DIBOLL, ANGELINA COUNTY AND BEYOND

Carroll Ruby grew up in Wells, lives in spring and is coowner of Buck & Carroll's Barber Shop in Aldine. One rainy day on his way from Wells visiting with his mother, Jesse Faye Ruby, he stopped by our store. He recognized a cousin of his sitting at the round table eating lunch, Mary Lou Havard (they're related on the Stokes side of the family) and then he actually admitted to also being related to Milford Ruby.

We invited him to lunch and enjoyed visiting. He related an interesting "small world" story. He thinks the Free Press is the greatest little newspaper in the world and always kept a copy at the barber shop for customers to read. One day, a Houston police homicide officer was reading one of the historical columns in the paper about a young man in the 1800s determined to marry the pretty school teacher who had just left home to marry a preacher. The determined suitor rode his horse furiously into town and confronted the preacher and told him he was going to marry the girl. Somehow the young man talked the preacher into trading his horse for the preacher's carriage and horse and married the school teacher.

The police officer was amazed because that determined young man was his great-grandfather! And the police officer, Larry Waltman, is a brother to Brenda (Waltman) Mullins-Martin of Diboll. Carroll Ruby used to cut Brenda's husband's hair and attended Memorial Baptist Church with them. Another one of his regular customers was J.T. McDonald; his wife Zanie grew up in Wells and when she would go to the barber shop with J.T. she enjoyed telling Carroll all about his relatives that she grew up with. PS. If anyone has read or heard the story above please give us a call; we would like to hear the full story.

Renae and Sarah Smith were in Diboll during spring break visiting with family and friends. They stayed with Carolyn and Dean Smith while "Little" Dean stayed home and worked in Laramie, Wyo. This young East Texas family that has been used to mild winters has endured minus 30-degree weather in Wyoming. It was so cold that their clothes froze to the walls of the closets. But here in Texas Sarah has enjoyed having several of her friends over for slumber parties. Renae and her sister Lorrie and her daughters, Payton and Preslie, have been there "around the clock." Dean's next job site will be in Greeley, Colo.

Jessie Conner received a phone call from our store when friends of hers

and Arlie B's stopped with tire problems. Roy and Kay McKneely live in Lake Jackson and that is where they knew the Conners. The McKneelys were on their way to Shreveport, La.

Jack Devereaux celebrated his 90th birthday March 3 the same as George Davis who is 11 years younger. Both these guys have played lots of golf at Neches Pines. Until about three years ago, Jack would stand on his head when he had a good game. Mozelle and his daughter, Paula Devereaux, both verified that Jack would always stand on his head for his birthday (except this year) and he doesn't need a wall to do it! That's absolutely amazing.

We send greetings from the RT to George Davis who has been homebound for a while and not feeling well. Tammy and Chet Winger were getting spring fever and in buying a new leaf blower. Stephanie Wagner and mother, Sherry Carnley, were in getting fishing licenses. They had plans to enjoy camping and fishing during spring break at Jackson Hill on Lake Sam Rayburn. Terry Taylor with Drago was in buying Colorado pinto beans. Longtime Dibollian, Algie Kilgore, was in buying tomato plants and seeds to plant green beans.

Shirley Terrell is enjoying retirement; she came in to buy vegetable seeds and onions. She has plans to travel to Grayslake, Ill., to visit her

grandson's family; Michael

and Sarah Homan and their children, 3-year-old Clay and baby Josh. Kathy and Kristi Homan were also planning to make the trip with Shirley.

Tom and Marie Squyres were excited about going trout fishing in Broken Bow, Okla. Tom wants to remind everyone about the Beulah Reunion on April 13 at 10 a.m. at the Beulah Congregational Methodist Church. 17-year-old Trey Thompson will bring the message and Bernice Weisinger will be the guest speaker. Bring your favorite dish and come on, everyone's invited.

Gerald Molanders and his daughter, Stormy, were in buying seeds and fertilizer for an eighth grade science project for Terry Carlton's class at Diboll Junior High. Pete Weeks and Terry Carlton were in buying cattle cubes. Terry was planning to take Judy shopping in Houston during spring break.

After being to eat at Ray's Drive-in, Sandy and Don Hendrick of Diboll and Sarah and James Weatherby of Liberty stopped by to buy Colorado pinto beans and discovered we had a new shipment of the RT Cookbooks. Both bought a cookbook as well as Patsy Kissee when she came in to buy sunflower seeds.

Bill Duty stopped by for coffee and a short visit. We were sad for him after the death of his brother, J.C. Duty. Sandy Markwood came in with her friend, Denise Wilson. Sandy is originally from California and has been in this area about three months. She is "out of her element" and still adjusting to the changes. She says "Texas seems like a different country instead of a different state."

Andrea has received another shipment of "Country Cookin' with the Roundtable at Pouland's". The price is $10 so, come on by and see us … 'round the table.