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Wildfire burns 300+ acres
- Clarendon fireman Ryan Hill sprays a hot spot last Thursday as part of the effort to extinguish a blaze north of Hedley off FM 2944. Enterprise Photo / Kari Lindsey
A wildfire north of Hedley consumed more than 300 acres last Thursday and Saturday, highlighting the need for caution as drought conditions continue.
Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell said people need to be extremely careful and also said last week’s blaze threatened three structures – two barns and one house.
The fire began after 5 p.m. last Thursday, May 19, near FM 2944 and State Hwy. 203, and Powell said wind knocking a power line into tree limbs is believed to have started the blaze.
Hedley and Clarendon volunteer firemen worked until after midnight to get the blaze under control but not before it burned about 40 acres.
The fire re-ignited Saturday before noon and was brought back under control at about 2:30, but it caught fire again about 4 p.m. and jumped FM 2944 and burned northeast toward County Road 32.
Hedley fireman Leon Ward said the wind blew the fire through thick brush making it hard to get to with fire trucks and other equipment.
Assistance was called in from neighboring fire departments as well as from state and federal resources, and the fire was extinguished after 11 p.m.
The following fire departments helped with the fire on Saturday: Hedley, Clarendon, Briscoe, Wellington, Kelton, Allison, Wheeler, Mobeetie, and Samnorwood.
Also helping were Donley County maintainers and the US and Texas forest services. Air tankers and a helicoper were brought in to assist the local effort, Powell said.
Hedley names top graduates
Hedley High School has announced Reid Copelin and Kaylee Shields as the top students for the Class of 2011.
Copelin is the son of Ernie and Tangela Copelin and has a grade point average of 96.596. He played football, basketball, cross country, tennis, track, and golf during his time at HHS. Reid qualified for regionals in tennis and track his junior and senior years.
He was also first team all region basketball his junior year. He was very active in the FFA showing pigs, placing in several major shows. He was also president of the National Honor Society, and he competed in UIL science, qualifying for state his sophomore year.
Copelin was named the Donley County Young Man of the Year by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. He plans to attend WTAMU and major in biology.
Shields is daughter of Keenan and Sandra Shields and has a grade point average of 92.319. She played basketball for four years at HHS. During that time, she was awarded All-District her sophomore year and All-Region her junior year. She was also named Offensive M.V.P. She played tennis for three years and advanced to Regionals her junior and senior year. She advanced to regionals in cross country three years out of the four she ran
Shields is vice president of her senior class and also of NHS. During her senior year, she was named the Hedley Lions Club Sweetheart and was also the Donley County Young Woman of the Year. She plans on attending Clarendon College to major in Dentistry.
Copelin and Shields will be recognized during commencement services at Hedley on Friday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Hedley ISD has also named Kati Adams and Madalyn Verstuyft as the school’s eighth grade valedictorian and salutatorian. Adams has an average of 97.167, and Verstuyft’s average is 95.75. The girls will be recognized during a service at the school on June 2 at 6 p.m.
Last month, Clarendon High School named Dominique Brady and Maegan Hysinger as its valedictorian and salutatorian for 2011. CHS commencement will be this Friday, May 27, at the Clarendon College Harned Sisters Fine Arts Auditorium at 8 p.m.
Margaret Ann Pettit
Margaret Ann Pettit, 84, died Tuesday, May 17, 2011, in Amarillo.
Services were held Friday, May 20, 2011, in Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Anthony Knowles, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Estelline, officiating. Interment was held at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Order of the Eastern Star Rites by Clarendon Order of the Eastern Star Chapter #6. Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Margaret was born January 29, 1927, in Taylor, Texas, the eldest of four children born to the late Albert Emil & Maude Edna Tate Carlson. Margaret is also well known as Me Maw of Clarendon, Donley County. She married Clarence Irving “Peck“ Pettit on April 23, 1949, in Round Rock. Mrs. Pettit worked for Bell Telephone Company in Amarillo for many years. Margaret served as a Cub Scout leader for three years and Girl Scout leader for six years in Amarillo.
They retired and moved to Howardwick in 1980 where they continued to rear their granddaughter, Larinda Pettit Brown and were very active in both the Howardwick and Clarendon communities. She was a member of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon. Both Peck and Margaret served on the Board of Directors of the Panhandle Ski Club in the 1950s.
She served three years as Alderman and three years as Mayor of Howardwick. She was a very active member of the Rebekah Lodge beginning in 1983 having served as Noble Grand five times and held many, many offices. She was a member of Clarendon Order of the Eastern Star Chapter # 6 since 1985 and served in many offices including Worthy Matron four years and Worthy Patron with Peck two years and two years with Billy Powell. She also served on the Donley County Appraisal District Review Board for nine years.
Margaret was awarded Donley County Pioneer Woman of the Year by the Clarendon/Donley County Chamber of Commerce in 2007. In January 2010 after suffering a massive stroke and heart attack, Mrs. Pettit resided in Amarillo with her son and daughter in law, since that time. She was truly loved by all and will be greatly missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband on June 23, 2005; two brothers; and a sister.
Survivors include her son, Larry Albert Pettit and wife Phyllis of Amarillo; her three grandchildren, Larinda Pettit Brown of Clarendon, Timothy Pettit of Tyler, and Marteka Pettit of Clovis, New Mexico; five great-grandchildren, Audrey Jones, Hadley Jones, Shaydee Brown, Erin Pettit, and Emma Pettit.
The family suggest memorials be to a favorite charity.
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com.
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