Doug and Karen Swenson of Nacogdoches have announced the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Alyssa Lynn Swenson of Nacogdoches to Justin Lee McAninch of Nacogdoches, son of Tommy and Cay McAninch of Nacogdoches. The ceremony is planned for 5:30p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Perritte Memorial United Methodist Church. The bride-elect is a 2008 graduate of Nacogadoches and a December 2011 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University. The prospective groom is a 2008 graduate of Nacogdoches High School.
Published in the Daily Sentinel on December 25, 2011
Richard Wayne Couch Jr. & Crystal Tiane Dempsey
Aubrey and Debbie Dempsey of Nacogdoches have announced the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Crystal Tiane Dempsey of Nacogdoches, to Richard Wayne Couch Jr. of South Vineland, N.J., son of Richard Wayne Couch Sr. of San Antonio and Audrey Bylone Couch of South Vineland, N.J. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Charles and Jackie Cates and A.D. and Maytrait Dempsey, all of Nacogdoches. She is a graduate of Nacogdoches High School and of Stephen F. Austin State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration, major in marketing. She is employed with National Oilwell Varco. Grandparents of the prospective groom are Charles and Pearl Bylone of Buena Vista, N.J., and Roselyn Couch-Colorado and Paul Colorado of San Antonio. He is a graduate of Vineland High School and Texas A&M University the a bachelor's degree in construction science, a minor in business and certification in leadership studies and development. He works as an estimator for Global Industries. The ceremony is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 2011, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Published in the Daily Sentinel on 6/12/2011.
Posted: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 12:15 am
NHSAA: Remembering Buck Fausett By Peggy A. Jasso Class ’67 The Daily Sentinel |
On Saturday, May 28, 2011, the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association "NHSAA" lost a great friend and supporter - Cleon "Buck" Fausett. Buck was a true patriot of our country and will be missed by many.I met Buck in 2004, when I was elected to the NHSAA board. At first I was taken aback by his rough sailor talk and gruff manner, but soon came to love this aging veteran. I spent many hours with him talking about old times and the war, and soon learned that Buck had a heart of gold and a great concern for those less fortunate. Other than his family, his passions in life were working, his high school football days, his war years and scholarships for Nacogdoches High School students.
He attended Nacogdoches schools and in 1944 graduated from NHS where he was on the 1941-1943 football teams. In an article written by Edwin Gaston Jr. in the 1943 Book N about the Dragons loss to Lufkin, Gaston wrote, "Fausett played good ball, and it was Fausett's spirited last play that stood out and that earned him hats off from this scribe." It is these memories that Buck carried with him for the next 67 years, and that nourished his need to help NHS students further their education.
In July, 1944, just after graduating from high school, Buck entered the U.S. Navy where he attained the rank of seaman first-class, gunner's mate. He spent the next two years in the Pacific and could remember every man and every battle he experienced.
After discharge in 1946, he came home and married Bette Jo Murdock, and they raised three children: Marvin, Jerry Don and Anita. Buck was a good salesman with a natural talent to persuade people. He worked for Lone Star for many years and was instrumental in growing the poultry industry in Nacogdoches and surrounding counties.
In the late '90s, Joyce Swearingen nominated Buck for the board of directors of NHSAA. Buck brought his sales experience to NHSAA, and all his efforts were focused on raising money for scholarships. He also helped in the creation of the alumni brick plaza at the high school, and many of his ideas are incorporated in its layout. Dick Voigtel, a close friend, fondly remembers laying bricks with Buck, but laughing as he also remembers "doing all the work while Buck sat on the tailgate of the truck telling football and war stories."
Another of his projects was the annual NHSAA golf tournament. I am sure many of our local businesses remember him walking in with a hole sponsorship sign in-hand asking for their support of the annual tournament. It seems that every friend who knew him remembers him with a smile. One such alumni friend is Milton Pitts who said "Buck was one of a kind."
The last time I visited with Buck was at the hospital about a week before he passed. That day he relayed one story after another about his wife, his family, his days playing football at NHS, and about the old "rag-tag" naval vessel he was on during World War II. The ship was the USS LST-747, a tank-landing ship assigned to the Asian-Pacific Theater during World War II; he earned two battle stars. I will cherish those memories with a smile every time I think of Buck.
His visitation will be from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011, with funeral services to follow at Cason Monk-Metcalf Sunset Chapel, 5400 North Street. Officiating will be Dr. Allen Read, pastor of First Baptist Church. Private interment will be at Sunset Memorial Park.
Buck has been responsible for generating numerous fully endowed scholarships for NHSAA. If you would like to continue Buck's legacy, memorial donations can be made to the NHSAA - Buck Fausett Scholarship. Send donations to NHSAA, P.O. Box 632152, Nacogdoches, Texas, 76963-2152.
On behalf of the board members past and present of the NHSAA, we salute you, Buck Fausett, for all of the support and kindness you've shown to the graduates of NHS for many years.
Buck, at an early age, learned the value of hard work. His first job, at age 8, was delivering papers for the Houston Chronicle. His daily routine included getting up at midnight and riding his bike from Frost Mill to downtown Nacogdoches where he met his boss. They then drove to Cleveland, Texas, to pick up the newspapers. While driving back, Buck rolled the papers and prepared them for delivery. When they arrived in Nacogdoches, he got on his bicycle and threw the papers before going to school.
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Richard and Jill Ivy of Nacogdoches have announced the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Lauren Marie Ivy of Austin, to Allan Joseph Sieja of Austin, son of David and Theresa Sieja of Arlington. Grandparents of the bride-elect are Ocie and Joyce Westmoreland of Cushing and Edith Turnquist of Dallas and the late Jack Turnquist. Grandparents of the prospective groom are Dean and Marie Snider of Elm Mott and Edmund Sieja of Waco and the late Betty Sieja. The ceremony is planned for March 26, 2011, at Hickory Hill Farm in Cushing.
Published in the Daily Sentinel on 1/23/2011.
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Gean Hale had many titles during his 89 years of life - athlete, coach, decorated veteran, family man, banker and community leader.
But to those who knew him well, Hale was "the old coach," one who always seemed to bring out the best in his teams during a 14-year coaching span when Nacogdoches' football program was in its heyday.
"He was always 'the coach,'" said G.W. Jones, a Dragon player during the early 1960s. "That title is truly the pinnacle of respect that can be conferred a man of this stature. I owe coach more than I can ever begin to repay."
"Whether it was a good day or a bad day, coach Hale could put it together," said Hyman Boozer, a defensive back for the Dragons. "We didn't have much speed and not much size. He just knew how to coach."
Hale died Saturday in Nacogdoches. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. today at the First United Methodist Church in Nacogdoches.
A great storyteller, one of Hale's best was about how he became a college football player and, eventually, a high school football coach.
After an athletic high school career at Crockett, Hale was seeking a college football career but had few takers.
Someone told him to go visit the basketball coach at Blinn Junior College in Brenham about joining that program.
Hale hitchhiked to Blinn, only to learn that the basketball coach was not there that day.
It is this part of the story that Hale described as "divine intervention." The man who picked Hale up on his way back to Crockett told him to go see the head football coach at Kilgore.
Taking the man up on his advice, Hale received an offer to play at Kilgore, where he played center for two years and met his future wife, Judy, a Longview native and the first captain of the Kilgore Rangerettes.
It was at midfield during a Kilgore game with Tarleton College when Hale, serving as captain, met L.H. Mathews, Tarleton's captain, for the coin flip.
Hale went on to play center for Rice. One day after Rice played SMU Dec. 6, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. At mid-term in February 1942, Hale joined the Army Air Corps, now the USAF. He received his flying wings and his commission as a second lieutenant and married Judy all in a "package deal" in San Antonio.
His military service included stints as a multi-engine flight instructor and "Flying the Hump," ferrying four 500-gallon tanks of aviation fuel from India, across Burma and into China over the Himalayan Mountains.
Hale said the main enemy on those missions was the weather, which included lightning storms and extreme cold temperatures, flying at an altitude of 27,000 feet. Hale said that on some missions, the lightning was so intense he and his crew hunkered down in the cockpit's floor, covered their heads and flew the plane while peering up to read the instrument panel.
Hale told a story of a mission when his plane was delayed and landed several hours after the other planes. Upon his arrival at the base, he walked up on other pilots who thought his plane had gone down and who were standing around memorializing him.
Hale received several military decorations for his distinguished service, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals, three Battle Stars and a medal from Chiang Kai-shek for contributions to China, among other awards.
Upon returning from the war, he and that former Tarleton captain, L.H. Mathews, who had also just returned from the military, served as co-captains of the football team at East Texas State College in Commerce.
After serving as an assistant football coach and head basketball coach at Palestine for four years, Hale took over a Nacogdoches Dragon football program that was 0-10 the year before he arrived.
With Mathews as his assistant coach, Hale coached Nacogdoches to an 83-53-6 record in 14 seasons that included three nine-win campaigns and a memorable 20-8 win over Lufkin during the 1958 season, when Nacogdoches was ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 3A and Lufkin was ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 4A.
But more important than the wins and losses were the discipline and values that Hale and Mathews instilled in their players, many of whom played college football after their high school careers were complete.
"They were very positive," said Milton Pitts, a former Dragon fullback and linebacker. "The coaches made it fun. I enjoyed workouts. They were well-organized. I felt like we were improving every day."
"There was never a time they ran onto the field at hollered at us, to make a show," Boozer said. "If they had something to tell us, it was you and them. They never embarrassed a kid."
While Hale coached the backfield players and Mathews the linemen, they developed a friendship on and off the field that remained strong until Mathews' death in 1994.
"They were a team," said Mathews' wife, Virginia Mathews. "They were really more like brothers. They loved each other.
"They believed in the same things - discipline and sportsmanship. They believed they were teaching the boys values in life."
The late Phil Prince, a player during Hale's tenure, returned to Nacogdoches after playing football at SMU to help coach the Dragons.
"He loved 'H' and Gean," said Prince's wife, Nancy. "Phil coached with other coaches, but they were the ultimate in coaching.
"They believed in discipline, and they were good men."
That sentiment was echoed by former Dragon players after they learned of Hale's death Saturday.
"They were men that we looked up to, by the way they lived their lives," said Mike Johnson, a 1963 Nacogdoches graduate who went on to play football at TCU. "You wanted to give them everything you had.
"They were good role models for all the players, and we looked up to them and respected them. We wanted to play hard for them."
Jones said Hale, Mathews, Prince and Joe Tom Harris, the head basketball coach and a football assistant coach, were "coaches seven days a week."
"They cared about us kids," Jones said. "They were fathers to us. Our dads were busy, trying to make a living for a half-dozen kids. They walked the walk. They practiced what they preached."
Johnson said Hale demanded that his teams never be defeated because another team was in better shape.
After a tri-scrimmage between Nacogdoches, Huntsville and Belton, a group of Dragon players were proud that they had convincingly handled the two opponents, only to have their celebration interrupted by Hale's request for the team to run wind sprints.
"It was in August - hot," Johnson said. "We were proud of ourselves. Hale told us to 'hit the sidelines and run sprints.'
"We ran and were like, 'he's got to be kidding.' The other teams were in their huddles, talking to their coaches and couldn't believe what we were doing."
"Coach Hale and coach Mathews wanted you to do it right," said former Dragon Grady Allen, who went on to star at Texas A&M and play five seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons. "They wanted us to make a commitment to improve.
"We respected those coaches. When they spoke, you listened - you heard what they were saying, and you wanted to respond."
After Hale's head coaching tenure at Nacogdoches, he was followed as head coach by Mathews, who was 28-12 in four straight winning seasons.
Mathews' 1967 team was 8-2, outscored opponents 252-92 and was ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A during the season.
Both Hale and Mathews have been inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Hall of Honor. Hale was also inducted into the Kilgore Ranger Athletic Hall of Honor in 2003.
Hale spent 26 years as a banker at Commercial National Bank of Nacogdoches, now Commercial Bank of Texas.
"He was very personable and liked to help people," said Boozer, a former banker. "He liked to see people prosper and accomplish things."
A member of the Nacogdoches Rotary Club, Hale served as chairman of the United Way, chairman of the American Red Cross, was a member of the board of directors of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce and served as president and founder of the Dragon Athletic Club. For several years, he served as radio commentator for Dragon football games.
Former Dragon players organized a reunion at the Dragon field house in 2004 that centered around honoring Hale and the men who coached with him.
Another reunion was held a few years ago at a local restaurant, when about 35 former players showed up for a visit with Hale.
"As the years go by, I'm sure I'll appreciate what he did and how he did it," Boozer said.
Wilson Remembered at Memorial Service
SAYING GOODBYE: Longtime family friend Buddy Temple speaks at former U.S Rep. Charlie Wilson's memorial service at Angelina College's Temple Theater Sunday afternoon in Lufkin.
(AP Photo By Joel Andrews/The Lufkin Daily News)
LUFKIN (AP) - The late Rep. Charlie Wilson was a dedicated public servant who took his work but never himself seriously, friends recalled during a memorial service Sunday in his eastern Texas hometown of Lufkin.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is challenging Texas Gov. Rick Perry in next month's Republican primary, was among those honoring the fun-loving Texas congressman at Angelina College. The 76-year-old Wilson died Wednesday of cardiopulmonary arrest.
Wilson funneled millions of dollars in weapons to Afghanistan through backroom dealmaking, allowing the South Asian country's underdog mujahedeen rebels to beat back the mighty Soviet Red Army in the 1980s.
The 12-term member of the U.S. House from 1973 to 1996 was known in Washington as "Good Time Charlie" for his reputation as a hard-drinking womanizer.
The Dallas Morning News reported that former state Rep. Buddy Temple remembered the baptism of his 43-year-old daughter, Whitney, when Wilson became her godfather.
"We've got a problem," Temple quoted Wilson as saying. "I just talked to the preacher and he said I have to renounce the devil and all of his works. Would it be OK if I renounced the devil and some of his works?
"It was typical Charlie trying to convince us that he was a rogue and a scoundrel and a bad boy," said Temple. "But we weren't fooled. He was exposed by his good works."
Wilson, a Democrat, was considered both a progressive and a defense hawk. While his efforts to arm the mujahedeen in the 1980s were a success - spurring a victory that helped speed the downfall of the Soviet Union - he was unable to keep the money flowing after the Soviets left. Afghanistan plunged into chaos, creating an opening eventually filled by the Taliban, who harbored al-Qaida terrorists.
His efforts to help the Afghan rebels - as well as his partying ways - were portrayed in the movie and book "Charlie Wilson's War." In an interview with The Associated Press after the book was published in 2003, he said he wasn't worried about details of his wild side being portrayed.
"Charlie Wilson was one of a kind - loved by all who knew him - and he will be missed as one of our most distinguished and colorful leaders," Hutchison said in a statement provided to the Lufkin Daily News. Hutchison faces Perry and Debra Medina in the GOP primary March 2.
A six-piece jazz band punctuated each eulogy with Wilson favorites including "As Time Goes By," "My Way," and, in honor of his years as a naval intelligence officer, "Anchors Aweigh" and "The Navy Hymn."
"He took his work seriously but he never took himself seriously," said his close friend Joe Christie, who served with Wilson in the Texas Legislature. "He changed the course of history, but he was not self important. That's why he was so ... fun to be with."
A volunteer for John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign, Wilson entered the Texas legislature in 1961 as "the liberal from Lufkin." Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972, he was an east Texas Democrat whose uncompromising positions on national security and anti-communism won the respect of Ronald Reagan.
"He'll be missed from the Golan Heights to the Khyber Pass, from the Caspian to the Suez and in the halls of Congress, for his civility, his willingness to listen and help and not posture," John Wing, who traveled with Wilson on his journeys to Pakistan and Afghanistan, told the crowd.
Wilson will be buried with full military honors Feb. 23 at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Dating at NHS Through the Years
A Dance in the 1940's
Milton Pitts, class of 1954, and his date smile for the camera at a Valentine’s Day party in the 1950s.
Pete and Mary Lee Evans Baublet at a formal dance in 1977. The two dated their junior and senior years of high school at NHS and then married. They will be celebrating 31 years of marriage in June.
Mike and Wendy Buchanan at Wendy’s prom in 1981.
Michele Simpson, class of 1992, recalled her husband, Preston as her first big crush at NHS. “I have this one thing that I saved from high school that I had written ‘I love Preston’ all over,” she said. After years apart following high school, the two married in 2003.
Michele Simpson, class of 1992, recalled her husband, Preston as her first big crush at NHS.
From The Daily Sentinel
Feb. 14, 2010
Just like fashion, music and hairstyles, dating at Nacogdoches High School changed considerably since the school first opened in 1903. Today, in recognition of Valentine's Day, readers can test their knowledge of the Dragons' dating scene with this courtship quiz.
1940s
1. What was the name of the gym where NHS students attended school dances?
A. Davis Gym
B. Thomas J. Rusk Auditorium
C. Dragon Coliseum
2. While there was no Valentine's Day dance, a group of students got together in 1940 to celebrate leap year. What did the girls send the guys for invitations?
A. Frog-shaped letters
B. roses
C. A corsage made from vegetables and fruits
1950s
3. In this decade, the popular hangout for high school students was a drug store owned by a Mr. Cook. Can you guess which corner the store was on?
A. University Drive and Starr Avenue
B. North and College Streets
C. Wettermark and North Streets
4. Unlike today, most high school students did not have cars. Can you guess what estimate Milton Pitts, class of 1954, gave of how many boys had cars in his senior year of high school?
A. 6
B. 3
C. 10
1970s
5. What did NHS high school students use to communicate with each other as they 'cruised' up and down North Street?
A. Their mouths
B. CB radios
C. Cans on strings
6. Students sent Valentine's Day messages to their sweethearts through what in this decade?
A. Dragon Echo
B. The Daily Sentinel
C. The yearbook
1980s
7. Guys were sent Valentine's Day hearts via the student council to become known as what in this decade?
A. Mr. Valentine's Day
B. Mr. Irresistible
C. Mr. McHotty
8. Lumberjack Drive-in was a popular outdoor movie theater in this decade. Where was it located?
A. Where Cotton Patch Cafe is now.
B. Where Wal-Mart is now.
C. Where the sheriff's office is now.
1990s
9. Where was a common place to go on a date in this decade?
A. Rita's Cantina
B. Sonic
C. Chili's
10. It wasn't uncommon to see this outfit on both boys and girls on a date in Nacogdoches in the early 1990s.
A. Adidas windpants and a T-shirt
B. Flannel shirt, white tank and faded jeans.
C. Marithé and François Girbaud jeans, Cole Haan shoes and a brown braided belt folded down and tucked under.
Michele Marcotte's e-mail address
The answers:
1. A. Joyce Swearingen, class of 1940, said when she was in high school, dances were held at Davis Gym on North Fredonia Street. She said the gym was named after one of the school districts first superintendents.
2. C. Swearingen said at the leap year dance of 1940, a group of girls sent their dates a corsage made of vegetables and fruits and then picked up the guys for the dance.
3. C. Milton Pitts, class of 1954, said College Drug on the corner of Wettermark and North Streets was owned by a Mr. Cook, who had two daughters in high school. He said the store has been torn down since then.
4. B. Pitts said high school girls at this time were often impressed by guys who had cars because there were so few who had them. Pitts said he only recalled three in his senior class having cars.
5. B. Pete Baublet, class of 1977, who married Mary Lee Evans Baublet, the 1977 Miss NHS, said the big thing when he was in high school was to cruise up and down North Street and go to Sonic. He said everybody was into CB radios because they didn't have cell phones, and used the radios to coordinate what was going to go on and where to meet.
6. A. Baublet said in addition to showing up to school with flowers, girls often received Valentine's Day messages from their boyfriends or friends through the school newspaper.
7. B. Claudette Brown, who worked as a sponsor for the NHS Student Council for many years, said in the 1980s students began to send hearts to guys at school through the student council, naming the one who received the most hearts "Mr. Irresistible."
8. C. Wendy Buchanan, class of 1981, who is married to Mike Buchanan, class of 1978, said when she was in high school everybody would go to Lumberjack Drive-In, especially in the summer, and park their cars to "just kind of hang out all night."
9. A. Michele Simpson, class of 1992, who is married to Preston Simpson, class of 1990, said Rita's Cantina was the place everyone went while she was in high school.
10. C. Simpson said both girls and guys wore basically the same thing when she was in high school. It was always Marithé and François Girbaud jeans and Cole Haan and a brown braided belt.
Photo by Andy Adams, The Lufkin Daily News Former Congressman Charlie Wilson of Lufkin smiles during the grand opening of the city's new VA Clinic, named after Wilson, in August 2009.
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:50 pm | Updated: 9:47 pm, Wed Feb 10, 2010.
Ashley Cook and Jessica Cooley, The Lufkin Daily News | 0 comments
Charlie Wilson, the former East Texas congressman whose behind-the-scenes work in Afghanistan became the subject of a major motion picture, died Wednesday in a Lufkin hospital. He was 76.
Wilson died at 12:16 p.m. Wednesday after suffering cardiopulmonary arrest, according to Bryant Krenek, president and CEO of Memorial Health System of East Texas. Wilson is survived by his wife of 11 years, Barbara, a sister and brother-in-law in Waco, and a niece and nephew.
"Charlie was a giant," said longtime friend Buddy Temple. "We have lost a giant. There won't be another like him."
Wilson had attended a T.L.L. Temple Foundation meeting earlier in the day. Temple said that after Wilson suffered some obvious distress, he began to transport him to the hospital. They happened upon an EMT vehicle along the way, and the medical staff took Wilson the rest of the way to the hospital.
Wilson served on the hospital's foundation board, and was closely connected to the extensive additions to the medical complex through the Temple Foundation.
"We consider him one of our own," Krenek said.
Wilson received a heart transplant Sept. 24, 2007, at Methodist Hospital in Houston. In the years since, he had slowed his travels and interviews, although he continued to do work for the people of East Texas, making appearances at various events and openings.
Wilson was born June 1, 1933, in Trinity, the small East Texas town where he entered politics in his teenage years by running against a city council incumbent who Wilson said had poisoned his dog. He became known as a rowdy congressman - one who, behind the scenes in the 1980s, helped fund the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union. That story was chronicled in both a book and a movie titled "Charlie Wilson's War."
Wilson became known as "Good-Time Charlie" but apologized for his past behavior during a retirement ceremony in Lufkin in 1996.
Temple said Wednesday the book and movie did a disservice to Wilson, unfairly characterizing him as a playboy.
Wilson dedicated his life to making things better for the people he served, said Temple, naming such accomplishments as establishing the Big Thicket Preserve and, as a freshman legislator in Texas, introducing the sales tax bill and creating the Public Utilities Commission.
Temple, who'd been friends with Wilson since the two met through politics in 1964, said they used to laugh at high-spending politicians speaking up against earmarks.
As a 12-term U.S. House of Representatives member, Wilson was credited with securing millions of dollars for facilities and services in the 2nd Congressional District of Texas.
Former Nacogdoches Mayor Judy McDonald recalled how Wilson supported Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County and Stephen F. Austin State University in achieving various goals.
"We were very short on airport runway, and Charlie is the one who got us the 5,000 foot runway," McDonald said. "He is the one who worked very hard with Mayor (A.L.) Mangham and got that 5,000 foot runway. That, to me, is just the most outstanding thing.
"The other thing is that he was so consistent, and he did it time and time and time again, with Stephen F. Austin," she said. "He always was there for us when we needed something for SFA."
McDonald also recalled Wilson's sense of humor and his willingness to help.
"Charlie and I got along very well," she said. "He was always kissing me on top of my head, because he was so much taller."
Known for his work to ensure that veterans got the benefits and medical care they deserved, Wilson will also be remembered for the many veterans he assisted and the families he impacted, McDonald said.
"Anything to get things done for veterans or pensions, Charlie was the very best there was," she said.
"He was always somebody that I knew we could depend on," McDonald said. "He got the job done for East Texas."
It was Wilson who made sure the VA clinic ended up in Lufkin, changing the name on the bill from Tyler, Temple said.
The slogan on his political campaign signs was always, "Wilson gets it done," Temple said.
Wilson is also the only civilian to receive the award of "Honored Colleague" by the CIA for his help in defeating the Soviet Union's Red Army in Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan medal of honor.
Former Lufkin Daily News reporter and 1977 Pulitzer prize winner Ken Herman, now a columnist with the Austin-American Statesman, sat down with Wilson in December to get his opinion on the current conditions in Afghanistan.
"Generally, I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I'm not very optimistic about this," Wilson told Herman. "I feel like I would not be surprised if in two years we've taken a lot of casualties and spent a lot of money and don't have much to show for it."
On a personal note, Temple, who together with his wife Ellen have been close friends of the Wilsons, said Charlie Wilson was the best person he'd ever known in showing unconditional love for his friends. That generosity of spirit came through in his great attachment to the people of East Texas, he said. That was a big part of why Wilson retired to Lufkin nearly five years ago, he said.
Honored with the Silver Bucket Award last March at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center, Wilson revealed another reason he chose to call Lufkin his retirement home during his acceptance speech.
"When I told people I'd retire in East Texas, they asked, ‘Why?' and I said because in East Texas people know if you're sick, and they care if you die," Wilson said.
Jim Turner, former Congressman who took the district office after Wilson, described him as a dedicated public servant who fought hard for the people of his district.
"Many of the things he did will outlast him, Turner said. "When he knew he was stepping down, he encouraged me to run. I'll always be grateful to him for his support and friendship. One of the last pieces of legislation I passed was a bill to name the new VA Clinic in his honor. He was bigger than life. He was very fortunate to have Barbara. She was the love of his life even when he was single. They had known each other a long time. It will be really hard for her. Our hearts and prayers go out to her."
Lt. Gen. Orren "Cotton" Whiddon (Ret.) of Lufkin and his wife Harriet have been friends of the Wilsons for years. Whiddon said Wilson represented the "very best of leadership" in East Texas. Wilson was selected for the U.S. Naval Academy, where he had an outstanding performance, and then served in the Navy for about six years, when he was an outstanding officer aboard a destroyer, Whiddon said.
It was Wilson's vision that helped provide for Afghan freedom from Russia, and he returned from many trips to that country back to East Texas to serve the people, Whiddon said. East Texas is also what brought him back home when he retired, according to Whiddon.
"He returned here, as most of us with pine rosin in our veins do," Whiddon said.
Wilson began his political career in 1960 when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, according to Stephen F. Austin State University Library, where his congressional papers are stored. He served in the Texas House of Representatives for six years and was then elected to the Texas Senate in 1966.
On Nov. 7, 1972, the second district of Texas elected Charles Wilson to the U.S. House of Representatives. He retired from the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996.
Funeral arrangements for Wilson are pending.
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Daily Sentinel staff writer Michele Marcotte and Lufkin Daily News staff writer Melissa Hayes, editor Andy Adams and night editor Edwin Quarles contributed to this story.
Memories of Charles Stokes: Good history teachers never die, they just become legends
By MARTY PRINCE
Contributing writer
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Charles Stokes was assuredly one of the kindest individuals you could hope to know. He was a tall, gentle man with an even larger heart. His quick wit, low-key temperament and wry sense of humor often concealed his serious, thoughtful and sensitive side.
For thirty-eight years he was devoted to the Social Studies department at NHS, his "faculty family" and friends. He inspired and advised generations of students to "make history," be aware of current events and travel the world. He also provided wise counsel and levity to his colleagues' daily lives.
My dad, Phil Prince, worked with him for nearly twenty years. Dad would have said Stokes was "first class," loyal, unselfish and fun. "Super Stokes" was truly an unique individual, and those who had the good fortune of knowing, working or learning with him are better people because of it.
While Stokes greatest legacy will undoubtedly be his love of teaching, we will never forget his incredible and unique sense of humor. His intelligence and understated comic timing gave him the uncanny ability to instantaneously fit humor into any situation or occasion. He branded teaching as his mission to "educate the youth of America."
My fondest memory of him is just an image that reminds me of the Golden Dragon Years. Stokes, Coach Farshid and my dad are giggling like school girls, over nothing more than good conversation and a cup of coffee.
I am sure many of you out there have your own favorite Stokes story, and I am convinced nobody would have enjoyed hearing them more than Stokes himself.
NHS journalism advisor Emily Taravella and her students have established an online memorial, "Remembering Charles Stokes," at thedragonecho.com. I encourage you to take a moment and share a bit of his-story.
In honor of his commitment to the Alumni Association "The Charles Stokes Memorial Scholarship" has been established by his colleagues, friends and family. Contributions can be made can be made to the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association. PO box 632152.
The following are the previously published articles by Charles Thomas Stokes, Class of 1966.
By Charles Stokes '66,
Contributing Writer
Remembering:
Phil Prince, what a fearsome reputation he had, and what a wonderful man he truly was. I did not discover this until I began teaching at NHS in 1972 and we became close friends.
Dora Grant, the living symbol of NHS for generations of graduates. At a class reunion, I ended up in charge of creating awards to be voted on. One was "Miss Grant Would be Proud of You", accompanied by a large picture of the lady. Sally Reid Allen won. There was also "Miss Grant Would be Ashamed of You". I don't recall who won that, although there were many worthy candidates.
A varsity football staff of three.
We could leave campus for lunch.
Quitting football and always regretting it.
Sara Bess Brookshire McDougald Dudley. A lot of us had a crush on her. The Speech classes I had with her were crucial in helping a shy, introverted teenager become more self confident.
Working after school at Piggly Wiggly grocery; fifty cents an hour, twelve hour day on Saturday when I started. I eventually made a dollar.
No air conditioning. The heat and humidity could turn the tops of desks, and the backs of chairs that had numerous coats of varnish into sticky surfaces that could tear a piece of paper, pull hairs out of your arm, or leave a gooey mark on the back of your shirt that would upset your mom.
Cruising North Street on weekend nights, bowling alley to John's Restaurant and back again.
Girls were not allowed to wear pants to school.
The assassination of President Kennedy. The radio stations played funeral dirges all day.
The Beatles and the "British Invasion" of 1964 seemed to break the solemn mood that had existed since the assassination. In 1965, a friend and I saw them in concert in Houston. I still have the ticket and the program.
Long hair on boys began to appear. Nobody was quite sure what to make of this.
Friends you went through school with. Some remained close for years after, but as middle age approached, I realized that I rarely had any contact with any of my high school buddies. Some moved away, some died, others simply drifted into different circles, interests, etc. We are not mad at each other; life simply has taken us in different directions. What a shame.
Corporal punishment was deemed a suitable way to deal with discipline problems. I have mixed feelings about it as a disciplinary tool, but must admit we did not seem to have many problems.
NHS made it to the quarterfinals in football in 1965, the farthest we have ever advanced I believe.
How much simpler life seemed: no Loop, University Drive, cell phones, internet, computers, blackberrys, ipods, text messaging, chain restaurants, Hummers, multi channel cable TV, microwaves; none of an almost endless array of things deemed absolutely necessary today. But we seemed to get along just fine somehow.
I am proud to be a lifetime member of the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association. I believe in their cause and their purpose, benefiting past, present, and future students. After visiting the NHSAA office last week, I was impressed with the Book "N" Collection; the memorabilia brought back many memories. The office is located on the NHS campus in Room 500, next to the auditorium.
By Charles Stokes '66, NHS History Teacher
Teacher 1972 - 2008
Contributing Writer
I remember:
My first contract, $6,000.
• When I discovered teaching is hard work; that it is not a job you leave at school at the end of the day. Making lesson plans, working up material, grading. As you gain experience and build up a backlog of material it lessens, but never goes away.
• Teaching U.S. History, World History, Texas Studies, Social Studies Research, Fundamentals of Free Enterprise System, U.S. Government, World Geography, Economics.
• Teaching in the Old Red Building, for 7 years; the last two after it had been condemned.
• My 6th period U.S. History class that first year. Boy, did they give me an education.
• No air conditioning in the classrooms. The Chamberlain Building was eventually air conditioned, it was not. Students just loved coming to classes there.
• Having to keep the windows open because of the heat. Pollinating bees, wasps, and other flying insects visited frequently.
• Driving a bus for nine years. That makes for a very long day.
• The move to the new high school building. All of the room numbers and signs indicating boys/girls restrooms, etc., were attached with Velcro. Mass confusion ensured once the students figured this out.
• The many colleagues who became friends.
• Those students I taught that went on to have successful careers and productive lives.
• Those students I taught who have had hard lives. All too frequently I see the name of someone I taught in the arrest report or court reports in the newspaper. How sad.
• The first time a former student died.
• Those special students with whom you form a personal bond.
• Johnny Walker. If God set out to create a high school principal, Johnny is what he would come up with.
• When a Playboy Bunny visited me in the Teacher's Lounge on my 40th birthday. Actually she was the wife of an SFA Professor and did this for birthdays, etc. Pretty innocent stuff really, although I believe I did have to take her garter off with my teeth while the faculty watched. Today this would never happen for the fear of offending someone.
• Discussion around the "Swearing Table" at lunch with Drew Seely, Gordon Fountain, Greg Sowell, John Wayne Valdez, Jerry Winfield, and Mary Smith.
• The first time I taught the child of a former student.
• The first time a former student told me they were a grandparent.
• Working with former students who became teachers.
• Watching the September 11 tragedy unfold with students.
• Rarely going anywhere without seeing someone I taught.
• Looking through annuals and literally seeing me age year by year.
• Drew Seely, Gordon Fountain and I going around to each senior classroom and singing the Janis Joplin song "Mercedes Benz"; promoting it for senior class song.
• A million other people and memories that flood my mind.
• Creation of the Nacogdoches High School Alumni Association in 1994 and the grand opening of their office – Room 500 next to the auditorium – in 2005. Paying $100 for an NHSAA life membership is the easiest way to be a part of something positive in Nacogdoches.
Remember When
Transcribed from THE DRAGON ECHO, Tuesday, May 21, 1974 written by Jan Dobbs
Seniors Look Back to Many Memories
1974 - "our year" - it's almost over. We have no time left to make memories, we've already made them and they're pasted in our minds and scrapbooks. We'll never forget our life at NHS.
It began with a bang. The freshman class from EJC joined forces with the ex-TJR eighth-graders and thus was born the largest class in NHS history. As freshmen, we all joined Pep Squad and cheered our Ninth Grade football team to the District Championship. We took English I, Physical Science, Health, and we even had a study lab! It was declared okay for girls to wear "pantsuits during inclement weather", remember? We got to participate in Western Day then, too. How about running to Scottie's and the Yankee Doodle Ice Cream Parlor for lunch despite rain, snow, sleet or even ice? Can you remember all the characters in The Odyssey and Animal Farm? And how about those teachers we had that are not at NHS anymore (We were really too much for them!) - Mrs. Lester, Mr. Hunter, and Coach St. Ama? We got lost quite a lot even though we still had half of our classes in the TJR building, but we were the big Class of '74!
We became tough sophomores in '71. We took biology and learned that dissecting frogs wasn't all that bad. And the excitement of Driver's Ed., the Simulator, Mr. Guidry, and getting our licenses! Who could ever forget hauling our younger friends around on Friday and Saturday night? We finally found out about the Sonic and some of us even started going Kettlin'. We were Varsity Pep Squad members and we cheered our Golden Dragons on to the District Championship in football. Remember the parade and bonfire before the big bi-district game? Who could possibly forget the frost-bitten feet, hands and noses after the game? And remember those terrific last minute wins of our regional basketball finalists - the Dragon Basketball team? Remember those games at Jacksonville, Tyler and College Station? Remember how excited we all were when we won and how everybody kissed everybody else? Hey girls, do you remember learning the high-kick so we could try out for the Drill Team? And what about the party afterwards for those who made it? Do you still remember Julius Caesar and its tragic character? And how about the golden summer after our sophomore year?
Junior year started and we were over the hump! We played our first football game in Dragon Stadium. We made the Old Mill Club scene, remember? How can we ever forget Mrs. Sunda, Mrs. Reese, and Mrs. Stransky, our favorite English III teachers? And do you remember taking American History, Chemistry, and PE? The year zipped by and finally we were getting our senior rings! The seniors of '73 got out three days early and we got practice at being seniors a year early. Summer was highlighted with having our senior pictures made at the Lorelei. Some industrious students even went to summer school at SFA on the Junior Summer Program.
And then, finally, we were actually Seniors! We took Advanced English, Government and English IV. We read Hamlet and did research papers; remember all those note cards? Some of us even went to SFA on the deferred credit program. We had a successful year in sports and saw Coach Gordon Brown's last season. Remember our last homecoming at NHS? How about being club duchesses and football duchesses? Can you still remember our last Homecoming Dance? And remember how everybody cried when the Golden Dragons beat Marshall for Coach Brown? Remember Camelot, the spring musical? Remember morning talk sessions in the traditional before-school place for seniors? Remember Western Day and Fifties Day and the Awards Assembly?
Remember when our caps and gowns and invitations came in? And who could ever forget all the senior parties! It seemed like our class was trying to set another record - for the most senior parties and formals! But, as the song says, "Now the end is near." We've worked together, laughed together, cried together and hopefully grown up together. How can we ever forget any of it?
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