Carolyn KERBY MORGAN (20 Apr 1943 - 10 Jul 1990)
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Obituary
Carolyn was born in Abilene on 20 Apr 1943 to James and Martha Leona Sisson Kerby. Soon after, brother James and sister Sherry joined the family. Carolyn graduated from Abilene High in May 1961 and a few months later married Henry Freeland MORGAN in Callahan Co., TX. They had a son and a daughter.
Carolyn died on 10 Jul 1990 in Abilene.
Carolyn is buried in the Necessity Cemetery, Necessity, Stephens Co., Texas.
Spouse: Robert C. HUNTER AHS Class of 1959
(from Robert's bio)
Children: Hadley (36) and Derek (32)
Grands: Blake (6), Courtney (4) and Jesse (1)
Schools: University of Texas-Austin BA, University of Vienna, Stanford MBA
Occupation: Retired vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase-Texas
Memory:Firing rockets the year after Sputnik and going to the National Science Fair.
Marching in the band on the frozen field at the 1959 Cotton Bowl. We practiced in an airplane hanger because of the weather and a trombone player from another school marched into a grease pit.
Passion: I have been heavily involved with Houston Grand Opera for years. We also spend time at our ranch near Frederiscksburg. It seems like we travel all over the world the rest of the time.
I don’t know but I would guess that most of the youngsters growing up in the early 1950’s remember the soda fountains in the drug stores more than anything else.
We had some classic neighborhood pharmacies in Abilene. The only store that is left is Barnes and Williams on the corner of North 7th and Hickory. Some of the others were: Atkinson’s on Ambler across from HSU, Medical Arts Pharmacy that was next to the First Christian Church on North 3rd owned by Zee Oswalt, Cook’s Drug on South 7th or South 11th, Shahan’s Pharmacy on South 7th, Nick Crain’s Pharmacy on South 7th and Leggett, and Jackson’s Pharmacy on Butternut. But, for me, the best of the bunch was my grandfather’s store, Robinson’s Pharmacy at 929 Butternut.
In that period of time before we started Junior High, what was our prize possession? For me, it was my bicycle. I remember that first bike and that first race. It was my birthday of either my sixth or seventh year and best I recall I was riding in a race that first day. The bicycle gave us some freedom to roam and explore surrounding neighborhoods. My bicycle gave me lots of freedom but many times use of that freedom got me in real hot water and usually a spanking when I got home. I have no idea how many times I got spanked for riding my bike to Fair Park. It was always Johnny Garner’s fault because he made me go. I always tried to explain that to Mom, as she was getting the belt out, but she only said, “Johnny didn’t make you do anything.”
I had a little different perspective of the soda fountain and my memories of it are those of a soda jerk not a customer. When I was old enough to see over the counter, I got to know the fountain from the other side of the counter. Can you imagine a kid getting tired of all those wonderful treats like sodas, sundaes, milk shakes and ice cream. It only takes about two days to get enough.
One of the biggest treats that I think of often was getting to go with Parson Gerhart, Johnny, and Harry to Mrs. Brown's boarding house for lunch. If there was ever a better spread laid out on a table, I would like to partake of it. I can still see Parson paying the lady (probably Mrs Brown) as we went into the dining room. She sat at a small table and would put the money in a cigar box. After lunch the diners would take their plates and glasses to the kitchen after they were done eating. A different time that becomes more valuable as the years accumulate.
I can't remember when I didn't know John Gerhart. Until we moved the first time that I can remember we lived just three houses down Highland Street from the Gerharts. How lucky I was to be a part of that great neighborhood. John was known as Little John in those days to keep from being confused with Johnny GARNER who lived between us. We had great fun in those early years: climbing trees and playing Tarzan, playing "kick-the-can" till well after dark with the Gerharts’ front yard usually being home base, having a foot race at least every week or so down the street because I was determined to out run Johnny --never did--, wrestling in Johnny’s front room with his Mom, Eleanor, watching from her arm chair as I was always having to yell "calf-rope" when Johnny put his deadly scissor hold around my middle--I never won one of those wrestling matches either.
My Dad and Granddad had a deal with Foremost Dairies where Foremost would paint signs for specials on the windows once a month or so and their products would be used in making the specials. My least favorite was the 19 cent banana split special. The special was made with a banana, two dips of ice cream, two toppings, and whipped cream and cherry. I’d like to have one right now. And, to add insult to injury; after the special was over, I’d get to wash the tempra paint off the store windows. Dad was building my character I guess.
Another job Dad gave me was making deliveries on my bicycle. Yes, we delivered.
What a deal! I got 10 cents a delivery. Sometimes I’d take stuff from our store on Barrow clear across Sayles to the South Jr. area. It took me years to figure out what was going on. For a meager 10 cents Dad was getting me out of his hair and keeping me busy for at least an hour and he always had a backup for the real delivery man.
Many of my fondest memories have to do with being raised in that drug store on Butternut. Of course, having a terrific grandfather had a lot to do with those memories. He opened the store in 1943 about four months after I was born and from that time on I spent a lot of time there until he and my father opened the store in Southwest Park Shopping Center at the corner of South 14th and Barrow. The soda fountain in drug stores was a gathering place for business men and other workers before work or during breaks as well as for families out refreshment or a treat. I remember my grandfather drinking coffee with his customers and the many drug salesmen that would come in the store. He would always order a half-cup of coffee.
My grandmother baked the big Gooch hams from which they made ham sandwiches at the fountain. She also made the pimiento cheese and the ham salad for the store. I remember the smell that came from her kitchen as that ham was cooking. A ham sandwich can’t be found as good as those were, especially when combined with a bag of Fritos and a Coke. That would cost fifty cents give or take a nickel.
The most memorable bicycle adventure was shortly after I got my bike. I decided to go see Popie, my grandfather, at the drugstore on Butternut. I have no idea how long it took me to get there from Highland but I’m sure it was awhile because I couldn’t have been more than six or seven. It didn’t take me nearly as long to get home as it did to get to the store. I arrived at Popie’s store thinking I was about the smartest little son of a buck that ever lived. In I walked knowing that Popie would be so surprised to see me and so proud of me for coming to see him. He was surprised all right but not in a good way. He grabbed me up and took me to the pharmacy and called Mom and my grandmother, Nana. Seems like they had been looking for me for some time and had no idea where I was. Well, they found me and it wasn’t a real happy experience. In a matter of minutes I was in the car, the bicycle was in the trunk and I was on my way home. Popie, who was my best friend, didn’t even invite me to have a coke.
- Eddie Krieger, Alta Vista and Crockett [Special thanks to the "The Sovereign Neighborhoods" class project - Editor, Michael Grant (Mike Wayman)]
Dennis Carroll LANHAM [22 Apr 1943 - 26 Jun 1996]
Sophomore year transfer from Cisco High School. After he graduated Abilene High in 1961 he moved back to Cisco and attended Cisco Junior College. After Junior College, Dennis moved to Fort Worth for a period before returning to Abilene where he married Sandra "Sandy" MARTIN, of Clyde about 1964. During 1964/5, he reluctantly served as a US Marine Sargent in Vietnam with high honor.
He and Sandy had two daughters; Denise and Heather and lived in Red Oak,TX for a number of years. While working in his home construction business, Dennis suffered a fall which led to other complications. On 26 Jun 1996, he died from the effects of diabetes in Dallas.
Richard Eli LATIMER, Jr. [3 Jan 1944 - 2 Dec 1968 Vietnam]
During 2018, Jeanette was found enjoying the views over Riverside County, California.
David Douglas LEDDY [ 2 Sep 1942 - 18 Nov 2012]
David was born, in San Angelo, TX, on September 2, 1942, to Wilson and Helen Leddy, part of the boot making Leddy family. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1961 and joined the Air Force where he learned his computer skills. In 1963, He re-met a high school friend, Linda Grant and after just two dates, they married on January 25, 1964, in Abilene. Their lives together were blessed with two children, Lisa and Grant.
After leaving the Air Force, David hired on with IBM, working in computer maintenance, management and technical sales for 30 years. During those 30 years, they lived in Abilene, moving to his dream place in View, TX, for three years, before moving to Mansfield. He and Linda also did a year of "mission" work in Monroe, Louisiana. David was active in all the churches he belonged to by serving on boards, teaching Sunday school, building play grounds and working with youth groups. He enjoyed giving new life to old things. He worked with the Mansfield Adult Literacy Program, helped with the Billy Graham crusade and delivered Meals on Wheels.
After retiring from IBM, David enrolled in Tarrant County College to obtain his HVAC certification. He owned and operated ComforTech HVAC for 13 years. He spent many hours in hot attics to keep others cool.
David loved being outdoors. Hunting, fishing and building things were a few of his favorite things to do. He spent countless hours at his place in May, making improvements on our camping facilities, enjoying the wildlife and visiting the local cafe. When he wasn't at May, he spent many mornings at Waffle House, giving the waitresses a hard time and visiting with the customers.
0ran LOGAN
Married Cheryl Arthur in August, 1987 and gained another daughter, Julie (both daughters are business executives as well as being CPAs). Retired early in July of 1999 after 27 years, as President of Alamo Group Inc. (NYSE: ALG).
Maxcie Alzavon "Vonnie" LOOPER MUNNERLYN [11 Apr 1943 - 22 Aug 2016]
Vonnie married Pete Munnerlyn from the AHS Class 1959. Pete was best friends from the 2nd or 3rd grade with Ken Koegl who married Cassie Carter. Pete and Ken went to UT for senior day. Pete flunked out his freshman year playing too much in the Fraternity house and had to go to McMurry for a semester or two. During which time, Vonnie and Pete got married and she settled him down enough so that Pete eventually got his degree at UT.
Karen LUSBY WIGGINS [2 Jun 1943 Fort Worth, Texas - 1 Nov 2017 Bunda, Tanzania, Africa]
It was a late June evening in dry, dusty West Texas. The year was 1951. "Daddy, Are we there, yet? It smells like we are home," I asked my father as I stepped over my sleeping brothers and popped my head up between my father's head and the open window. Smelling the tell tale smell of the Paymaster Feed mill on (South) Treadaway Street woke me up. "Yes we are in Abilene now, Sister. Just a few more minutes and you will be in your bed." From Highway 80 he would turn onto Treadaway, following it to South 20th Street, just a little further and turning right to 1933 Belmont Boulevard. Then I could smell the mimosa blooms that told me I was really home.
No one was hungry because Aunt Faye in Ranger had seen to that earlier in the day. Not only did we have a cowboy breakfast of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, eggs, bacon, orange juice, homemade biscuits, toast from homemade bread, milk and coffee, but as we were leaving in the late afternoon, she sent a sack of sandwiches along with peaches from her trees to eat on the road. We always loved to visit Aunt Faye and Uncle Kirk in Ranger.
I had never ever had a “friend” birthday party before, so I was very excited. The birthdays before were with aunts and uncles and my two brothers and parents. They were fun, but having friends over to sit around the dining room table and sing happy birthday to you, well it just doesn't get better than that. Sharon Johnson, her younger sister Katy, Johnnie Whitaker and her older sister lived across the street. Kay Altman and Bob Durham lived on Chestnut around the corner. Nancy Shoemaker on Chestnut and Alice Fisher on Oak came with Holley Purcell. They were all among the guests. I felt so proud to have a “friend” birthday party. Thirty minutes after everyone had gone home, I lookedinto the china cabinet and saw the little bubble-gum baseball bats that were to be the favors. "We forgot the favors," I cried to my mother. "Who has a party without favors." I was just horrified for my mistake.
- Karen Lusby, Travis [Special thanks to the "The Sovereign Neighborhoods" class project - Editor, Michael Grant (Mike Wayman)]
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Dear 1961 Friends, September 17, 2005
Well, it's been almost three months since we left the States, and we're doing much better than I thought we would. Our Swahili is improving (five lessons a week helps), our diet is good, our health is good (both of us have lost over six inches in our waists), and we now have Residence Permits good for two years (I've never been good for that long).
We are in Bunda, Tanzania, very near Lake Victoria. Tanzania is the poorest country in Africa and one of the poorest in the world. Bunda is in one of the poorest regions of the poorest country, but the people here are wonderful, warm, welcoming, and loving. Arriving in Arusha, we drove through the Serengeti in one day (about 250 miles of bad dirt road). We had bought the 1997 Nissan Patrol from the missionaries that were here before us. That trip was a real adventure. The dirt road goes by the the Ngorangora Crater. Karen was surprised by an elephant that came up out of the crater and was face to face to Karen's window. He was surprised also and stretched out his ears to look even more intimidating. Only the male elephants come out of the crater. They are the only animals strong enough to come out and go back. All the other animals in the crater are in an environment that is locked. The animals in the crater are lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, flamingos, rhinos and antelopes. Our groups always safari through the Serengeti and down in the crater after they work here. The west gate to the Serengeti is just five miles from our town of Bunda (which has 100 elementary schools and three high schools).
The Methodist church is new in Tanzania. We do not have a Bishop. You might say we have our driving permit. Kenya is sponsoring the Methodist church here. Most of the pastors in charge have been from Kenya. Many things must take place before we are our own Methodist conference here. We have 40 churches and only 4 ministers. That merely gives them a 10-church circuit to be in charge of. They only preach at a church every 10 weeks leaving a lay minister to preach the rest of the time.
Our goal is to train the lay ministers so they are well equipped to keep the church members coming and worshiping. We are building a compound here in the central town to allow the lay ministers to come and stay for a week or so to have classes that I will lead in our casual learning center. We plan on having visiting theologians from Boston University and other places to come and teach also.
Karen's goal is to get as many books here as possible, maybe even open a library. She will meet with the group from the States coming in February when the group comes from Books For Africa. She may receive some of the books that her last years' class sent last year through the organization in St. Paul. (You can check out her class on the web site of booksforafrica.org)
Our construction projects are coming along well. The Learning Center main building is complete except for electrical and the water well will be finished in a week. Our next projects will be a security fence for the entire compound and two dormitory rooms. We are building a house for ourselves with some money donated for that purpose which will be the property of the Methodist Church of Tanzania when we leave or die.
They are beginning construction tomorrow. It is not a big house by any standard, but it will be adequate for our purposes. It should be ready by December.
There are thirty to forty Methodist churches in Tanzania (all in our area), and we have promised to visit every one of them in the coming year. We have already been to five including one that meets under a lean-to and one whose roof collapsed during the last rainy season (we went on a non-rainy Sunday). They have romantic sounding names: Kirekakire, Nyambatoke, Bukore, Mugango, Kahangala. None of them can be reached by paved roads, and whoever is in the car with us always says, "Barabara mbaya!" (which means "bad road"--like we hadn't noticed). Sometimes (if the church knew in advance we were coming) we are invited to lunch in one of the huts of the members. The diet is usually the same: rice, beans, greens, and some kind of meat we've never seen. At one church, one pot had a boiled chicken in it (we knew it was chicken because the head and feet were in it). We eat whatever they put in front of us. We don't believe that God led us all these thousands of miles to kill us through the food of a church member. The hardest thing we've had to consume was Coca-Cola that was at least 85 degrees warm, but they were so proud to offer it to us that we had to drink it.
Things are really crazy around here and will be until the end of October. National elections are taking place and a new president will be elected. We stay away from political rallies (almost got caught in one, but our Muslim driver spirited us away) and have been warned by the church leaders not to leave our house on election day, October 29th (we won't). After the elections are over, things will return to their usual African craziness for the next five years.
A couple of weekends ago, the power company turned the entire country off for two days while they worked on something. It seems that everyone knew it was coming except us, and we were caught with no cook, no power, and stomach flu (both of us) all at the same time. Karen, bless her heart, actually got out and tried to light a charcoal fire but the charcoal here is NOT MatchLite, so we literally had bread and water for two days. We survived and are now the proud owners of a kerosene lamp and stove (we haven't used them yet, but we feel better knowing we have them). For our first four weeks here, we had three construction teams from the Methodist Church of Ireland here building parsonages for three of the churches. The day they left (all 48 of them), an American team from Arkansas (one from Oklahoma) arrived and stayed until mid-August. We were pretty busy those first six weeks and things are only now beginning to slow down a little.
Karen and I have planned to take a couple of days off to relax and go to resort island in Lake Victoria ($ 70 a day for the room and three meals), but things just keep coming up. Now that Karen and I are legal, we have to make sure the car is. The original papers were lost, and we are having a wonderful time in African bureaucracy trying to make everything right. Maybe when that's all done, we can take some time off, but we didn't come here for relaxation, so if it takes another couple of months--well, that's okay. Karen spent a day struggling with the African bureaucracy but emerged victorious and with a Tanzanian driver's license. She's an African Mama now.
It is nice having email in our home even when it costs six dollars an hour to use it. We go to Musoma almost every week where we can send pictures to folks and surf the web for news and stuff. We've seen the pictures of the hurricane damage. How sad is that? We do love to get email, so do write, just don't send pictures or forward cute jokes and stuff.
Well, that's all from Africa for now. Karen did come out of the bedroom one night to find a bug (mdudu in Swahili) chasing a lizard down the hall. That was one big bug, but that's all the excitement from here. Let us hear how your life's been going.
Mungu awabariki,
Remember getting valuable lessons by just listening to adults tell stories? My Dad was one of twelve children; most Sunday afternoons we would drive to Anson where my grandparents lived and several of the twelve would be there. All of them seemed to be great storytellers. Because they were from a farming background, many of the stories were about severe weather and accidents with machinery. Of course, we heard the story of "I walked eight miles in the snow, uphill both ways, to go a one room school house to get an education!"
Much has been reported about how loud the lions could roar at the Abilene Zoo. We could hear the lions from the Abilene Zoo (when the breeze was out of the south) but it was always a little confusing because that sound was very similar to the sound my Dad made when I hadn't cut the lawn just right.
I attended church with several members of the class of '61 during the 1950's. In Sunday School, it was always a challenge for the teacher. There was a lot of poking, hitting and talking. I remember one poor guy who, after totally losing control, would resort to "let us pray." This ended the noise for a short time.
Remember when Abilene had a professional baseball team called the Blue Sox? When a player would hit a home run, people would push dollar bills through the backstop screen and the player would go around and collect them. The Blue Sox had a player/manager named Mac Phaduneack (Fa-du-ne-ack). When a hit was needed at a critical time in the game, the fans would chant "we want Mac, we want Mac."
- John Marshall, Valley View [Special thanks to the "The Sovereign Neighborhoods" class project - Editor, Michael Grant (Mike Wayman)]
May 2013 Update. Still living in Castroville w/Husband Burl Brock (AHS '60). Just celebrated 50 years of marriage. He is still a practicing attorney in San Antonio and we have a historic Bed & Breakfast we operate near our home. Seven grands (children). God is good! ~~~ Janie
December 2018 Update: I recently retired after 30+ years and 3 million miles on these Texas roads into HEAVY manual labor at home to make additions and repairs to the domicile. No pay except for meals, lodging and television.
Larry Mauldin
Aubrey Davis "Davis" McAULEY (20 Oct 1942 - 31 Jan 2012)
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In Memory of
Davis McAuley
October 20, 1942 - January 31, 2012
County says goodbye to former editor McAuley
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 | Cyndi Wright Bastrop County will say an emotional goodbye to longtime journalist, artist and community activist Davis McAuley, after he died Tuesday morning. McAuley had been battling cancer for some months.
McAuley will not only be remembered for his long service to the Bastrop Advertiser, but also for the way he documented local history and mentored many young reporters – as well as other co-workers.
"I didn't study journalism in college, I was an art major, but I really learned a lot from Davis," said Janice Butler, publisher of the Advertiser from 1989 to 2007 and a close friend. "The biggest and most important thing I learned from Davis was how to treat people whether they were good, bad or indifferent. They were still people and deserved respect. We learned how to tell their story accurately."
McAuley retired from the Advertiser on June 6, 2008, culminating a run of more than two decades in two stints. McAuley was known for his grammar skills and news judgment. He served as editor from 1986 to 2008 and had previously worked at the Advertiser from 1978 to 1981.
"Davis was one of the best journalists I have worked for," said current assistant editor Terry Hagerty. "He always emphasized writing with brevity and impact. He also had a dry wit that was much appreciated in the newsroom."
A more in-depth story about McAuley and his contributions to Bastrop County will appear in the Saturday edition of the Bastrop Advertiser.
McAuley's family is inviting everyone to come celebrate his life at a wake, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4 beginning at 4 p.m. at Upstart's Annabelle Center, 1508 Cypress St. in Bastrop..
Arrangements under the direction of Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home, Bastrop, TX.
My parents somehow managed to keep from me the fact that we were poor. Didn’t everyone get those great tasting beans slow cooked in the crock pot? I just knew that my dad was a fireman studying to be an accountant in night school, and that he had won some medals in the war. Years later I would learn about the bravery he wouldn’t talk about, and the sniper’s bullet that wounded him.
Dad once fought a lumber yard fire that went on for days. It must have been exhausting and harrowing, but what I remember was visiting the fire site where wives of the fireman had set up a food station. They had bologna sandwiches on white bread with miracle whip. A mom offered me one. I’d never had one before. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
What I remember most about growing up on Bickley St. in Abilene, Texas, was innocence and hopefulness. Radio was our entertainment medium, but it wasn’t as big as playing outside with my brother and neighbors like Ronnie Harter, a host of younger kids, and sometimes Diane Haddox from up the street. Our whole block softball games gave some kids six strikes because they couldn’t really swing the bat. Laughter and fun were the real goals.
What I remember most about growing up on Bickley St. in Abilene, Texas was innocence and hopefulness. Radio was our entertainment medium, but it wasn’t as big as playing outside with my brother and neighbors like Ronnie Harter, a host of younger kids, and sometimes Diane Haddox from up the street. Our whole block softball games gave some kids six strikes because they couldn’t really swing the bat. Laughter and fun were the real goals.
Our big treat was the ice cream man, and his music calling to us like the Pied Piper. He could temporarily break up any game. Sometimes we would get to buy something. It was intermittent reinforcement for being mostly good. We didn’t have any stores in our Crockett Elementary School neighborhood, but we had parents that would let us all come play, build forts, play tag, Simon says, Monopoly, checkers, or even games we would make up. Chiggers didn’t matter. It was a time of innocence, warm summer sun, occasional trips to the VFW swimming pool, camping outside, seeing the flood down our street as a chance to play instead of a threat, and politics was wearing a button just as if we had picked a favorite team. We were naïve to the knowledge that the shoe store X-Ray machine was harmful.
- Buzzy McDonald, Crockett [Special thanks to the "The Sovereign Neighborhoods" class project - Editor, Michael Grant (Mike Wayman)]
Jim has lived in the Alpine, Texas area since about 2000. He has been active with many endeavors and projects over these years.
Freddie Lee "Fred" McGINN, III - After Graduating from Texas A&M University, he became a pilot in the Air Force – a veteran of the Viet Nam war. Fred continued his higher education and earned an MBA from Central State University. He then achieved what he considered a great honor by becoming a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau (of) Investigation – retiring after 27 years. After retiring, he served 9 years at OC as their head of security.
After college, Mick worked in the family's new car dealerships. When the family sold the Abilene dealership, they purchased the Cadillac dealership in the New Orleans, LA metro area. Around 2000, Mick and family sold this dealership.
Sometime after Mick moving to the French Quarter, he met and married a young lady by the name of Jeffery. He also spend a number of years after the sale of the auto dealership giving tours of historic French Quarter of New Orleans.
R.I.P. Mick 23 Mar 2022 who left us from Tahiti.
Hi, I was in Abilene for 3 years. My dad was in the Air Force so I lived on Dyess AFB. I joined the Air Force after High School. After getting out in 4 years, I had a band that traveled everywhere in the USA and some around the world. I still play upright bass in a Rockabilly band called The Delusions in South Florida. I am past president of the Broward Art Guild and current President of the Hollywood Art Guild. I have my own gallery in Ft. Lauderdale at TRAC and enjoy outdoors painting - not house painting - oil painting.
I also specialize in woodcuts and linocut prints.
Contact me if you would like, jog my memory, there is not much left after living through the '60 but I can still walk and talk so shout out.
Cheers, Larry Joe Miller
Posted on classmates.com about 2015. 
Gerry Randall "Randy" MILLER (9 Sep 1942 - 26 Mar 1962)
Randy and I were good friends during our time at South Jr. High. While in the 8th grade, it became increasing apparent that Randy was very troubled. For junior high fun, he and I made gunpowder rockets and pipe bombs. The bombs were only used to blow up neighborhood garbage cans and etc. These harmless pranks took a darker turn when Randy began discussing building car bombs and petty larceny. I was no saint but, these were ideas I wanted no part of. My concern about Randy deepened as we entered high school. This lead me to discuss in depth (in confidence) my concerns about Randy with our high school counselor, Miss Cline.
He was a very talented artist as is his brother.
Several months after graduating from Abilene High, Randy, Mike (an AHS '61 classmate who was attending Cooper High at that time) and two younger students broke into Cooper High School twice. They stole several thousand dollars worth of audio-visual equipment and electric typewriters. Shortly after the second break-in, Randy's father discovered some of the stolen AV equipment in Randy's bedroom and confronted him. As his Dad left the bedroom to call the police, Randy shot and killed himself.
A very sad end to a life with so much potential. ~~~ Logan
William James "Billy" MONK (6 Jan 1943 - 25 Aug 2009)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obituary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Billy Monk
Hamil Family Funeral Home
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Glenn Heights
William "Billy" James Monk, 66 of Glenn Heights, passed away Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at his home.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 29, at South Side Baptist Church with Rev. Kevin Ueckert officiating, directed by The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene.
Billy was born in Abilene, Texas to Roy and Ellon (Leggett) Monk on January 6, 1943. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1961, and Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Physical Education and History. He was a softball umpire for 46 years.
He umpired in three (3) T.A.A.F. State Fast Pitch Championships, three (3) T.A.A.F. State Slow Pitch Championships, one (1) T.A.A.F. State Boys' Fast Pitch Championships, six (6) ASA State Fast Pitch Championships, five (5) ASA Regional Fast Pitch Championships, three (3) ASA National Fast Pitch Championships, one (1) ASA National Girls' Fast Pitch Championship, one (1) US Olympic Festival Men's Fast Pitch Championship, one (1) Pan American Trials Fast Pitch Championship, the First NCAA Women's Fast Pitch Championship, one (1) Tri-Nation Friendship Series, and one (1) International Softball Federation Girls Fast Pitch Championship.
In 1979 Billy received the International Softball Federation Certification, in 1986 Charter member National Umpire Indicator Fraternity, NCAA Division 1 Series Umpire. 1980-1986 Served as the T.A.A.F State Commissioner, Boy's and Men's Fast Pitch, 1984-1986 Served as T.A.A.F. State Commissioner, Boy's and Men's Church Fast Pitch, 1984-1986 Served as the T.A.A.F. State Commissioner, Women's Fast Pitch, 19841986 Served as a T.A.A.F. Regional director, 1984 Served on the T.A.A.F. Executive Board. In 1991 umpired World Junior Olympic Championship in Australia. In 1993 inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame, Recipient of the Wilson Sporting goods Award of Excellence. From 1983 -2009 he served as the Metro Dallas ASA Umpire in Chief, and on January 16, 1997 was inducted into the T.A.A.F. Hall of Fame.
While carrying out all of his duties of umpiring, Billy found time to attend the Texas Ranger Baseball games. Billy had season tickets since the 1980's, but he attended every Opening Day Game since 1974 except last year due to his illness. He did attend this year with the help of his loving wife, Pam.
Memberships and organizations included the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation, Amateur Softball Association, International Softball Federation, and the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. His church was The Oaks in Red Oak, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his father, Roy Monk; brother-in-law, David Copeland; nephew, Chad Copeland; father-in-law and mother-in-law Smitty and Frances Tarrant; and sister-in-law, Suzy Zimmermann.
Billy is survived by his mother, Ellon Monk Jones of Abilene; his wife of 28 years, Pam Tarrant Monk of Glenn Heights, Texas; two daughters, Marda Monk of Grand Prairie and Katie Monk of Denison; one son, Will Monk and wife Cathy of Allen; one stepdaughter, Paige Parks of Wichita Falls; grandchildren, Brianna and Haydn Faison of Denison, and LuLu Monk, Trey Monk and Juliet Monk of Allen; and step-granddaughter, Jordan Parks of Wichita Falls. Survivors also include his sister, Vicki Copeland of Abilene; brother-in-law; Brian Tarrant and wife, Lana of Louisiana; nephews, Craig Copeland and wife Sheila, Cody Copeland, and Brian Zimmermann; niece, Grace Tarrant; one aunt, Louise Martin of Abilene; first wife, Marian Monk of Rockwall; stepbrothers, Dale Jones and wife Darlene, Charles Jones, and Kenneth Jones all of San Angelo; numerous cousins and longtime friends; and special companion, "Chewy", his faithful dog.
I remember going to (Fair Park now Rose Park) for birthday parties and other events. Riding the little cars at the amusement park, taking ballet lessons in that big building and also having the science fair over there. I remember secretly listening to wrestlling matches broadcast on the radio from the key city sportatoriom over there. I also remember the zoo over there; there were a bunch of old lions over there and a monkey cage. there was also a peacock that used to wander around the premises. I also remember shivering in my bed all the way over on merchant street listening to the faint sound of the lions roaring at the zoo in fair park and wondering who was on the trains that passed through Abilene at night. It used to give me the creeps. Now, I often wonder what kind of a life those poor old lions had to endure; being plucked out of a jungle or savannah somewhere in africa and confined to that caged in area over there for the remainder of their lives. Kinda sad when you really think about it.
Max Vernon MOSSHOLDER, Jr. [15 Nov 1942 - 4 May 2013]
When I was in the 4th grade, my family moved to the 2100 block of Sayles Blvd where I attended Bowie Elementary. At that time, my younger brother, Jon, was only a toddler and not much of a playmate. We moved into the neighborhood about the same time that Linda Simmons' family moved in from out of town. Linda and I soon met Barbara Stevenson and her brother, David who lived 2 blocks further south on Sayles Blvd.
Our new neighborhood was a great place in which to ride our bikes, play touch football, softball and walk to the Saturday morning and matinee at the Metro Theater, on Butternut. We often ended up at Linda's house were we would play croquet for hours, on end. Between these activites and Thorntons Department Store's "Rebels," Little League Team kept me busy.
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After AHS, Max moved to the Washington, D.C. area where he found a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While working for the FBI, he earned a degree from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. After working for the FBI he was in customer service with United Airlines for thirty-two years.
Max and family continued to live in Winchester, Frederick Co., VA after his retirement.
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In Memoriam: Max passed away on May 4, 2013.
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