Fan’s choice
Nurse practitioner joins local clinic
Clarendon Family Medical Center this week is formally announcing that Kathryn Broussard has joined their staff as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Broussard grew up in DeQuincy, Louisiana, graduating from high school there before embarking on her climb up the career ladder as a nurse.
Becoming the first member of her family to graduate from college, Broussard started as a Vocational Nurse then worked her way up to a Registered Nurse, earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, and then graduated with her Master’s to become a nurse practitioner.
A nurse practitioner is similar to a Physician’s Assistant, Broussard says, with the main difference being the path of education.
“I just always wanted to be a nurse and help people,” she said.
Broussard gained 17 years of experience including time as an emergency room nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont. She then worked at an urgent care center but was looking for something different when a job recruiter contacted her about a position in Clarendon late last year.
The Texas Panhandle is familiar territory to Broussard. Her husband, Gabe, is a graduate of West Texas High School in Stinnett and has family in Fritch, Borger, and Panhandle.
Dr. John Howard interviewed Broussard by phone and later Facetime in January, and she started working at the clinic in February, she said.
The Broussards have three kids – Anna, 17; Madison, 14; and Gannon, 12. The two youngest kids live with Broussard in Clarendon. Anna lives is still with her father in Orange while she finishes her senior year, and then they will be moving here as well. Anna plans to attend Clarendon College to get her basic education.
“The situation has been quite an adjustment, but it’s working out,” she said.
Broussard is pleased with her move and her new job and says the community has been welcoming.
“I like it here. It’s amazing how nice everyone is,” she said. “It’s such a big difference from where I’m from how respectful everyone is.”
Broussard says her kids have already made friends in the community, and her husband is going to be able to continue his present job as a designer for a construction company by working from home in Clarendon.
Broussard is now seeing patients full time.
Services held for historian, educator Stavenhagen
Memorial services were held Saturday for Jean Bailey Stavenhagen of Clarendon as she was remembered for her contributions as an educator and local historian.
Mrs. Stavenhagen was 81 when she died on Thursday, August 16, 2018, in Clarendon.
Services were at First Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Randy Land and Rev. Lance Wood, officiating. Burial followed in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley. Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Elva Jean Bailey was born September 18, 1936, in Giles, Donley County, Texas, to Elmore and Margie Land Bailey. She attended first grade in Giles before going to school in Hedley where she was a 1954 graduate of Hedley High School. She moved to Amarillo and worked for a time as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell before she married Mac J. Stavenhagen on June 2, 1956, in Hedley. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from West Texas State University.
Stavenhagen was a “rare individual who produced abundantly yet demanded little attention.” Her life’s legacy is marked by her efforts to improve the lives of her students and to improve her community by protecting and promoting its history.
Stavenhagen began teaching right after graduating from West Texas State University in 1971. Her fun-loving nature, quick wit, passion for learning, and her ability to connect with her students made her a favorite at Clarendon High School, where she became known simply as “Mrs. Stave.”
She taught Speech, Drama, and English before becoming the school’s librarian. Over the course of 29 years, she coached many of Clarendon’s literary teams and led them to excellence.
She once said: “I felt that I have almost had two separate careers in education: one as a classroom teacher and one as a librarian. I have enjoyed doing both, but my constant love has been working with students in UIL – any age – any event – I like them all. I like the competition, whether it is throwing a football or making a speech; competition is the great motivator.”
“Mrs. Stave” produced state qualifiers in Informative and Persuasive Speaking, Prose and Poetry, Literary Criticism, Current Events and coached the only One-Act play cast from Clarendon to qualify for state. She also assisted the elementary students in UIL and her expertise almost always guaranteed UIL winners in Oral Reading.
Her influence as an educator cannot be overstated. US Congressman Mac Thornberry, who now chairs the House Armed Services Committee, was her first student to advance to state in Persuasive Speaking. Typical of her nature, she never took credit for Thornberry’s success, but he has given it to her. Upon her retirement in 2000, the Congressman said he still felt the presence of his former UIL coach at every political speech and every whistle-stop he makes on the campaign trail in the Texas Panhandle.
“For better or worse, Mrs. Stave started me speaking in public,” Thornberry has said. “To this day, I sometimes hear her voice in my head telling me to slow down or be more expressive or something.”
Fourteen years later, when Thornberry assumed his Chairmanship, he again credited “Mrs. Stave” for enabling him to do what he does.
As a librarian, Mrs. Stave was able to share her love of research with students… first through bound encyclopedias, a card catalog, and microfilm and later through the Internet. She compared researching to being on a treasure hunt and loved the satisfaction she got from finding information.
That love carried over into her love of history, to which she devoted much of her time before and after retirement. In 1990, she was researching an unrelated topic when she learned about a Texas Centennial granite marker that had been set up at the Old Clarendon cemetery in 1936. The graves were moved to Citizens Cemetery in 1966 to make way for Greenbelt Lake and the marker had been lost. She tracked it down and got reunited with the graves of the Christian colonists.
She helped compile the Donley County History book in the early 1990s, and as chair of the Donley County Historical Commission, Mrs. Stave was instrumental in… if not largely responsible for… securing the grant that restored the 1890 Courthouse to all its glory. Working closely with Judge Jack Hall, she researched, presented, wrote, raised funds, and did anything and everything she could to help make that project happen… all without wanting any credit for herself. But her love for that project was undeniable. Speaking at the Courthouse’s dedication in 2003, she shined and spoke as only she could, saying: “Let us pay homage to our wonderful “old lady” of Donley County. She has had her arteries of pipes and wires unclogged, the bats taken out of her hair, and a ‘facelift’ of newly painted walls and floors. She is now the “Queen of the Panhandle” – all spruced up, sitting in her courtyard like royalty, waiting for her people.”
With the same passion, she secured and administered the grant that restored the 1887 Clarendon Depot at the Saints’ Roost Museum while serving on that board. She was also responsible for or helped with securing State Historic Markers for the Jericho and Rowe cemeteries, The Clarendon Enterprise, Robertson Funeral Home, Clarendon College, the Courthouse, and St. Stephen’s Baptist Church and she had hopes of securing other historic markers around the county.
Her work as a librarian and historian directly led to the preservation and later digitization of Donley County’s newspaper archives. She was an early advocate of saving the Mulkey Theatre and helped with those efforts through research and promotion and even was featured in a documentary about the theatre last year.
She was the Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of the Year for 2001 and later received the Chamber’s highest honor, “The Saints’ Roost Award,” for her lifetime of service to the people of Donley County.
Her influence is immeasurable, her laughter is unforgettable, and her legacy will be everlasting… through her students and her good works, her memory will stand the test of time.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant daughters, Lisa Gay and Mitzi Gail Stavenhagen; two brothers, Stanley and Terry Bailey; and one niece, Cyndy Bailey.
Survivors include her husband, Mac Stavenhagen of Clarendon; a son, Steve Stavenhagen of Amarillo; a sister, Nita Graham and husband Gary of Memphis; two grandchildren, Cody Stavenhagen and Casey Stavenhagen; and a sister-in-law Virginia Bailey of Amarillo; and whole passel of nieces and nephews who were taught to call her Aunt Jean.
The family request that memorials be made to the Rowe Cemetery Association in Hedley.
Richard Floyd Finch
Richard Floyd Finch, 83, of Portland, Oregon died Sunday, August 12, 2018, in Portland, Oregon.
Services were held Saturday, August 18, 2018, in Robertson Funeral Directors Saints’ Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Don Stone, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Richard Floyd Finch was born July 29, 1935, to Richard Henry and Travis Elizabeth (Donald) Finch. He graduated from high school at age 16 years, soon becoming a manager in a department store. His love of automotive and mechanical technology led him to race Go-Karts and sports cars. He worked in Civil Service in the Aerospace industry at Vandenberg Air Force Base as well as with the Rocket Testing Program at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. His aerospace work also took him to the Marshall Islands during the Cold War years.
Graduating eventually from California Polytechnic State University in San Louis Obispo, California, Richard taught in Community Colleges, published technical books, and designed aeronautical devices. His greatest delight was in being accepted as an engineering team member at NASA’s Space Center in Florida. Richard retired in New Mexico, having acquired a love for the region near his earlier aerospace work. During his retirement years, he volunteered as an educator for the Experimental Aircraft Association. He was a member of the Church of Christ.
He was preceded in death by his parents Richard and Travis Finch, his wife Gayle E. Finch, and his sons Rocky Dale Finch and Richard Dean Finch.
Richard is survived by his siblings, E. Beth Johnson of Chennai, India, Roger Finch of Clarendon, and Phil Finch of Oregon, and is survived by a granddaughter Sara Gorlick of Austin, Texas.
Family requests that donations be made to Clarendon Citizen’s Cemetery Fund at P.O. Box 983, Clarendon, TX 79226.
Sign the online guestbook at www.robertsonfuneral.com
Shekinta considers options for ministry
Shekinta Ministries continues to operate in Clarendon but the direction of one of its facilities remains up in the air as its founder looks for a direction he says might be “more palatable” to local citizens.
The ministry, which operates “alternative housing” for parolees, drew public attention two weeks ago when seven registered sex offenders were listed in public notices as living at a house on Gorst Street.
Within a few days, most of those offenders were moved out of Clarendon due to what Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn was told was a “technical error.”
Shekinta founder and president David A. Hurlbrink told the Enterprise last Wednesday that he didn’t apply properly for the Gorst Street location.
“There is an application process to go through,” Hurlbrink said, “and I apparently inadvertently violated that process. I wasn’t’ successful in getting the Gorst location approved.”
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says Shekinta Ministries rents to parole clients as it is an Alternate Housing Resource for the client population with an approved facility at 218 N. Sully St. that can house up to seven paroled offenders.
Hurlbrink told the Enterprise that a White Street address mentioned in last week’s article is actually his personal residence and office.
Hurlbrink says he understands the public’s concern about having registered sex offenders move into the community, but he says he feels it’s his calling to help those men.
“I completely get where everyone is coming from,” he said. “Those are today’s modern lepers. No one wants to do anything with them. I’ve been called to put together an immersion program for them.”
That program includes getting the men employed and teaching them life skills such as cooking and balancing a checkbook.
“I want to serve the community not harm community,” he said. “The last thing I want is people scared.”
Hurlbrink says he previously served in the military and eventually moved to Texas.
“Things fell apart for me,” he said. “I started seeking the Lord. I wasn’t doing what He told me to do. He allowed things to blow up then came together. This whole thing is me trying to give back.”
Shekinta Ministries was founded in August 2014, he said. The name means “the Lord’s presence.”
“Without spirit we can’t affect transformation and that’s what this program is designed to do,” Hurlbrink said. “Take guys with a basic understanding of God and immerse them in God’s word.”
Hurlbrink said he moved to Clarendon in March 2017 and purchased the Sully Street location when he starting receiving his VA pension.
He says he would like parents and the public to know that he understands their concerns.
“I would say to them that we have put these men under GPS supervision,” he said. “I was continually in touch with parole office. They were required to register everywhere. They were tightly regulated and supervised. Last thing I want is an offense in my community. I understand the fear but I have to push through the fear.
“I believe these are godly men who truly want a fresh start. As long as they were willing to put in the work, I felt obligated to give them the chance.”
Hurlbrink says he has been reconsidering the direction of his ministry especially in regards to the Gorst Street property.
“I knew resistance would be there, but I thought we could show the community through the fruits of our ministry,” he said. “We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the Lord. I believe Jesus paid for those sins no matter how horrific.”
Hurlbrink hasn’t decided whether to pursue reapplying for the Gorst house to serve the same type of offenders. This week he told the Enterprise that he is considering opening it up to serve veterans in some way.
“Maybe that would be more palatable,” he said
Hurlbrink apologizes for the disruption Shekinta has caused to Clarendon.
“I love my community, and I’m sorry for any fear that has gone around. That’s the last thing I wanted. Shekinta is here to be of service in any way that I possibly can.”
Meanwhile, Sheriff Butch Blackburn is not letting up on his warning about having offenders residing in the community. He says that while seven offenders left Clarendon, another man moved to town who has completed his supervision by the state.
“I would just urge citizens to know who they are hiring and be aware of what’s going on and keep an eye on their kids,” Sheriff Blackburn said.
Sales taxes revenue continues to climb
The City of Clarendon saw its seventh straight month of growth in sales tax revenue when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar distributed August allocations last week.
Clarendon received $39,835.05 for the month which is up 3.29 percent over the same period one year ago.
The city is now running 8.44 percent ahead for the calendar year-to-date with sales tax revenues totaling $278,639.83.
Howardwick’s sales tax income was also up with an increase of 6.55 percent for the month at $889.28. The lakeside city is up 16.36 percent for the year at $8,253.35.
Hedley had an increase of 204.03 percent with revenue of $1,935.53, bringing that city’s total to date up 102.58 percent at $8,934.40.
Statewide, Hegar delivered $842.7 million in local sales tax allocations for August, 8.2 percent more than in August 2017.
These allocations are based on sales made in June by businesses that report tax monthly, and sales made in April, May and June by quarterly filers.
New faculty
Training for tragedy
Lake of fire
Ready for action
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