L. GLENN SMITH, PhD says "Good-bye"

Leonard Glenn Smith, 79, of Ballinger passed away Friday, June 22, 2018 in Fort Worth. Services will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, June 29 at Lange Funeral Home Chapel. A private burial will follow at Old Runnels Cemetery.

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(Ballinger Ledger photo)

Bored with retirement, and living back in Texas, GLENN started writing fiction in 2010. Amazon has many of his earlier nonfiction books that he co-authored with his former wife Joan on educational topics. After the above article was published in the Ballinger Ledger, he planned to finish his fourth novel, "Stolen Gold", with the locale of the story being Ballinger, Texas. The Ledger article contains a lot of GLENN'S personal history. Article on Glenn's Books He also wrote an autobiography in the 50th Class Reunion handbook. 

I'm not certain when GLENN shared this cover of a future book he planned called "Heading Home" or if he ever started writing it. I could find no listing for it or the book "Stolen Gold". I imagine he ceased to write, as he had increasing vision problems in recent years. I wonder if the "Heading Home" title was some kind of prophetic vision he had of his future.

As some of you know, GLENN was a talented photographer. One of my favorites was the one below he took, then photo-shopped with special effects of Main and Broadway in Ballinger.

GLENN and I shared some good stories and a few trips to surrounding areas to photograph the sites during the time I lived in Ballinger and was working on the class handbook. He helped not only financially with the handbook, but also with some of the photos. He offered to speed up the final editing process before taking it to the printers by "proofreading" the final text. I chewed him out royally when I discovered to my dismay that he had missed some pretty obvious mistakes! But then, he was an English prof and an author... someone else did the proofreading, didn't they? 

Here is a final picture of Glenn. He said it was his favorite. 

Glenn feeding the chickens!

Goodbye, our friend. Until we meet again..

Peace,

Marilyn

FLANAGANS - PART II

I found this online after I posted the first article that NANCY sent me. It contains a beautiful photo of their yard as well as a little more information about their careers. I now recall reading a while back that Mesquite trees deplete more groundwater than any other vegetation in West Texas.  Thus, RODNEY'S desire to remove even the roots of the trees.

Sorry for two in a row so similar.. Next time I will do "due diligence", and search.  I couldn't find this article on the newspaper's regular website.

Flanagans named Runnels County Friends of Conservation

Jerry Lackey, Special to San Angelo Standard-TimesPublished 10:43 a.m. CT June 10, 2018

HOMESTEAD

(Photo: contributed)

Although Rodney and Carolyn Flanagan retired from a lifetime career of teaching school, they continue to host grade school students at an outdoor classroom on their ranch west of Ballinger.

Shortly after retiring the couple turned their focus on the mesquite invasion of their pastures with a goal to preserving the natural resources. In turn, they were recently named Runnels Soil and Water Conservation District’s Friends of Conservation winners.

According to a news release, the Flanagans both have rural conservation backgrounds. Rodney was born on a small farm eight miles east of Ballinger, attended school in Ballinger and graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Animal Science.

Carolyn grew up on a dairy farm in Coleman County. She graduated from Mozelle High School in Coleman County, received a degree from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics.

She retired from teaching after 36 years at the same time Rodney retired from a teaching career which included vocational agriculture, elementary school principal and superintendent.  

The Flanagan xeriscape yard features natural resources from the ranch. (Photo: contributed)

The Flanagans first converted 40 acres of cropland to grass with the help of an Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the staff of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In addition, 82 acres of brush control and range reseeding and 3,000 feet of cross fencing for rotational grazing were done.

“Rodney has done all the grubbing and brush clearing with a skid steers with a rock rake,” said David Embry, Tom Green SWCD district technician. “He spent lots of hours getting all the mesquite roots and pushing the brush into piles.”

Carolyn has focused on improving their yard with xeriscape, using rocks Rodney cleared from a pit behind the house. She has planted flowers which constantly bloom and attracts butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

Rodney Flanagan speaks to students attending the annual outdoor classroom day event. (Photo: contributed)

The Flanagans have hosted the Natural Resource Day Outdoor Classroom for 14 years. They estimate more than 1,600 students and teachers have been impacted by xeriscape yard teaching the children to pass on her passion for gardening, plants, and much more, Embry said.

CONGRATULATIONS!

 

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

I had to nearly twist his arm, but I finally got TRUMAN CONNER to relate some of his memories through the years. Having lived in California for over 35-years working for Levi Strauss, he traveled a lot and played golf at most of the major golf courses in the U.S. He listed them in the blog post Earthquakes, Golf Courses, and More. California, of course, has other attractions like movie stars and such. 

Here are "a few memorable encounters" in TRUMAN'S own words:

 I spent a few minutes talking with Joe DiMaggio on Thanksgiving Day afternoon in 1977 when I was hitting golf balls at my private club where he was a member also.  He had been standing behind me watching me hit balls, and I was unaware of his presence until I turned around and saw him.  I walked over to him and talked with him for a few minutes. He was a very nice person. I was flattered that he thought enough of my golf game to watch me practice. (We all remember Joe - you know, Marilyn Monroe's husband!)

Ann-Margaret was filming a movie in 1964 in San Francisco at Fisherman's Wharf, and I was a bystander watching a film scene when the cast took a break from acting. Ann-Margaret sent a woman over to me to ask if I would like to have coffee with them. I was shocked, tongue-tied, and was too nervous to say yes. Something I have always regretted. (You could at least have got her autograph!)

Back in 1973, a very good friend of mine had a 1st cousin married to the champion golfer, Ken Venturi. My friend invited me to go to Palm Springs over Labor Day weekend to stay with them as guests.  I declined because I thought it was too long of a drive for a weekend.  My friend returned telling me that Frank Sinatra had taken the three of them out to dinner on Saturday night (Sinatra and Venturi were very close friends) and I would have been included as a guest of Frank Sinatra at a dinner.  What an opportunity missed. (You also missed out on a gold cigarette lighter. He was noted for giving them to friends and friends of friends. Oh, right! You weren't a smoker!)

In 1984, I met Roy Rogers at a business conference in Denver, Colorado where he was the honored guest. He was well up in years, but we did have a nice conversation and I thought he was extremely genuine. (Oh, we remember those Saturday movies with Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger!)

In 1960 when I was at TCU, I was invited to play golf at Shady Oaks Country Club with a frat brother, and his friend who was an assistant pro at River Crest Club.  The three of us got to Shady Oaks and went into the golf shop where none other than Ben Hogan was in the shop.  He knew the young assistant pro so there was a short chat of sorts...and then Ben Hogan walked with the three of us out to the first tee to watch us tee off.  Hogan was standing only a few feet from me watching me tee up my golf ball to drive.  I was so nervous I could hardly get the ball teed up, and then proceeded to hit a horrific drive.  Here was one of the most famous golfers in the world watching me hit a drive. (This makes my sons and grandson Travis green with envy!)

I had occasion to once meet Sandy Koufax, baseball pitcher for NY Yankees when we talked after church services.  I once met Willie Shoemaker, the famous jockey after being introduced to him at a restaurant in San Francisco.  Both of these were unexpected occurrences.  And last, but not least, I met Doris Day in the parking lot at Quail Lodge club in Carmel Valley, Calif. where she was also a member.  She was a very friendly, gracious person and still quite attractive. I liked her very much. (Left - At age 88 I'm sure she's still many guys' Secret Love!)

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You had some fun and interesting people show up in your life from time to time, TRUMAN.  I'll bet many more of you can dust the cobwebs off your own memories and share some equally interesting ones with us. After all, some of us may not have such a good memory for many more years! Let me hear from you!

'Til next time..

Peace and love,

Marilyn