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Archive for the tag “Sabine County Texas”

17 Feb 2019
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IF YOU NEVER MET AN ANGEL, MEET MINE. 

I

Part one of a series.

I am in the Sabine County Hospital/Texas for physical therapy on my left and second total knee replacement in the last eight months. To all of my friends who responded to my last message, thank you dearly. After you read this I hope you agree, God, loaned me an Angel.

Norma Dean Maxey arrived on this earth August 30, 1938 in Frisco Texas. Our paths crossed when she was about 13 as I rode to work and worked with her father, who was my also my supervisor. Fate or God had us living only 2 blocks apart. With a normal Texas life she lived with her parents and her dad was transferred to Garland TX. One event was when she graduated from Grand Prairie High School my first wife and I treated Norma and her best friend Paula Martin to a concert featuring Fats Domino and Little Richard in Dallas.

Later and after I was divorced by my first wife I had not seen Norma for some 3 years. Her Dad and I were in a meeting together and he invited me over one evening for dinner. Some six months later we were married. Next June 23rd will be our 59th anniversary.

We have four wonderful children and I fathered 3 others who are all retired. Currently and counting spouses, I have 49 dependents. If I live long enough I will write a story about this group, that would make anyone proud.

My Angel’s phrases that are still in service. First one is “Can I help”, slightly adjusted to “What can I do to help. I try so many ways to let her help but she can’t usually remember she has asked me when she utters the last word.

Our first 13 years found me working long hoursand often going 14 days and never see the kids awake.  She never complained and took care of business. We lived our first 12 years with only one car. At one time we had three baby beds, and three in diapers at one time. There were no disposable diapers and they had to be washed  several times each day.

She now sleeps at least 12 hours a night and catnaps in her Lazy Boy throughout the day. About 20 months ago with the help of our baby daughter we found her a miniature Poodle at the local rescue agency in Hemphill. Brina

Is the focus of her life. Making her responsible for the dogs care gets her out of the chair several times a day.

Those who remember her beautiful gardens, her love for birds and her tidy home would not believe life here today. The initial event that caught my eye was her insistence that  our checkbook was balanced at all times. She just suddenly ignored this task. When I asked her why, she just said it was my time to let her retire.

We moved to Sabine County Texas after our baby daughter married hopefully for our last phase of life. We have a lake home I designed on the shores of Toledo Bend Lake. This has been home for the last 26 years. Life here is wonderful, no need for clean air regulations. Lowest taxes in Texas and 21 miles to the closest Walmart in Louisiana  

Norma now need care, love and help for the rest of her life. I am making sure she is pampered which is now my job.  Watching my Angel disappear is the most painful event of my 88 years. Losing the love of my life at my advanced age leaves little to look forward to.

I intend to write a series of articles that might help others with this terrible malady. I am learning my new responsibilities and please help me explain this terrible medical condition to others. Share your stories with me and I will share them with others.

Clyde Brewer

Posted by cb75948 in Family and tagged , , , , , ,
05 May 2011

EDUCATION TEXAS- HEMPHILL ISD/ SABINE COUNTY

 

I had several meetings to discover how our local school district provides for the education of our children. These meetings provided some impressive results, some which I shared previously. Previous articles exposed the unexpected educational opportunities provided by the Sabine Area Career Center (SACC) and my first visit with Dr. Glen Pearson, Superintendent, HISD.

Dr. Pearson had invited me to return to visit the laboratories and suggested that I visit with Dr. Lana Comeaux, Executive Director at SACC and possibly a school board member before we met again. On Thursday, April 21, I met again with Dr. Pearson and Dr. Comeaux that involved a tour of the new high school campus focused on the laboratories and the Special Education Center. I was accompanied by the Science Consultant for the Harris County Department of Education, Lisa Felske, who is my daughter and was here for an Easter visit.

“WOW” would be a one word description of the visit. We were accompanied by Marc Griffin, high school Principal on the tour. The laboratories are the most modern that I have ever seen in a high school. The facility design that separates the labs from the classrooms is the most proficient I have ever seen. I managed testing labs at Lockheed for several years and the safety features and storage of chemicals was outstanding. My daughter was extremely surprised to see that the lab designs provided adequate space between work stations that is unusual in her assessment of labs in over 50 school districts in the Houston metropolitan area.

One of the subjects we had discussed in our first meeting was discipline. The news is rampant in exposing factual cases of discipline nationwide. Mr. Pearson stated that discipline was under control at HISD and the tour and observations proved that true.

We also visited the communications control center and the available computer terminals in every classroom. We also had observed the “smart boards” in the labs that are state-of-the-art teaching tools in each classroom. With over 600 computers and the technical support, communications operations at HISD are outstanding.

The visit to the Special Education area was an eye opener for someone who finished high school in 1947. Anyone with even moderate special needs would not be permitted to attend public schools in my time. The visit with the teachers, nurses and observing actual methods used to help these students was awesome. I will tell you what DR. Pearson whispered to me during the visit, “When I think I have a bad day, I come visit this area. It helps me realize how fortunate I am and motivates me to stop feeling sorry for myself”. I may have reworded the actual message, but it would do the same for me.

Another rewarding fact, out of the 137 students enrolled this semester in SACC courses, 69 are from Hemphill High School. I also wish a special thanks to everyone we met that were very professional in answering questions and explaining their facilities and responsibilities. Everyone I met sincerely demonstrated that they have the student’s education as their number one objective. Special congratulations to Sherrill Hobbs for winning the Buddy Low award this year. Montez McNaughten, that I know well, who won the award last year, gave Hemphill ISD two in a row.

Unfortunately I did not have a chance to visit with Dr. Chad Moody, the newest member of the school Board. Hopefully we can meet in the future.

Now I have a message to the parents and everyone who pays school taxes to the Hemphill ISD. We are very fortunate to have one of the lowest tax rates in Texas, so no one needs to question the fact that we have modern educational opportunities for the children. I am keenly aware that there is no way to pass a bond issue or raise any taxes in Sabine county. I have been here nearly 20 years and watched several fail. The opportunities that are provided for both our students and parents to acquire free college credit courses with the SACC are not available statewide. Another fact is that all of the new facilities have been provided without increased taxes or debt. This takes professional leadership.

All of these operations have succeeded because I observed teamwork with a dedicated group of teachers and administrators. I had never met Dr. Pearson before my April 7th visit. For those who are unaware, he will retire again after this semester and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his service. I now have a new friend who I could possibly end up in a boat fishing with soon. Thanks Dr. Pearson and I hope your replacement will keep your “team” together.

 C Brewer

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