March 27, 2017

 

Diboll has another new place to eat lunch…ARLIS’. Open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10:30 until 3 PM located next to LaLa Patel’s Diboll Food Mart, across 59 from Commercial Bank. Arlis and his wife Nelda have been thinking about this for a few years and decided it was time since he retired January 1st from the family business of building pallets. His sons, Jeremy and Justin, will keep the business going. Arlis is famous for his rib eye sandwiches which will be served every day and other items on the menu include BBQ sandwiches, Baked potatoes and Wings on Wednesday.

The Hummingbirds are here scouting for places to spend the next few months. Jerry Goins saw some scouts and came in to buy a new hummingbird feeder and nectar. It’s time to put the feeders out to attract them to your yard. Andrea just happened to get in some beautiful new feeders in different colors. We also have fresh bedding plants and everyone is getting excited about starting their gardens. Billy Wayne and Alma Breazeale came in for seeds and plants but Alma said she prefers sitting in her recliner and watching the birds. Melvin Linton, Sr., Buddy Shipp and E. W. Scarborough all plant gardens on a larger scale so hopefully we that don’t will have a place to buy fresh peas. We have lots of customers in Polk County that have been faithful through the years to buy our bulk seeds; Pee Wee Purvis is one of them. Shopping with us from Chester in Tyler County was Willie and Lois Thompson who are anxious to get their garden planted.

Ginger Capps came in to buy a Circle E Candle and Peggy Burt purchased a hummingbird feeder and a tiny terrarium for a friend’s birthday. Sherri Paresa came in for Colorado pinto beans. Aaron Smith’s mom, Belinda Smith, stopped by to pick up a copy of Farm & Home magazine. During spring break Dora Trekall took time to pick up rabbit feed for Blair’s show rabbits.

Vic Bass came in carrying a beautiful chocolate cake covered in white icing and saying it was from the “Bass” kitchen leading us to believe he had something to do with baking the cake. The truth is he met Margie Bass in the parking lot who asked him to take the cake inside. It just so happens that both of them are named “Bass”. Isn’t there a commandment for preachers that says “Do not deceive”?

On March 18th, family and friends celebrated with Minnie Jones at the H. G.

Temple School Cafeteria celebrating her birthday and retirement. Ms. Jones has retired after 35 years at Oncor.  The celebration was hosted by her children, Faye Jones, Prentise Jones and Marcus Jones.  All in attendance enjoyed Catfish and all the trimmings.

Minnie Jones was also recognized in Lufkin for her many years of service to Texas Power & Light Company. John Powers said he was working there in 1982 when she applied for a job and became the first black employee. He told her later he knew her dad, Marcellos Jones when they both lived in Diboll’s logging camp at Fastrill. John said she was hired as a cashier and later worked at the front desk before being transferred to the distribution center when ONCOR purchased TP&L. Mr. Powers said, “Minnie was an excellent employee that got things done.” Others attending her retirement party, along with friends and family, included the Mayor of Burke, John T. Jones and the Mayor of Lufkin, Bob Brown and his wife Toni. Fellow employees that grew up in Diboll included Sandra (Havard) Bailey, Richard Martinez and Larry Jansen.

I did some research at the History Center and learned that Minnie graduated from DHS in 1967 and remembered some of her teachers; Mr. Greer, Mrs. Schinke, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Ramsey and Mrs. Massey and she said, “They always will leave a lasting impression on my mind and on my heart”. Before transferring to Diboll high school, Minnie was a student at H. G. Temple school where she played basketball from the 7th grade through the 11th, “In the 5 years she played they won 66 straight games.” From her oral history with interviewer, Patsy Colbert, Minnie recalled working at the Pine Bough at 16 when the line on Sunday was out the door and down the street. She also talked about babysitting for Don and Dewana Wier in their new home in South Meadows, “They gave me a ’66 Mustang convertible to drive back and forth to work.” She recalled “Pop and Sis Rich never missed a basketball game at H.G. Temple. They were there on the front row to give us support.”

I thought it was interesting in Minnie’s oral history when she said, “I was chosen as the Rodeo Duchess back in ’66. And Mr. Namon Calhoun – he loved horses and he had a horse called Midnight and that was my horse. After school every evening I would meet him at the H. G. Temple School and he would teach me how to ride Midnight. The first night, well my mom and my dad went to Mrs. Crafts. Mrs. Craft had beautiful clothes, and I can remember my mom buying me a light blue satin pants with a white satin shirt. And we rode in – all the queens rode in and the next day. Mr. Namon Calhoun came and he said, “They said that your daughter is overdressing, she needs to tone it down some.” Minnie Jones was one of six children of Marcellos and Vera Jones. She graduated from Prairie View A&M majoring in Elementary Education and minored in Art. She taught school in Houston several years before moving back to Diboll and going to work at TP&L; the rest is history! Congratulations!

Our thanks to Sue Johnson who visited LuLu’s Bakery & Café in San Antonio and brought us one of their world famous THREE pound Cinnamon Roll. It is something to behold!  She also wanted to remind everyone about the Burke Chapter of the Eastern Star Fund Raiser that will be April 7 at the lodge in Burke from 8 AM until sold out. The menu will be Pulled Pork sandwich with chips and dessert for $7. I will remind you again next week but in the meantime call Sue Johnson for more information. 676-7467

Mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, April 11 and plan to eat at the Whataburger near Walmart between 5 – 8PM. During that particular time Whataburger will donate 25% of all sales to the Diboll Lumberjack Band which will use the money to help fund their trip to Disney World. Please be sure to tell them you are there to support the band.

This weekend, April 1st, is the time for the $5,000 Steak Dinner sponsored by the Angelina County Go Texan Committee. The time is 6PM and the place is Shelton’s on FM 2108 (Airport Road) near FM 58. Call Randall Taylor, 936-634-4134, for tickets which are $100 per couple for an evening of fun and great food. Only 200 tickets will be sold. Remember, someone will leave that night with $5,000 more than when they arrived. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund which will go to students in Angelina County.

Enjoy the season and come see us…’round the table.