Waco Town Crier – March 2023

Everyone loved Jim Monnig’s story about Hector!! If you have a good story to tell about your fur baby, please share with all of us. I do not know of anyone who does not enjoy a great animal story.
David Dibb tells us his story in this issue.

Also, on PBS on Sunday nights, the third season of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL has been showing. It is a great series. You can pick up Seasons 1 and 2 from your library (most likely) or stream wherever it might be available. You may even be able to pull it up ON DEMAND depending on what your individual cable package offers. Such a “feel good” series.

Again, please send in your story about your fur relative. These are precious stories of precious memories.

This is the March issue of the Waco Town Crier. Contents this month include:

  • From the Editor
  • From Our Graduates and Friends
  • Whatever Happened To … Pete and Repeat? by David Dibb
  • Did You Know?
  • Regarding Ernie Higgenbotham
  • March Birthdays
  • A Neat Idea
  • Memories
  • Blast From the Past – Our 50th Reunion – 2010
  • Humor

Some Irish sayings:

  1. May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.
  2. May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.
  3. May your heart be light and happy, may your smile be big and wide, and may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!

Waco Town Crier – February 2023

January is going out with an artic punch for us in Texas. We are expected to get freezing rain/sleet – maybe even snow in some places- for the next few days. Here in Waco we are under a winter weather warning for the next several days. I hope everyone everywhere will keep their electricity. I still remember the Great Texas freeze of 2021. Brrr, it was cold then. I was told stories from many regarding their damage due to frozen and burst pipes.
Stay safe and warm.

Here is the February 2023 issue of the Town Crier. Do not forget to share articles or items of interest with all of us. 2023 seems to be marching on as quickly as did 2022.

Jeanne

Topics this month:

  • From Our Graduates
  • Regarding the “Happy New Year” Video from Terrell Reagan
  • Updates
  • Regarding John Schwetman
  • February Birthdays
  • Quarterly Luncheon
  • Whatever Happened to … Moon Pies? by David Dibb
  • Memories of RC Cola
  • Lovely Suggestions
  • Did You Know?

Waco Town Crier – January 2023


I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and may you have a safe, happy and healthy New Year! Christmas was rather a deep freeze for a lot of us so hopefully no one had any burst pipes or loss of electricity.

Most of our new year’s resolutions are usually just good intentions, so…

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!”
– Joey Adams

And here is your January issue of the Waco Town Crier. Topics this month are:

  • My Thoughts for You
  • From our Graduates and Friends
  • Additional Info about the Jim Rankin Story
  • Whatever Happened to … RC Cola
  • Did You Know …
  • Updates
  • Pictures
  • Humor
  • Now Here’s An Idea
  • Food For Thought in 2023

Waco Town Crier – December 2022

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and will have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This year has passed all too quickly, as it seems it was only a little while ago we welcomed in 2022.

This December issue of the Waco Town Crier is going to be a very special issue, in my opinion, all because of the diligent work and wonderful penmanship of David Dibb. I hope all of you will realize just how lucky we are to have his talents displayed in our monthly Newsletter. David does this for us free of charge although for years he wrote two columns in his local newspaper in Florence, SC. This month, David has featured a classmate of ours who had a very interesting story after high school although it ended very suddenly and tragically. David has gone to much work piecing together information from many sources–even to contacting the police department in San Jose to ensure certain names are correct. May you appreciate David’s work as much as I have in working with him on this. To create an article or column does not just happen in a few minutes… not if you get it right. I think David has nailed this on the head!

Please do not get caught up in the month of December with too much stress and worry. Try to do something you enjoy every day, laugh, and pick your battles. Stay healthy and be kind to everyone. Treat those around you as you would have them treat you. One can never go wrong living by the Golden Rule.

jeanne

Here is your December issue of the Waco Town Crier. Contents include:

  • From Our Graduates and Friends
  • Updates
  • Regarding Grover Rogers
  • Whatever Happened to … James Rankin by David Dibb
  • December Birthdays
  • More Memories
  • Pictures from the November 15 Luncheon
  • A Neat Idea for Wrapping Presents
  • Humor

Grover Rogers –
November 4, 2022

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.

Waco Town Crier – November 2022

Here is the November issue. This month, you’ll find …

  • From Our Graduates
  • Updates
  • Did You Know?
  • Whatever Happened to … Marshall Matt Dillon?  by David Dibb
  • Pictures
  • November Birthdays
  • Humor

I want to extend my appreciation and gratitude to all who contribute to The Town Crier.
You make it possible for the Crier to remain in existence.

I hope everyone will have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the Crier, keep in touch, and remember:

“The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jeanne

Waco Town Crier – September 2022

 

Here’s your September issue. Pat Payne is most generous to pay for our website all these years and Elizabeth Bentley is doing a terrific job of keeping our site current. They both have been a great blessing to our class and really deserve our credits and appreciation.

Two of our graduates have really helped to make this issue interesting. David Dibb has an interesting topic in his What Ever Happened To? segment and David Ditto has been great to let us know of his adventures since high school graduation. All you horse lovers will really enjoy David Ditto’s travels along the “unpaved trails” of our beautiful country. Also, much appreciation goes out to you who contribute each month to the Town Crier.. It takes all of us!

Things are getting just a bit cooler in Waco, We have had a bit of rain but are still in a drought. I just hope the flooding in different areas will not be too damaging to any who might be near those troubled waters. Al Stevenson lives in Olive Branch, MS and the late Cynthia Kirkland Mazza lived in Madison, MS. We hope the Stevenson family is okay and that Frank Mazza, (Cynthia’s hubby), has escaped any damage.

Remember-

“Let us be kind to one another, to be aware of each other’s needs, and try to help in that regard.”
-Thomas S Morison

Explore the September issue:

  • From Our Graduates
  • Updates
  • Update Your Directory
  • September Birthdays
  • Whatever Happened to … Geronimo
  • Did You Know …
  • Show & Tell – David Ditto
  • Pictures
  • Humor

Tommy Carter – 2022

 

 

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

Don McGown – July 16, 2022

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.