Margie Featherston of Ovilla passed away peacefully on December 31, 2022 with her daughters and husband by her side.

She was born in Cransfills Gap, TX as the fifth of six children.

She graduated from Waco High School, then moved with her parents to Fort Worth.

She married Jack Featherston and settled in Ovilla where they lived for over forty years. She was a faithful servant who worked at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for over twenty years making an impact on many.

She is survived by husband of 57 years, Jack, daughters Laura Featherston (Debbe Robinson) and Amy Featherston (Paul Gowan) and granddaughter Lucy Ciarochi. Brothers George Picha (Gladys), Albin Picha, and Robert Picha (Jo Ann). Sister Jean Ward and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A note from John Ferguson:
This is to let you know that following a lengthy illness, our dear friend Jim Maxwell died this morning in Santa Fe. There will be no obituary, and funeral plans are private.

For those wishing to send condolences:
Gary McLeod:
100 Rio Vista Place, Apt. 146
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Ernie was born on January 13, 1942, to the late Ernest Franklin Higginbotham and Margaret Helen Higginbotham. He grew up in Waco and graduated from Waco High School in 1960.

After high school he was recruited by Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas to play baseball, then a year later he was recruited by Baylor University in Waco to play baseball for them.

Ernie then joined the Marines on August 1, 1962 and was stationed in San Diego, California.

During this time, he earned numerous badges and other honors.

Ernie left the Marines on May 13, 1968. His discharge certificate was a testimonial of Honest and Faithful service. He was a Marine for Life!

After leaving the Marines he stayed in Southern California for many years and joined the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Ernie moved back to Houston, Texas in 1985. He started a construction company where he resided until he met Kim, and they moved back to Killeen.

They were married on February 14, 2000.

Ernie was a devoted Texas Longhorn fan, Dallas Cowboys fan, loved boating, Elvis Presley and Mickey Gilley.

Ernie was devoted to his family and loved helping and spending time with them.

He had a wonderful sense of humor, a loving heart, and a warm smile.

Ernie was a loyal husband and friend and will be greatly missed by many who consider themselves blessed to have had him in their lives.

Ernie was the best husband, dad, step-father, and Papa anyone could ever hope for.

Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret Helen and Ernest Franklin Higginbotham, his brother, Robert Higginbotham.

He is survived by his wife Kimberly, two sons from a previous marriage, Craig and Eric Higginbotham, step-daughter, Tiffany Bralley, and her husband J.D. Bralley; brother, Donald Higginbotham; grandchildren, Hudson Bralley; Ashlee and Amanda Higginbotham; Kyle Higginbotham; as well as several nieces, Lori, Jennifer, Julie and Tanya; and his beloved cats, Sam and Sissy.

Dr. John William Schwetman, 81, of Huntsville, Texas, was born on January 27, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts and passed peacefully away with his loving family surrounding him on January 12, 2023.

He was the second of three children of Dr. Herbert DeWitt Schwetman and Mary Jean Knight of Waco, Texas.

John graduated from Waco High School in 1960. He received his BA in 1963 and MA in 1965 from Baylor University in Waco; and he received his PhD from The University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. He taught many English courses at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, Missouri, as he was pursuing his PhD. John moved his family to Huntsville, Texas, in 1972 to accept a position on the faculty at Sam Houston State University. During his 30-year tenure at Sam Houston he enjoyed teaching courses in his specialties of Medieval Literature and Linguistics, as well as many other courses in the department. He traveled to Ireland and England to continue his research on 16th Century Old English War poems, which became the focus of many articles he wrote and presentations he made at professional societies. In addition, he served on the Faculty Senate at Sam Houston and was elected as Faculty Senate Chair. He received the honor of Professor Emeritus upon his retirement. Dr. Schwetman loved teaching and often remarked that if they knew how much he enjoyed it they might not want to pay him! He also was heard to say that if we do not love what we do we should find something that makes us happy and do that. Some of those things John found that made him happy were: taking a group of students on a study abroad to London; writing and publishing in many publications; being a lover of books on every subject; birding internationally and compiling an impressive life-list; and sponsoring the APO Fraternity at SHSU.

One of John’s favorite activities, possibly based in the Boy Scout life, was a 425-mile trip in a canoe with his friends Bill and Tom down the Brazos River from Waco to the mouth of the River in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, he went around the world with a group of Boy Scouts after a World Jamboree in the Philippines as a teenager. Travel continued to be a part of his life always. John and his wife Jenny traveled extensively from the St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, to staying in a castle in France, to floating down the Amazon River, to Antarctica and just about everywhere in between, making lifetime friends with fellow travelers. John also combined his love for birds with his love of traveling and spent a great deal of time identifying birds, along with Jenny, in Texas, other states, and around the world. He served as president of the Huntsville Audubon Society and the Texas Ornithological Society. John wore his binoculars like others wear a tie.

Although John loved his career as a professor, his greatest joy was in his family. He and Jenny delighted in bringing up their two daughters with all that encompassed…nature, travel, flying kites and (to the utter dismay of his mother-in-law Hazel) keeping snakes that he used to share knowledge about with schoolchildren as well as adults. He played basketball, Frisbee, and softball with his daughters, and he took them fishing, camping, backpacking, and on snake hunts. He even installed a turning bar and a ballet bar along with a basketball goal. His daughters’ interests became his interests, and he even spent many hours helping to organize a stamp collection into books. John was very supportive of the girls as they participated in the high school band, and he and Jenny delivered a cooler of sodas for the band members after the half-time show at every home game. John and Jenny watched their girls grow up to be university professors just like him. It follows that great happiness came from watching his grandchildren grow to adulthood as he and Jenny took them to faraway places including Africa, Europe, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands. He and Jenny went to every event their grandchildren participated in, including swim meets, dance competitions, school programs, and little league games. He also spent a lot of time reading to them and even helped them with homework.

Professor Emeritus Schwetman was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Dr. Rosemary Schwetman Alexander, and his sister-law, Nanene Hall Schwetman.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, who loves him eternally, Jenny Noe Schwetman; his daughters: Sondra Paige Schwetman and her husband, Patrick Williams of California; and Dr. Melinda Schwetman Miller and her husband, R. Marsh Miller, Jr. of Huntsville, TX; his grandchildren: R. Marsh Miller, III, JD and his partner, Garrett King, PA, of Houston; and Melissa Paige Miller, BCBA, of Austin; his brother, Dr. Herbert DeWitt Schwetman, Jr. and his wife, Anne Greenway of Austin; his brother-in-law, Dr. William P. Alexander III, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and former students whose lives were enriched by the experience of knowing him.

The family would like to thank our Pastor, Dr. Craig King, caregivers Pat Oliphant, Maye Ross, and others for their loving care, and also the kind ICU nurses and doctors at HMH and Memorial Hermann, The Woodlands.

Grover Newton Rogers, 80, of Waco, passed away on Friday, November 4, 2022. A Memorial Service will be 11am, Wednesday, November 9th, 2022 with Rev. Robyn Ford officiating. A time of visitation beginning at 10 am both at Grace Gardens Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow at Waco Memorial Park.

Grover was born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 19, 1942 to John and Claris Martin Rogers. Growing up in Waco, he was a 1960 graduate of Waco High School. Grover married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Watson. He was the owner of Carroll and Rogers Office Machines. An avid racer, he raced anything with wheels, such as go carts, motorcycles, top fuel dragsters, and funny cars. He also built and flew airplanes. Grover could build anything, his mind for mechanics was unmatched.

Grover was preceded in death by his parents.

Left to cherish his memories are his beloved wife of 58 years, Sandra; son, Marc and wife, Laura; grandchildren, Sarah Dodge and husband Michael, Jacob, Caleb, Noah; sisters, Susan McKay, Nancy Vordokas; brother, John; and his lifelong friend, Dale Breedlove.

The family wishes to express a fond thank you to Veronica Arrington and the staff of St. Anthony’s Care Center for the loving care given to Grover.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Bruceville – Eddy Methodist Church or the First Baptist Church of Hewitt.

Some sad news.  I have learned that our fellow graduate, Tommy Carter, is now deceased.  The information was released on his daughter’s Facebook account. Several of our graduates reached out to Tommy to encourage him to attend our reunions and become reacquainted with classmates.  Unfortunately, they were never able to obtain success from their endeavors.
Here are some pictures of Tommy in our yearbook.  He was nominated as one of our Senior favorites.  Let us all remember Tommy as we knew him in high school.  May Tommy be at peace.

Unfortunately, all classmates in the picture are now deceased

Michael Don McGown, Sr passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, July 16, 2022. He was born on February 27, 1943 to Need & Gladys McGown in Waco, TX. Don attended Bryan Adams High School where he was on the cheer team. He still has his cheering sweater after all these years, although it would be a bit tight. Don and his family also attended North Waco Baptist Church, the same church where his son, Michael, would one day attend while in college and volunteer in the Youth Department.

Don graduated from Texas A&M University in 1964 with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and received his MBA from Northwestern University. He held numerous positions at numerous companies like Hallmark, Coca-Cola, Kitchen Fresh, Judson Candies, Martin-Marietta, KCI, and USAA. His jobs took him from Chicago, to Kansas City, to Houston, to Chattanooga, and finally to San Antonio where he eventually retired before moving to Katy to be close to his sons and their families.

Don began to date Kay Louise Griffith, a striking freshman at TCU, after being setup on a blind date. It was peaches and cream from there. They married on December 28, 1964, as soon as Don graduated, just weeks before he went off to war in Vietnam. After servicing as an intelligence officer, he came home safely and the family began. Michael Don McGown, Jr was born in September of 1968 and Kevin Wayne McGown followed 14 months later in December of 1969. Being quite the handful, Don and Kay decided that was enough.

Don was a wonderful father to his sons. He never missed a ballgame, took the boys hiking, fishing, and camping as Indian Guides through the YMCA. Adventures at Camp Ocoee included swinging from vines in the woods, fishing at the same productive hole year after year, almost burning the lodge down, and sleeping with the windows accidentally open on a snowy night.

Don was also a loving husband to his dear wife, Kay. They were married a total of 57 years. They built a life of love and mutual support through the years. They served each other and served the Lord at church. They loved to cruise and went to Alaska, the Bahamas, the usual stops out of Galveston, and even the Panama Canal. Don’s final wish was for the whole family to go on a cruise, which they did, just 5 weeks before he passed.

Don was a devoted Aggie. Despite his best efforts, his sons attended Baylor and only one grandchild out of 6 went to A&M. But the Aggies were always his favorite team. True to tradition, the Aggies never lost, they just ran out of time. It was not unusual for Don to watch old A&M football games throughout the summer to gear up for the upcoming season.

But probably the thing that Don will be most remembered for is his love for the Lord. While Don had always gone to church and became a Christ-follower as a boy, he had a personal spiritual awakening in his life in the 1980’s. Probably driven by his desire for his young sons to shape up and follow Jesus, Don & Kay started taking very seriously their own personal spiritual lives while in Chattanooga. This continued when they moved to San Antonio where the family attended Shearer Hills Baptist Church. As a leader in the church, Don taught numerous Sunday School classes, was a deacon, and volunteered in countless ways, all to serve the Lord. But he wasn’t just a church attender—you could see Jesus in his words, his kindness, and his willingness to help anyone. Ultimately, the example set by Don & Kay was a key factor in both their sons being called to go into the ministry and they both serve as pastors today. Michael is the pastor at Parkway Fellowship and Kevin is the pastor at Regeneration Church, both church plants started by each.

Don will be missed greatly. His laugh, his smile, his Aggie fanaticism, his borderline hoarding (because you might need that someday), and his love for Jesus, are what we remember and love the most. He leaves behind his loving wife, Kay, two sons, Michael & Kevin and their wives, Amy & Patresa, and six grandkids, Mason and his wife, Valeria, Elena, Spencer, Abby, Libby, and Ben. There is also a great grandchild on the way which Don will see from Heaven.

We miss you so much already. Love you big.

Darell Gene Gill, a long-time resident of Plano, Texas passed away July 2, 2022 at the age of 80. He had recently moved to Cibolo, Texas to be closer to his sister, Vickie Jackson. He was born on May 15, 1942 to Delbert Gill and Thelma Mae (Wheeler) Gill in Waco, Texas where he grew up. Darell was a graduate of the 1960 class of Waco High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from North Texas State University and also earned a master’s degree from East Texas State University. For a time, Darell played semi-pro baseball for the Waco Missions. He later used his athletic talents to coach baseball and football to budding athletes in Plano ISD. In 1994, he earned a state football championship ring when the Plano Wildcats won the state title. The Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association awarded Darell as the first recipient of the Texas High School Assistant Coach of the year. In addition to coaching, Darell was a teacher for over 30 years.

Darell was a member of the Freemasons and a licensed pilot. He loved to fly and in 1985, the Plano Daily Star-Courier wrote an article about Darell teaching flight training to flying club students.

Darell was a very active member with FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and member of the Heights Baptist Church in Richardson, Texas. He was a loving father, brother, uncle and friend. Darell will be missed dearly by those who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his sister, Janice Meadows of Griffin, Georgia, Vickie Jackson and husband, John of San Antonio, Texas, and Kathy Gill Foil of Brenham, Texas; brother, Travis Gill and wife, Pam of Victoria, Texas; nieces, Jennifer Nelson, Vanessa Presson, Amy Horn, and Kara Koen; and a host of other loving family and friends.

Darell was preceded in death by his daughter, Mandy Gill Gupta and parents, Thelma and Mozine Wood.

A memorial service was held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 14, 2022 at Turrentine-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service was recorded and can be seen by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/darell-gene-gill.

w/ David McPhail	w/Gwen Ewing Hodges

Linda Sue (Shelby) Lyons of Waco passed away on October 26, 2021 at the age of 79.

Linda was born September 12, 1942 in Waco, Texas, to Everett and Lena Belle Shelby. She attended schools in Waco and graduated from Waco High School in 1960. In 1966, Linda earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Baylor University with majors in French, German and English. During her teaching career, she taught high school English, French and Special Education briefly in Dallas then Waco. In 1975, Linda obtained her Masters of Science in Education from Baylor and then began her career as an Educational Diagnostician with Rio Brazos Education Coop until her retirement in 2006.

Linda was soft spoken, kindhearted, and extremely generous. She was a talented artist who loved to paint, sew, quilt, and make stained-glass art. She also played the piano and guitar. In her younger years, Linda enjoyed bowling and water skiing. Linda loved all animals, especially cats, recusing many of them into her loving home. She volunteered at the McLennan County Zoo and Waco Animal Birth Control Clinic.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents Everett and Lena Belle Shelby, and her brothers Everett Shelby Jr and Edward Shelby. Linda is survived by her daughter Diana Waggoner and husband Mark, grandchildren Blake Waggoner and Blaine Waggoner, nephew Everett Shelby III and wife Stacie, niece Erin Williams and husband Chad.

If you so desire and in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fuzzy Friends Rescue, 6321 Airport Red, Waco, TX 76701, any Humane Society, or the American Cancer Society.

You can view Linda’s Memorial Service and Tribute Video by clicking here.

Pictures of Linda during Fun Times