MyCounty-Line.com Business and Community Journal --- June, 2012 Volume 5 Issue 61 by MyCounty-Line.com

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National News and Opinions mixed with Local Small Town History and Story Telling. Representing the small-town conservative viewpoint of what makes this country great!

~Mike Norris, Owner & Publisher

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

Monthly Issue

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2012

In This Issue: 3 Growing Up Small Town

4 Texas Conservative 7 @The Ranger Library 8 Community Calendar 8 Good Neighbors 9 Treasure Hunters: History Series

10 Tumbleweed Smith 12 Treasure Hunters 14 Love Lessons Learned So Far

15 Recent Events - Past & Present

16 Breckenridge

Community Page

18 Puzzle-Club.com 19 Rising Star Community Page

20 This Week In Texas History

21 Strange Stories 21 Gorman Seniors 2012

23 In Sickness and In Health

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. B:510-152550100200

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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE In Congress Assembled, July 4, 1776 The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

HEN in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. e hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.

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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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Growing Up Small Town

, Mike W. Norris

Taking the Time to Get Informed and Exercising Freedom of Speech Does that Make You and Me “Too Political?” by Mike W. Norris

It’s been said more than a few times that this publication is “too political.” Some of you may agree and some of you may chuckle out loud. As for myself, I can only shake my head and wonder if the Founding Fathers were ever accused of being “too political.” It is a very simple thing to wake up each morning, prepare yourself for work, spend your day tending to your regular tasks, and then return home in the evening to tune in to the latest episode of your favorite television show. American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Housewives, CSI -- the entire TV lineup every night is a huge distraction. Combine that with probably over 90% of the world’s Internet sites and web traffic being purely for entertainment and it’s easy to see that the overwhelming purpose of our highly media-centric environment is simply to provide a distraction from reality. Somewhere amid all that distraction, we strive to educate ourselves about current events and things going on in the world around us. But who really wants to devote all that time into just staying informed? I was there -- just like most of you -- it is an easy thing to do to fall in line and go with the flow. But that all ended for me when I finally clocked out of the rat race and began steering my own course and went into business for myself. I suddenly found myself with tons of time on my hands and not so much “work” that had to be done. I had only a handful of clients and the phone was far from ringing off the wall with new projects. Some people may say that I was wasting my time (and that I was wasting my savings) by trying to work for myself. However; would the same have been said if I had enrolled in college? Let’s pretend that for the past three years I’ve been attending classes every day studying current events, history and political science. Based on my normal schedule, I spend at least an hour a day catching up on current events by reading several news websites and articles. I then spend anywhere from three to six hours listening to talk radio and following that up with the evening news channels before Ruthie gets home from Goodwill. In the evening, while blowing stuff up in my favorite online video games, I generally have my good buddy, Glenn Beck, streaming in the background. That’s a pretty full day of civics classes. On top of that, all throughout the day, I will look up more details and information on the internet about any topic or event that catches my eye. If these were “classes” you could break them down into several Political Sciences, Advanced Theories in Conservatism and Liberalism, American History, World History and Philosophy -- not to mention Economics. That’s not counting the hours of Language Arts and Computer Science that goes into publishing a newspaper every month. If you do a little bit of creative math, you come up with an approximate total of over 8,000 hours of self-directed research, study and practical experience in a narrow scope field of study. That’s not too bad considering that a college student attending two classes in the morning, two classes in the afternoon, and devoting 4hrs to studying every night, would take about 6 years

Texas

It’s Like a Whole Other Country. attending two semesters of college per year just to come close to reaching that point. Getting back to the issue of political free speech -- you can imagine my surprise that while in the process of receiving this “education” I have discovered that there’s lots of stuff going on around me that I don’t agree with. For the first 35 years of my life, I had only casually observed the world of national politics. In general, for the most part, there had never been a major issue with which I felt a fierce connection with or that there was a politician with whom I held a strict opposing viewpoint with. I was just coming of age when Ronald Reagan took office, so as a result, he is primarily the first United States President that I can clearly remember. Over the last few years, I have actually learned more about Reagan than I ever thought I knew. With only a vague impression of Carter and a seriously bad aftertaste of Clinton (pun intended) I didn’t know enough about the Democrat platform, much less the radical progressive Democrat platform, to understand all the trepidation and fear of the looming Obama Presidency. So as the politics of 2008 were really coming to my attention, I was already behind the curve and trying to play catch-up. At the time, I was working 50 or 60 hours a

week and I thought that I didn’t have time to care. Unfortunately, the fact was that I didn’t take the time to care and frankly, I never had taken the time to get informed. That was nobody’s fault but my own. But here we are today -- I know that not everyone has the time to put into getting up to speed with things like I have. So I feel compelled to share my thoughts with all of my readers. Now I encourage people to NOT sit by and watch like I did for so many years! I want to encourage people to get informed and speak up! I want every one to know that it is OUR responsibility to speak up and VOTE for and PROTECT the ideals and principles that we believe in. That’s pretty unheard of, I know. Nobody does that, right? People are only in it to make a buck, right? Well, let’s take a short history lesson. Thomas Paine published “Common Sense” on January 10, 1776. It presented the Colonists with the argument for independence from Britain based chiefly on Biblical references and teachings. Over 120,000 copies were sold during the first three months of its publication and over 500,000 copies sold during 1776. Continued on page 11...

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

4Texas Conservative ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Texas Conservative

, Chuck Norris - The Man

Who Is More Powerful Than the President? By Chuck Norris

In God We Trust United We Stand

Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook’s “Official Chuck Norris Page.” He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot.com. June 12th, 2012

How much power does the president actually possess? That is a question at the heart of most debates about the federal government. Declaring war, writing executive orders, legislating, allocating taxpayers’ money and even influencing what your children learn and eat are just a very small sample of subjects hotly under dispute right now. Well, I know a position more powerful than the presidency. I wholeheartedly believe in the Spanish proverb that says, “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.” But I also believe that men and fathers hold a unique role and power to restore our homes and country. I believe that as families go, so goes the nation. And men possess three specific keys (powers) that can draw them, their spouses and their children nearer to one another and God, as well as make them all better citizens. Before I reveal those three keys, I need to tell you where I learned them -- from a dearly departed saint who greatly influenced me: Dr. Edwin Louis Cole. I owe what I know to him. Dr. Ed Cole is called the “Father of the Christian Men’s Movement” because he influenced millions of men worldwide, including many leaders who lead the movement today. His mission statement was simple and powerful: “I have been called to speak with a prophetic voice to the men of this generation and commissioned with a ministry majoring in men to declare a standard for manhood.” My wife, Gena, and I first met Ed and his wife, Nancy, in 1998 at a banquet honoring “Walker, Texas Ranger.” Over the next four years, there would be many choice moments between Ed and me. One night in that period, Dr. Cole drove across Dallas through a thunderstorm simply to deliver a message that God had laid on his heart to encourage us to get grounded in the Bible in order to discern between the genuine and the counterfeit in life. What a great lesson. What a great man! As I shared in my autobiography, “Against All Odds,” in 2002, Ed called our home and asked us to pray for him because he was very ill. After we prayed with him over the phone, we decided to fly to Dallas to see and pray with him personally. It was one of the most moving moments of our lives. It wasn’t long after that when he passed to his heavenly home. God loved me through Ed Cole, and I thank God for him. And I look forward to thanking Ed again when I see him one day in heaven. I never will forget or take for granted Ed’s influence in my life. He influenced me to increase my trust in God and to be a faithful husband and father, and -- even though I was a “TV tough guy” -- he challenged me to be a real man. He challenged me with the three keys I alluded to earlier: to be a better role model, mentor and motivator to my family. What I wrote and detailed to men and fathers about manhood and fatherhood via those three keys in my New York Times best-seller “Black Belt Patriotism” I learned from Ed. Another great book for men is “Courageous,” by our friend Randy Alcorn. It’s based upon the movie but expanded with 80 percent more story content. I am not a perfect father or husband. Truth be known, I’ve learned far

more from my failures than from my successes. However, I won’t allow them to stop me from pressing on. And I don’t believe that you should allow failures to hinder your fatherhood, either. As Ed used to say, “you don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.” Do you have a few role models, mentors and motivators in your life? I hope so. If not, Ed still can be a part of your life today through his resources found at the Ed Cole Library, at http://www.edcole.org. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Ed’s homecoming to heaven, his children and our friends, Joann Webster and Paul Cole, have curated a special edition of “The Collection,” which is a compendium of Ed’s lifework in one digital location. Ed’s legacy message is this: If we men continue to fight to be the best husbands, fathers and men we can be, we will not only give our family members what they need but also get in return what we need and simultaneously help to restore our country, one home at a time. That is what I mean by a man who is more powerful than the president -- not just Ed Cole but you! The president can’t make or mold your family without your permission. He might try, but that is your jurisdiction and power, endowed by God. Protect it!

As Ed used to say, “do not let others create your world for you, for they will always create it too small.” He also said, “The power of choice is our only true freedom in life.” Only you have the ability to order your private world. You also have the ability to create, hinder or improve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in your heart and home. In fact, I don’t believe one can truly experience life, liberty and happiness as the Declaration of Independence states without a proper lineup of priorities for God, family and country. Those are the priorities our Founding Fathers lived by. Thomas Jefferson clearly revealed that when he wrote to his daughter Mary the year before his presidency, “My attachments to the world, and whatever it can offer, are daily wearing off; but you are one of the links which hold to my existence, and can only break off with that.” He espoused the same sentiment eight years later, at the end of his presidency, to the renowned explorer William Clark: “By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Now there’s a worthy reflection of power and a way to improve your life, your home and our country this Father’s Day.

©CHUCK NORRIS DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris

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

5Texas Conservative ■

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, Chuck Norris - The Man

June 4th, 2012

President Bill Clinton vs. Gov. Scott Walker and Me Wisconsin Democrats, Washington elite and insiders, and liberal special interests have joined together to fight for the recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in Tuesday’s election. But this past Friday, when I saw them also send in the big gun -- former President Bill Clinton himself -- against Gov. Walker, I knew I had to enter the ring, too. The Los Angeles Times reported last Thursday: “Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Thursday that Clinton would be campaigning with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett as he looks to unseat Gov. Scott Walker in next week’s recall. The former president will take part in a rally with Barrett, according to the Barrett’s website.” There’s one primary reason that Clinton came out to Wisconsin to engage in the battle to recall Gov. Walker, and I will tell you it in one moment. But first, the facts. In the short 18 months in which Walker has held his gubernatorial position, his bold reforms have helped eliminate Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes -- there are lower property taxes for a median-valued home -- and create more than 23,000 jobs. (Before Walker took office, Wisconsin lost more than 150,000 jobs between 2008 and 2010.) The Associated Press reported that 23,300 jobs were created in 2011 in Wisconsin, based upon figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development spokesman John Dipko said it was exactly 23,608. More than good news for Walker, that’s good news for his state. Wisconsin’s economy is stronger

and more fiscally solvent because of Walker’s leadership. In fact, a new Marquette University Law School poll revealed that citizens -- by a 50-43 percent margin -- believe that Walker would do a better job with the economy than his opponent, Barrett. On day one in office, Walker began to implement a comprehensive emergency jobs plan. As his website explains, he and the Wisconsin Legislature passed measures that included but were not limited to these things: • • • • •

Cutting taxes on small businesses. Curbing frivolous lawsuits that drove costs up. Eliminating the state tax on health savings accounts. Reforming the state’s Department of Commerce into a true economic development agency. Immediately convening a Waste, Fraud and Abuse Commission, which was intent on curtailing wasteful spending at all levels of state government.

Walker is not a RINO, or Republican in name only. He walks his conservative talk. He refuses special interests. He opposes accumulating debt and raising deficits. He cuts excess spending. And he stands for issues that are important to every conservative, Constitution- and freedom-loving patriot. Walker is standing against the assault on conservative values, which includes helping people bear their own responsibilities. As Front Line Strategies consultant Matt Langston explained this past week, “Walker is on the front lines of the fight for free markets instead of free lunches.” He is a GOP leader and model in his stand for fiscal frugality, jobs, fair labor policy and the core beliefs and practices of Reagan conservatives.

So why, then, are big-name Democratic elites, such as Bill Clinton and other liberals, seeking to recall Walker? For the exact reasons I mentioned above. Simply put, Walker has consistently and adamantly opposed big government and special interest solutions to fix Wisconsin. But there’s a bigger reason that Clinton came out to Wisconsin to engage in the battle to recall Walker: Democrats, liberals and progressives know that as Wisconsin goes Tuesday, so possibly goes the nation in November. They fear that a win for Walker would contribute to conservative momentum that ultimately would lead to President Barack Obama’s defeat in his campaign for re-election. And they’re right. Though the fight for conservatives doesn’t start and stop in Wisconsin, it’s an O.K. Corral of sorts for Democrats and liberals. When their groundless recall of Walker is shot down, a potent statement will be sent across our land about the type of government we the people want. Walker’s recall is not just about Wisconsin; it is about national reform. It’s about living within our means. It’s about taking back our republic. It is about saving our nation and posterity, one election and state at a time. That is why Walker himself recently appealed to patriots across his state and our country. He wrote this: “For more than a generation in Wisconsin, the power of special interests and the liberal elite have gone largely unchecked. My Administration finally stood up to them, and we changed the way we do things in government in Wisconsin. “That’s why my opponents are so desperate to defeat me in this

Recall. They want to roll back the clock and take us back to the days of skyrocketing taxes, bloated budgets, and unchecked and unaccountable spending. We cannot let that happen.” Gov. Walker, I agree, and so do multitudes of other patriots across your state and this nation. The last thing Wisconsin and our republic need is another tax-andspend liberal in charge of the state. And if the far left is able to recall Gov. Walker, it could open the floodgates, causing more such recalls to sweep the country. That is why my wife, Gena, and I are encouraging everyone to vote for the incumbent, Scott Walker, for governor of Wisconsin. If you know people in Wisconsin, call them today and give them reasons they should vote for Walker. Also, please immediately post Walker’s social networks on your Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts by going to http://www.scottwalker. org/content/social-networks-0. We have no time to lose. Ronald Reagan was right: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well-taught lessons of how they, in their lifetime, must do the same.” Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook’s “Official Chuck Norris Page.” He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot. 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.

©CHUCK NORRIS DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris

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

Send Comments to: chuck@mycounty-line.com

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E HERE!!! IS T R E V D A 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

@The Ranger Library

Reading & Volunteering: Reaching New Heights in Ranger! By Diana McCullough

Tonight’s weather radar indicates dark red storm cells encased in Christmas green, to our north and to our south. If we are lucky, Ranger will be blessed with good rain and spared cruel, damaging hail and winds. Our tornado watch is set to expire at midnight and by the time you read this, I predict that our weather will be fine, probably just seasonably hot. This morning it was my privilege to join Donald Edwards, Commander of American Legion Post #553, at the Ranger Elementary Awards Ceremony to distribute medallions to the winners of our “I Can Read” Art Contest. The school auditorium bustled with the energy of first through fifth-graders and their interested parents and their fearless teachers. I’ll never be comfortable “on stage” but I did my best to encourage our young students to visit our library and READ this summer. I also explained that Twenty-four year old Andy took me School let out at 12:30 today and 29 we were trying something new. up. Like before, I wore a headset and was different children visited our library. At the invitation of Cisco Junior shown the microphone button so that we Mostly independent 10 – 14 year olds, I College, this year’s summer could communicate. would guess. 22 adults were counted and reading program will be held on THURSDAYS, at 1:00, starting Ranger looks very different from 500 feet 33 items were checked out. Our library on June 21st. Cisco will actually above. Some places are unrecognizable, may be humble and cluttered, but it’s a host the first session at the CJC and I wondered stupidly, “Where am I?” good place. campus on Friday, June 15, and Andy answered, “North of town.” I had Looks like the red cells of a severe parents MUST accompany their to laugh, I knew THAT much—I promise. storm won’t affect Ranger at all this time. children on the CJC premises. Then as we circled around, I recognized Another prayer answered. Rain still in our (I’ll be accompanying MY child Donald Edwards, Commander of American Legion the little red boathouse at Mirror Lake, and immediate and 10-Day forecast, and hope 553, presented first place medallions in the “I Can to Rochester on that date, God Post Art Contest to 5th-grader Kate Thompson and pushed the mike button and pointed. Andy is a good thing, as is the rain we were willing.) Please call the library Read”2nd-graders Kylie Beighley and Eden Alexander. showed me our pastureland from a vantage blessed with on Monday. (647-1880) if you are interested point I’d never seen before, then I pointed “And now these three remain: faith, in registering your children or grandchildren. out my parents’ place and he “buzzed” the hope and love. But the greatest of these is Saturday’s weather was nice for Ranger’s 5th Fly-in and Air Show! It was a house where I’d grown up. Only minutes love.” (1 Cor. 13:13) Please take care, and little warm but the breeze was pleasant. That “breeze” also affected the number of later, we were back to Ranger College and as always…ENJOY READING! aircraft that were able to FLY IN, but we still welcomed about 70 aircraft. Sitting Ranger’s Airfield and coming back down near Bob Green and my substitute Bob Davis at the end of the Air Show and noticing to Earth. “Altitude changes perspective,” I Send Comments to: the FAA Inspector, I murmured, “Wonder what HE thinks…” Bob Green suggested learned. It was a great ride. rangerlibrary@mycounty-line.com ASKING HIM, so I popped off my seat, and made a bee line to the aviation safety inspector. William J. Fitzgerald, from Lubbock, was friendly AND informative. Overall, Mr. Fitzgerald was quite positive, although he recommended that Jared Calvert, host of this event, recruit more HELPERS. The “diners”, I believe, would give Jared an A for the excellent meal that was prepared and served to the pilots, just so you know. I also learned that our firefighters had counted 450 spectators at one point—that’s a LOT of people! Jared deserves redeeming credit for this great event that he’s brought to Ranger for the past five years. My biggest thrill of Saturday was FLYING. My “job”, as in the past, was greeting pilots and welcoming them to our town. I noticed the blue and yellow plane (THIS is the difference between me and people like Bob Green! HE sees a Stearman Biplane.) rolling to a stop, and walked quickly over to do my “Hi!” thing. Ranger Kindergartener, Ethan, had just landed, and I was a trifle confused. The pilot (Scott) asked, “Want to go up?” Huh? Does it cost money? I only have $2 in my pocket. “No, it does not cost money.” (Yeah, right.) So I said, “Sure!” It was a THRILL! I loved it! I loved the exhilaration of acceleration across the grassy runway, and the lift-off, and the ascension to heights closer to the heavens, and the view of the skies and the patchwork quilt of ground around the town that we call home. It was definitely worth the tangles it left in my hair. I was so enthused with my experience that some of the new people I met said, “If she liked the Stearman, she’ll like the Bird Dog.” What’s a Bird Dog? The Bird Dog is a plane that does not tangle hair, and this type of plane was used in the Vietnam War for rescue missions because of unique features of this aircraft. Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ Good

® Agent Neighbors Neighbors, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm InsuranceGood

It’s Not the Breed, It’s the Bite Each year, almost five million people are bitten or attacked by dogs. Dog bites are a serious public health problem that can cause both physical and emotional damage to victims and considerable cost to communities. A dog’s tendency to bite depends on such factors as heredity, obedience training, socialization, health, and the victim’s behavior. There are good dogs and bad dogs within every breed, just as there can be responsible and irresponsible owners of each breed. State Farm does not refuse insurance based on the breed of dog a customer owns in any U.S. state. Children make up more than more than 50 percent of all dog bite victims. The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates half of all children 12 and younger have been bitten by a dog. The elderly and home service people like mail carriers and meter readers also are high on the list of frequent dog bite victims. How can you avoid being bitten? Be cautious around strange dogs and treat your own pet with respect. Never leave a baby or small child alone with a dog. Be on the lookout for potentially dangerous situations. Teach young children to be careful around pets. Children must be taught NOT to

approach strange dogs. Children Provide important information: should be taught to ask permission Your name and address and from a dog’s owner before petting information about your dog’s most the dog. recent rabies vaccination. If your does not have a current rabies Don’t run past a dog. Dogs dog it may be necessary naturally love to chase and catch vaccination, quarantine it or even euthanize things. Don’t give them a reason to to it for rabies testing. The person become excited or aggressive. bitten may need to undergo rabies Never disturb a dog that’s caring treatment. for puppies, sleeping or eating. Report the bite to your insurance If a dog approaches to sniff you - company. stay still. If you’re threatened by Comply with local ordinances a dog, remain calm. Don’t scream. regarding the reporting of dog If you say anything, speak calmly bites. and firmly. Avoid eye contact. Try to stay still until the dog leaves, or Consult your veterinarian for back away slowly until the dog is advice about dog behavior that will out of sight. Don’t turn and run. help prevent similar problems in If you fall or are knocked to the the future. ground, curl into a ball with your What if I am or my child is the hands over your head and neck. bite victim? Protect your face. Treat your wounds. If your dog bites someone, even if If your own dog bit you, confine the bite can be explained (perhaps it immediately and call your someone stepped on the dog’s tail), veterinarian to check your dog’s it’s important to take responsibility vaccination records. for your dog’s actions by taking these steps: If someone else’s dog bit you, authorities and tell them Restrain the dog immediately. contact you can about the dog: Separate it from the scene of the everything the owner’s name, if you know it, attack. Confine it. color and size of the dog, where you Check on the victim’s condition. saw it and if you’ve seen it before. Professional medical advice should These details may help animalbe sought to evaluate the risk of control officers locate the dog. rabies or other infections. Call 9-1-1 Comments: neighbors@mycounty-line.com if paramedic response is required. Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

9Treasure Hunters: History Series

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Treasure Hunters: History Series

, Jerry Eckhart

TRAILING TREASURE FOR FIFTY YEARS Chapter 2 Part 2: School as a Senior -- The Indiahoma Searches By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

The copper in the pits was rich, so rich that the blue green color of the ore jumped out at you from a long distance. Several times, I found samples of native copper embedded into the ore. There was a tumbled down wooden windmill with a portion of the framework still standing. It was next to an old stone cistern. Inside that cistern, about a foot down, maybe a little more, was a stone ledge that protruded perhaps 18 inches. The first time I looked down there, I saw an old bowie knife. I claimed it as my own even though its handle was long gone. I can only imagine the ledge was used to set butter or meat on to stay cool and forgot their knife they used to cut it with. I had that knife until I went into the Army. It disappeared while I was in Greenland. If you followed the creek downstream to the south, you came to an agate bed where hundreds of agate shards lay on top of the ground. It was an excellent place to find tumbling quality agates. Further downstream and against the slope of one of the mountains was an area where beautiful pinkish-blue amethyst could be found. This wasn’t jewelry quality, but would tumble nicely. Most of it was badly fractured, leaving little that could be cut into stones. We always thought we might find a few pieces of gem quality but never did. Dad built a tumbler, and we tumbled and polished the agate and amethyst, as well as, small bits of petrified wood we picked up through the area. Dad said the Wichita Mountains contained more of a variety of minerals than any other mountain range in the United States. It was in this range that gold was discovered in the early 1900’s and quite a big but short-lived boom took place. Miners from all over converged on the area. They set up camps, built mills, and set out to get rich. Unfortunately, the gold proved to be in pockets only. There was little placer, and the gold veins played out within a few feet of surface. Those who happened to hit a high grade pocket became rich for a day or two, but spent their wealth by trying expand their mines. They soon drifted away to other pursuits, leaving behind hundreds of relics from their efforts. Those relics still remain, but due to regulations of the wildlife refuge, a person cannot go in there with a metal detector, or carry away anything they might find. Steve Wilson, a modern day writer, perhaps tells the most exciting and complete story of the Wichita Mountains in his book, Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales. It is worth getting a copy if you are at all interested in reading the history of Oklahoma’s treasures.

One cold November night, Dad said, “Come on, Jerry. We’re goin’ out to the mountains.” I really didn’t want to go. It was cold, windy and spitting rain. I went and didn’t argue with Dad. First of all, you didn’t argue with my dad. When he said we were going to do something, we did it. Secondly, I knew that if we were going to the mountains on a night like that, there must be a really important reason. Dad had our 1954 Chevrolet loaded with a wash tub, and a shovel. We pulled into our regular parking place, got the equipment and started trudging toward the edge of the refuge fence. Our one flashlight barely lighted the path in front of us, and I had a hard time even seeing my father in front of me. Of course, it didn’t help that I had the wash tub and the shovel. The spitting rain felt twice as cold as when we left, and I was soon drenched. As we slogged through the knee high grass, my pants and shoes were soaked. I felt as if I were wading in the Arctic. We hit that small creek I spoke of earlier, turned left and walked through the dry sand to a small water fall. No water was running then, but the rain had increased to where it wouldn’t have made any difference. I couldn’t have been more wet. “Start digging right here,” Dad said, and pointed to a spot directly beneath

where the water would have poured into the creek. had there been any. I dug off about a foot of the sand. At that point, Dad took over and began to fill the wash tub with sand. When it was about half full, he had me take over. When it was about ¾ full, Dad said, “That’s enough son. I don’t think we can carry any more.” I didn’t think we could carry that much, but we did. Each of us latched on to a handle and struggled back toward the car. Occasionally, we would stop, switch sides and carry with the other hand. That round tub handle cut into my hand and combined with the cold, I couldn’t even feel my fingers. I am sure that Dad must have felt the same way, but he never said a word. What had been a ten minute trip over there took us nearly 30 minutes return. My mind was going around in a circle trying to figure out what he was going to do with that sand. I didn’t know much about gold panning at that time. The next morning, Dad screened the sand and began panning it out. When he got down to the black sand, instead of trying to separate the gold (I didn’t see any) Dad built a small kiln out of cement and smelted it down. After several days of running a fire in that kiln and getting it as hot as he could, Dad pulled a small dot of gold, about the size of a match head from the slag. That pretty much killed our enthusiasm from carrying more sand back. Just why he decided to do it at night is still a puzzle other than the fact that maybe if it turned out to be a rich deposit, no one would know where it came from. We made trips to other areas around Indiahoma where we thought there might be interesting rocks and minerals. One of our favorite spots was about five miles south of Indiahoma where West Cache Creek crossed the Baseline Road. We would park beside the bridge and walk up the creek. In one of the washouts we found a number of round, stone balls that had tumbled out of the bank. We picked these up by the bucketful. They were a form of pure barium that we called barites. They were an interesting find, and we accumulated quite a lot of them. When broken open, the crystals all came to a point in the middle. They were well worn, as if they had tumbled downstream Continued on page 13...

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

10Tumbleweed Smith ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Tumbleweed Smith

, Bob Lewis

A REAL Georgia Peach in Texas By Bob Lewis

Ruthie Norris of Eastland is bubbly, effervescent and has a smile that lights up the world. Her lilting, musical voice reflects her enthusiastic attitude toward life. She laughs often. For eleven years she has managed the Goodwill Store in Eastland, one of the most successful in her district. People go to the store more to get their batteries charged than to shop. Ruthie is married to Mike Norris, who publishes THE COUNTY LINE, a regional newspaper. He calls Ruthie his Georgia Peach. They have a 17-year-old daughter, Sherrie. Ruthie’s dad was one of twelve children. Some of them had unusual nicknames. “They called my dad Turtle,” says Ruthie. “I have an aunt Doodlebug, an aunt Sweetheart, an uncle Pig, an uncle Rat and an uncle Coot.” Some members of her family died young. Her mother died of cancer when she was 26. Ruthie was two years old at the time. “My dad passed when he was 57. My brother died at 50 and my sister at 49. I’m the last one left of my immediate family.” Mike and Ruthie met while Mike was working in Ruthie’s hometown of Cordele, Georgia, a town of some 12,000 people in the south central part of the state and known as the watermelon capital of the world. Ruthie was assistant manager of a fast food place called Krystal’s when she heard about this Texas guy named Mike who drove a red jeep. Mike had dated a lot of Georgia girls and one day called Ruthie. She told him, “O, you’re the guy everybody is talking about.” They dated for three years and married in Cordele in 1993. Ruthie had worked at Krystal’s since the age of fourteen and retired after being there 20 years. She has had only two jobs in her life: Krystal’s and Goodwill. When they moved to Eastland, Mike’s hometown, it was hard for Ruthie to move from a place where she knew nearly everybody to a place where she knew only her husband and his family. But that quickly changed. Ruthie is 48 now and has had diabetes most of her life and has been faithful about taking care of herself with the disease. In October of 2009 she learned she was in kidney failure and started dialysis. In January of 2011 she had a double transplant: kidney and pancreas. “It has been an eventful 2 or 3 years,” says Ruthie with her perpetual smile. “The transplant took care of my diabetes and I’ve been able to eat anything I want. I had my first cupcake since I was 14.” Now people in town are making her all types of sweets. She is optimistic about the future, looking forward to Sherrie going to college, getting married and having children.

The pancreas is doing well, but she is in rejection of the kidney. In an effort to correct that, she takes from 24 to 27 anti-rejection pills a day. The kidney is functioning now. The financial strain has been tremendous, but fundraisers in Eastland have provided some relief. “I have lots of friends,” says Ruthie. “The community has been awesome, and Goodwill has been terrific to allow me time off.” Ruthie has spunk. A Military Museum Like No Other

because of Andrew Higgins and novelist Stephen Ambrose (Band of Brothers). Ambrose taught history at New Orleans University and Higgins had a boat manufacturing facility in New Orleans that built the landing craft used in most of the amphibious landings during the war. Eisenhower said the Higgins boats won the war. Congress has designated the facility in New Orleans as the Official WW2 Museum. It is affiliated with the Smithsonian and is in the midst of a 300 million dollar expansion on its six-acre campus. The museum was closed for three months after Katrina. During the storm the gift shop was looted. I asked one of the volunteers what the D stands for in the phrase D-Day. He told me that is the second most frequently asked question at the museum, just behind “Where are the restrooms?” Historians and etymologists are still trying to figure out the answer. Some say it just stands for Day: any important invasion or military operation. There were several D-Days all during the war in the Atlantic and Pacific. Other suggestions are disembarkation and decision. General Eisenhower said it stands for departure date, shortened to D-Day.

We arrived at the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans at 9 AM just as it was opening for the day. There was still some lingering excitement from the previous day when the three millionth visitor walked through the doors. Helpful volunteers, who were the age of WW2 veterans, greeted us. As soon as we entered the display floor, we realized we would probably spend the day there because there were so many things to see and hear. We took time out for lunch at the Stage Door Canteen where we listened to three women sing Broadway songs from the war years. We returned to the displays and left just before 4 PM. Visitors soon learn it is not a place to rush through. Small plaques on the wall contain excerpts from wartime letters Giant Arrows in the Panhandle Giant, colorful arrows twenty feet written by servicemen or little tidbits about the war. Numerous oral histories long are piercing the ground in the 52 are available with the touch of a button. panhandle counties. They look like Small rooms show short movies about they were shot from a giant bow. It’s the experiences of men who fought the a project of the Texas Plains Trail and war. Glass cases hold everything from the Southwest Collection of Texas Tech. ammunition and weapons to uniforms, Charles Smith of New Home is the packs and equipment. All battles of artist making the arrow sculptures. He’s both the European and Pacific fronts are doing it free of charge. Nearly 30 have been installed so far and he is about 40 documented. The glamour attraction is a 45- behind. Some counties have requested minute film, Beyond All Boundaries, two or three arrows. Charles got into metal sculpture from narrated by Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg. It is shown in a 4-D working on farm equipment. He has theater where audiences experience the made his living farming and running smell of gunfire, a snowstorm, come cotton gins. He made some metal palm face to face with a large cannon, get trees that look so realistic some of his caught in the spotlight of a POW prison neighbors thought they were real. Soon guard tower and feel the rumble of a tank he was filling requests for the palm trees during fighting in Africa. The theater to be erected in cities across Texas. In 2004, a friend asked Charles has sound coming from 27 speakers. The 250 seats are equipped with full to make an arrow to go in a park. In oscillating vibration. The film shows 2010 some folks from the Texas Plains 305 archival photographs and more than Trail noticed it, contacted Charles and 500 film clips. Some 6,000 hours were soon the arrows started appearing in spent searching through photographs the panhandle. They mark the Quanah Parker Trail, named for the Comanche and films. The museum, which opened in June Chief. “They have to have some sort of 2000, is in New Orleans primarily of history with Quanah Parker passing Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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God Bless America! Happy 4th of July! ~ from Mike, Ruth & Sherrie Norris

■ Tumbleweed

Smith, Continued...

through the area, or having a battle or living there for awhile,” says Charles. “He roamed from Kansas to Mexico, so everybody in the whole area is eligible.” Counties must request the arrows and research their historical connections to Quanah Parker. Charles says when an arrow is installed, workers dig a hole one foot wide and two feet deep. “They put a shaft twenty inches into the ground and cement it in.” The arrows have been known to be sturdy enough to withstand winds of 90 miles an hour. Sometimes the arrows “sing” when wind rushes through the “feathers” at the top of them. The arrow shaft is made of four inch steel pipe. The feathers are made of quarter inch rods. The arrow point itself is made of angle iron and heavy sheet metal. Charles says it takes two people two days to make one. “We have about twenty stacked up by the shop now that we will paint and start delivering. Yellow, blue and red are Comanche colors and we put those bands on the arrow shaft to identify them as Comanche arrows.”

■ Growing The arrows have become focal points for communities. “This project is the largest public art project in the United States,” says Charles. “We cover fifty thousand square miles in the 52 counties in the top of Texas. I’m really enjoying it. I’ve met so many great people. It’s great to be a part of something that will be here for ages to come.” When he’s hauling the arrows around, people ask him about them. “I was in Brownfield the other day and I had three of them on my trailer. A man came up and asked me what they were for. I told him I had heard about some giant jackrabbits around Andrews and I was just going rabbit hunting.” The original arrow was inspired to depict Longfellow’s line “I shot an arrow into the air; it fell to the ground I know not where.”

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Up Small Town, Continued...

Paine then donated his royalties from the publication to support George Washington’s Continental Army and said “As my wish was to serve an oppressed people, and assist in a just and good cause, I conceived that the honor of it would be promoted by my declining to make even the usual profits of an author.” ((You can read the entire text of “Common Sense” online from many sources. If you haven’t read it, you should do so now!)) Was Paine being too political? Or was he merely taking his interpretation of then current events and relaying them to his fellow citizens in his best efforts possible? Could he have known that his publication would be instrumental in the events leading to the founding of the greatest country in human history? I don’t believe so, and here’s why. Thomas Paine was born in January 1737. He attended five years of grammar school and then worked in the ship building industry as an apprentice to his father. He married his first wife at the age of 22. Mary Lambert Paine and their first child both died during childbirth. Paine then went to work for the British government as a customs officer in 1761. He married his second wife on March 26, 1771 at the age of 34. In 1772 he wrote an article petitioning British Parliament for better pay and working conditions for all customs officers (Excise Officers) and was fired from the excise service in 1774. Obviously, that didn’t work

out too well. To avoid debtor’s prison, he sold all of his possessions and separated from his wife in June of 1774. This doesn’t sound like a man who had grand visions of founding a nation. In fact, at this point, Paine had no idea that he was even about to find himself in America! Paine met Benjamin Franklin in September and with Franklin’s recommendation, emigrated to the American Colonies on November 30, 1774. He became a citizen of Pennsylvania by taking the oath of allegiance and in January 1775, Paine became the editor of the Pennsylvania Magazine. In less than a year, everything would change. On January 10, 1776, just fourteen months after coming to America and only nineteen days before his 39th birthday, Paine published “Common Sense” and cemented himself into our American history and heritage forever. He was just a normal man who left his mark on history and helped found a nation through the free expression of his own thoughts and ideas. I consider myself to be doing the same thing but on a much smaller scale. I’m certainly not out trying to call for revolution in any way. But I undeniably want to hold on to the small town piece of the America that I love; and that includes the values and principles that I learned growing up in this little corner of the world. Is that “too political?” Not around here it ain’t! 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

12Treasure Hunters ■

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, Jerry Eckhart

Treasure In The News By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

Lately, I have received a number of news stories about treasures found around the world and it makes me drool. I think about all the things people are finding, not only right here in the United States but across the planet. I thought you all might like to read about some of these lucky treasure hunters. Beau Ouimette, who lives in the eastern US has a hobby of searching old river crossings with his metal detector. Sometimes, he simply wades the shallow area, and at other times, he dives. A few months ago, he was wading when he got a good signal on his metal detector. He felt around in the mud and pulled out a silver dollar sized coin dated in the 1700’s. That would make any treasure hunter happy, but he continued searching until the water got deep enough to dive. He continued underwater, finding coins with almost every sweep. When he finished the spot, he had recovered more than a hundred silver coins, all dating in the 1700’s and early 1800’s. Apparently a wagon carrying money had tipped over in that area and a chest of coins had spilled out. It was slow going, because the spot was also littered with tin cans and pieces of barbed wire. He had to remove all of that, but it was worth the work. Last week, Beau was searching another river crossing and uncovered a large wagon hub. Could there be more silver waiting there as well? While excavating the downtown plaza in San Antonio near the Alamo, archaeologist unearthed an old gold coin worth $45,000. It was dated 1855 and actually discovered in what used to be a latrine trench. Greek Police recently recovered a valuable statue buried in the waste pile of a goat pen. Police said it had been concealed in a goat pen near the village of Fyli, in the foot hills northwest of Athens. They are not sure what the exact value was, although it was estimated at more than 500,000 Euros. A British archaeologist, working in northern Ethiopia believes she may have discovered the Queen of Sheba’s gold mine. Although locals panned for gold in nearby streams, they paid no attention to the fallen in shaft. When excavated, the shaft yielded a 20 foot stone slab with a sun and crescent moon carved into it. More to come as excavations continue. A French winery discovered $1 million in gold coins stashed away in one of their building’s rafters. Winery employees were attacking the building’s ceiling with crowbars when gold coins started to rain down on them, followed by sacks of gold. The winery owner is sharing the

wealth with his workers. A rare Roman cavalry helmet, dating back almost 2,000 years ago was recently found during the excavation of an Iron Age shrine in central England. Those who found it first thought they had unearthed a fairly modern “rusty” bucket. A 1906 letter was recently discovered by ancestors of some who witnessed the shooting of Abraham Lincoln. A family of five were attending Ford’s Theater that fateful night. The letter written in 1906 details the event as they saw it. These are just a few of the treasures that are found around the world. Many more are reported each month in treasure magazines. These magazines are not readily available on the newsstands, but I do carry all published issues at a discounted price at my shop. You can find me through my ad at the bottom of this page. Because I write for these magazines, I usually have an article each month in one issue or another. These articles generally pertain to how to use metal detectors and to find treasure. Because of that, I am always looking for local stories about lost or buried treasure. If you have any, please let me know.

It they are worthwhile and make a good story, I will see that you get a free copy of the magazine when the story is published. I also like to hear about old places where people gathered in large numbers because that is where some interesting finds (not just money) will turn up. Some of the places I look for are old carnival grounds, circus grounds, reunion grounds and oil field camps. I never search a location without getting permission from the property owner and making sure I do no damage. If you have such a spot, by all means let me know. You can contact me through my ad or through the County Line paper. I also am on the search for old ghost stories about this area. Several years ago, I published a small book of ghost stories and am looking to expand it. Treasure is where you find it, and what it means to you. Not all treasure is of monetary value, but could be something that has a special worth in your eyes. Speaking of that, I think you will find enough treasure in this issue of the County Line to keep your eyes gleaming for a month. Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com

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

13Treasure Hunters: History Series

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for many years. Unfortunately, they never proved to be of interest to other rockhounds unless we gave them one. I still have 8 or 10 of these left. In the midst of these, I found a number of petrified rib bones. I glued several of them together so that you could plainly see they were rib bones of some small animal, perhaps a coyote or other dog like creature. I have no idea as to what happened to them. That same creek produced a deposit of shiny, dark brown, stones about the size of a hen’s egg. These were called hematites. They were almost pure iron and quite heavy. Hematite is scattered throughout Oklahoma and Texas and has little value other than being an interesting stone. Dad broke several open to look at their internal structure. In one of them, he found a match head sized gold nugget. I suppose he must have broken several hundred after that, but none showed gold. He studied their structure and decided that they were thrown out by volcanoes that once were part of the Wichita Mountains. How that one contained a piece of gold and none of the others did remains a mystery.

, Jerry Eckhart

During all this time, I went through high school at Indiahoma High School. It was a small school. There were only five seniors in my graduating class, which made us kings of the school. Often, Dad would come to the school and tell the principal that he needed to use me, as he had car trouble and needed me to come help. Because Dad was one of the two rural mail carriers in town, the principal always let me go with him. We would take my old 1940 model Chevrolet and go to where he was stuck, or having car trouble and pull him out. Sometimes, I thought he did it on purpose because he was never badly stuck or his car started up right away. When we got back home, Dad would say, “Get the fishing poles. I have found a new pond that needs to be checked out,” or “I know where there is a big covey of quail. Let’s go see if we can get a bunch.” Off we would go and spend the rest of the day fishing or hunting. Later in life, I asked him why he had done that. His reply was that because I was a good student, he wanted me to have fun my senior year and build a lot of memories. Those memories stay with me to this day.

Then, I discovered girls. Perhaps, I should say I discovered a girl. Her name was Barbara Ann Curington. She was the daughter of the new Baptist preacher there in Indiahoma. She was tall, dark haired, slender and shapely. I remember seeing her as she walked into the school yard her first day. She was so pretty, I couldn’t help myself. I smiled at her and spoke. From then on, I was lost. I dated her throughout high school and the first year of college. I couldn’t get her off my mind. Although I still made trips with Dad, my mind was on Barb. At the end of her junior year, I drove her out in the country, pulled an engagement ring out of my pocket and asked her to marry me. I was pretty sure she would say yes because just the weekend before, we had looked at rings over at Lawton. They were in the window of Zale’s Jewelry Store. She saw something she liked and she exclaimed over them. The next Monday, I went and bought them. The set was $125.00 which was quite a bit then. I had been saving my money and didn’t mind the price at all. She still seemed surprised when I gave it to her. The ring was way too large for her, but

we had it sized later. Barbara’s parents were kept in the dark for quite sometime. She wore it on a chain under her blouse, but put it on when we went on a date. About the middle of my second semester in college, her family was transferred 70 miles west to a little town called Duke. I was devastated. I couldn’t wait until the weekends so I could go visit her. On March 1st,1959, we eloped and were married the next day. She was 17 and I was 18. We have now been married 53 years. I guess it worked. Later, sometime about June of 1960 I enlisted in the U.S. Army. Jobs were scarce and it was the only way I could support my new wife so I didn’t mind. With that, so ended the Indiahoma Searches for a few years. I didn’t find much gold, but I did find the greatest treasure of my life.

To Be Continued... Pick up our next issue for more of Jerry Eckhart’s biography and treasure hunting stories.

Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com

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

14Love Lessons Learned So Far

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, Vicki Stiefer

Love Lessons Learned So Far

A Date Worth Punishing For By Vicki Stiefer

How many times has your man forgotten your anniversary? Too many to count huh? Unfortunately for men, this gives women the opportunity to punish them. Whether it be the cone of silence or non-stop yelling-it is time to pay. There is yet another kind of spouse that you don’t hear much about. The kind that are tracked like a national geographic wildebeest! “Today we look for the wiliest of creatures! One not often seen in the cold light of day. This creature often inflicts its pain in a much more secretive way. Today we hunt for the passive-aggressive woman!” Ah, yes, the passive aggressive woman. She doesn’t seem angry but all of a sudden good morning kisses become a thing of the past. When she makes your lunch there’s no little note that proclaims her love for you anymore. Cabinet doors start slamming for no

reason. When asked if she is alright a pretty smile rolls out across her face but the madness continues. Women I ask you, has there never been a date that you have forgotten? It’s the opposite in my household. My husband has corrected me so many times when I try to give someone our anniversary date. I know he wonders sometimes if I was really there I have so much trouble. It’s not really the

month or the year I have issues with but it is the day. We were married on the 5th (I think) and when I tell the story it can be anywhere from the 4th to the 8th since we were married in 2008. Most of the time he gives me the stink eye and corrects me. He moves on. That is what is so great about men. He handles his business and then moves on. I was absolutely at our wedding but nervous about tripping down the stairs because brides must descend gracefully of course and when I looked at him he was white as a ghost too! It could have been like a bar fight. Without pictures I am not really sure. I remember Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire playing in the background and after that it is a blur of white with fire crackers at the end. It was by far the best day of my life that I don’t have a lot of memory of. I remember after I said I do we read verses from Song of Solomon. Now God really knows how to write a love story. Harlequin has nothing on God. The next day everything felt different. All the colors more vivid, food tasted better and life was much, much sweeter. No need to go crazy if your man doesn’t remember every date. His brain isn’t the vast storage space that is organized down to the last color coded file like yours. A love lesson I really have learned so far is patience. I married a mortal and so do you. I know, I know it is really hard for you to believe that the guy sitting on the couch scratching his belly and flipping channels is not superman. It will be alright. Send Comments to: lovelessons@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

15Recent Events - Past & Present

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, by The County Line Area Readers & Contributors

Recent Events - Past & Present

Thurber Cemetery Receives Official Texas Historical Marker By Jonnie Goodwin, Thurber Historical Assn. Inc.

June 1, 2012 THURBER, TX—The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recognized Thurber Cemetery as a significant part of Texas history by awarding it an Official Texas Historical Marker (#5487) which was erected in 1995. The designation honors Thurber Cemetery as an important and educational part of local history. Unfortunately, that marker was stolen; it has now been replaced, and a re-dedication ceremony to commemorate the event will be held on June 9, 2012 (11:00 a.m.) at Thurber. Speakers will include Joyce Whitis, writer/historian; Cathey Hartmann, Erath County Historical Commission Chair; Janis Mills, Thurber Historical Association to share in and witness this exciting historical event. “The Official Texas Historical Marker program helps bring attention to community treasures and the importance of their preservation,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the THC. “Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of our state’s history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources,” Wolfe said. A subject qualifies for a marker if two basic criteria are met: historical significance and age. Historical significance is established by reviewing its role and importance in local history, and the age requirement depends on the topic. The THC’s Official Texas Marker Policies are outlined in the Official Texas Historical Marker Guidelines and Application Form, which may be obtained by contacting the History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission, at 512/463-5853 or visiting the web site at www.thc.state.tx.us. “It is vital that as we move forward, we do not forget our past. Not only does the Texas Historical Marker provide awareness in the community of our fascinating history, but it has become a building block for the promotion of local tourism,” said Janis Mills, president of Thurber Historical Association, Inc. There are two types of Texas Historical Markers. Subject markers are posted solely for educational awareness and awarded more frequently than the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL), which is a legal designation for historic structures and comes with a measure of protection. Unlike subject markers, the RTHL must also meet a third criterion--architectural integrity. Texas has the largest marker program in the United States with approximately 12,000 markers. Seventeen states have used the Texas program as a model; the THC reviews more than 200 marker applications each year. “Through the efforts of Thurber Historical and Thurber Cemetery Associations, and the Erath and Palo Pinto County Historical Commissions there are nine markers in the Thurber area. Eight were dedicated the same day in 1995, the most markers ever dedicated in a single

day in Texas.” said Jonnie Goodwin, past-president of Thurber Historical Association, “Other designations awarded to Thurber Cemetery include a Cemetery Restoration Plaque, a sign and a granite pedestal with aluminum medallion citing Thurber Cemetery as a Registered State Historical Cemetery, which were also taken by vandals in 2009.” The Texas Historical Commission is the state agency for historic preservation. The agency administers a variety of programs to preserve the archeological, historical and cultural resources of Texas. www.thc.state.tx.us THURBER – NO GHOSTS AT CEMETERY OR REUNION THURBER, TX — The ghost town of Thurber, Texas will be anything but ghostly on Saturday, June 9th. Members will gather for the annual reunion of Thurber Historical Association as they have been gathering at this time of the year for 75 years. The focus this year will be on the dedication of the Texas Historical Marker for Thurber Cemetery and to celebrate the 120th birthday of St. Barbara’s Church. The originalThurber Cemetery Historical Marker was put in place in 1995, but was stolen from the cemetery in 2009, along with other acts of vandalism. A duplicate of the marker (#5487) will be unveiled on Saturday (11:00 a.m.). Participating in the ceremony will be officials from Palo Pinto and Erath Counties (the cemetery straddles the county line), members of both County Historical Commissions, Thurber Cemetery Association, Thurber Historical Association, and friends of Thurber. YOU are invited to join in the celebrations – candles on a birthday cake will burn, a marker will be unveiled, and a cemetery will welcome visitors as it did long ago. The cake will be delicious, the marker’s inscription informative, and the view from top of Cemetery Hill simply fantastic – You’ll be glad you came to Thurber! ***A gem hidden in plain sight on I-20, exit 367***

Historic Marker #5486 “Most important mine site in Texas for 30 years. Coal here, probably known to Indians, was “discovered” in 1886 by W. W. Johnson, who with his brother Harvey sold out to Texas and Pacific Coal Company in 1888. (T. and P. Coal Company provided fuel for the Texas and Pacific Railroad, but was independently owned.) Town was named for H. K. Thurber, friend of T. and P. Coal Company founders. Most dynamic firm member was Robert D. Hunter (1833-1902), developer of 7 of 15 mines. Next president was E. L. Marston, Hunter’s sonin-law, who left mining largely to William K. Gordon (1862-1949), an engineer who brought daily output to 3,000 tons. Then in 1917, Gordon (backed by management of coal company) was primarily responsible for discovery of Ranger oil field, 20 miles west. Adoption of oil- burning railway locomotives cut demand for coal. Last mine here closed in 1921, and the 10,000 or more inhabitants of Thurber began to move away. The coal firm changed its name to Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company and was sold in 1963 to Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, Inc., for $277,000,000.00. Renamed Texas Pacific Oil Company, it is now one of largest independent domestic energy suppliers. Much coal (by estimate 127,000,000 tons) remains underground. (1969)” Historic Marker #5487 “Encompassing slightly more than nine acres, the Thurber Cemetery documents the multi-ethnic Thurber community. The graveyard was divided into three sections with separate entrances: Catholic, Protestant, and African American. There are more than 1,000 graves here, including almost 700 unmarked burials. The oldest tombstone is that of Eva Chapman, an infant who died in 1890. More than half the total graves are those of infants and children, a reflection of such epidemic diseases as scarlet fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and whooping cough. (1995)”

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

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

Breckenridge Community Page

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

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline EASTLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the following sponsors of our A Special Thank You goes to Taylor Ford and Rod Straw for allowing us to use Lakeside Golf Course. Also, a special thanks to the folks responsible for our delicious meal--Billy Jack Hallmark, Eddie Clay and Ken Blades for smoking the briskets, the EMH volunteers for providing potato salad and beans and Brookshire’s for supplying the condiments. We would also like to thank all the golfers that played and supported the Eastland Memorial Hospital. Thank you to all the folks that donated items to the auction, and to Earl Ragland for his fast talking auctioneering skills! Thanks go out to everyone that donated Raffle and Door Prize Items! Your gifts make this tournament extra special and are very much appreciated. This year’s event raised $30,000 and will provide new air conditioning/heating units for every patient room in the hospital. Our success would not be possible without everyone’s continued support and generosity! Thank You So Much!!! GIFT OF HEALTH SPONSOR $1500 or MORE: AccessCare

Bird Electric

Jeff & Vicki Bradley

INTEGRITY SPONSOR $1000 or MORE Mrs. Billye Bradley

MIRACLE SPONSOR $500 or MORE:

Crowder Construction Eastland Co Newspapers Insurance Partners Larry & Cathy Vernon

EBAA Iron Eastland Drug/Gold Lantern Jim & Leslie Keffer McAnear Machinery, LP

Earl & Mary Ragland First Financial Bank Ken & Sammie Blades W H Hoffmann Estate

AG Texas Bent & Bermuda Grass Of Texas Dr. John Liddell Girling Home Health Larry & Vicki Armstrong Pat & Donna Hogan The County Line

B&W Clinic Bill & Hellen Meyer Edward Jones Jim Farrar Martha Pigeon Robert DeLuca, DO W.B. Byrd & Associates

Basic Energy Carroll Chiropractic Encompass Home Health Kennedy Financial Moylan Construction (MOTEC) Russell’s Auto Sales

RECOVERY SPONSORS $300 or MORE:

WELLNESS SPONSORS $200 or MORE:

Bryan’s Signs J & W Services Richard & Princess Krantz

Dirk & Vicki Zollinger KATX 97.7 Radio Ronnie & Pam White

HOLE SPONSORS $100 or MORE:

Aaron Insurance Co Brandon’s Dozer Service Davis & Wilkerson PC E & E Kustom Eastland County Tire Elite Plumbing Germania Insurance Hanlon Gas I-20 Bail Bonds Joel’s Paint and Body Larry & Maria Duncan Lone Cedar Country Club Ranger Meat Co. Security Title Sterling Monument Tucker Farm

EAGLE SPONSORS $75.00: American State Bank-Cisco

AUCTION DONORS:

Classic Creations Jewelry LaQuinta Inn, Eastland

RAFFLE DONORS:

Auto Zone Cookie Petree EMH Sunshine Shoppe Greer’s Nature’s Massage Trish Garrett

Ernie’s Spanish Kitchen KRP Insurance

Betsie King Cafe Rico Diagnostic Management Group Earl & Linda Bullock Eastland Count Vet Clinic First United Methodist Church Glenn Swift Hayden Photography J & J Air Conditioning Ken’s Motorcycle Shop Lazy 3 Animal Clinic Microplex News Raymond James & Assoc Sonic Drive-In (Cisco & Eastland) Tommy & Mary Warford Williamson Surveying

Blake Fulenwider Dodge Clint Coffee State Farm Donnie Cate CPA EASCO Land Services Edwards Funeral Home Fullen Motor Co. Guardian Title IntegraCare Jean Hicks Kimberly Fullen-State Farm Lifelong Wellness Clinic Pam Thomas Sandy Hazelip Stanley Ford Town & Country Real Estate

Bealls Dept Store

Joel’s Paint & Body

EMH Sunshine Shoppe The Gold Lantern

Higginbotham Brothers

C & H Monograms Cowboys Liquor Store Everisto’s Tire Hardwick’s Farmers Market The Cliffs Resort Vicki Armstrong

Coats Furniture Eddie Clay, Jr Great Times Furniture Hendrick Medical Supply The Gold Lantern White’s Ace Hardware

DOOR PRIZE DONORS AND OTHER SPONSORS:

Beaty Travel Commerce Street Floral Francies Deli Great Times Furniture Heaven Sent Floral H & H Garden Center Jay-Way LaFamilia Mexican Restaurant Lynda Walls, RMT Main Street Oil & Lube Marcia’s Creations Natures Massage Pulido’s Mexican Restaurant Richeson Dairy Queen Sammie Blades Scott Body Works Tractor Supply Vanessa Wilson, LMT West Texas Golf White’s Ace Hardware Angela Honea, Serena Batteas & Toni Kerr-Mane Street Salon Loren Strube & Cassy - Self Centered Salon

HOLE-IN-ONE-SPONSOR: Dr. Simpson & Family

Special Thanks to Lone Cedar Golf Course for letting us borrow golf carts!!!

Eastland Dry Cleaning Hardin’s Bar-B-Que Janie’s Salon Louise’s Cafe Majestic Theater Natures Salon Road ID Solar Nails Vicki Armstrong

Have you ever gone to a place of business and encountered an employee that just made you want to pull your hair (or his or her hair)? Have you ever purchased something from a business, and the clerk’s actions made you want to never return, or made you want to contact the manager to complain? For instance, have you ever met a clerk that didn’t acknowledge your presence? Or didn’t greet you when you entered the store? Or couldn’t count your change correctly or maybe didn’t know how to make change without the register telling him/ her how much to give you? Have you ever made a purchase for say, $2.38, so you hand the clerk a five-dollar bill AND three dimes, a nickel and three pennies... and it confused the clerk? Have you ever met a clerk that refused to look at you, smile at you, or say “Thank you for your business”? Have you ever told the clerk or employee “Thank you”, and their reply was “Yeah”? Or maybe you own a business and are taking applications for an open position, and the applicant shows up late for his/her employment interview... or shows up with a nose ring... or inappropriate attire? Have you ever reviewed an employment application that is not complete or cannot be deciphered? A business... any business... depends on repeat customers, and if a customer has a bad experience with an employee, that customer will go elsewhere next time. Eastland Chamber of Commerce has initiated a training program that is focused on customer service and the soft-skills needed to obtain, and more importantly, to retain employment in Eastland. It is free of charge, and is designed for the 16-21 age group. The program, tentatively called Eastland Young Executives (EYE), will consist of six two-hour sessions on Tuesday evenings beginning later this month at the Connellee Hotel. The classroom sessions will address: • Basic math skills • Communication skills • Interaction with customers • Motivation • Resume building • Job interview preparation • Career exploration • Goal-setting, and • Money management. The instructors for the course are local business owners and managers, and their goal is to develop a trained workforce... a pool of potential employees who have been certified as skilled in the art of customer service. Each participant will receive a certificate of completion and will be recommended for employment when employers call for references. The Eastland Chamber of Commerce is presently accepting applications for this free training. You may pick up your application at the Chamber office at 209 W. Main St. in Eastland on weekdays between 9AM and 4PM. The applications will be available next week on the Chamber’s website at http://www.eastlandchamber.com . The class will be limited to the first twenty qualified applicants. Call (254) 629-2332 for further information. “Keep your ‘EYE’ on Eastland!” Cecil Funderburgh, Executive Director Eastland Chamber of Commerce (254) 629-2332

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

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18The County Line

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www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

■ , Mike W. Norris The County Line Distribution Area P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Texas 76448 http://www.MyCounty-Line.com info@mycounty-line.com

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         

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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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20This Week In Texas History

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■

This Week In Texas History

, by Bartee Haile

Jeff Davis Could Have Been First Texas A&M President By Bartee Haile

On Jun. 14, 1875, Gov. Richard Coke offered Jefferson Davis, former head of the defunct Confederacy, the presidency of Texas’ new agricultural and mechanical college. The governor warmly wrote, “The State of Texas and all her people ask that you come and live with and be one of us, and make your home and resting place, after a long and eventful public service, among a people who will never cease to love and honor you.” Old Jeff Davis had not always been held in such high esteem by southerners, especially during the last dreadful days of the Confederate collapse. Many blamed him for the disaster that left Dixie in ruins and under the Yankee boot, but two terrible years behind bars turned the scapegoat into a hero. Although he was only a few miles from the Appomattox courthouse, President Davis did not receive the news of Lee’s surrender until the next afternoon. Accompanied by his family and the remnants of the Rebel regime, he quickly boarded a southbound train. Davis ran out of tracks in North Carolina but not invincible resolve. Refusing to admit defeat, he headed west with a vague plan to carry on the futile fight. But the $100,000 price on his head made escape impossible. On May 10, 1865, the same day the eight “Lincoln conspirators” went on trial, Davis and his entire entourage were captured in Georgia. Among those taken into custody were two Texans: Francis Lubbock, a former governor, and John Reagan, the only member of the Confederate cabinet who stuck by his president. The captives were dragged aboard a federal gunship at Savannah for transfer north. On the dock a Union soldier yelled to a gray-clad counterpart, “Hey, Johnny! We’ve got your president!” The Reb retorted, “And the Devil’s got yours!” Davis was still at sea, when the northern press began to howl for his head. “Jeff Davis must be tried for treason,” demanded Harper’s Weekly. “If convicted, he must be sentenced. If sentenced, he must be executed.” When the ship steamed up Chesapeake Bay, Davis presumed Washington was his destination and a show trial his fate. But on May 20 the vessel suddenly dropped anchor at Hampton Roads, Virginia in the ominous shadow of Fort Monroe. Forty-eight hours later, Davis and Clement Clay, his closest friend and advisor, were taken ashore. As the despondent Mrs. Davis watched from the ship’s railing, the pair disappeared inside the dreary dungeon. Davis was at the mercy of war secretary Edwin Stanton, a Radical Republican obsessed with a vindictive desire to implicate the captive in the plot to murder Lincoln. Taking complete charge of the prize catch, Stanton sent one of his lackeys, a 26 year old general named Miles, to supervise the detention. The sadistic jailer relished the duty and devoted every waking hour to making life miserable for Davis. Heavy shackles were fastened to his ankles, and two guards under strict orders to stay silent paced his cell. A lamp burned night and day robbing the exhausted prisoner of precious sleep. Even a vengeful North could not stomach leg irons on a man with nowhere to

run, and a storm of critical editorials compelled Stanton to remove the restraints. However, the damage was done and the seeds of sympathy sown for the victim of such inhumane treatment. As the months of solitary confinement slowly passed, a special tribunal pored over 250,000 Confederate documents in a painstaking attempt to connect Davis with the Lincoln assassination. Finally, in May 1866, the investigators informed Stanton that not a single shred of incriminating evidence could be found. Weeks later a bombshell bestseller was published by the recently discharged dungeon doctor. The Prison Life of Jefferson Davis described in appalling detail the cruel incarceration and called for his immediate release. Stanton stalled until May 1867, when forced at last to confess he had no case. Ten prominent northerners posted the $100,000 bail, and Davis was set free. On Christmas Day 1868, after a close call with impeachment, President Andrew Johnson granted blanket amnesty to all former leaders of the rebellious states. Mrs. Davis rejoiced

that her hounded husband was “safe from the clutches of the Yankees.” Ironically, Yankees of conscience were the very people instrumental in saving Jeff Davis from the gallows. Had he hanged, any hope of national reconciliation would have been wrecked for generations. In a July 1875 reply to the governor’s letter, Davis modestly protested that Coke had overrated his ability. He gently declined the distinction of serving as the first president of Texas A&M. Fourteen years later, Jefferson Davis went to his grave an unrepentant Rebel having never applied for a pardon nor apologized for his part in the uprising. “The war proved secession to be impractical,” he observed. “It did not prove it to be wrong.” Bartee Haile welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions at P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549 or haile@pdq.net. Do you have your copy of “Tornadoes, Hurricanes & Other Disasters,” the latest “Best of This Week in Texas History” column collection? Order today at twith.com or mail a check for $14.20 to Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549. Send Comments to: texashistory@mycounty-line.com

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

21Strange Stories ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

Strange , Stories by County Line Readers & Other Texas Sources

■ Gorman

Gorman Seniors 2012, Latricia Hampton,Seniors Gorman ISD 2012

Gorman ISD 2012 Senior Scholarship Recipients

Could this be “Lost Mountain” outside of Strawn, Texas?

LOST MOUNTAIN

Cobwebbs from the Strawn Museum By Robert Stogsdill

The mountain is perfectly round with a spring fed lake at the top that some say is dark and haunted. You come winding your way around the back in such a way that all direction is lost; then the last part of the journey is hard scrabble up to the top. There sits “lost lake”, dark and foreboding, perfectly round with no bottom. Many years ago in the dim past, there lived a group of folks up there that followed a religious leader and lived a communal life waiting for the end of the world to come. Rumors spread of strange things going on up there. The leader was called the Messiah; everyone wore a robe, and walked barefoot into town now and again to beg for supplies. He eventually begat thirteen children, it was said that some of the children were thrown into the lake. Eventually, a band of vigilantes came up the mountain with guns and ran them all off. A couple of young men went up the mountain sometime in the past, they said by the time they reached the top, all direction was lost, their compass just whirled around and it became unusually dark. One of the boys decided to take a closer look at the lake and fell in. He said it felt like someone “pushed” him into the black murky water.. And after struggling out he was attacked by a cloud of ticks… he went screaming and tearing off his clothes.. His friend poured whisky all over him and they somehow made it down the mountain and back to town. I interviewed a lady who said she was the last, and the thirteenth child to be born on the mountain. I asked the lady to take us up there to take photos and document the story. She became very agitated and screamed at me. “Don’t go up lost mountain; the mountain will get you”.

Darlene Hampton Memorial Gorman Achievement Gorman Achievement Miss Gorman Contestant Ruth Bryant Memorial

$100 $100 $100 $100 $100

Katey Thackerson Matt Fox Stetson Thompson McKenzie Osborne Ally Little

G. W. and Ann Maxfield Gorman Band Scholarship Hampton Paint and Body Texas Farm Bureau

$200 $200 $200 $200

Carlie Jackson Raven Kehl Katey Thackerson Erica Madera

Abundant Life Ministries Gorman Lion’s Club Gorman ATPE Scholarship Gorman Peanut Queen Hispanic Leadership Institute Irene Panter Memorial Order of the Eastern Star

$250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 $250

McKenzie Osborne Carlie Jackson Raven Kehl Katey Thackerson Mallory May Jon Fenley McKenzie Osborne

Eastland County Retired Teacher’s Sandra Snider Memorial Scholarship

$400 Cortney Shirley $400 Carlie Jackson

Julia B. Skaggs Cook Scholarship Miss Gorman Contestant Scholarship Miss Gorman Contestant Scholarship Ruth Ann Porter Scholarship

$500 $500 $500 $500

McKenzie Osborne Appreciation

$600 McKenzie Osborne

Comanche Electric Cooperative

$1000 Delores Garcia

Cisco College Scholarships Ranger College Regents Scholarship Ranger College Presidential Scholarship

$2500 All Seniors $2500 Karla Lara $2500 Chelsea Griffin

Valedictorian Scholarship Tuition Waiver

$4000 Erica Madera

2012 Valedictorian Erica Madera

Carlie Jackson Mallory May Cortney Shirley Rebekah Powell

2012 Salutatorian Maria D. Garcia

Send Comments and Strange Stories to: strange@mycounty-line.com

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

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

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

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ June 2012 v5.61 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

Thursday, June 14th Ruthie hasn’t been feeling too well the last month or so. For several weeks, she has been gaining weight, waking up nauseated and feeling sickly after meals. She’s been there, done that...that’s what started this whole slip-n-slide to begin with. So we were expecting this visit to DTI to be a big one. We expected that Ruthie’s clinical numbers would be off and they would want to do a kidney biopsy. The last two times that has happened, they either performed the biopsy later that same day or scheduled it for the following morning. In both cases, we were able to go home after the biopsy and return back to the clinic a few days later for the follow-up. So generally that was our expectation for her visit scheduled on Tuesday of this week. And I don’t know how many of you know my wife very well, but once she gets a plan in her head she tends to think that there could be no other way to approach a problem or complete the task. I love her to death, but she has a very (VERY) hard time just going with the flow or changing courses in midstream. Needless to say, Tuesday went worse than expected, and they admitted Ruthie to Baylor to give her 3-units of blood with plans for a biopsy the following morning. Wednesday morning, after receiving the blood transfusions, she woke up feeling great! BUT...scheduling fell through and it was 2pm before she went in for the biopsy. We were told we would have the results by noon today (Thursday). We were also told that Ruthie’s tending doctor (Dr. Barry) would be out today and that Dr. Rice would be standing in to get with us on the biopsy results. Meanwhile, since things were not going as planned, Ruthie’s blood pressure was elevated so they started hitting her with meds to lower her blood pressure....on top of that, they had discovered fluid in her lungs so they were hitting her with a diuretic to reduce her body fluids....and to top it off, Ruthie’s appetite was zilch because eating makes her nauseous so she wasn’t eating anything and wasn’t drinking ANY kind of fluids. This afternoon, while we were getting more and more frustrated with the lack of results from her biopsy, Ruthie’s blood pressure went below 60! At that point, I became the bad guy and neither of us were very happy campers. Finally, Dr. Rice puts in an appearance and attempts to explain why she was having difficulty interpreting Ruthie’s biopsy results. She said something about a test that they rarely perform because the circumstances around Ruthie’s kidney rejection were somewhat rare. She tried to explain it to us, but unfortunately she fell into speaking latin or greek or some such nonsense and we didn’t understand any of it. BUT...she wanted to start Ruthie on a steroid treatment, which runs the course of 5 days. Dr. Rice was of the opinion that Ruthie should remain in Baylor for the duration of her steroid treament. The silence in the room was broken by Ruthie’s shattered heart and expectations. She broke out crying and just told the doctor that she wanted to go home. It took several minutes and several back steps and a fair bit of dancing around the bad

news for the good doctor to find a convenient excuse to leave the room. No matter how you look at it, none of this was really in our plans and that’s what upset Ruthie the most...did I mention that she doesn’t go with the flow very well?

Follow Ruthie’s Progress online:

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Sunday, June 17th On Saturday, Ruthie was able to speak to one of her favorite DTI/Transplant doctors, Dr. Melton. He is an older fellow, white hair, thin build, with a wonderful personality that just makes you feel at ease while speaking with him. He has the bedside manor and vocal qualities of Andy Griffith...but not in a comical way, just very personable and likable. We were able to talk to Dr. Melton for about 30 or 40 minutes and really got to go over a few things that Ruthie and I had not been able to discuss with anyone before. Dr. Melton certainly understood how anxious Ruthie was to get out of the tiny little hospital room atmosphere and he arranged for her to be released immediately after our conversation. We spent the night at a nearby La Quinta and Ruthie took her 4th treatment this morning as an outpatient before we came back home to Eastland. She will go back tomorrow (on Monday) to DTI for her 5th and final steroid treatment and to go over the results of how well the kidney is responding to this treatment. By the time you are reading this, Ruthie will either be back at work with her kidney showing clear signs of improvement -- OR -- she will be back in the hospital at Baylor for a more serious course of action. We know that Ruthie’s kidney may never recover from the rejection and problems of the last few months. Her creatinine levels will continue to rise as long as the kidney’s performance continues to decline. Eventually, if the kidney continues on this course, we know that Ruthie will have to go back on dialysis at some point in the future. But on the brighter side, the rejection is treatable and Dr. Melton is optimistic. We have a rough idea of the road ahead and we have enough information to actually start putting together a few ideas and plans for how we want to spend the next few months. That alone allows Ruthie quite a bit of peace of mind which was in very short supply earlier this week. The destination in Ruthie’s future may not be exactly where we want to go and the road ahead may be a pretty bumpy ride... BUT...we’re at least able to choose some of the places that we get to see along the way and I’m going to start encouraging little miss Ruthie to spend more time sitting back and enjoying the journey and stop worrying so much about where we are and how we get to where we’re going. Ruthie, just remember, it’s kind of like driving a Jeep... If the roads are bad, slick and muddy, or really steep and scary, you just drop down into 4-wheel drive and creep along... taking one obstacle at a time. On the other hand, even if the weather is beautiful and everything is peachy, you can always make it better by letting down the top and kicking off the doors! Whatever the destination, let’s enjoy the journey!

Life is Good!

In Sickness and In Health

Donations may be made to: Farmers & Merchants Bank

Ruth Norris Benefit Fund

930 East Main Eastland, TX 76448 (254) 629-3282

Donations can be made instantly via PayPal at:

www.PeachyTurtle.org

~mwnorris

www.facebook.com/mycountyline

uthie!

I Love You, R

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