Opinion

Spotlight on Liz Ward

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Madisonville Chamber of Commerce Coordinator Liz Ward has bid farewell after eight years of dedicated service to the town’s business community. Ward’s decision to retire was influenced by her desire to spend more quality time with her husband following the departure of her last child from high school.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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To whom it may concern, We are in search of any family or friends that may have any information on Betty Sue Dixon 77 years of age, who lived in or near Madisonville, Texas. Her two sons are Kyle and Todd Cummings, and we are trying to locate them on her behalf. Please contact me soon, as we have a medical emergency and need to speak to a member of her family or anyone having information on her ASAP.

Local Madisonville Native is Nearing a Goal!

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Sarah Bankhead has always felt the lure of medicine as a profession. With her paternal grandfather, an anesthesiologist, she knew early on that there were different ways to help people through medicine. Being smart, she wanted to be sure she found the field that fit her best. In high school, she studied for and received her certified nursing assistant license to explore if healthcare might be a good fit for her future.

Bright and Shining Folks!

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Recently the Bill Tom Shine Street signs here have been nagging me. The street runs east to west between North Madison and North May (Highway 75) and passes just north of the Madisonville Post Office. Because of it, I chose as my next subject Bill Tom and his parents, Billye and Tommy Shine. The following information comes from essays written by Bill Tom, including one for the 1984 book on local history and two for the 1997 volume. I have NOT copied word-for-word and have trimmed them down some, or I’d have wounded up with more than the Meteor would want.
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Some Parten History

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The surname or last name “Parten” has been a common one in Madison County history, though it seems there aren’t near as many Partens here lately as a hundred years ago. Across the county, there are 68 tombstones inscribed with it as either a family name or maiden name. It doesn’t appear that they are all blood-kin, but a good portion are.
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Unforgettable Neighbors, Part 2

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I write these pieces on behalf of Madison County Museum and Madison County Historical Commission. With the latter currently working towards publishing Volume 3 of local history, I’m hoping to inspire you to start writing your part! Last week I wrote about some unforgettable neighbors from when I lived within Madisonville’s city limits, but todays are from the Laceola community, where I’ve lived the biggest part of my life.