ALL AROUND LUFKIN
Janice Ann Rowe

James and Charlotte Wagstaff are proud of their son Petty Officer Jordan Wagstaff, who has been selected from 350 applicants, as the Atlantic Area driver for the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral T. W. Allen. Jordan is a 2005 graduate from Lufkin High School and went into the Coast Guard following graduation. He started as a reservist his senior year in high school and was in Rescue for a year where he would jump from the helicopter and swim and rescue people. Now he has been in law enforcement for over a year. He takes the job and it will locate him to Washington, D. C. Since the Commandant is one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Jordan will be attending many events like the State of the Union address, and will fly on Air Force I with the commandant overseas to London on business. He will be trained by the secret service for this job.

Buford Abeldt has purchased the contents and prescriptions from Sirman Drug in Corrigan. John Sirman, as of February 12, closed Sirman Drug after 72 years of business. The Corrigan customers can still dial the local Sirman Drug telephone number and it will ring in Lufkin. Abeldt's will deliver prescriptions two days a week (Tuesday and Friday) within the city limits of Corrigan. Abeldt will keep the nursing home patients and will continue the same good service that the Sirmans started.

Nelda and Howard Horton went to see Howard's brother's vintage car that was in the show at the Dallas Market. They went and were browsing when Nelda suddenly saw the profile of a man sitting at a table and knew who he was. It was

Henry Winkler, the Fonz from "Happy Days". He saw Nelda, stood up, motioned for her to come over and said, "Take your picture with me." She said, "Ok, just a minute!" ran and grabbed Howard. He and Howard started talking about when Howard flew Chachi around years ago. Yes, they did take their picture with him! Nelda reported that he was absolutely handsome (still), exhibited personality galore, and was extremely complimentary and cordial. She even got 3 kisses to the cheek & forehead. Wow…Happy Days! She sent a picture of the three of them.

Nancy Moore has bluebirds in her Henderson/Hudgins bluebird house.

Woodie Hicks and Jo Ann Handley went to the movie to see "Bucket List". Woodie recommends it.

I made a mistake when I asked Dorothy Hale, the queen on day lilies, about fertilizer. What she told me was too complicated and she poured a cup on each bulb. You all know me, and I went to Lufkin Farm Nursery and Stephen Corley sold me Dutch Bulb Food granules in a sack. I threw it on my paper white plants. Sorry Dorothy.

Barbara and Peyton Mathis' project for the two teams in the Relay for Life, American Cancer Society, is a cookbook of their daughter

Lauralyn Mathis Hilliard's favorite recipes. The book is for sale for $15 and if Barbara mails it there is an additional $2.00 for postage. The proceeds will go to the two teams started by Tammy Hankins Woijcik, named "Melanoma Sucks" and her daughter Maci Woijcik, who is only 16, called "Lauralyn's Friends". Also proceeds will go to "Sassy Sisters" which is the team that was started in memory of Susan Rutherford Mathis. You can contact Barbara Mathis at 936-634-6253 or at home at 1405 Oak Hill Place, Lufkin, TX 75904. Her email is: bjmathis@ consolidated.net. She is hoping for a central place so you can get your copy and she will not have to mail them. Barbara and Peyton funded the cook books so all of the proceeds will go to the Relay for Life. If you have a place at your work and would like some books to sell there, contact Barbara. They have 500 to sell.

The Texas Forestry Museum is hosting their Texas Hold 'Em Tournament on Friday, March 7. Seating is limited to the 6 p.m. BYOB Pizza event. Tickets are $55 per person. Proceeds benefit the Texas Forestry Museum. Contact them at 936.632.9535 or email: info@ treetexas. com for details.

David and Bonny Hicks held the Estate Sale at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. W. Evans over the weekend. I saw Joy Eagle and Effie Stemple at the sale. Mary Read was helping Kathy Barrett and David at the check out table.

Beth Trimble McKinney is back in town and was treated to lunch with Sarah Rowin Ritchey, Carolyn Haney, Jean and Oscar Dillahunty, and J. E. Driskell at Cheddars.

Laura and George Thannisch have sold their house and 13 and a half acres on S. Chestnut to Buddy and Susie Jordan. They have moved their horses out to the land and plan to entertain their 13 grandchildren.

The Thannisch's daughter

Pat McLaughlin is in Coconut Grove near Miami working on the movie "Marley & Me" with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. She is the wardrobe supervisor. She lives in Los Angeles and has worked on several movies and the television show Eli Stone as the wardrobe supervisor. I forgot to ask Laura if Pat would have credits at the end of the shows.

Jean and Oscar Dillahunty were in College Station for the birthday party of grandson Mark Mackey, son of Anne and Curt Mackey. The party was at Aggie Mountain. They took Patrick and Kelley Haney so they can all tell you about their adventure.

I usually do not mention funerals but this one was not in our Lufkin paper. Many remember Willie Smelley LHS Class of 1940. Annon Card, Bob Hicks and I went to Houston for the funeral of Willie Smelley, long time friend to both of the men and was instrumental in helping Annon Card start our Lufkin High School Alumni Association. Willie passed away on February 18 after suffering a stroke. We met his son John William who remembered Bob Hicks and Willie's wife Colleen Smelley who visited with all of us.

The Angelina College Choir presents Showtime 2008 on March 1 and 2 at the Temple Theater. Show time is 7:30 on Saturday and 2:30 on Sunday. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for Seniors and students.

Ernest was selling delicious rib eye sandwiches with the Roundtable at the Angelina County Youth Fair. Cooking were: Peyton Mathis, Bob Brown, Kip Miller, Mack Carnes, Charles Arnold, Charles Kent, Raymond Moore, Jerry Highnote, Joe Berry, Hugh Anderson, and Joe Rich, Sr. Other helpers were J. E. Treadway and Glen Arnold. Ernest said that Kimberlin Arnold, daughter of Glen and JonAnna, helped him collect money. Some that Ernest saw at the sale were Carl Ray and Romy Polk with Preston, Andrew, and Mary Grace, Anita and Chris Caraway with Corine and Cole, Jesse Bradford with his granddaughter Addyson Arnold and grandson Charlie Arnold, Kay Highnote, Janet Treadway with Luke Langston, Jo Ann Arnold, Matt Smithhart, Brian and Abigail Moore, John and Denise and Holli McCary, Becky Becker and Stephen Burnett who showed a goat, Carolyn Hutson, Becca and Will Chance, David and Tara Mosley with Adriana Mosley who showed a heifer, Pat and Denise Nicholson with Morgan who showed a lamb, Karen Gibbs with Thomas and William who showed goats, Robin and Joe Collmorgen with Julia who showed a goat. Preston Polk won Grand Champion Heifer, Corine Caraway won "Best of Show" for her pie, and Matt Smithhart showed a hog, had a photograph and won a ribbon for his cinnamon rolls. Talk about diversification.

Todd Kassaw, chairman of the youth fair committee, was pleased with the support.

Kay Agan Highnote's six-month-old grandson Elijah Agan had open-heart surgery on February 19 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and was well enough to come home to Indianapolis, Indiana with parents Dustin and Tina Agan. He is doing fine and the Agans want to thank everyone for their thoughtful concert and especially their prayers.

Richard and Mary Lee Bivin were in church to hear daughter Lynne Bivin Nagy sing. Richard had a fall and has missed several Sundays.

Bob and Tony Brown had grandsons, Grayson and Griffin and their parents Tana and Greg Weiss, in town over the weekend.

Betty Warren is out and about after having the flu for several months. I know that Robbie and Robert Warren are glad that she is better.

Do not forget the Easter Eggstravaganza at the First Christian Church that is open to all to come and hunt eggs on Saturday, March 22 starting at 10 a.m.

John Billingsley, son of Cay and Tom Billingsley, is engaged to Antoinette Vega, daughter of Connie and Joe Vega of Fort Worth. They have set the date for August 9 at the First Christian Church in Fort Worth. John is a CPA with Beringer Havard Real Estate in Dallas. They met at TCU. An Engagement Party was held in Fort Worth on February 17 to honor John and Antoinette and was attended by Cay and Tom Billingsley, Beth Billingsley of New York City, Dolly Hudgins, Ryan Squyres, who will be the best man, Ryan and Lizzy Hufford, and Stephanie Moore.

Enjoying the Mar Teres Tea Room last week were Alpha Chi Omega sisters from SFA, Ashley Bowers and Lacy Winston Keath.

Karla, Stephen and Abby Yates were down several days with the virus. Dr. George Fidone recommended the heavy syrup from fruit cocktail to stop the vomiting and they went to Urgent Doc for a prescription for Tamaflu. They recommend the Urgent Doc facility out near Sam's.

Patsy and Tommy Hines were looking at the Lufkin Telephone Exchange book from 1947 that was inherited by Ray and Paulette Turner. Patsy called me to see if I remembered our home telephone number in 1947 and believe it or not it just came out 728 and that was right. She was surprised that I could remember that far back. They had fun looking at old telephone numbers.

Happy Birthday: John Kennedy, Cathy Carr, Bill Moreau, Lynne Booker, Faye Honea, Billye Marie York, Patsy Head, Jerry Hill, Jo Ann Nerren, Gwen Kettering, Ronnie Robinson, Amanda Cornelius, Benjamin Harkness, Caitlin George, Brannon Ferrara, Jean Wayland, Gene Brookshire, Carson Grimes, Bob McCarroll, Jerry Sparks, Woodie- Lou Hicks.

Happy Anniversary: Lee and Cathey Friesen, Clarkie and Wayne Brown, Carol and Gary Looney.

Gaynell Whitton was celebrating her birthday a day early with daughter-in-law Linda Whitton having lunch and shopping at Sam's Club. We had a good visit. Her son, Steve Whitton, and Julie were in school at the same time. Happy Birthday February 24.

I have a new blue Honda Accord. Jay Anderson and Ted Hemness helped me on Saturday to get the new car. Talk about "stuff" in the old one. I will just give you some of the things that I transferred from the old car to boxes and most went back into "Blue" like fast food napkins, forks, lotion, hand sanitizer, mouth wash, Kleenex, maps, 6 umbrellas, adapter for telephone, paper clips, loose change, rubber bands, bank deposit slips, coupons, sewing kit, 2 stadium seats, rain coat, wind breaker, flash light, whisk broom, booster cables, first aid kit, 2 army Swiss knives, calculator, and tape measurer. These are necessary items when you "work" from your car.

Sunday, March 2 is Texas Independence Day. Fly your Texas Flag proudly!!!!

Let me hear what you have been doing. Catch you around town. Janice Ann

Email: roweja@suddenlink.net