ALL AROUND LUFKIN
Janice Ann Rowe

On March 17, 1918, an eleven-pound baby girl was born to Dave and Augusta Modisette in Lala Hill, Texas (near Huntington). Rosa Bernice Modisette Maberry became the "luck of the family" and celebrated this St Patrick's Day birthday with all her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. The celebration was held in her home in Crown Colony. The count was around 50 with too many to name here. Lynda Zimmerman, Emily Nichols and Mike Maberry were there with most of their offspring including the girls of the late Ron Maberry. Many poems and letters were read with teary eyes remembering the life of Bernice. Today, she has over 2000 people on her birthday calendar that she calls and plays the harmonica, ending with a solo of "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You". Happy 90th birthday Bernice Maberry who still drives her car, does not wear glasses, and never takes a pill, not even aspirin! She is truly an inspiration to all who know and love her. I called and tried to play my harmonica for her birthday. She laughed and said play it again. I do not know how long she has been "serenading" me at my birthday and anniversary but she is the love of my life!!!!..

Pat Brazil had a hummingbird on March 17 around 6:30 p.m. Hilda Mitchell and Josie Spivey have their feeders hanging. Jimmie Putnam saw her first hummer on March 17. Oscar and Jean Dillahunty have one too. Mary Martha Henderson has birds in her birdhouses but does not know what type. Josie and Dan Spivey have birds in their houses. Spring is here.

Chuck and Pat Royston's blue birds will be deliriously happy this year! They hung out their blue bird occupancy sign, offered free music, guard dog and meal worms (their favorite) and the birds came early to check it out!

Mark your calendar for the Junior League Spring Market March 27-29 at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center. There will be shopping for all on Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at $5 per person. Thursday night is the gourmet pre party with early discounted shopping, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from 6 to 9 p.m. This cost is $35 per person. Friday is the luncheon and style show at noon. The cost for this is $25 per person. If you want it all!!! There is The Big Ticket for $50. Market passes may be purchased from any Junior League member, at the Wishing Well or at Commercial Bank on South First Street.

I kept hearing about Ecomet Burley, Jr. being on the Oprah Winfrey's show The Big Give but when we watched Sunday night (3/16) we did not see him. They kept saying a Houston school was one of the schools, so I called his mother, Willie Mae Burley, and got the scoop. Ecomet is the superintendent in La Marque where the Sims Elementary School was the one that the group from The Big Give did the Christmas for everyone. They raised almost $500,000 and it went for toys, computers and other things for the school that had been broken into twelve times. Ecomet was on the channel 13 news at 5 p.m. and Mrs. Burley was able to see him that Monday talking about his school and what it meant to them.

Sue Rolf had the cutest purse with pictures of grandson Dean Maxwell, son of John and Jessica (Hannabas) Rolf who is a year old. John is in Argyle where he is the head worship leader for Cross Timbers Churches in Denton, Keller and Argyle. The Rolf 's other son Ben Rolf, graduated from Texas A&M with his degree in Industrial Distribution in December. He is working in Fort Worth for Weir-SPM in training to sell oil and gas pumps. He and Katherine Goodwin will be married June 7 and will live in Fort Worth.

Joe Martin was walking in my neighborhood inviting the folks to Easter celebrations at Harmony Hill Baptist Church. Ernest was spreading top soil and Joe gave him a bottle of water.

Joy Coble has had daughter Latane Reitz visiting her from Amarillo during her spring break.

Daughters Jetta Ann McGinniss from Kansas City, Jennifer Conway and niece Cathy Todd honored Jetta Westerholm on her 80th birthday. It was a "girls only" party and Peyton Walters came first with Tamara and was turned outside. Dick Pike and Tom Duncan came with their wives and were allowed just inside the door. Another niece of Jetta's Jill Amend came in from Houston and helped with the party.

Happy Birthday: John Pope, Colby Greenville, Brax Turner, Dorman Forrest, Mary Russell, Catherine Rich, Helen Tullos, Hunter Haglund, Cole Corley, Harmon Moore, Lindsey Watts, Hollie Bartlett, Karen Lazarine, Jimmie Putnam, Johnathon Temple, Randy George Jr., Ruth Brandenburg, Julie Lowther, Kylie McCarty, Frederic Tims, Ed Booth, Doris Cordova, Peyton Mathis, Buck Doiron, Marian Corley, Linda Reynolds, Colin Lowther.

Happy Anniversary: Linda and Ed Mount. Bebe and Joe Hubbard celebrated their 57 th wedding anniversary.

Mark your calendar for the 7 th Annual Garden Tour hosted by the Lufkin Landscape Task Force on Saturday April 5. Gardens open are Pat and Leon Levens, Karla and Jon Anderson, Lois and Royal Powell, Mary Jean Maroney, Beverly and Charles Kent, Dr. Ralph Rose's office. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the gardens the day of the tour or at the offices of Thomas Croley DDS; Hesters & Sanders Architecture, Bob Flournoy, and the Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds go to the completion of Louis Bronaugh Park.

New Varsity Cheer Leaders for LHS are: Sheara Browning, Ashley Cornelius, Rachel Denman, Bailey Dew, Hannah Goodwin, La'Porcha Jones, Kendall King, Alison Laird, Katie Lightfoot, Arika Olivier, Zach Parbs, Jacqueline Parks, Corrinn Robinson, Amy Scoggins, BreAnn Stokes, Ebony Young and Mascot Claire Brody. Their coach is T. J. Patterson.

The J.V. Cheerleaders are: Brandi Bryan, Tori Charanza, Chelsea Doolan, Susan Elliott, Laura Hensley, Torri Johnson, Reagan Longnion, Kortney Lovelace, Taylor Lowery, Tomie May, Kelcye McPherson, Tia Myers, Chelsea Russell, Rachel Smith, Julie Viet, Jenna Windham. Andrea Mark is their coach.

Freshman Cheerleaders are: Rachel Chlebnikow, Kivana Ford, Savannah Golden, Clarissa Hale, Jaime Johnson, Jada LaRue, Taylor Martin, Abby McCarty, Tieka McFarland, Sarah Morgan, Summer Moscrey, Allesa Peitersen, Leah Phillips, Devon Rush, Hanna Shurley, Sarah Stafford, Morgan Vann and Kayla Williams.

Jo Ann and Gene Nerren have decided to sell their 4 bedroom, study, 3-bath home at 1517 Reen Drive. They built the house in 1964 and plan to move to a retirement village in the hill country.

St. Cyprian's Episcopal School will host their Bayou Bash on Friday April 4. There are many prizes and auction items.

I had an email from readers in Bastrop that said it is safe to eat in Bastrop. The shinga virus is gone. They were sorry that I missed eating there when we were on our trip.

Val and Bill Dobrec have lost their yellow lab Tigger. She is 13 years old with a gray muzzle. She wandered off from their home on Reen last Thursday (20 th). If you know where she might be contact the Dobrecs.

Levi Fuller, son of Sandra and Eldon Fuller joined the Army National Guard in March 2004 and was assigned to the 36th Infantry, Charlie Battery, 1/133 Field Artillery Unit. He graduated from Advanced Individual Training for MOS 13 Bravo, November 2004, at Ft. Sill, OK. He graduated the Distinguished Graduate [The #1 soldier of the class based on the Drill Sergeant's recommendations, Basic Rifle Marksmanship, Physical Fitness Test and End of Cycle Test Scores] from a class of 4 platoons containing a total of 199 soldiers. Levi was attending the 2005 Spring Semester at Texas A & M as a first year Cadet in the Corps when he received his orders for deployment. He was able to complete the semester after which he spent much of the summer attending extensive Army training. He entered a 16-month active duty deployment August 2005 when he reported for duty at Ft. Hood for further training. He was deployed with Operation Enduring Freedom, a KFOR7 Balkans Contingency Operation in Kosovo. Upon discharge, he had completed Air Assault School with the 101st Airborne Division in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, successfully completed the Warrior Leader Course from the 3747th Multifunctional Training Brigade-Europe Noncommissioned Officers Academy as an honor graduate, was awarded the Army Achievement medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Meritorious Service, Article 5 NATO medal (Balkans) and the German Army Marksmanship Badge. He also was able to complete 10 hours of college while deployed. He has since completed the United States Army Infantry School Airborne Course in Ft. Benning, GA and was promoted to Sergeant E5 position in June 2007 at the age of 20. Upon returning home from deployment, Dec 2006, Levi returned to Texas A & M Spring Semester 2007 to continue his studies. He is currently a member of Texas A & M Corps of Cadets, Company B2 where he serves as a Gunnery Sgt with his Corps unit. He is a member of the Ross Volunteers (Honor Guard for the Governor of the State of Texas) and a member of the Rudders Rangers (Pre- Ranger Training Program). He was also a member of the 2007 Texas A & M Ranger Challenge Competition Team, which has won 7 years in a row. The Ranger Challenge Competition Award was presented at the home football game between Texas A & M and the Kansas Jayhawks with the Former President George Bush, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Governor Rick Perry among other dignitaries attending the ceremony. Even while carrying out the obligations and demands of the Corps as well as other activities, he has managed to make the Commandant's Honor Roll several times. As a Cadet he is assigned to the Alpha Battery, 1/133rd Field Artillery of the Army National Guard in Nacogdoches, Texas and still attends Guard drills on a monthly basis. His future plans: After retiring from the military, he hopes to possibly work in the State Department or come home to teach high school students. I met Levi in his senior year at LHS in 2004. He was a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, an Eagle Scout, graduated cum laude and was in the National Honor Society.

Julie Jumper Morris was in Connecticut with Nancy and Michael Herde and Hannah, Isabelle, George and Sarah for Easter. Rocky Morris came to Lufkin with his son Petty Officer 3 rd Class Andrew Morris and we had a good visit before Easter. Andrew is a Fire Control Specialist aboard the USS Laboon, a guided missile destroyer. He had been deployed to the Mediterranean for six months and made eight ports. His home base is Norfolk, Virginia.

We are proud to know young men like this who have served and are serving our country. God Bless them and God Bless America. Catch you around town. Janice Ann email: roweja@suddenlink.net