A Scouting Legend
Tyler “Blake” Frye
Tyler “Blake” Frye died Monday, March 5, 2018, at his residence in Flower Mound, Texas.
Services were held on Monday, March 12, at 11:00 a.m. in the First Baptist Church in Clarendon with the Rev. Lance Wood and Eddy Helms officiating. Burial was in Rowe Cemetery, Hedley, with military honors.
Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Blake was born March 25,1986 in Amarillo to Linda and Gerald Frye. He joined two older sisters, Tara and Jamie.
Blake was joyful, curious, and industrious as a baby, child, teenager and adult. He never met a stranger, possessing the gift of gab his Papa, T.E. Naylor predisposed him to have. He became a successful student, graduating in 2004 from Clarendon High School, earning a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Political Science from Texas Tech University and then a Master’s of Business. Upon graduation he joined the U.S. Army through the ROTC Program. He received an honorable discharge from the military and entered into the business of wind and solar energy beginning in 2008-2010. He became a trusted developer in his chosen field while learning and performing all aspects of this exciting and challenging job. His family used to marvel at his ability to maintain the rigors of three to four companies while building his own company.
He attempted to bring this innovative source of power to Donley County but did not have the required amount of landowners to approve the project on their ranch or farmland. He was disappointed yet he pushed forward with a project in Kansas, known as the Bloom Project. He was so proud when the grand opening became a reality in August of 2017 attended by the Kansas lieutenant governor and four state representatives. They were proud of the Texas Panhandle “Kid,” they called him, who brought their community such an important economic project. At the time of his death, Blake was working in multiple states to bring more successful wind and solar projects to various communities.
By far the most important part of Blake’s life was his family. His lovely soulmate, Lauren, his beautiful 10-year-old daughter, Natalie, and the latest addition to his family, a handsome little son they named Jett, who will be a year old three days before his dad’s birthday.
Blake is survived by Lauren, Natalie and Jett of the home; his mother, Linda Naylor Lewis and his stepdad, Jerry of Pampa; his sister, Tara Jackson and husband Steve of Ft Worth; his nephew, Ryan, whom he called brother, and wife Amy of Sunnyvale; two nieces Madison and Ava Jackson; a great niece, Sadie; his Mimie, Faye Naylor, and step grandmother Joyce Holley of Boerne; and numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles and family he dearly loved.
Blake was preceded in death by his dad, Gerry Frye; his sister, Jamie just nine months ago; his Papa, T.E.Naylor; grandparents Babe and Gene Frye; and his Uncle Tex Naylor.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com.
Joann B. Brown
Joann B. Brown, 65, of Clarendon died Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Clarendon.
Services were held on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. in the First Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Jeff Riles, officiating. Burial followed in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Joann was born on November 19, 1952, in Memphis to B.W. and Beatrice Jones Smith. She moved from Clarendon to Amarillo before coming back to Clarendon 18 years ago, and she was a member of the True Church of God in Christ. She loved her church and was a foster mom for many years. She enjoyed cooking and exercising. She was always witnessing her faith in Christ to others, and she loved supporting local sports.
Joann was preceded by her parents; a brother, Billy Joe Smith; and a sister, Patricia Ann Smith.
Survivors include four sons, Chris Brown and wife Mandy of Clarendon, Torrence Smith and wife Brandi of Lubbock, Gary Brown of Amarillo, and Trey Brown of Amarillo; four brothers, Bobby Smith of Amarillo, Curtis Smith and wife Annie of Forney, B.W. Smith, Jr., of Amarillo, and Archie Smith and wife Vanessa of Dallas; sisters, Doris Gardner of Clarendon and Essie Jean McCampbell of Clarendon; 17 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com
White, Ford win local Republican primaries
Precinct 2 Commissioner Daniel Ford defeated challenger Randy Bond, 129 -113, and Precinct 3&4 Justice of the Peace Denise Bertrand lost her re-election bid to Pat White, 161-119, during the Donley County Republican Primary Tuesday night.
Ford and White do not face any opposition in the November General Election.
Also of local interest, Donley County Republicans were strongly in favor of keeping both State Sen. Kel Seliger and State Rep. Ken King representing them in Austin. Both men narrowly avoid run off-elections with each facing two challengers from their own party. Seliger has no Democratic opponent this fall, but King will have a challenger.
For complete coverage of the local primary, check out next week’s issue of The Clarendon Enterprise
Down the home stretch
CC honors two former athletes
Former Clarendon College basketball players Myrna Carney and Joan Crawford were recognized as President’s Ambassadors last Monday night for their continued support of CC.
Myrna Carney attended Clarendon College and played in 1957 and 1958 for the Comets, as the women’s basketball team was then known.
She went on to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, Michigan State University, and the University of Minnesota, and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from OU.
She worked in a number of roles at the University of Oklahoma for 42 years, and retired as the Assistant Dean at University College at OU in 2008. Ms. Carney holds a number of awards and honors including Outstanding Alumni from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and Leedey High School, and she was inducted into the Dewey County Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2007.
Joan Crawford attended Clarendon College and played for the Comets basketball team in 1956 and 1957.
After leaving Clarendon College, Crawford attended Nashville Business College where she played on an AAU team. Over the next thirteen seasons, the Nashville team would win the National AAU Championship ten times, and Ms. Crawford was named to the All-America team in every year. In 1962, the Nashville team was especially dominant, winning every game in the post-season tournament by at least 14 points, and winning the championship game over Wayland 63–35. She would go on to win the MVP of the 1963 and 1964 AAU National Tournaments.
With the US National team, Ms. Crawford won the World Championship in 1957, and the 1959 and 1963 Pan American Games. The World Championship game was against the USSR, the first time the USA had faced the USSR in a major competition. The USA came into the final with a single loss to Czechoslovakia, while the USSR was undefeated. The USA team was down by three points at the half, but came back in the second half to win the championship 51–48. Ms. Crawford scored a game high 27 points in the championship game against Brazil.
Ms. Crawford has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Amateur Athletic Union Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ms. Crawford was in attendance to accept the award, but Ms. Carney was unable to attend. Her sisters accepted the award on her behalf.
Scholarships have been created in each of these player’s names, and future students at Clarendon College will be the recipient of scholarships in their honor and will benefit from their graciousness and financial support for many years to come.
Services held for Hawkins
A standing room only crowd filled Canyon’s First United Methodist Church Saturday when services were held for Clarendon native Dr. Dean Hawkins.
A well-known figure in education and in agriculture, Hawkins passed away February 27, 2018, after a valiant fight against brain cancer.
A Distinguished Alumni of Clarendon College, Hawkins often worked with his alma mater to further agriculture education and maintained a close relationship with CC.
“I truly appreciated the friendship he and I developed during my time here at Clarendon,” CC President Dr. Robert Riza said. “He was a great supporter of the College and was a great partner for our students.”
Hawkins was the dean of West Texas A&M University’s Paul Engler College of Agriculture & Natural Sciences, a position he had held since 2015. He had joined the faculty at WTAMU as head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences in 2009. As dean, he played an active role in the development and construction of the University’s new Agricultural Sciences Complex and was instrumental in the naming of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.
Dean Earl Hawkins was born in Groom on October 2, 1961 to Glenda Lee and Jerry Milo Hawkins. He grew up in Clarendon.
He was a graduate of Clarendon High School and earned an associate degree from Clarendon College in 1982. He then attended Texas Tech University where he earned his B.S. degree in Animal Science in 1984 and his M.S. in Animal Breeding (Physiology of Reproduction) in 1986. He went on to earn a Ph.D in Physiology of Reproduction and Growth from Texas A&M in 1990, and completed an NIH Post-Doctoral fellowship at Colorado State University.
His career began in 1992 as a professor in Animal Science at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He married Jaye Erin Bearden on July 22, 1995 and they remained in Las Cruces until 2009 when he joined West Texas A&M and moved to Canyon.
Throughout his years, he was the recipient of many honors beginning with the Boy Scouts God and Country Award and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He also received the Western section, American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), Young Scientist Award.
He served as a board member for the ASAS and was a reproductive consultant for several ranches in Arizona, Wyoming, Mexico, and New Mexico. He traveled widely for his work; he went to Mexico often, gave a speech in Dubai and also traveled to China.
Dean found his work at WT and NMSU very fulfilling. He was proud of all the things his students, faculty, staff and administrative teams accomplished during his tenure. Most recently, he was honored to have had a role in acquiring funding for the new WTAMU Agriculture Complex due to open in Fall of 2018. However, his most valued role as a university professor and administrator was the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students. At NMSU, Dean was advisor to 12 undergraduate student researchers, 16 graduate students and four Ph.D. students.
Above all, Dean valued Faith, Family and Friends. He adored his family and was always telling them how proud he was of each one of them.
Raising his beautiful twin daughters with his wife, Jaye, was his greatest and most treasured personal accomplishment. He was an outstanding father and husband.
Dean was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Milo Hawkins; maternal grandparents, Pete and Opal Borden; and paternal grandparents, Spud and Vera Hawkins.
Dean is survived by his wife, Jaye Erin Hawkins; twin daughters, Hannah Bryce Hawkins and Callie Dean Hawkins; his mom, Glenda Hawkins; brother, Doug Hawkins and wife, Daphne; three nephews, Brayden, Brigg and Josh Hawkins; his aunt Regina Wootten, uncle Jack Hawkins (Ann), aunt Gwen Cochran (Wendell) and several cousins.
Funeral Services for Dean were held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in Canyon. Graveside services followed at 3:00 p.m. at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
The family asks that donations be made to the Education Fund FBO of the Hawkins Twins at First United Bank of Canyon; the WTAMU Foundation Dean Hawkins Scholarship at WTAMU, Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016; or the Dean Hawkins Scholarship Fund at Clarendon College, PO Box 968, Clarendon, TX 79226.
Howardwick gets back to business
Howardwick City Hall is conducting business again, and several candidates will appear on a May ballot for every seat on the city council.
Alderman Eric Riddle, who resigned February 13, agreed to attend a called meeting of the Howardwick City Council last Thursday, March 1, in order to approve a limited number of important agenda items.
Riddle’s resignation, along with that of Alderman Mac Miller the same day and Alderman Shelly Williamson in December, had paralyzed the city by eliminating the possibility of the council having a quorum to meet. That situation was compounded February 15 when City Secretary Tammy Jordan also resigned and left the city without the needed two signatures to for paying bills.
Texas law provides that a public official, even after resigning, technically still holds their office until their replacement is in place, and thus Riddle was able to attend last week, along with Mayor Greta Byars and Aldermen Robert Brewster and Doc Holladay, in order to help the city get back on track.
The ten-minute meeting included just five action items, all of which were unanimously approved.
The council approved the appointment of Sandra Childress as the new city secretary and authorized her name to the Herring Bank signature cards.
Aldermen also voted to name Sam Grider as the presiding election judge and Tommie Duncan as the alternate judge for the regular and special city elections that will be held concurrently on May 5.
Current bills were approved to be paid, and the council also approved a motion that allows City Hall to pay “regular bills” that will come due through the May election.
Thursday’s meeting was held civilly and without interruption from those in attendance, which was a departure from city meetings in the last few months.
Following the meeting, Childress, who had organized a petition two weeks ago that led to Donley County calling a special election in May, thanked Riddle for his attendance and thanked citizens who signed the petition.
Meanwhile, filing for candidates for the special election called by the county for two aldermen’s seats expiring in 2019 closed on Friday with five candidates running for those positions. Brice Hawley, Vol Lindsey, James Wix, Johnny Floyd, and Mary Grady will compete for those two unexpired terms.
The same May 5 ballot will have three full aldermen’s terms open, and four people are running for those positions. Alderman Doc Holladay will be joined on the ballot by Marietta Baird, Kay Dye, and Debora Sharpton.
Childress said a town hall meeting featuring the eight city candidates as well as county officials is being considered for the last week of March, but a date is not finalized.
Jeremy “Tex” Michael (Simonds) Paul
Jeremy “Tex” Michael (Simonds) Paul, 39, a resident of Forest, Mississippi, passed away on February 17, 2018.
Jeremy was born March 9, 1978, in Barstow, California to James and Sue Marie (Goodman) Simonds. After his mother in 1990, Jeremy moved to Kingman, Arizona. In 1994, his brother Jimmy passed away. Jeremy also lived in Oklahoma and Colorado. He married Lauraine Paul in Aurora, Colorado. Jeremy and Lauraine were blessed with their son Tyler Michael Paul on September 28, 2002. Jeremy loved his son to the moon and back.
Jeremy had an infectious smile and laugh. He was compassionate and loved to make others laugh. He loved animals, the outdoors, fishing, bull riding, Nascar and Chris LeDoux’s songs. Jeremy loved tinkering and working with his hands. He was a man after God’s heart. He was always willing to lend a hand. He was kind hearted and knew no stranger. He loved his friends like family. He also loved our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James “Sonny” and Sue (Goodman) Simonds; and 1 brother James “Jimmy” Simonds.
He is survived by his son Tyler Paul of Clarendon, Tonya Goodman Bronkema of Savannah, Illinois, Jesse Simonds of Kingman, Arizona., niece and nephew. Over the years, many friends played an important part in Jeremy’s life. They too were thought of as family. He will be greatly missed by many. Live, laugh, and love because tomorrow may never come. We love you to the moon and back.
Memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremation and Arrangements made by Ott and Lee Funeral Home of Forest, Mississippi.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Christ’s Kids Outreach Ministry P.O. Box 45 Clarendon, Texas 79226.
Family can be reached at P.O. Box 1454 Clarendon, Texas 79226.
Mary Lou Phelps
Mary Lou Phelps, 82, of De Leon, Texas and formerly of Hobbs, New Mexico, went home to her Lord and Savior on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, with her loving family by her side.
She was born February 10, 1936, in Silverton, Texas to Fladger Alfred Fitzgerald and Ruby Elena Strange Fitzgerald.
To capture the fullness of Mary Lou’s (“Mom”, “Meme” and “George”) life in a few sentences is difficult, but we will give it our best. She was a daughter of a policeman, a 1953 graduate of Clarendon High School, a cheerleader, wore cat-eyed glasses and danced the Jitterbug. She began her career as a telephone operator then moved on to become one of the real Madmen-era secretaries that helped lay the path for women in business. Through Mary Lou’s hard work and determination, she retired as an office manager and even continued to work until her passing.
Mary Lou loved sports – especially University of Texas football and basketball. As a lifelong Longhorn fan and in her later years, many Saturdays were spent cheering on the Burnt Orange and White in her favorite chair with her dog “Pickles” nearby. Hook ‘em Horns! Mary Lou enjoyed antiquing and the thrill of the garage sale hunt. She was especially passionate about Goofus decorative glass and at one time had one of the largest collections around. Mary Lou was a member of Pyatt Baptist Church. She located to the De Leon area in 2010 to live near one of her sons and daughter-n-law. The most important thing to Mary Lou was her family and she loved and cared for them as nothing less than a matriarch. She was a funny, spirited and loving mother, daughter, sister and friend and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Mary Lou leaves behind a large, loving legacy in her family. She is survived by her children; Dan Whitsell and wife, Amy, Tony Whitsell and wife, Christi, Dennis Whitsell and wife, Beth, and Denise Court-DeVore and husband, Adrian; grandchildren, Lauren Whitsell, John Whitsell, Eric Lester, Jeston Whitsell and wife, Angel, Tyler Garrett Whitsell and wife, Courtney, Caitlan Chagnon and husband, Noah, A. Josiah Whitsell and wife, Cristina, Annelise Baker and husband, Chase, Luke Whitsell, Madison Whitsell, Adanna Court and Adam Court; nine great- grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family and friends. Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, Fladger and Ruby Fitzgerald; brother, Gary Fitzgerald; and husband of twenty years, Daniel Whitsell.
A Celebration of Mary Lou’s life was held Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Nowlin Anders Funeral Home, De Leon, with Tony Whitsell officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Stroke Foundation. Condolences may be offered online at www.nowlinandersfh.com.
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