Robertson earns Saints’ Roost Award

Delbert Robertson was named the 2001 Saints’ Roost Award winner when the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce held its annual Awards Banquet last Saturday in the Bairfield Activity Center.

Alan Graham and Jean Stavenhagen also received top honors as Man of the Year and Woman of the Year.

The Saints’ Roost Award recognizes an individual who has given a lifetime to the service of the community. Robertson was recognized for his numerous personal, professional, and civic accomplishments in Donley County.

A native of Clarendon, Robertson attended Clarendon schools and has been a longtime member of the Church of the Nazarene, holding many offices and serving on several church committees. He has sat on the Clarendon College Board of Regents longer than any other member and currently serves as secretary of the board.

For many years, Robertson was the coordinator of the Clarendon emergency medical services and was formerly a state certified technician. He was a delegate to the EMS Committee of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission and was a member of the Panhandle Emergency Medical Services System when it was first implemented.

He has been a member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department since 1953, co-designed the department’s logo, and has been the Fire Chief since 1980. He served many years as a committee member for Boy Scout Troop 433 and was a member of the Donley County Hospital Board when the Medical Center Hospital (now Medical Center Nursing Home) was built.

He has also held various offices in the Clarendon Lions Club and donated countless hours of volunteer assistance as well as contributing financially to numerous organizations within the community.

The Man of the Year served two terms as the president of the Chamber of Commerce – the last of which he finished while winning his second battle with cancer. Alan Graham is a member of the Lions Club, where he is serving as first vice president, and is also Vice President of the Saints’ Roost Museum Board.

In his short time as a member of this community, Graham has donated countless hours to the success of chamber and museum functions. He also has helped transform the Medical Center Nursing Home into a first rate, modern facility where its residents know they are cared for and loved.

In addition to his duties with the nursing home, Graham oversees the business of the Donley County Hospital District and the Associated Ambulance Authority.

In accepting the award, Graham praised the hospital board, the wonderful staff of the Medical Center Nursing Home, and the exemplary staff and volunteers of the ambulance service.

The Woman of the Year, Jean Stavenhagen, was called a “rare individual who produces abundantly yet demands little or no attention.”

Stavenhagen influenced hundreds of people through her English and speech classes at Clarendon High School before her retirement two years ago. She dispensed not only knowledge and skills but also fun and laughter to her students. Her sense of humor, sense of honor, and incredible work ethic have been enjoyed by generations of Clarendon Broncos.

Her diligence and research abilities were instrumental in securing grants to restore both the Donley County Courthouse and the Ft. Worth & Denver Railroad Depot building. She currently serves as Chairman of the Donley County Historical Commission and as Secretary of the Saints Roost Museum Board. All of this work she has done without asking for attention or rewards.

The Pioneer Man and Woman, which are usually not announced until the Saints’ Roost Celebration in July, were named this year during the Chamber banquet.

Dorothy Breedlove was named the Pioneer Woman. She was born and raised in Clarendon and has lived most of her life in Donley County. She was married for more than 50 years to the late “Flip” Breedlove, and she has been a great supporter of the Medical Center Nursing Home,  and an active and faithful member of the First United Methodist Church where she serves in the choir. She is an active supporter of the Something More after school program, and she is known as an avid golfer who scores in the 80s and knows all the rules.

C.L. Benson, Jr., was named the Pioneer Man. He was born in 1910 in Brice and has lived in Clarendon since 1918 when he started school in the old Clarendon College building. He graduated from Clarendon High School, attended CC for one year, then studied engineering at Texas Technological College. When the Depression hit, he returned to farming in 1933 and became partners with his brother, Lloyd. He married Avis Lee McElvany and raised two daughters.  C.L. is a member of the First United Methodist Church and has served on the boards of the Clarendon Independent School District and the Water Conservation Districts of Donley and Hall counties. At age 92, he still goes to his farm in Brice and rides a three-wheeler over the land he has managed for so long.

The Young Woman of the Year from Clarendon High School is Carrie Helms. She has served as cheerleader captain, student council president, NHS treasurer, Texas Association of Future Educators president, and historian of the Junior Historians. She has also been involved in drama, is a member of the Bronco Band, and has advanced to regional and state levels in UIL academic competitions. She recently placed second in the State VFW Voice of Democracy contest and placed first in the Texas Press Association’s Lone Star Journalism Writing Contest for the article published in The Clarendon Enterprise, entitled “The House That Buck Built.” Helms is also active with the Downtown Ministry Center, the Food Pantry, and the Clothes Closet and utilizes her singing talents at the First Baptist Church.

Lora Llewellyn was named the Young Woman of the Year from Hedley High School. Llewellyn has been a starter for the varsity Lady Owls for four years, making the all-district and all region teams, and has received all-district and all-state academic honors as well. She’s held leadership positions in the NHS and the BPA, in which she will compete at the state level this year. She participates in UIL academic competitions and One Act Play, has been active with the Yearbook, and has numerous academic honors She also helps with the annual Hedley Senior Citizens’ Banquet and helps keep the streets of Hedley clean.

Jeremy Ray was named the Young Man of the Year from Clarendon High School. Ray has participated in athletics and was named to all-district teams in basketball and baseball. He was also a regional qualifier in cross-country. He has served as junior class president and on the student council. He is member of the FCA and has participated in UIL academic competitions and One Act Play. Ray is active with the Martin Baptist Youth, takes an active role with FCA Christmas Service projects, and plays guitar for the College Ministry. He also plays guitar in the praise band, Driven Free.

Josh Collins was named the Young Man of the Year from Hedley. Collins participates in HHS athletics, BPA, UIL competitions, FFA, and One Act Play. He was the cross-country district champion in 2000 and qualified for the regional meet in 2001. He has received all-district and all-region honors in basketball. He serves as vice president of NHS and vice president of BPA. He will compete in Houston this year at the state BPA conference. He is a member of the UIL calculator team and will travel to San Antonio this spring for the State TMSCA meet. Collins is also active in the community as a member of the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department.

This year’s banquet was attended by more than 180 people and was sponsored by Greenbelt Electric Cooperative, Inc., GreenLight Gas, B&R Thriftway, Dairy Queen, AEP-West Texas Utilities, Clarendon College, KEFH 99.3 FM, Robertson Funeral Directors, Classic Cable, and Northwest Texas Healthcare Systems.

Jim Blackerby will serve as president of the chamber for the coming year. New directors will be Ann Alexander, Ruth Robinson, Greg Henry, Cheri Floyd, Roy Monroe, and Mark White.

Musical entertainment in keeping with the theme “Let Freedom Ring was provided by Dan Hall.

US Rep. Mac Thornberry delivered the keynote address for the evening. Thornberry said that it was particularly appropriate to honor hometown heroes at this time as our nation remembers the horror of September 11.

The congressman also spoke of the War on Terror and said that now, “evil people have the tools to kill people on the same scale as their hatred.”

He warned of possible terrorist threats to the nation’s food supply and agriculture facilities, and he spoke of America’s role in the world.

“I don’t think we got to be the strongest, most free people on Earth by accident,” Thornberry said.

He discussed the mantle of the World War II generation’s legacy saying, “This is our opportunity to prove ourselves worthy of these freedoms.”