Living history lesson
Archives for September 2022
Chamber fun run takes off October 1
Vehicles ranging from cars and trucks to motorcycles and Spyders are signing up for this Saturday’s first Hot Rods to Harleys Fun Run hosted by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce.
The 110-mile scenic ride starts and ends at the Mulkey Theatre with participants making several stops along the way to build their hand of cards and see who the lucky winner is in the end.
The registration desks open at 8:30 a.m., and at 9 a.m. the Mulkey will show the documentary Hamblen Road, which tells the story of how the scenic road between Claude and Silverton was constructed. The Fun Run itself will start at 10 a.m.
Entry is $25 per vehicle, and proceeds benefit the “Toys for Joy” toy drive in Donley County, which is a new project from the Clarendon Lions Club. “Toys for Joy” seeks to buy a toy for every elementary student in Clarendon and Hedley schools this Christmas.
Early registration is encouraged at clarendontx.com/funrun. Participants can either pay online or the day of the event.
For more information, call the Clarendon Visitor Center at 806-874-2421 or Bob Weiss at 806-205-0270.
The Hot Rods to Harleys Fun Run is sponsored by Sonic Drive-In, Floyd’s Automotive, and Budweiser Distributing Company of Amarillo.
C Bar C wins 2022 chuckwagon cookoff
The C Bar C Ranch team from Hartley reclaimed the championship of the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday, September 24, for the first time since 2019.
Competing in the Saints’ Roost Museum’s 27th annual cookoff, the C Bar C team went head-to-head with 13 other wagons and placed first in the categories of Dessert, Bread, and Potatoes; first in Overall Cooking; and fourth in Wagon & Camp and Best Meat to win the title of best Overall Wagon & Cooking.
The Crosstimber Ranch from Mustang, Okla., placed first in Wagon & Camp this year after having won the top title the previous two years.
The 15th annual Junior Cookoff the day before the big event drew 12 contestants, who were paired with experienced wagon teams to prepare potatoes for the cooks’ dinner Friday night. Kennadi Gaither from Clarendon placed first cooking with the J Bar D Ranch of Amarillo. Henry Robertson from Clarendon placed second cooking with the Honey-Do Spoiler team from Pampa, and Jared Phares from Lockney was third cooking with D Bar B from Childress.
Also participating in the junior cookoff were Kassie Askew from Clarendon cooking with Wild Cow Ranch, from Fritch; Asa Bains from Clarendon cooking with Solano Wagon Co. of Tucumcari, New Mexico; Gus Boedecker from Lockney cooking with Camp Cookie from Germantown, Tenn.; Teagan Chesser from Clarendon cooking with Cocklebur Camp from Odessa; Jase Conway from Clarendon cooking with Lazy M Cookers of Lamar, Colo., Memory Farmer from Clarendon cooking with 2M Chuckwagon of Kim, Colo.; Wade Fowler from Clarendon cooking with Camp Cookie; August Pearson from Clarendon cooking with Double Nichols of Amarillo; and Elliott Robertson from Clarendon cooking with Crosstimber.
The Junior Cookoff is sponsored each year by the American Chuckwagon Association.
The cooks’ dinner Friday night held for the wagon teams and museum supporters fed 125 people. An estimated 560 people ate the Chuckwagon meal on Saturday.
The trade show was held throughout the day Saturday, and live entertainment was provided.
Competing wagons served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Wagons came from as far as Tennessee and Colorado to attend this year’s cookoff.
Prizes totaling $3,250 were paid out to the winners. Complete results were:
Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1) C Bar C.
Overall Cooking: 1) C Bar C., 2) Camp Cookie., 3) J Bar D, and 4) Wild Cow Ranch.
Best Wagon & Camp: 1) Crosstimber, 2) J Bar D, 3) Wild Cow Ranch, and 4) C Bar C.
Best Meat: 1) Wild Cow Ranch, 2) Camp Cookie, 3) Solano Wagon Co., and 4) C Bar C.
Best Beans: 1) Camp Cookie, 2) Wild Cow Ranch, 3) Honey-Do Spoiler, and 4) Lazy M Cookers.
Best Potatoes: 1) C Bar C, 2) Texas Back Then Wagon of Vernon, 3) D Bar B, and 4) Cocklebur Camp.
Best Bread: 1) C Bar C, 2) Crosstimber, 3) Honey-Do Spoiler, and 4) J Bar D.
Best Dessert: 1) C Bar C, 2) J Bar D, 3) D Bar B, and 4) Camp Cookie.
The Broncos’ Queen
Voter registration deadline nearing
The deadline to register to vote for this year’s general election is Tuesday, October 11, 2022, and the date is fast approaching.
If they are not already registered, citizens must do so before the deadline to vote for governor, lieutenant governor, and other important races on the November ballot.
Voting may be done in person by filling out a short form at the Donley County Tax Assessor/Collector’s office inside the Courthouse Annex. The form is also available online at www.VoteTexas.gov/register. The online application must still be printed and mailed.
Early voting in this year’s election will begin October 24. Election Day will be Tuesday, November 8.
Street work
Davis leads Broncos to homecoming win
Clarendon senior standout Jmaury Davis led the Broncos to a big 48-21 Homecoming win last Friday night before a big crowd in Bronco Stadium.
Davis’ 272 yards was a big night for the Texas Tech commit, who also found the endzone four different times to add to Clarendon’s point total.
Lyric Smith played solid football the entire way and finished with 108 years on 17 carries and one rushing touchdown. Smith also was on the receiving end of two Harrison Howard passes for 77 yards and another touchdown.
Defensively, the Broncos stayed in the battle the entire game and several players racked up great stats. Wilson Ward, Colton Caudle, and Mason Sims all had eight tackles each with Ward forcing a fumble, Caudle grabbing one interception, and Sims recovering a fumble and sacked the QB once. Colton Benson and Smith was in on six tackles each, and Dalton Coles finished with five.
The Broncos will have an open night on September 30 before starting their district schedule on October 6 on the road against Wheeler.
Herbert Shields
Herbert Shields, 93, of Lelia Lake died Sunday, September 25, 2022, in Claude.
Services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 30, 2022, in the Clarendon Church of Christ with Larry Shields, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Viewing will be held Thursday at the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Herbert was born November 8, 1928, in Dozier, Collingsworth County, Texas to John Wesley and Lonnie Caroline Marsh Shields. He married Hazel Dell Lewis on September 23, 1949, in Midland. Herbert worked in milk delivery and also was Conoco distributor prior to his retirement. He had been a resident of Donley County since 1962 and was a longtime member of the Church of Christ.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Jimmy Shields; 7 brothers; and 3 sisters.
He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Hazel Shields of Lelia Lake; a son, David Shields of Lelia Lake; a daughter, Misty James of Magnolia; one brother and the last of the Mohicans, Earl Shields of Lelia Lake; 10 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family request memorials be sent to the High Plains Children’s Home.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com.
Robert Wayne Leathers
Robert Wayne Leathers, 75, of Paris, formerly of McLean, passed away Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at his home.
A memorial service will be held in McLean, Texas on October 8th at 3:30 p.m., with Thacker Haynes officiating.
Mr. Leathers, the son of Joe Robert Leathers and Joane Bullard Leathers, was born May 30, 1947, in Clarendon, Texas. He grew up on a farm and was a farmer at heart. He married the love of his life, Amanda Dalton Leathers, on May 27, 1967, and quickly moved her to Dallas where he was a Police Officer with the Dallas Police Department. He was drafted into the United States Army, where he served as a Military Policeman and he and Amanda moved to Ft. Greely, Delta Junction, Alaska, where they spent two beautifully blessed years. After his service, they returned to Dallas and began their family. The call back to farming came shortly after the birth of their son, and they made the move back to the Panhandle of Texas where they spent the majority of their lives and raised their children together.
Wayne was a hard worker and spent many years at Halliburton Oil Service but was able to retire early and again the call to farming and working on the tractor was in his heart. He loved being on his John Deere tractor ~ he would landscape, mow and do dirt work ~ it truly brought joy to his heart! Wayne loved his community and was always serving. For many years he would plow, plant and water a community garden in McLean – where he would offer the community all the vegetables they could pick. As much as he loved his community, his love for his family was even greater! He loved his wife of 55 years, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren with all his heart. His love for the Lord was with all of his heart, mind & soul! Wayne was a member of the First United Methodist Church in McLean. He would want everyone to know how important it is to have a relationship with Jesus. He loved the Lord and lived a life where he loved others well! Matthew 22:37-39.
He is survived by his wife, Amanda Dalton Leathers, two children, Brandon Leathers & wife Carla, and Jennifer Robin Mann & husband Grant, grandchildren, Haley Jones & husband Isaac, Gabby Leathers, Kory Carmon, Kameron Carmon, KaLeigh Welch, Karli Dauernheim, Krisanna Spillman, Sarah Mann, Paul Mann, and Matthew Mann, great grandchildren, Emily Jones, Maggie Jones, Gavin Carmon, Alexis Carmon, Owen Carmon, Nolan Carmon, Zoey Carmon, Ezra Dauernheim, and Eliana Welch, and two siblings, Beverly Hood and Joe Leathers & wife Louise along with numerous nieces & nephews and a host of friends.
To leave a message or tribute for the family please visit www.brighthollandfuneralhome.com.
Clarendon man sentenced to 8 years
A Clarendon man was sentenced when the district court heard pleas in six cases in Panhandle on September 13.
District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.
Emzy Harris, 35, from Clarendon, was placed on eight years’ probation for the second degree felony offense of possession of failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Harris was arrested by Donley County Chief Deputy Jay Longan on August 2 and pleaded to an information filed by the State on September 8.
Harris was also ordered to successfully complete 300 hours of community service, and pay a $500 fine, $400 in attorney fees, and $290 in court costs. If her probation is revoked, Harris faces up to 20 years in prison.
In other cases, Billy Jack Wayne, 26, from Bakersfield, Calif., was sentenced to 23 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the first degree felony offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer.
“This case involved the defendant running from our officers on I-40, then swerving at a Carson County Deputy to try and take him out of the chase,” said Inman. “For defendants like this, their only options are plead guilty for substantial pen time or take it to a jury.”
Wayne was finally arrested in Carson County by Chief Deputy J.C. Blackburn on June 21. Wayne was later indicted by the Carson County Grand Jury on August 18. Wayne was also ordered to pay $340 in court costs.
Angel Diaz Torres, 35, of Mexico, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and $340 in court costs after he pleaded guilty to the first-degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance.
Allen Ray Thomas, 39, from Fritch, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the second-degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation.
Reyes Herrera, Jr., 44, from Wellington, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the state jail felony offense of theft.
Austin Ensey, 41, from Borger, was sentenced to six years in prison for the third degree felony offense of evading arrest in a motor vehicle.
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