles away in Abilene. “We pinned hips, delivered babies and did all kinds of surgery.” In 1967 he went out on his own. Ranger medicine was unlike the major hospitals you see on TV. Car

1960. He made up the difference. Gohlke was born in Gay Hill (near Brenham) May 6, 1934, delivered by Dr. Stork (I’m not making this up). His namesake grandfather Dr. Luther Kusch practiced medicine inside his Gay Hill drug store. Kusch was physician, dentist, pharmacist, obstetrician and surgeon to that area’s rural poor. He made house calls on horseback, then a buggy, a Model T, and finally a 1938 Dodge Coupe. “Before I was ever conceived, my mother had it in her mind her first son was going to be a doctor.” Gohlke graduated Denison High in 1951, entering Austin College in Sherman on a basketball scholarship. He almost crashed and burned that first year at AC, spending his time in the pool hall instead of studying. “Dean Rolfe was Dean of Students, a debonair bachelor. He wore a sport coat, bow tie and always carried a little walking stick around campus. He sat me down. I was so scared I couldn’t remember my own name. ‘Mr. Gohlke, what do you intend to do with your life?” Gohlke confided that his plans to be a doctor were in jeopardy. “I think you could still make medical school,” Rolfe told him. “You’ve got the brain, you’ve got the ability – you just kind of goofed off, which is inexcusable.” That was the turning point in Gohlke’s life. “It came to me that I needed to move home to Denison.” The last three years he made straight A’s. He applied to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where his grandfather graduated in 1898. Gohlke followed in 1959. “Pretty good for a carpenter’s son,” he smiled. Gohlke fell in love with fellow AC student Pat Broyles. “She

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20Ol’ Doc’s Homespun Yarns

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, Luther & Pat Gohlke

wrecks produced bloody triage carnage. Think Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H*. Delivering babies was little better. “It was you, the patient, and one nurse. You might use a little anesthetic gas. We had a lot of long labors, a lot of low forceps deliveries. But we did a good job. C-sections were rare because of lack of proper anesthetics.” One time, Gohlke knew an expectant mother needed a level of care his little town couldn’t deliver. She was set to deliver twins, often premature on first pregnancies. He suggested Abilene. One morning young Susan Scott woke up, not feeling quite right. Her husband had to shoe a horse that morning and wasn’t around. By the time she got to Dr. Gohlke, traveling

to Hendricks Hospital was out of the question. Gohlke delivered Heather and Holly, each around two pounds, both in respiratory distress. “We’d just gotten our first incubator,” Golhke remembers. He let Susan touch each daughter, then placed both babies in the incubator and hightailed them to the ambulance waiting out back. Lights and sirens lit their way to Abilene. Gohlke walked back inside, telling the terrified young parents he had hopes their two girls would be okay. But he was honest about their chances. The twins’ paternal grandmother asked about 15 gathered around to hold hands, to form a circle around the new mother. “We prayed for those babies now on their way to Abilene,” Gohlke quietly remembered. “We prayed for that momma.” Five weeks later those little girls came home from the hospital. Both ended up going through the same medical school Gohlke attended. “It was a God-sent miracle,” Gohlke told me. “That prayer is why they both made it.” Gohlke has delivered around 3,000 babies, enough to people a small town. “There were longer labors back then. Breeches weren’t considered abnormal. If you could get a hold of a foot, you could pull that little guy out of there.” Ranger had a “walking blood bank,” people willing to donate blood in an emergency. “I’ve seen times you’d have to put a donor next to a recipient, hook a line from one to the other, a

three-way stop cock in between. If you didn’t do it, that patient was going to die.” Gohlke never turned patients away. “Some of those folks were doing good to put a few shreds of food on the table. They couldn’t afford $3 for an office call back in the 1960s.” To add up to a living, Gohlke worked all the time. Secretary Pat Pockrus shared that Gohlke made daily rounds at the hospitals, visited patients at local rest homes at least every 30 days, kept patient appointments at his office, and answered questions when stopped on the street. Gohlke chewed the fat with most – adding talk of cattle, the stock market or family to his patients’ treatment. The now-seasoned country doctor entered the cattle business in the 1970s as a sideline. His doctoring hours sometimes forced him to throw hay at 2 a.m. Gohlke credits having a great staff as one of the main ingredients behind his successful practice. Several worked for Gohlke 35 and 40 years – Dorothy Henson, Janice Griffin, Pat Pockrus and others. Gohlke discovered he had rampant prostate cancer in 1997. “My days were numbered, but by the grace of God I’m still living. Then I got a little heart problem in 2000. I let it be known I needed to get out.” Gohlke ran ads in medical journals searching for an associate to join him. Five or six visited. They’d ask Gohlke, “If you have a hot appendix, who’s your surgeon?” Gohlke would point at himself. “What about a broken arm, who’s your orthopedic surgeon?” He’d point at himself. He shot each visitor straight. “I treat ‘em all. I develop my own X-rays, type my own blood – do it all myself.” He never saw those young men again. Gohlke knows he could’ve made three times as much money in the big city. “I’d committed myself to Ranger. We liked it here. They needed a doctor here.” Many months later, Dr. Phillip Webb telephoned out of the blue wanting to visit Gohlke’s practice. Webb and his wife arrived on a Saturday in 2000. Gohlke remembers, “We talked a lot, we ate together, we prayed together.”

Webb returned the following Saturday. He and Gohlke talked for eight hours longer, then Webb told him, “We’re coming to Ranger.” After the Webbs left, Gohlke looked at Pat. “Can you believe there’s somebody who’s actually going to come to Ranger, Texas to practice medicine after all these years of us praying?” They answered together, “Oh yea of little faith.” Gohlke retired in 2002 after 42 years in practice, shifting right out of medicine and into his cattle business full time. “I started keeping back heifers and increasing my herd. I repaired fences, chopped brush, renovated this house, got to work on my Honey Do’s, then returned to the craft of wood carving I began when I was five.” “I’m a workaholic,” he said, like it’s news. Gohlke stands up. “I want to show you something.” We walk into the next room. There are walking sticks he’s carved out of mesquite, cedar, bois-de-arc, and many other woods. There are walking sticks with balls bouncing freely inside their carved wooden cages, all from one piece of wood. Gohlke carves these works of art. Wife Pat sells them in her Ranger antique store. While his woodworking is beautiful, his masterpieces are back in town. “Dr. Gohlke was my mother’s doctor the last years of her life,” Ken Falls told me. “He was always kind and compassionate. On the last night of her life on earth, she asked me to thank Dr. Gohlke the next time I saw him. I did.” “People stopped him at church, the gas station, lumber yard, sale barn, feed store, etc. and asked him for help or advice,” said Janice Griffin, his medical transcriptionist since 1972. That still happens. Dr. Gohlke punctuates his stories with terms like “shoot fire” and “Godsent miracle” describing the feats and wonders he’s seen as Ranger’s long time country doctor. Buy this man a mirror. He’s this town’s God-sent miracle. Jeff may be reached at: jdclark3312@aol.com. Send Comments to: outofthepast@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

21This Week In Texas History

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■

, by Bartee Haile

Early Texas Aviators Risk Their Lives To Defy Gravity By Bartee Haile

A death-defying air show on Nov. 19, 1911 inspired a Midland blacksmith named John Pliska to plunge ahead with his audacious plan to conquer the clouds. Texas is best remembered as the birthplace of military aviation. Beginning in 1917, Kelly Field provided pilot training for the newly formed Army Air Corps, and Randolph Field was later known as “The West Point of the Air.” But civilian Texans’ love affair with the airplane began much earlier. There are folks in parts of Central Texas who insist to this day the Wright Brothers robbed Jacob Brodbeck of his rightful place in the history books. According to local tales, the immigrant inventor coaxed a mysterious craft into the Lone Star skies in 1865 -- 38 years before Kitty Hawk. During his Civil War experiments, Brodbeck purportedly progressed from miniature models to a full-scale version capable of sustained flight. Driven by a metal spring, the strange craft supposedly soared over the treetops before losing power and dropping to earth like a rock. Other than vague newspaper accounts, however, no evidence exists to substantiate the word-of-mouth stories of Brodbeck’s fantastic feats. In fact, he never claimed to have successfully defied the law of gravity nor did he attempt to duplicate the stunt before his death in 1909 in Gillespie County. The main character in another legend was a Delaware native, who settled at a hamlet north of Waco. Around the turn of the century, William Downing Custead is said to have completed the five-mile round trip from Elm Mott to Tokio aboard a curious contraption equipped with a gasoline engine and several flapping wings. Once again, proof is as flimsy as the aircraft in question, and chances are the exciting event never happened. A true eccentric, Custead walked out on his family and promising career to devote himself to doing absolutely nothing. The professional drifter spent his last years as a seaside hermit combing the beaches of Hawaii. The first verified violation of Texas airspace occurred over Houston on Feb. 18, 1910. Tempted by a $20,000 purse put up by the Houston

Post and a real estate developer, a Frenchman buzzed amazed onlookers in a fragile biplane. Among the awe-struck spectators were three Houstonians -- a fireworks factory hand, a son of a rich landowner and machinist Shorty Walker -- hard at work on a flying machine of their own. Later that same year, Walker put the finishing touches on the creation he may have flown on a November afternoon. If the blue-collar daredevil ever got off the ground, he remained remarkably silent on the subject. Walker’s son swore that he never once mentioned the cloud-hopping accomplishment. John Pliska was another European exile with an avid interest in the wild blue yonder. Assisted by a friend named Coggin, he started tinkering with a light-weight plane in the 1890’s and perfected an imitation bird with a steel skeleton and canvas skin. Depending upon 50 horses from a mail-order motor, Pliska made his maiden voyage in 1912 using a dry lake bed north of Midland as a runway. Other hair-raising flights followed, and he posted a personal best with a 15-minute excursion that reached a record altitude of 60 feet. Convinced he was pushing his luck, Pliska dismantled his marvelous machine and stored it in the rear of his blacksmith shop. Discovered after his death in 1956, the unique antique was preserved for posterity and today is on exhibit

at the Midland-Odessa airport. Far and away the most famous early aviator from the Lone Star State was Sam Cody of Birdville, now known as Haltom City, a Metroplex suburb east of Fort Worth. Though completely illiterate, in the brand-new science of aeronautical design he was a genius. A fearless thrill-seeker, Cody crossed the English Channel in 1903 holding on for dear life to a giant kite towed by a ship. Signing a lucrative contract with the British army, he engineered a series of dirigibles and powered airships before turning his amazing talent to the construction of winged craft. In October 1908 Cody soloed his premier plane, the first ever manufactured in Great Britain. The next year his equally intrepid wife earned the distinction of being the first woman to view the British Isles from the air and reportedly reached her destination without losing her luggage. Killed in a 1913 crash, Sam Cody was posthumously hailed by his adopted country as a national hero of the highest rank. Fifty thousand Britons showed up for his funeral procession, and in a break with treasured tradition, the dashing foreigner was the first civilian in British history to be buried with full military honors. Not bad for a boy from Birdville, who could neither read nor write.

Send Comments to: texashistory@mycounty-line.com

Bartee Haile lives in Friendswood, TX and is the author of one of the most long established Texas History newspaper columns in the state. Column collections available at twith.com or request list from Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 7754

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

23From The Backside ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ November 2011 v4.54 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline , Henry J. Clevicepin

Slow Down a Bit and Read Up On This... By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker

Well, Fall is in full force here in Buzzard’s Roost. Shore is coolin down at night. That 5 inch rain we got about 3 weeks ago shore did help but it came a little late to get the grass to grow before Winter sets in. Everybody around Buzzard’s Roost is already feeding and that dang feed and hay is higher than a tom cat settin on a telephone pole !!! Part of that feed cost is due to them yehews using 53% of the corn crop to make ethanol that nobody really wants….but that is our illustrious government at work.

suggested the following: call our Social Security an entitlement Pass a law that says anytime the deficit !!!! is more than 3% of the Gross National A nation of sheep breeds a government Product, all setting members of Congress of wolves….and like Ben Franklin once are not eligible to run for re-election. said: Now me and ol Estee K. saw another Democracy is two wolves and a sheep Now, as you’ll all know ol Estee K. Bibbles, my mulebarn partner, is quite the little ditty floating around on the Geek literary genius and comes up with some pretty good poems sometimes. Well, he may Wire (computer for you city folks ) that trying to decide what to have for lunch. have out done his self this time. He passed a little poem on to me the other day that was called the Congressional Reform of Liberty is a well armed sheep protesting he read and I thought I better pass it on you good folks. 2011…..Fat chance they will ever pass the vote !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this sucker: S L O W D A N C E: Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round? ELECTION OF 2012………WE THE Congress collects a salary when in Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? PEOPLE ARE COMING !!!!!! office and receives no pay when they are Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight? out of office. Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Now me and ol Estee K. think if you You better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. want to make a difference, then you Congress (past and present) participate Time is short. The music won’t last. oughta get off your lazy butt and send a Do you run through each day On the fly. in Social Security. All funds in the copy of this article to your congressman When you ask “How are you?” Do you hear the reply? Congressional retirement fund moved to When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, the Social Security System immediately. and all of the leaders of Congress to With the next hundred chores running through your head? let’em know we have about had all their You’d better slow down, Don’t dance so fast. Congress can purchase their own crap we can stand and like them sharks Time is short, The music won’t last. dang retirement plan just like all other we’re circling with our fins sticking out Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow? of the water……..see if that will scare Americans do. And in your haste, not see his sorrow? some of that crap out of them!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die Congress can no longer vote themselves ‘Cause, you never had time to call and say “Hi”? Well, me and ol Estee K. are gonna a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise You’d better slow down, Don’t dance so fast. head on down to the Buzzard’s Roost Bar by the lower of CPI or 3% Time is short, The music won’t last. & Grill and do a little Slow Dancing… When you run so fast to get somewhere Congress loses their current health like the poem says !!!!!! You miss half the fun of getting there. care program and participates in the same When you worry and hurry through your day, Words of Wisdom from Henry J. : If system as other Americans. It is like an unopened gift….Thrown away… you think you can or if you think you Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Congress must equally abide by all laws can’t……you’re right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hear the music Before the song is over. they impose on the American people. You can contact ol Henry J. at: Kinda says it all don’t it !!!!!!!!! All contracts with past & present henryjclevicepin@aol.com Now ol Estee K. ain’t as dumb as he looks. An ol boy ask ol Estee K. the other Congressmen are void immediately. The day why sharks swim in circles before they attack. Ol Estee K. said , well, “here is American people did not make these what I have been told”…..two great white sharks spied some survivors of a sunken contracts….them kniving Congressmen ship. Son, follow me, the father said to the son shark. First we will swim around them made it with themselves. Serving in Send Comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com a few times with just the tip of our fin showing. And they did. Now we will swim Congress should be an honor …not a From the Backside Sponsor around them with all of our fin showing. And they did. Now we will eat everybody. lifelong career. Our founding fathers Joe Bond Construction And they did. When they were both gorged, the son ask the daddy shark, “why didn’t envisioned citizen legislators….serve Fencing, Metal Buildings, Dirt Hauling we just eat all of them at first?” “Well, son, they taste better after you scare the crap their term and go back home….boy has Motorgrading Roads out of them.” And now you know!!!! that vision become a nightmare !!!!! Call: 254-631-2658 Now like ol Estee K. said though…if those people on that ship had been politicians Do you realize them morons we have From the Backside Sponsor and the sharks scared the crap out of them, there wouldn’t be anything left. And all of in Washington get…..67 paid holidays, Life Settlement Investments that crap they put on us all of the time about how they are trying to help us….well, I free healthcare, outrageous retirement Average return for 18yrs = 14.07% have stood about all of the help from them sapsuckers I can stand !!!! Now I don’t agree packages, three weeks paid vacation $50,000 minimum investment Low, Low Risk very often with ol Warren Buffett, the 2nd richest man in the USA, but he did come and unlimited sick leave….now that is Call: 817-228-7745 up with some good ideas on how to solve all of our problems up in Washington. He welfare and then they have the nerve to Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

www.MyCounty-Line.com --- November 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! October was a scary month for me and my family. I had started feeling pretty bad, but I thought that my routine doctor visits were covering all my bases. I was sadly mistaken. For some reason (and the doctors can’t explain why) my transplant kidney went into rejection. It was fighting against my body and my body was fighting against the kidney. The kidney began to quit working and my bloodwork showed that my creatinine level was rising. If you’re like me, and all this stuff is new to you, you can look “creatinine” up on the Internet and find out that it is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from the muscles in the body. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine from your bloodstream and dispose of it in the urine. Your kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range and it is a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. As the kidneys become impaired for any reason, the creatinine level in the blood will rise due to poor clearance by the kidneys. OK, that’s the end of the biology class! So we found out that there is a “routine” response to a transplant patient whose donor kidney has gone into rejection. First-- A hard dose of steroids to kickstart the kidney back into gear; Followed by a 7 to 14 day treatment

Volume 4 Issue 54

with a once-daily IV of some pretty potent stuff; And wrapped up by a 10-day, 5-treatment, blood plasma replacement therapy to remove any remaining anti-bodies. All together, 3 to 4 weeks in a hospital...start to finish. We didn’t know any of this going in, and every p e a kandu as p ,a disappointment. join the discussion, take part! step came as S a surprise When the doctors would say “OK, we’re going to do this now,” it left us with the feeling that what they were doing wasn’t working and I was very upset and very scared most of the time I was in the hospital. I had some very rough days while I was stuck in the hospital so far from my family with really nothing to do except worry about everything else going on. The whole time while I was in Dallas, Michael’s grandmother has been in the hospital in Fort Worth. She’s fighting kidney and liver problems and we’re not sure about her outcome. Please keep Granny Ruby in your prayers. As for me, I think I am out of the woods -but I don’t know that for sure just yet. I’m back Donations may be made to: home and I’m back at work. I’ve even had a few Farmers & days where I felt really good. With everything Merchants Bank else that is going on around us, that’s definitely Ruth Norris Benefit Fund worth giving THANKS! ~Ruthie

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com