Joe Hardin Services Set

Funeral services for Joe Hardin will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Rotan. Burial will follow at the Cottonwood Cemetery. Visitation is 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home.

I also wanted to mention that services for Larry Hale, 67, were held yesterday at Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Dowell Cemetery.

Landmark or Vanished

Hobbs is definitely a landmark, but I think we're far from gone.

The Fisher County Index of Landmarks & Vanished Communities links to a map that shows the latitude and longitude when you move the cursor, allowing you to pinpoint locations. The index has the name of locations and the corresponding coordinates.

This photo of the old Hobbs store was sent to me by Bobby Shanks from Newburgh, Indiana. His grandfather, Henry Clay Shanks, owned and ran the old Hobbs store for a while. Here is what Bobby wrote me:

"My uncle (Luther Shanks) would be very happy for someone to take an interest in what he had put together. I’ve brought together information from various points in a family history written by my uncle. He references a book listed on your site “A History of Fisher County Texas“, written by Yeats and Shelton. The store is shown on page 86, according to his notes.

My grandfather Henry Clay Shanks was born in Hawkins County east Tennessee in September of 1876. Having an independent nature, when he turned twenty-one he decided to move to Texas. He had in mind to work for a man named Robert “Bob” Hayter. Hayter was driving cattle from the Double Mountain area and was married to one of grandfather Henry’s cousins.

In late 1897 or early 1898 Henry bought the store from a man named Cavender.

During the time he owned the store, he sold everything from Bull Durham smoking tobacco to clocks and clothing. In one corner was the Post Office, which he ran, and also did repairs on watches. In about 1900, Henry Clay’s brother joined him, followed by a sister, Vona. They lived in a small house near the store. Aunt Lavona “Vona” Shanks married Walter Cave in 1906 and Henry Clay Shanks married Alberta “Berti” Hawkins the same year. In 1913 he sold out and bought a farm about eight miles outside of Rotan. He doesn’t say who bought the store. Uncle Luther does say that the store was run by my grandfather’s father in-law, C.C. Hawkins, for a period in the early 1930s.

After extreme dry years in 1918 and 1919 and having problems with an allergic reaction to the feed crops he grew, Henry moved to Oregon. As far as where the store stood, my uncle mentions a gin being about a mile and a half away and the Hawkins farm being nearby. The only thing that he mentions that may not have changed is some low hills on the Hawkins Farm that he refers to as being rattlesnake infested."

Bobby also sent me a photo of the Hawkins family taken around 1910. I'll post that picture later this week.

I haven't heard anything else about Joe Hardin, but I'm sure I'll have information by tomorrow.

Headlines for the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record, March 27, 2008 issue:

• DPR Annual meeting Mar. 29
• Fisher County gins nearing end of season with record bumper crop
• Fairy Tale Fashion Show & Luncheon
• FUMC, Rotan Easter Cantata Mar. 30
• Blood drive at Fisher County Hospital Mar. 31
• Roby Lady Lions make All State, Tara Schroedter & Kim Williams (photo)
• Rotan UIL One Act Play (photo)
• Apples, Oranges & Hardrock Candy
• Obituary for Roxie (Reep) Etheredge
• Newsbriefs: AARP Tax-Aide; Fisher County Democratic convention
• Run-off election set for April 8
• Frank Cockrell Art Association meeting minutes (photo)
• Rotan Economic Development meeting minutes
• Recipe Corner: Slow Cooker Pork Tender Loin
• Snake den uncovered (photo)
• Fisher County Sheriff's report
• Lions & Yellowhammers track photos
• Birth announcement for Bryce Austin McAnally (photo)
• Terry Groves earns All-State honors (photo)

Funeral services for Annie O. Hill will be held today at Cate-Spencer Funeral Home in Sweetwater, 3 p.m.

More chances for rain tonight and tomorrow. Check out KTXS weather for local conditions. Scroll to the bottom to get National Weather Service updates.

Services for Joe Hardin Pending

I just received news from Pat Porter that Joe Hardin died today. Tentatively, the funeral will be in Rotan at the First Baptist Church on Tuesday.

Super Size That, Please

The downside of good soil is that it grows EVERYTHING big.

We have a load of old cotton burrs we've been using for potting soil. I was digging around in it today with a shovel and started coming up with these huge grubs. If this is any indication, I hope all my plants grow five times larger than usual. Lordy, I'd hate to see the June Bug that comes from that!

Click on the photo for a closer view, that's a quarter, not a dime!

Easter Eggs & Steak Fingers

We celebrated Easter with a Country Basket at Dairy Queen for lunch and egg coloring later this afternoon. I heard people saying they weren't going to hunt eggs because the weather was supposed to be bad, but it turned out to be a nice, cool afternoon, good for getting things done like cutting that last bit of wood for the season and weed-eating and such. Oh, and also good for a three hour nap. That was my favorite part.

Dad talked to George Gantt this week. George is doing better after having open heart surgery and going a round with pneumonia.

No matter how many "notes to self" I make, I keep forgetting to have my camera handy. I wanted a photo at the Dairy Queen, and I also wanted a picture of the pretty redbird on my back porch eating cat food this morning, but I didn't get either one. So here is a photo of our new spring kitties with their mother, Trixie. I guess I can cancel that appointment for getting her spayed next Wednesday.

Here's this week's headlines for the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record:

• Suspected drug dealer dies from apparently ingesting drugs
• Roby student injured riding dirt bike (photo)
• Roby School Board hires all personnel, approves plans from CADCO engineers
• Commissioners Court enacts burn ban
• Roby United Methodist Easter celebrations schedule
• Easter Cantata at FBC
• Yeats Pecan Farm sunrise service
  
• Run off election set for April 8
• Rotan ISD holding election on May 20
  
• Obituaries for Georgie Lynn, Merrie Elaine King, Henry Earl Martin, Sr. and Guadalupe "Mom" Almanza
  
• News Briefs: Fisher County Democratic Convention; Hospice of the Big Country training; Sagerton Hee Haw; Siren testing
  
• Fisher County Sheriff's report
• 2 area students named to HSU Dean's List (photo)
• Rotan City Council discusses pool and city camp site
• Recipe Corner: Clay's Tender 'n Tangy Ribs
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker
• Fisher County School menus
• Notice of impoundment and sale of stray
• Birth announcement for Joanna Tiffany Robertson (photo)
• 4 Lions selected 14-A All District (photos)
• Agricultural conference set for March 26 in Snyder
• Easter Blessing page
• Hammers fall 10-1 to talented Ira

Hobbs neighbor Bettie Reep Etheredge, better known as Roxie, died last Sunday and was buried in Hobbs Cemetery on Wednesday. One time I had asked George Maule about something called Red Top or Round Top that I had seen on an old Hobbs calendar, and he told me to go talk to Roxie because she knew everything from way back when around here. I kept meaning to go meet her, but I never did.

About Earl, we ended taking him back to his original owners. I don't think Sue is too sad about it, she seems to like being top dog around here. We're starting to realize that Hank got the blame for a lot of things that Sue was doing. I guess that's why I can't be without my family. I'll realize I'm the one that keeps losing the scissors.

Have a good week! Oh, and take a look at The Old Farmer's Almanac Astronomy Center. This is an interesting and easy to maneuver site. All of it, not just the astronomy. It's one of my favorites, I'm signed up for the newsletter. Cheerio!

Not Quite Hank

Sue and Earl had a lovely time eating grass this morning. If you've seen the Sue & Hank photo, Earl looks like a bad stand-in. He's a little different and will take some getting used to, but he's pretty sweet.

Well, all the signs of spring are presenting themselves. I heard a mockingbird last Monday, saw hundreds of buzzards ride into Snyder yesterday, weeping willows are budding, and I'm painting at the neighbor's. I know spring is right around the corner when I have red, white and blue paint in my hair. This usually also marks the first sunburn of the year.

Onto the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record headlines for the week of March 13, 2008:

• Rotan school board renews all personnel contracts, meeting minutes
  
• Commissioners lift burn ban, meeting minutes
  
• Sheriff's posse votes to give Rotan rodeo grounds to county
• Rotan grad selected 8th Marine Corps district recruiter of the year (photo)
• Run-off election set for April 8
• Filing closes for hospital board, Rotan ISD school board & Rotan Water Authority
• Roby CISD 4th six weeks A/B honor roll
• Obituaries for Peggy Ann Cranfill (photo), Neva Ruth (Morrow) Carlton (photo) and Joel Rains
• Recipe Corner: Bacon & Tomato cups
• Newsbriefs: Fisher County Democratic Convention ; Weather Spotting School; Men's Breakfast
• Engagement announcement for Megan Rae Fletcher & Aaron Gene Greene
• Roby City Council fields reports from City Manager Mickey Kelly
• Kim Porter's New York Life Insurance Column: Feathering a nest of your own
• Sheriff's Report
• Tumbleweed Smith: Ugly Crust pies on Route 66
• Birth Announcement for Keegan May McWilliams (photo)
• Fisher County Schools sports report (photos)
• Big Country Electric sponsors 2 to D.C., announces scholarship winners (photo)
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker
• Livestock risk management workshop to be held
• Notices for impoundment and sale of of estrays
• Randy's Round-Up
• Fisher County Historical Commission report
• Texas Public Schools month, photo collages of Rotan & Roby students

Ya'll do understand why I don't give details of the stories, don't you? First of all, it would be plagiarism, a very dirty word in the journalism world, and secondly, I want to promote the newspaper and tease you with these tidbits! You can get your own subscription by clicking on the Rotan/Roby News Info link to the right, under Connections.

Hold onto your hats, the wind is working hard today. Once again, looking for some rain tomorrow & Tuesday. I think I'll have to delay painting for today, or risk looking like a speckled Easter egg!

Rattlesnake Round-Up Fever Abates

There's nothing to cure Round-Up fever like a bunch of carnival food. Collectively, we ate nachos, curly fries, Texas toothpicks (fried onions & jalapeños), hamburgers, corn dogs, corn, cotton candy and, of course, funnel cake. That's a lot of scarfing.

The photo was taken at the flea market south of the old National Guard building. We also made the stock barn flea market, the gun & coin show, and the carnival. We saw Taylor Cox, one of the Lady Lions who went to Austin for the State basketball tournament last week. I also saw another Cox whom I had not seen in 10 years or so, J.R.

We were hoping to see Ricky Williams selling his willow wood furniture, but either he wasn't there or we just missed him.

The paper this week has the primary election results. Preston Martin won the race for Precinct 3 Commissioner, which covers the Hobbs area. He and his family have the farm across the road from us, the old Burnett place. They also have Martin Feed in Rotan.

Here are the headlines for the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record for the week of March 6, 2008:

• Benefit Lunch for Cornbread Daniel TODAY at the Rotan School Cafeteria, brisket & trimmings, 11:30 a.m.
• Run-off in commissioner Precinct 1 race; Preston Martin takes Precinct 3; Ann Reed carries Fisher County in DA race
• Roby Lady Lions (photo in the Texas Capitol)
• Primary election results chart
• Rotan Library receives grant (photo pg. 1 & 3)
• Obituaries for Anna Rush, Jack Thomas Williams, Sr. and Dorothy Nell (Thomson) Head
• Fisher County RV Club News
• Rotan ISD 4th six weeks A honor roll
• Roby CISD 4th six weeks A honor roll
  
• Jackie Terry & Billy Wetsel bring quilting program to Gamma Tau (photos)
  
• Recipe Corner: Slow Cooked Country Ribs in Gravy
• Kayla Kiser receives psychology degree from Tarleton
• Frank Cockrell Art Association to meet Monday night @ Williamson-Branson office in Roby
• Three letters to the editor regarding prescribed burning, a hot topic!
• Local filing open for Fisher County Hospital Board, Rotan ISD School Board and Rotan Water Authority
• Lisa Mason makes UTPB Dean's List
• Fisher County Schools sports run-down (photos)
• Page 7 dedicated to Lady Lions (photos)
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker
• Sheriff's Report
• Fisher County Hospital bid notice to update ER & Nurses Station
• Tax Planning by James E Rodgers, CPA

That'll do it for this week. Let's hope that the rain chances pan out for today, tomorrow and Tuesday, ya'll know we need it!

Frank Cockrell Art Association Meets March 10

The Frank Cockrell Art Association will be meeting March 10, 6 p.m at Larry Williamson's office (Williamson-Branson) in Roby. It is directly south across from the courthouse.

On the agenda is the discussion of the murals being done for Thriftway Grocery in Rotan, and Larry Williamson will present a class on drawing and perspective as it relates to drawing. All supplies will be provided, except maybe bring a pencil. Anyone interested in art is welcome to attend.

Wynelle Terry is the new president of the FCAA.

In like a lion, with some snow flakes mixed in

The wind has been blowing all night and all morning. You gotta feel sorry for how hard that old wind works to get Spring here. Thunderstorms are in the overnight forecast, but snow is on slate for tomorrow. Typical, typical, huh?

The photo is of a drilling platform on the Cave place, on FM 611. I'm just making up the name, I asked my mom, who is a bona fide oil field expert, what it's called, but she is close-fisted with her information and somehow knows how to make me think she's answered me without answering me. I still get excited when I see oil field activity because it reminds me of the good old days. My mom and step-dad had Big State Roustabout in Sweetwater and a few other locations, and Dad was working as manager at Reef Chemical in Snyder. Then 1986 put an end to that heyday.

I want to shout out to Mark Hargrove. His folks are Raford and Lana Hargrove and he is the local friendly lawyer. I'm adding his website, Fisher-Jones Title Company, to the Fisher County Links to the right. There is a designated photo link on the site, but click on each page, because there are photographs throughout. Thanks for the e-mail, Mark!


Be sure to check out Tom Hargrove's links to the right on this page. I found a back issue of TCU Magazine online that has a very nice photo of Tom on the cover, and tells a bit more about his 1994 kidnapping in Columbia. His family was living in Galveston at the time of the article (Spring 2001).

I want to apologize to Ricky Niell, I feel like I've been neglecting the Frank Cockrell Art Association. I didn't post the Feb. 18 meeting date in time, but I will try to be more timely in the future.

I read in the paper that the Hog Fest is going to have different kind of hogs there this year, namely Harley-Davidsons. I think it's a good idea and I'm looking forward to seeing what the turnout is.

Okay, here are the Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record headlines for February 28, 2008:

• Roby Lady Lions State Bound (photo)
• Roby Lions Area Champions (photo)
• Primary Elections Tuesday, March 4
• Fund Raiser Luncheon for Roby Volunteer Fire Department
• Obituaries for Florence Edith Crow Lambert, Lillian Wanelle "Poodle" Messer Mize and Alton Curry "Skeet" McCain
  
• Rotan Jr. High honor roll
• Morris & Stuart on Tarleton honor roll
• Texas Tech students receive degrees in Fall 2007
• Fisher County Political Calendar
• Fisher County Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture meets the 3rd Wed. each month, Rotan Lions Club, 11:30 a.m.
• Local Election for hospital board & Rotan ISD School board on May 10
• Rotan High Honor Society inductees (photo)
  
• Hospital Board meeting minutes
• Juniors pinning (photo)
• Letter to the Editor, re: RPQRR request to burn
  
• Rotan High Weekly Bulletin
• Fisher County Gin Report, hoping to finish by end of March
• Fisher County High School sports (photo)
• Chamber of Commerce & Ag meeting minutes
• Rotan Elementary honor roll
• Notice of impoundment & sale of estray
• Thank you from Glenda Wright for community support during her illness
• Spring Swing Golf Tourney, May 3, Abilene
• Fisher County Hospital bid notice
• Gov. Perry urges Texans to be prepared for severe weather
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker
• Fisher County Menus
• News Briefs: Flu Clinic March 3, AARP tax aid available, alert regarding stimulus pay
• Calvary Baptist Spring Revival March 2-4
• Notice of Estray at Sylvester
• Randy's Roundup, updates on the Farm Bill, Big Spring Refinery explosion, Second Amendment rights, help with the IRS & tax rebates (sign up for the newsletter by clicking)
  
• Fisher County Sheriff's report

I also wanted to belatedly mention the passing of Cuppy Graham. Joe Duncan wrote that Cuppy was well-known both in Nolan and Fisher Counties, that he worked at H&H Feedlot, and some of his earlier years were spent out west of the 18 Ranch in Fisher County.

If you're in Rotan, be sure to run by The Newspaper Office, first to subscribe to the paper, and secondly, to look at the great merchandise for sale. You can also email the newspaper and arrange for a subscription. That way you can read those great letters to the editor and get ahead on the inside track of Fisher County.

This coming weekend is the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up. I've been going for 30-some-odd years, so the snake part has no appeal to me. We like to go to EAT & SHOP. People watching is good, too, because there's a big crowd. Attending the Round-Up is probably the most steadfast family tradition I have. Mmm, nachos!