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A large crowd gathered at the Courthouse Square to continue the tradition and celebrate this year’s 134th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration on Monday, July 4.

The Kids’ Parade started the day, and the winners were: Landon Stavenhagen and Mario Flores in the bicycle division, Tandie and Kennadie Cummings in the tricycle division, and Maloree Wann and Kai Floyd in the motorized division. Honorable mention went to Jayde and Braxton Gribble.

The annual Craft Fair drew a big crowd to the courshouse square, where the Al Morrah Shrine Club served 800 plates of barbecue this year. That is up from 597 last year.

Funds from the annual barbecue are used in conjunction with the Khiva Temple of the Shrine in Amarillo to help pay for the transportation of kids to the Shriners’ burns and crippled children’s hospitals.

In the Western Parade Monday afternoon, the Girl Scouts won first place in the float division. In the Vehicles division of the parade, the Bronco Parents-Cheerleaders won first place. The Cars 2 Train by Paulette Kidd and Trisha Hewett won first place in the Miscellaneous division.

Several organizations held fundraisers during the celebration. The winners of the Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo were Danny Askew; $250, Nikki McGlaun; $50 and Linda Blucher of Burlington, Iowa; $50.

Russell Keown won the John Deere riding lawn mower given by the Friends of Donley County Activity Center that supported Donley County 4-H. Neva Spier was the winner of the St. Mary’s Catholic Women Quilt Drawing. Callie Hargrove won the BBQ grill given by the Clarendon FFA Scholarship Fund. 

The Cash for Kids drawing fundraiser for the Donley County Child Welfare Board raised a total of $10,000, half of which went to the grand prize winner of $5,000, which was Courtney Newhouse. Kenny Black, Melinda McAnear, and Kathy Haggerman each won $200 in prizes. The community’s support towards this fundraiser was appreciated.

Henson’s annual Turtle Race was held on Saturday afternoon. There were altogether 73 participants; and the winners were two-year-old Pierce Wilhelm of Nazareth for the 0-4 division, eight-year-old Roxie Adams of Clarendon for the 5-8 division, and 12-year-old Kenzy Middleton of Memphis for the 9-14 division

Weather for this year’s celebration was more favorable that in recent weeks, and the community even received some light showers, which put everyone in good spirits. The community was very busy, and this year’s celebration was seen as a success.

Brace Leonard Hicks, 81, died Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Clarendon.

Services were held Saturday, July 2, in First Baptist Church in Howardwick with Rev. Dave Stout, Pastor, officiating. Interment was held at Panhandle Cemetery in Panhandle. Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Brace was born October 4, 1929, in Nolanville, Texas to Brace Larkman and Lula Pearl Kirkpatrick Hicks. He married Joy Oden on June 21, 1949, in Whitharral. He had been a longtime resident of Panhandle before moving to Howardwick in 1993. He loved fishing, camping, and sports. He also loved dominoes and was a great 42 players. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Howardwick.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Mary Jo Harrell; and a daughter in law, Joan Hicks.

Survivors include his wife, Joy Hicks of Howardwick; 3 sons, Tony Hicks of Marion, Terry Hicks of Weatherford, and Toby Hicks of Howardwick; two daughters, Lynn Legate of Panhandle and Cheryl Peterson of Lebanon, IL; a brother, Kenneth Dean Hicks of Kileen; ten grandchildren; and twenty-four great-grandchildren.

The family requests that memorials be sent to the American Cancer Society or the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department.

A local family is in need after a fire claimed their home and possessions.

The two-story residence of Nathan and Shonda Lowrie, located on 198 Becky Drive in Howardwick, burned on June 23. First Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department said the fire started at 2:26 a.m. from a BBQ pit.

The family, consisting of Nathan and Shonda and their 17-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter, 16-year-old niece, and family friend, were asleep when the fire started, a
family member said.

Alicia Medina, who was staying with them at the time, got up to get a drink of water and thought she smelled something. Meanwhile, Nathan got up to check on his coughing daughter and smelled smoke. They evacuated the house, and Shonda dialed 911. They only got out with the clothes they had on: no shoes or car keys.

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene at 2:36 a.m.
The fire destroyed the house, two vehicles, a small fishing boat, tools, mowers and other equipment that Nathan used to earn a living, damaged two other vehicles, and claimed the life of their small dog before the firefighters extinguished it at 6:30 a.m. There were no injuries.

The Lowries had full coverage on the two vehicles but had no insurance on their house. They are currently staying with Nathan’s parents.

A fund for them is set up at the Donley County State Bank.
“People have been very nice,” Nathan’s mother Paula said. “There’s been an influx of clothing come in, and they now have several changes of clothes.”
A total of 13 volunteer firefighters from Clarendon and Howardwick Volunteer Fire Departments and ten trucks responded to the fire. The Donley County Sheriff’s Office and Clarendon EMS also arrived on scene.