This Week in Wills Point History Friday, Dec. 6, 1968

  Today is the day!   Santa arriving with, Big Parade, today at 2:30. The Christmas season will be officially opened in Wills Point today.

   Tigers will be busy for a few days; they will play in a tournament on successive days, Monday and Tuesday, play Terrell on a home basis, Thursday and Friday and Saturday of this week in a tournament in Van.  Next Monday Dec. 9, the Tigers will play the Terrell Tigers in Terrell.

   Billy D. Hullum was sworn in as Van Zandt County Judge in ceremonies Monday morning in Canton. More than 100 interested citizens watched as Mr. Hullum took the oath of office at 9 a.m. in the district courtroom. Truett Mayo, former county judge, who resigned in March, conducted the ceremonies.

   Sponsored annually by the Wills Point Rotary Club, the business and homes decorating contest will be a Christmas attraction again this year, according to Steve Jones, president of the service organization. Business houses and offices will constitute one contest and the houses will be a separate contest. Prizes of $25, $15, and $10 will be awarded in each contest for first, second and third places. Hubert Kinney, chairman of the civic committee, will secure out of town judges and the judging will be done sometime between Dec. 16 and 20.

   Mrs. Dave Youngblood can serve tea or coffee at her house in grand style now from a lovely silver service won at the Brookshire drawing on Saturday, evening Nov. 23. Mrs. Effie Morris was winner of the color portable television set.

   Mesdames Claude Reed, Lester Dodson and Harvey Rankin were hostesses for the annual Business and Professional women’s party on Monday evening at the Wills Cabin. A turkey and dressing supper was served from covered dishes brought by club members.   Several games of 42 were played and there was an exchange of gifts from the Christmas tree. The cabin was beautifully decorated in the Christmas motif. (See newspaper for those in attendance.)

   Mr. and Mrs. Joe Allen of Wills Point have announced the engagement and approaching marriage of their niece, Miss Nelda Barnett, daughter of Mrs. Mildred Ledbetter to Don Baugh, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Baugh of Edgewood. The wedding ceremony will be performed at the Baugh home at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. Miss Barrett is a senior in Wills Point High School and her fiancé is a freshman at Henderson County Junior College. Friends of the couple are invited to attend the wedding.

   The Wills Point Junior Varsity team won over Wolfe City last Tuesday night with a score of 56 to 40. The high point man was R.M. Liston with 16 and Ellis Robertson with 9. Last Friday night the same Tiger team beat the Chapel Hill Bulldogs with a score of 54 to 50. The high point man for the Tigers was Barry Hayes with 12 points and again Ellis Robertson in second with 11.

  Cradle Roll - Mr. and Mrs. Troy LaGrone of Dallas are the parents of a daughter, Jo Anna, born on Dec. 1. Mrs. LaGrone is the former Sarah Jane Lea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Lea. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. D. LaGrone of Deadwood.

  Mr. and Mrs. Reggie Logan are the parents of a son, Barry Scott, born on Nov. 13 at Colonial Hospital in Terrell. Mrs. Logan is a former employee of First National Bank and her husband is employed at F.M. Hollandsworth Consulting Engineers.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bill Morgan, Jr., proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Donna Paulette, on Nov. 12 in a Grand Prairie hospital. Paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Bill Morgan, Wills Point and maternal grandparents are Mrs. Paul Mabra, Dallas; and John Hornbeck, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

  Mr. and Mrs. John Scot returned on Sunday from Boston, where they attended the wedding of their son, Ensign Hugh Scott to Miss Susan Campbell of Boston. Hugh and Susan were united in marriage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. Mr. and Mrs. Scott also attended the commissioning services in Newport, where Hugh received his commission as Ensign. Hugh will continue his training in the Naval Supply School, at Athens, Georgia.

   Lt. Col. John B. Parker, chief of the Military Training Division Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, was promoted to Colonel effective Dec. 1. Colonel and Mrs. Parker, the former Ruth E. Miles of Wills Point have three children, John Steven, 24, of Houston, Mrs. Craig Roberts, 20 of San Diego, California, and Matthew, 10. Mrs. Parker’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. P.E. Miles, of Wills Point. Colonel Parker’s parents are Rev. and Mrs. S.B. Parker of Isabel, Okla.

   Marine Corps Private First Class Danny M. Welch sustained a wounded left hand and arm and wounds in the right hip in combat action in Vietnam on November 7. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.D. Welch, were informed of his injury soon after that date. Pfc. Welch had been wounded on two other occasions since arriving in Vietnam last May. His injuries earlier were of a minor nature and he was returned to combat upon recovery. He has been admitted to a hospital at Camp S.D. Butler, Okinawa for recovery.

   Sp./4 Ronnie Ashworth has arrived to spend Christmas at home with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Ashworth of Myrtle Springs. He has been in Vietnam at Chu Lai for the past 12 months. He will report to Fort Lee, Virginia where he will be assigned after his leave. He has a year left of a three-year enlistment.

   Personals - Mrs. Bob McMillan of Oklahoma City spent the weekend with her aunt, Mrs. Bill Glaze and attended the funeral services of her father, Earl M. Curtis, Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Sides of Tyler also attended the services and visited in the Glaze home Sunday.

  Thanksgiving day visitors with Mr. and Mrs. B.R. Wilcoxson were Eugene Wilcoxson and Miss Marie Argo of Houston.

  James Whiteman visited his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whiteman, in Clarksville, Wednesday through Friday.

  Mrs. Jack Turner spent the Thanksgiving holidays with her brother, J.B. Crain, and Mrs. Crain of Lubbock. They visited in Del Rio and Mexico.

  Mrs. Harmon Threatt of Arlington spent the weekend with her mother, Mrs. C.V. Harris.

  Miss Jan James, bride elect of Bobby Cannefax, was honored with a paper and plastic shower on Nov. 25 in the home of Mrs. K.C. Lybrand, Jr., Mrs. L.C. Castleberry was co-hostess.

   Note: This issue contains an obituary for Milton Howard McNeely, 52, native of this area and a graduate of the Wills Point High School.