Wednesday fire
Enterprise wins top press awards from PPA
The Clarendon Enterprise received 14 awards at the 115th annual Panhandle Press Association Convention in Borger last weekend.
Competing in Division One for weekly newspapers, Sandy Anderberg won First Place for the Enterprise for Sports Writing, and the crew of Tara Allred, Ashlee Estlack, and Roger Estlack won First Place for Advertising Designs.
The Enterprise was also first place in Sports Photos by Elaina Estlack, Front Page Layout, News Writing, Spot News Photos, Society & Lifestyles, Human Interest Photos, Special Section, Editorials, and Website.
Serious Columns by Benjamin Estlack and Roger Estlack won second and third place, and Enterprise feature Stories placed second.
The General Excellence in Division One went to the Enterprise this year as well.
Dr. Don Newbury, who has spoken for the Clarendon Chamber banquet and whose columns appear in the Enterprise, was the featured speaker of the weekend
Tara Huff was also named to the Hall of Fame this year.
PPA officers for the coming year are President Tim Ritter of the Canyon News, Vice President Tara Huff of the Eagle Press in Fritch/Borger, Immediate Past President Jeff Blackmon of Hereford, and Secretary Roger Estlack of Clarendon. They are joined on the board by directors Shane Lance of Quanah, Shannon Cook of Canyon, Macee Sater of Groom, Suzanne Bellsnyder of Spearman, and Michael Wright of Dumas.
Attending this year’s annual Panhandle Press Association convention from Clarendon were Roger, Ashlee, Benjamin, and Elaina Estlack and Tara Allred.
Pantex now area’s largest employer
Pantex is now the largest employer in the Texas Panhandle, according to an announcement released Tuesday by the nuclear weapons facility.
More than eight decades ago, during World War II, the Pantex Ordnance plant was a major contributor during the global conflict. At its height in January 1943, Pantex employed 5,254 full time employees. When WWII ended, Pantex closed its doors. Then in 1951 the Federal Government reclaimed the site, creating the cornerstone of the nuclear weapons complex.
Since 1975, Pantex has been the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and modification center for nuclear weapons.
The total number of employees has changed throughout the decades. Ten years ago, it remained consistent with approximately 3,100 employees. That number has increased dramatically over the last few years as hundreds of new employees have been hired at Pantex.
“That growth is simply explained,” said Colby Yeary, Pantex Site Manager. “Our workload has increased and with that increase – the need to bring on hundreds of new Pantexans to meet production demands. It became obvious that our work force would have to grow to match the more than 70 percent increase in our work load. We’ve been hiring ever since and now at of the most recent count, Pantex has 4,626 employees.”
According to Pantex Field Office Manager, Jason Armstrong, “The economic impact of Pantex on our community – and the entire Panhandle – cannot be overstated. It’s something we’re very proud of. We rely on Pantexans daily to deliver our national security deterrent by combining their unique talents and abilities, driven by their deep sense of patriotism and dedication. What also cannot be overstated is the importance of Pantex. In light of today’s real-world geopolitical conditions, our responsibility to deliver on our mission to enable global security is absolutely vital. It’s the growing number of Pantexans who make that happen.”
According to Yeary, growth at Pantex will continue. “As we continue to move forward – we continue to grow in numbers and scope within the community. Later this year, we are going to house 300 employees in the city Amarillo to accommodate expansion and teleworking. We will continue with our modernization programs, including an increased workload and work force,” he said.
Enterprise 2024 Back To School section now online
The Clarendon Enterprise’s annual Back-to-School edition is now online to help parents get ready for the coming school year.
The Back-to-School edition features supply lists for Clarendon and Hedley schools as well as school calendars, registration information, Bronco and Owl football schedules, and more.
In addition to interesting articles to help kids be more successful in school this year, the edition also includes information about the state’s Sales Tax Holiday, which will allow parents to save on back-to-school shopping.
The Back-To-School section will be included in this week’s Enterprise on newsstands Wednesday in addition to being online here.
Claudia Gail Tuttle
Claudia Gail Tuttle, 71, of Ralls, Texas, died Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Ralls.
Graveside Services will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Llano Cemetery in Amarillo, Texas, with Calvin Burrow officiating.
Viewing will be held Monday at the funeral home with family receiving friends for visitation from 4:00-6:00 PM.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Claudia was born July 7, 1953, in Amarillo, Texas, to William and Ethel Louise Deuvall Vinson. She married Giffert Tuttle, Sr. on April 11, 1975, in Springfield, Ohio. She had been longtime resident of Ohio before moving to Texas where she had been a resident of Pampa and Clarendon for several years. She owned and operated Claudia’s Quality Janitorial Services for 4-5 years, and worked as a Manager at Duckwalls. She also ran the concessions at the Pampa Rec Center for eight years. Her hobbies included quilting and sewing.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Giffert Tuttle, Sr., on December 6, 2021.
Survivors include her sons, Giffert Tuttle, Jr., and wife Tonya of Springfield, Ohio, Gary Tuttle and wife Tina of Pampa, Michael Tuttle and wife Amy of Jayton, Brent Tuttle and wife Sharlene of Clarendon, and Chad Smith of Amarillo; her daughters, Patricia Fuller and husband Terry of Springfield, Ohio, Peggy Quigley and husband Jeff of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Penny Longan and husband Jakie of Clarendon, and Chris Davis and husband Marvin of Clarendon; a brother, Bill Vinson and wife Linda of Amarillo; a sister, Charlotte Payne and husband Robert of Georgia; 32 grandchildren; 40 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Louva Agnes Hunt
Louva Agnes Hunt passed away on July 5, 2024, at the age of 92. Her mind was sharp and active until the end, and her soul was ready. She was able to say her goodbyes, wrestle with the life and death dilemmas, accept her fate, and meet her Maker with clarity and understanding. She was the mother of eight children, an intelligent and highly educated woman who came up in a time with limited opportunities for women outside the home, but found worthy outlets for her compassion and abilities.
Louva was the eldest of two children born on November 13, 1931, to Ernest Lloyd Hunt and Maggie Belle Scoggins Hunt in Clarendon, Texas. Louva and her younger brother Ernest Lloyd Hunt, Jr. were born, raised, and educated in and by the community of Clarendon, Texas, through the great depression and World War II. Louva graduated high school in 1948 at the precocious age of 16. From there, she immediately enrolled in Clarendon College for a year and one-half, and then on to Southern Methodist University in Dallas where she studied English and Spanish, earning her Bachelors Degree in June 1951.
In September 1951, Louva married her high school sweetheart, James R. Lovell, a newly licensed attorney. They moved to Dumas, Texas, and over the course of two decades had eight children — Lynnita (1952), John (1954), Jimmy (1957), Joe (1959), Jeff (1962), Laura (1965), Leslie (1967), and Jesse (1973).
She was involved in her church and community, serving as chair and a long term member of the Kilgore Memorial Library, an active member of the American Association of University Women, and a deacon and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Dumas.
Not one to stay still, Louva attended West Texas State University and earned a Master’s Degree in English and Spanish in 1972. She used her skills in Spanish to teach English in the night adult education program offered through the Dumas school system in the early 1970’s. From that experience, she recognized the need for affordable day care for the laborers in the meat packing and ag industries concentrated around Cactus, Texas. That led her to create the Mi Escuelita Day Care Center, where she served as its founder and director through the 1970’s.
Louva went to work in the late 1980’s at the Palo Duro Hospital Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center and later at the Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center. She returned to WTSU to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology and Mental Health Counseling. She became licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor in 1990, a Marriage and Family Therapist in 1992, and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in 2006. Louva joined Family Support Services in Amarillo in 1996 (at her “retirement age”) where she provided adult, child, and family counseling until earlier this year at the age of 92! And that wasn’t all. Over the last decade, Louva also found time to pursue a life-long love of writing, publishing two works of non-fiction – Little Weena’s Flowers (2016) and Alias, Pieles Macario (2024).
Louva was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ernest Hunt, Jr. and her son Jeffrey Ray Lovell.
Louva is survived by a whole host of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren: Nita Dyslin of Amarillo, and her sons Derrick (Lindsay) Dyslin of Houston, and their two children; and Chad (Danyell) Dyslin of Amarillo. John H. Lovell of Amarillo, his wife Regina, and their daughters Esther Beagles of Canyon, and her two children; Rachel Lovell (John Lawrence) of Bay Village, Ohio, and their two daughters; Lindy (Justin) Blackstock of Canyon, and their son CJ; and son David (Mylea) Lovell of Ralls. Jim Lovell and his spouse Bill Stoner of Tourves, France. Joe L. Lovell of Amarillo, his wife Trish, and their sons Heath Lovell of Denver, and his two daughters; and Ben Lovell of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jeff Lovell’s family: his wife Dianne, and their son, Johnny (Bridget) Lovell of Lumberton, and their five children; and daughter Whitney (Junior) Chairez of Dumas, and their three daughters. Laura Taylor of Amarillo, and her daughters Bristen Rodriguez of Amarillo and her two daughters; Nicole (Colton) Blessen of Amarillo, and their two daughters; and Tiffany (Landry) Vandergriff of Houston, and their son and another on the way. Leslie (Randall) Hawkins of McGregor, Texas, and children Jace (Jenna) Bennett of Amarillo, their daughter and another on the way; Jancee Bennett of Austin; Jayton (Paige) Bennett of Canyon, and their son; Matthew (Sierra) Hawkins of Dallas, and their daughter and son; Andrew (Taylor) Hawkins of Dallas; and Michael Hawkins of San Antonio. Jesse (Amy) Lovell of Claude, and their children Mattie Kate Lovell of St. George, Utah, and Hunter Lovell of Claude.
Burial will be next to her father and mother in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, 2024, by Robertson Funeral Directors.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in the First Presbyterian Church at 700 E. 1st Street in Dumas, Texas.
Louva requested that donations to her life and legacy be made generously to Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage in Amarillo, Texas. evelinessunshinecottage.com
Louva’s family wants to express its appreciation to Gentiva Hospice and nurse Ashley Wortham.
The family also thanks and acknowledges their extra special appreciation for the Hudson House of Claude, which gave Louva a comfortable and caring home in her last year, and to Jill Benson, Sara Griffin, Breia Etheridge, Tina Cariveau, Kim Gossman, Debbie Williams, and Jenna Holt, who blessed Louva with loving care far beyond that which we could have ever imagined.
Joel Wallace Gehman
Joel Wallace Gehman, 53, of Clarendon, passed away on Monday, July 1, 2024, at his home.
Graveside services will be held on Monday, July 8, 2024 at 11 AM in Washburn Cemetery. Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Joel was born in Hillsboro, Ore., on October 7, 1970 to Daniel Dwight and Alma (Buckwalter) Gehman. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in English from Ambassador College and worked as a Data Conversion Specialist before his retirement. Joel previously lived in Washburn, TX before moving to Clarendon 5 years ago. He was a Christian, and he loved to read. Intellectual thrillers were his favorite.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Daniel and Alma Gehman.
Joel is survived by two brothers, Julian Gehman and Eric Gehman; two sisters, Rose Reimer and Cindy Ferch; 6 nephews; and 3 nieces.
Jo Dee Mincey-Waits
Jo Dee Mincey-Waits, 75, of Amarillo died Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Amarillo.
Services will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in the First Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Chris Downer, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Jo Dee was born August 8, 1948, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Dorothy Dee and Vestal Vaughn, Jr. She married James Dewey “Jim” Mincey on February 14, 1981 in Lubbock. She had been a resident of Clarendon for 27 years where she worked as a Registered Nurse in Home Health prior to her retirement. She loved going to the lake, working home health, crafts, paintings, and adored playing card games and bingo. She was a former paramedic for Clarendon EMS in the 1980’s and early 90’s and was a former member of the Clarendon Firebelles. She was inducted into the Texas Panhandle Nurse Honor Guard in August 2023. She was also a former member of the First Methodist Church in Clarendon. She always loved being around her grandkids and great grandkids.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim on September 1, 2006; and a sister, Vicki Lacy.
She is survived by her sons, Dewey Mincey and wife Kayla of Amarillo, John Klattenhoff and wife Elayne of Midland, Wayne Buckner and wife Traci of Orr City, and James Buckner of Carthage; her daughters, Cathie Flud and husband Josh of Lubbock, Jo Ann Cline and husband Bret of Jet, Oklahoma, Eileen Hood of Amarillo, Georgi Housh and husband Danny of Canyon, Samantha Hinton of Clarendon, and Edie Mincey of Midland; her sisters, Amy Windisch of Westmont, Illinois and Kim Douglass of Huntington Beach, California; 26 grandchildren; and 22 great grandchildren.
The family request memorials be sent to the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department / PO Box 364 / Clarendon, TX 79226.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
One year of service
Blood drive to be held Saturday
Due to a critically low supply of blood, the Coffee Memorial Blood Center will hold a “Back the Brave” Boots & Badges blood drive honoring first responders on Saturday, July 6, during the Saints’ Roost Celebration.
The Blood Drive will be hosted by the Clarendon Lions Club, and the Bloodmobile will be parked at the Lions Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take donations.
There is currently only a two-day supply of blood available for the Panhandle area. One major emergency could quickly wipe that supply out.
Clarendon Lions and Coffee Memorial hope people attending the Saints’ Roost Celebration will step up and save a life. Donors can schedule their appointments by calling 877-340-8777 or online at obi.org or just walk over to the Bloodmobile on July 6 at the Lions Hall.
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