This week in Wills Point History Friday, Jan. 22, 1960

Building permits issued in Point during the year 1959 more than doubled the number of permits issued for the previous year. Total estimated value of the 33 permits issued for building and improvements amounted to $278,025.
Bryan Blalock, known throughout the nation as “the East Texas humorist with a ready flow of homespun wisdom and philosophy,” will be the guest speaker at the annual chamber of commerce banquet Thursday night, Jan. 28, at 7:30 o’clock in the school cafeteria. Dewitt Bateman will serve as master of ceremonies.  Special music will be presented by the high school orchestra and the Cartwright school choir.  J.T. Wages, immediate past president, will give a brief talk following the presentation of officers and directors by W.H. Wingo.  Jr. Gene Mayfield, president, will make a short talk. Proceeds from the banquet will go to the White Rose Cemetery Association.
A meeting of the Riding and Roping Club was held Saturday night, Jan. 16, in the chamber of commerce office for planning of its program and election of new officers for the year. The meeting was well attended.
The Parent-Teachers Association will meet Feb. 9 at 7:30 o’clock in the high school auditorium. The program will be a dance recital presented by pupils of Jamille Miller who teaches dancing here.
The 25th anniversary of the Margaret Wynne Garden Club was celebrated at its meeting Jan. 19 in the home of Mrs. W.P. Mhoon with Mrs. Grady Johnson as co-hostess. Mrs. P.L. Sadler, president conducted the business session. Mrs. N.J. Tomlin gave a review of the club constitution. (See newspaper for complete article.)
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence F. Hollister announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter Karron to Douglas D. Blagburn, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Blagburn of Edgewood. The wedding will be solemnized at the First Baptist Church Saturday evening March 19, at 8 o’clock. (See newspaper for complete article and picture.)
The Van Zandt County tax assessor-collector’s office will be open Saturday Jan. 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight, according to Mrs. Joan DuBose Guess. Jan. 31 is the deadline to secure poll tax she said. Physically handicapped persons may obtain a poll tax receipt for $1 rather than the regular $1.75 up to Jan. 31. Poll tax may also be secured at the chamber of commerce office in Wills Point with Dick Senter and Carolyn Mayfield acting as deputies and at Randall’s Store in Fruitvale from Mrs. Hallie Randall as deputy up to Jan. 31.
Mrs. Bess McKain Wright, former resident of Wills Point, died in Dallas Thursday morning. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning, Jan 23. Interment will be in White Rose cemetery. Mrs. Wright, 79, lived here many years ago when her husband Earl Wright, was in business in Wills Point. A retired teacher, she taught many years in the Metropolitan Business College in Dallas. Survivors include one brother, Albert C. McKain of Dallas. She was a cousin of Mrs. Harry McKain and Edgar McKain.
Funeral services were held for G.M. Parker, Tuesday afternoon Jan. 19. Interment was in White Rose Cemetery. He was born Dec. 15, 1882, son of Monroe and Laura Goodwin Parker and was married to Clara Kuykendall in Myrtle Springs. To this union were born seven children, one son preceding him in death. Survivors include his wife of Wills Point, four daughters, two sons, a half sister, seventeen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. (See newspaper for complete obituary and names of survivors.)
The 1960 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow in Wills Point high school is senior Nancy Jo Shepard. She received the highest score in a 50 minute written examination on homemaking knowledge and attitudes taken by graduating senior girls. Her examination paper will be submitted for competition with other high school winners to name the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow.
 
Pre-school children, elementary, junior high, and high school students will have their individual pictures taken for the year book next Tuesday in the high school auditorium.
The Tiger Cat: Members of the annual staff were named by Mrs. Lowell Hoffman, teacher, last Tuesday during Journalism class. Brenda Parkerson, was named editor and will supervise the work of the entire staff. Jimmy Burch was appointed sports editor; Don Sanders, advertising editor and Patricia Shelton subscription manager.  Peggy Smith will head the typing and copy reading department and Linda Burch feature editor, Sue Jordan is business manager.
Members of the journalism class began the sale of subscriptions for the 1959-60 school annual Thursday. Patricia Shelton on the annual staff will be in charge of the selling of the yearbooks. The yearbooks will sell for $3 and anyone wishing to buy an annual should contact a member of the journalism class or the subscription manager.
Local vocational agriculture boys plan to attend a special district FFA meeting Friday afternoon at the Robert E. Lee High school in Tyler where they will enter a string band in a talent contest. The purposes of this meeting are to make plans for the annual District Sweetheart banquet. Wills Point’s entry in the talent contest will be a western swing band composed of J. Dee Flowers, James Truett, David Adams and Jerry Stroud.
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.