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Archives for June 2007

Elise Price McMahan Binks

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Elise Price McMahan Binks, died February 20, 2007, in Tucson, AZ.

Memorial services were held Friday, June 8, at 9:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Wheeler.

She was born July 17, 1918, on a ranch 15 miles east of Wheeler to John Riley Price and Cora Jane Wood Price. Later her family moved into town. After her father was elected sheriff and tax collector of Wheeler County, they lived at the jail, and that experience provided the material for many family stories. Elise married John F. McMahan in July 1938. The couple had four children.

After receiving her beautician’s license, she ran her own salon. Always a talented seamstress, she enjoyed craft projects and later built a sewing and alterations business in Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her husbands John McMahan and Harold Binks as well as a brother Ronald Price.

Survivors include her brothers Neel and Lee Price and her children Nanda Twaweek and husband Jack, Don McMahan and wife Kathy, Danny McMahan and wife Cheryl, Rebecca Mendoza and husband Frank, loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a great-great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given in her name to the United Methodist Church, 704 Main, Wheeler, TX 79096, or a charity of your choice.

Sheriff’s office seeking clues to weekend crime

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The Donley County Sheriff’s Department is searching for possible clues to identify those responsible for the weekend burglary of J&W Lumber.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said someone broke the glass on the lumberyard’s east door and apparently hauled merchandise to the back of the business in a wheelbarrow. Lumberyard owner Earl Hartman said a passerby noticed the broken glass about 7 a.m. on Saturday.

“They took about $1,300 worth of power tools, a string trimmer, and an air conditioner,” Hartman said.

The criminals also cut a couple of locks and pried open a filing cabinet.

“It looked like they were looking for cash,” Hartman said.

The loss is not covered by insurance. Blackburn said Monday that his office was working some leads on the case.

If anyone has any information, they are asked to call the sheriff’s office at 874-3533.

Thornberry gives update on current issues

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Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) updated his hometown supporters on the issues now before Congress during a town hall meeting at the Burton Memorial Library last Wednesday.

The seven-term member of the US House of Representatives said the current session has been a new experience for him being in the minority party for the first time since 1995.

“The mode we’re in is just trying to keep bad stuff from happening,” Thornberry said.

A lot of regulatory ideas have been on the backburner since the Republicans seized control of the legislative branch in 1995 and especially since President Bush has been in office. But with the Democrats back in control of both houses of Congress, many ideas are starting to surface, Thornberry said.

Topping the issues in Washington is the continuing war in Iraq.

“I hope someday we can talk about what’s good for the troops and good for the country and not have this partisan debate,” the congressman said. “It’s important for the troops to know that there are huge numbers of people who support them. The few people with a microphone don’t speak for everyone.”

Thornberry said the situation in Iraq is improving, but he said US troops will have to remain there for some time to keep al Qaeda disrupted.

Immigration has also proven to be a vexing problem for the federal government.

“Our offices have been flooded with people upset about the immigration issue,” Thornberry said.

The congressman said the government has to set priorities in dealing with the number of people in the country illegally.

“We need first things first, and the first thing is to control who and what comes across the border,” he said. “Secondly, employers need to be able to find out if a person is here legally.”

Thornberry also raised concerns about the pending expiration of the Bush tax cuts, particularly the estate tax.

“Be very careful about the year you choose to pass away,” Thornberry said, noting that the “death tax” will come back to life in 2010.

Thornberry said energy is another issue facing the United States and said that energy policy has been neglected for 25 years.

“We haven’t built a new refinery since 1975, and we’ve closed 100 down,” he said.

He said he supports efforts to build up all segments of energy production, including oil and gas, nuclear, and wind power.

Regarding the partisanship in Congress, Thornberry said, “There are good folks on both sides and nuts on both sides,” and he pointed to his medical justice bill as an example of both Democrats and Republicans working together to solve problems facing the American people.

Thornberry said he hopes people won’t let the partisanship sour them on voting.

“I worry that people will get so disgusted that they will just stay home (on election day), and that’s not good for the country,” he said.

Thornberry closed his town hall by encouraging people to contact him about the issues important to them.

“It always helps me if you let me know what you’re thinking,” he said.

Officials say kids abusing 911 system

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Old cellular phones can pose a problem for emergency personnel when children get their hands on them.

That’s the message from local and area officials this week following numerous phony 911 calls that have been received by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office.

Dispatcher Cheryl Phillips said the sheriff’s office began getting crank cell phone calls about a month ago, and the problem has gotten worse.

“We had about ten in a row last Friday plus others throughout the day,” Phillips said.

Panhandle Regional 911 Network Program Director Richard G. Green said the problem stems from an FCC rule that requires wireless carriers to accept 911 calls from any wireless phone, even those that are not subscribed to a wireless service.

As a result, any cell phone with any battery power can call the 911 emergency system. If parents give their old cell phone to their kids as a toy and don’t remove the battery, it is possible to call 911.

Green said the problem is not unique to Donley County.

“It became a big problem over Christmas in Dalhart,” he said. “A girl called 911 and claimed she was being abducted from the Payless shoe store in Westgate Mall. Such a store does not exist but has to be treated as real.”

Some unintentional calls can also be generated thanks to handsets with a one-button 911 calling feature, which can be activated when the phone is placed in a purse, bag, or back pocket; but the bigger problem remains children playing games with old phones.

“The 911 system is really being compromised when resources are used to respond to false claims,” Green said.

Phillips said local officials haven’t had the problem of crank 911 calls to this extent before, but she said that it can be considered a criminal offense.

“We have arrested people before on the charge of Misuse of the Emergency or 911 System, which is a Class A misdemeanor,” Phillips said. “People don’t understand that when 911 rings, we drop everything and go into emergency mode here.”

Green said the problem is a double-edge sword because society teaches kids to dial 911, and some do so just out of curiosity.

The best thing for parents to do, Green said, is take the battery out of cell phones that kids are using as toys.

Sue Newman Ballard

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Sue Newman Ballard, 65, died Wednesday, May 30, 2007, in Amarillo.

Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2007, in the First Baptist Church in Claude with Rev. Jess Little, Pastor, and Rev. Jim Brown, officiating. Burial was in Claude Cemetery. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mrs. Ballard was born October 3, 1941, in Wheeler to Johnny and Lilly Marie Panel Newman. She married Ben W. Ballard on August 5, 1962, at Mobeetie. She had been a resident of Claude since 1962. She was a member of the Le Temps Club. She went on to receive the Citizen of the Year Award in 1976, being the first female in Claude to receive this honor.

She was an active member of the First Baptist Church, where she was involved with the youth and went on many church trips and attended other functions. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.

Mrs. Ballard was preceded in death by her parents.

Survivors include her husband, Ben W. Ballard of Claude; two daughters, Belinda Perez and husband Harvey of Hart, Whitney Saul and husband Kirk of Canadian; four brothers, Waylan Newman and wife Nelda of Lubbock, Kenneth Newman and wife Irma of Memphis, Don Newman and wife Georgia of Garland, and Jim Newman and wife Jeannie of Mesquite; seven grandchildren, Jonathan Aduddell, Janey Aduddell, Shadden Lanier, Samantha Lanier, Morgan Saul, Ballard Saul, and Shelby Saul.

The family requests that memorials be to the First Baptist Church of Claude Youth Group.

Billy Jo Barbee

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Services for Billy Jo Barbee, 81, of Memphis were held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 1, 2007, at the First Baptist Church in Memphis, with Rev. Daniel Downey, officiating. 

Burial followed in Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Hughs Funeral Home in Memphis.

Mrs. Barbee died on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 in Amarillo.

Jo was born on August 22, 1925 in Memphis to the late Mr. Elmer T. Prater and Mrs. Willie Martindale Prater.  She was a 1942 graduate of Memphis High School.  Then she went on and graduated from TCU in 1946 with a business degree and a geology degree. 

She married J.H. Barbee, Jr., on November 27, 1947, in Amarillo.  He preceded her in death on February 26, 1994.  She was a lifelong resident of Memphis.  She worked for GTE for 30 plus years in the business office as a supervisor. She was a member of the TCU Alumni, Red River Hatters Club, Hospital Auxiliary, and the First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Winifred Davis and Genevieve Pate.

She is survived by one daughter, Melissa Hatley and husband Kirby of Clarendon; three grandchildren, Wes Hatley and wife Christi, Jeff Hatley and wife Sarah; Jennifer Robinson and husband Zack all of Clarendon; five great-grandchildren, Bryce Hatley, Jensen Hatley, Brock Hatley, Emeri Robinson and Kasen Hatley all of Clarendon.

The family suggests memorials be made to a favorite charity.

Britney Upton Rodriguez

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Services for Britney Upton Rodriguez, 19, of Memphis, will be at 2 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2007, at the First Baptist Church in Memphis with Rev. Randall Ator, officiating.  Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Hughs Funeral Home in Memphis.

Mrs. Rodriguez died Sunday, June 3, 2007, in Childress. Britney was born on September 18, 1987, in Amarillo, to Tim Upton Sr. and Jackie Wilson Upton.  She attended grammar school in Memphis, and was a graduate of Hedley High School in May of 2006. 

She married Gus Rodriguez on September 2, 2006, at the Travis Baptist Church in Memphis. 

She was a life long resident of Memphis, and a member of Plum Creek Fellowship Church in Amarillo.  She was preceded in death by her brother, T.J. Upton Jr. on May 5, 1997, her grandfather, Jimmy Wilson, her two cousins, Justin Casey and Michael Eidemiller and an aunt, Janean Eidemiller.

She is survived by her husband, Gus Rodriguez, her son, Timothy Jose Rodriguez, her parents, Tim and Jackie Upton and her grandparents, J.C. and Mary Upton all of Memphis, and Claire Kester of Amarillo.  She will also be missed by many friends and family.

The family suggests memorials be made to a favorite charity.

Juanita Ruth Wood

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Juanita Ruth Wood of Lubbock passed away on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at the age of 80.

Services were held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29, 2007, at White Memorial Chapel in Lubbock with Rev. Keith Wiseman officiating and Rachel Shapard assisting.  Interment was held at City of Lubbock Cemetary.  Arrangements were under the care of White Funeral Home of Lubbock.

She was born on January 10, 1927, in Lubbock to Chester U. and Ethel L. (Elliott) James.

She graduated from New Deal High School and later graduated from Draughn’s Business College.

Juanita married Charles Winston Wood on June 17, 1950, in Roswell, NM. She was a member of First United Methodist Church.

Survivors include her sister, Effie Lee Middlebrook of Shallowater; sister-in-law, Evelyn Jean Mann and husband, Jiggs of Clarendon, Texas; nephews, Doyce Middlebrook and wife, Paula of Shallowater, Mark Mann and wife, Briss of Seminole; nieces, Ruth Enger and husband, Don of Shallowater, Camille Miller and husband, Dick of San Saba; and nine great nieces and nephews.

Juanita was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 51 years, and her infant daughter, Linda Kay Wood.

The family suggests memorials be to Gideon’s International, P.O. Box 2981 Lubbock, Texas 79408, or to a favorite charity.

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