This week in Wills Point History: Friday, Sept. 16, 1949
A critical shortage of cotton pickers and the second largest staple crop in the state’s history has brought a plea for pickers from the Texas Employment Commission.
Contracts for the construction of four roads were awarded Friday, Sept. 9, in the office of Judge Leon Cox. One contract was awarded the Austin Construction Co., two to Dew Construction Co., and one to Reynolds and Huff Construction Co.
The Wills Point Tigers will encounter the Royce City Bulldogs Friday night on the Bulldogs gridiron, in Royce City and will be seeking their first victory of the season as well as avenging a 13-6 defeat at the hands of this club last season.
Under the leadership of their new sponsor, Russell Omeis, the Wills Point band gave its first performance for this school year at the pre-school football game Friday evening at the local gridiron. At the half-time the group designed two patterns, the first was Hi and the letter R. After the formations were made the group sang “Hello Everybody, Hello.” Before the game started the band members and spectators joined in singing “Blue and White. (See newspaper for complete article.)
Among the graduates at the conclusion of the summer term at A&M College was Tom Blankinship, a 1941 graduate of Wills Point high school, who received the degree of Master of Science in civil engineering. He received his Bachelor of Science degree at A&M in 1947, and returned to the college last September after spending the previous year as a field engineer with the Texas Highway Department at Lufkin.(See newspaper for complete article.)
Cradle Roll: Mr. and Mrs. Haskell Paul Chaney are the parents of a son, Haskell Paul Jr., born Sept. 7. Mrs. Chaney is the former Bobbie Ray Lamb. Mrs. Chaney and little son were carried to the home of the former’s mother, Mrs. Tullie Lamb Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. R.R. Kennedy of Canton are the parents of a son, born Sept. 11. He has been named David Ray. Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Allen are the parents of a son, Michal Lynn, born Sept. 8. Mr. and Mrs. Billy Donald Courtney are the parents of a son, Maxey Alan, born Sept. 10. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dixon are the parents of a son, Gerald Ray born Sept. 13. Note all babies were born at Baker Clinic.
Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Pitt, of Canton, have announced the approaching marriage of their daughter, Miss Rosemary Pitt, a former SMU student, to Robert R. Rogers, son of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Rogers of Wills Point. The wedding will take place, Oct. 1 in Canton. Miss Pitt is a graduate of Dallas Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. Her fiancé was graduated from Texas A&M College. (See newspaper for picture.)
Mrs. Nona Goss has announced the engagement of her daughter Miss Helen Goss, to James Lawrence, son of Mr. and Mrs. D.N. Lawrence. The wedding will be Sept. 25 in the home of Lyle Price in Kaufman. Attendants will be Miss Adelle Leach and Fonzo Horton. (See newspaper for picture.)
The Van Zandt County 4-H Club exhibit took 2nd place at the East Texas Fair in Tyler. The exhibit was prepared by J.W. Huston assistant county agent, as a result of Verlon Carey’s production of 314 pounds of butterfat last year with his registered Jersey cow, as compared to the state average of 195 pounds butterfat. The assistance that was given in helping make the exhibit a success was greatly appreciated.
The Rotary Club of Wills Point will be host to Earl C. Reeves, governor of the l88th District of Rotary International; who is making his official visit to each of the 49 Rotary Clubs in the Northeast Texas division, today.
Marine Pfc. James E. Creed, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Creed, Rt. 2, Wills Point, and former student at Wills Point high school has recently completed his initial 10 weeks of training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif. (See newspaper for picture.)
“The death of Albert M. Gulledge at the home of his mother-in-law last Wednesday, Sept. 7, ended a life of public civic and church leadership in his community of Ben Wheeler. He operated the cotton gin in Canton. He became ill early Wednesday morning and was carried to the home of Mrs. E.A. Heard, where he died early in the night. Mr. Gulledge was born in Edom Oct. 15, 1889. He was married to Miss Maude Heard on Oct. 24, 1921. To this union two children were born, Billy J. Gulledge and Mary Elizabeth Gulledge, both of Ben Wheeler. (See newspaper for complete obituary, names of survivors and pallbearers.)
“Local and Society: Donald McLeod spent Tuesday night with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.J. McLeod. He was en route to Lubbock, where he will be with the CAA. Mrs. Gordon Whitaker and little daughter, Judy Marie, of Canton spent Monday with Mr. and Mrs. T.I. Smith. Mrs. Callie Henson returned Sunday from Dallas where she spent a week at the bedside of her son, J.H. Henson, who is seriously ill. Will Lemay of Batesville, Ark., was a guest in the R.L. Breckenridge home last Sunday. Kenneth and Muston Courtney, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Courtney left Monday for Austin where they have enrolled at the University of Texas.
These articles have been extracted from original copies of the Wills Point Chronicle and may be viewed on microfilm at the Van Zandt County Library of Genealogy and Local History, located in the courthouse annex in Canton.
