Drilling deep
Timeless Values: Music and video celebrate old-fashioned themes
By Elaina Estlack, The Clarendon Enterprise
It was just a normal Saturday matinee showing of “Old Yeller” at the Mulkey Theatre in 1964, but for eight-year-old Garre LaGrone, the experience would last a lifetime.
Sixty-one years later, on Saturday, July 12, 2025, three young kids were given the opportunity to star in a music video at the Mulkey Theatre for the Grass Daddies, a bluegrass band. The song, entitled “Old Yeller,” was written by LaGrone, the band’s lead singer. He took inspiration from the film of the same name, focusing on the morals and themes presented throughout, rather than the movie itself.
“It’s got a great message of old-fashioned values and hard work – that life’s not perfect,” LaGrone said. “ You get knocked down, but you’ve got to get back up.”
LaGrone was born in Amarillo in 1956 and grew up in Canyon, but he has always had ties to Clarendon. His parents, Betty Thompson LaGrone and Odell LaGrone, grew up in Clarendon, and he had several family members in Clarendon.
“All of my school years were in Canyon, first grade through high school,” LaGrone said. “My mother and dad grew up in Clarendon. That’s my connection with Clarendon.”
LaGrone’s interest in music began at a young age, singing with his choir at the First Baptist Church in Canyon. He grew up with several influences in music, but the most significant was his grandfather, Jake LaGrone.
“He was probably the biggest influence on me when I was growing up,” LaGrone said. “He was an old-time fiddler and on my album there’s a song called ‘A Little Fiddlin’. That song was written about him.”
LaGrone’s only formal music education was piano lessons, which only lasted a week.
“The lady got so frustrated with me that I wasn’t trying to read the music,” LaGrone said. “I was just trying to figure it out.”
LaGrone went on to teach himself the piano, keyboard, and guitar.
“I never could read a note of music ever,” LaGrone said. “I just played by ear.”
As a kid, LaGrone attended several movies at the Mulkey Theatre in Clarendon while visiting relatives, but the most impactful was “Old Yeller.”
“I just always loved it, the story of the movie,” LaGrone said. “Sometimes, life’s not fair, but you just got to look at the good instead of the bad.”
It was this experience that inspired him to write the song and record the music video at the Mulkey. He was given the opportunity to have local kids Monroe Newhouse, Kylie Glover, and J.T. Shelton act in the video. Newhouse was the main star and is actually a distant cousin of LaGrone, bearing a resemblance to an eight-year-old LaGrone.
“He’s about the same age I was when I saw the movie,” LaGrone said. “He looks a little bit like I looked back then. He is so cute.”
The kids fit their roles perfectly, needing little to no direction for lines and scenes.
“They just acted it out perfectly. It was so cool,” LaGrone said. “It was just a God thing. It was meant to be.”
The video takes the viewers back in time to that Saturday in 1964 with “Old Yeller” on the big screen at the Mulkey. It pays homage to
LaGrone and his friends watching the film for the first time and how impactful that day truly was.
This, however, was not the original plan. At first, all LaGrone wanted was a few pictures of the Mulkey marquee to use in the video, but everything started to coalesce to create an entire story in the theatre. They were able to use the original ticket booth and concession stand, the same one used by LaGrone all those years ago, as well as a recreation of the original “Old Yeller” movie poster.
“It all just came together. It was really special,” LaGrone said. “It really turned out great.”
Editor’s Note: The “Old Yeller” song is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. The video can be seen at MulkeyTheatre.com.
Sentences issued in three district court cases
A Temple woman was sentenced in a Donley County felony case when the district court met via Zoom on July 17.
District Attorney Luke Inman, along with Assistant District Attorney Harley Caudle, prosecuted the case for the State of Texas, with the Honorable Judge Dale Rabe, Jr., presiding from the bench.
Lanette Dichell Porter, 40, from Temple, Texas, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the third degree felony offense of assault on a public servant. Porter was arrested for the offense in Donley County on April 18, 2024.
Porter was originally placed on ten years probation on May 13, 2024.
On March 11, the State filed its motion requesting the court to revoke Porter’s probation, alleging 14 violations of her conditions of probation. Porter pleaded true to the violations of her community supervision.
Porter was also ordered to pay the remaining $500 fine and $290 court costs.
Two other Donley County cases were adjudicated when the court met in Childress on June 26, again with Inman and Caudle prosecuting and Judge Rabe presiding.
John Robert McAllister, 43, from Memphis, Texas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the second degree felony offense of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, enhanced to a first degree felony.
McAllister was arrested in Donley County by Sheriff Butch Blackburn on October 6, 2024, and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on January 27.
McAllister was also ordered to pay $290 in court costs.
Cruz Viedo Gonzalez, 31, from Santa Ana, Calif., was sentenced to three years in prison for the third degree felony offense of evading arrest with a motor vehicle.
Gonzalez was arrested in Donley County by DPS Trooper Nathan Bozeman on December 29, 2024, and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on March 24.
Gonzalez was also ordered to pay $305 in court costs.
Jackson secures wins for the Panhandle
Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) last week championed Texas’ defense priorities during the House Armed Services Committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The legislation passed out of committee with strong support, 55-2, and is expected to be considered on the House floor in the coming weeks.
“Today, the House Armed Services Committee advanced the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson.
“I’m proud to have secured major wins and investments for Texas’ Thirteenth Congressional District, including support for Pantex, Bell Helicopter, Sheppard Air Force Base, and more. This year’s NDAA enhances the military’s efficiency and readiness, supporting President Trump’s and Secretary Hegseth’s commitment to building a modern, lethal force. Thanks to Chairman Mike Rogers’ leadership we are delivering a strong America First NDAA that will have a lasting impact on our warfighters, their families, and our national defense.”
“Chairman Ronny Jackson is leading the charge to ensure America’s special operations forces and intelligence community stay ahead of our adversaries,” said Chairman Mike Rogers.
“Through his vital work on the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee, he’s delivering investments in the FY26 NDAA that strengthen cutting-edge technologies and equip our warfighters with the tools they need to keep America safe. Chairman Jackson knows that maintaining our edge in advanced tech is essential to defeating threats in the shadows and preserving our national security.”
The bill includes several projects that will benefit the Panhandle region. It modernizes the V-22 Osprey fleet with upgrades such as the nacelle improvement program. The bill highlights critical upgrades, such as the Structural Improvements and Electrical Power Upgrades, which expand the capabilities of the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y helicopters.
The act advances warhead assembly and disassembly modernization at the Pantex Plant to ensure this critical facility keeps pace with Department of Defense modernization. It also requests a modernization plan from the Office of Secure Transportation for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The bill also Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to accelerate the fielding of the MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).
Nationally, the bill includes other provisions such as:
Quality of Life and Readiness: The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) NDAA increases recruitment, expands training opportunities, prioritizes innovative capabilities, and improves Servicemembers’ Quality of Life.
Deterrence and Innovation: The FY26 NDAA prioritizes modern weapons, Artificial Intelligence, hypersonics, and unmanned systems to ensure America stays ahead of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or any other adversary.
Acquisition Reform: Defense funding should go to safeguarding our warfighters and advancing our national security, not entrenched bureaucracies. By reforming acquisition, cutting red tape, and improving Congressional oversight, we can streamline operations and improve efficiency for taxpayers.
Peace Through Strength: This bill delivers on President Trump’s promise to rebuild America’s military power, restore deterrence, and put America First.
Veterans and Service member Benefits include the following: Establishes a new brain research program to treat the more than 300,000 servicemembers who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. Builds on previous year’s efforts to improve support, care, and accountability across all military branches. Examines the Department of Defense’s wound care strategy, including prevention, treatment, and infection control in future operations. Praises the Secretary of Defense’s Quality of Life efforts and supports childcare needs at military installations. Explores the feasibility of establishing co-working spaces for military spouses at remote military installations in the United States. Supports greater accountability for privatized housing contractors amid ongoing housing quality concerns.
Ruby Jewel Hardin
Ruby Jewel Hardin, 97, of Clarendon, passed away Monday, July 21, 2025, in Clarendon.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 24, 2025, at First Baptist Church in Silverton with Rev. G.J. Walton officiating.
Burial will be at 2:00 p.m. in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Viewing will be Wednesday at the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the care of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Ruby Jewel was born May 12, 1928, in Clarendon to Richard and Edna Jewel Yates Dingler. She married Warren Hardin on August 25, 1947, in Clarendon. A lifelong resident of Clarendon, she spent the last decade in Silverton before returning home last year.
Ruby was a devoted homemaker who found joy in gardening, baking and decorating cakes, sewing, and painting. She also loved playing 42 with her many friends. A woman of faith, she was a former member of the First Presbyterian Church in Clarendon and most recently a member of the First Baptist Church in Silverton.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Warren Hardin, in 1991; a brother, Richard Dingler Jr.; and two sisters, Joyce Watkins and Frances Grimland.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Garvin and husband Lane of Silverton; her sisters, Jo Cowan of Perryton, Glenna Cash of Topeka, Kansas, and Catherine Cosper of Amarillo; her granddaughters, Brooke Whitworth of Silverton and Kurby Mitchell and husband Brandon of Wellington; three great-grandchildren, Landry Whitworth, Baron Mitchell, and Merick Mitchell; as well as several nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorials be made to the Clarendon or Silverton Volunteer Fire Department, Citizens Cemetery Association, or the First Baptist Church Youth Group in Silverton.
Editorial: Broken systems, hypocrisy, and the real truth
On Friday, June 20, 2025, two weeks before the United States was set to celebrate independence and freedom, Texas Governor Greg Abbot signed a bill that will restrict those freedoms. Abbot signed House Bill 1481, a bill that will prohibit students in K-12 education from using wireless personal communication devices, including personal phones, smart watches, and laptops, during instructional periods.
Previously, school districts had the option of adopting this policy, allowing schools to set rules and punishments as they saw fit. Now, however, every school district in Texas will be forced to adopt this policy, though the bill does not outline any repercussions should a student not comply, nor does it discuss any exceptions.
This policy is possibly the most mindless and senseless idea I have ever heard. There are numerous instances in which a student may need their personal device, yet the state views these as insignificant when compared to the smaller issues that phones cause. They argue that phones cause a distraction during classes, affecting productivity and scores. While this may be true, to an extent, removing phones is not going to remove distractions. Students will find ways to waste time and cause distractions regardless of phones.
The problem is not the phones. The problem is the students. If a student does not want to sit in class and learn, they will not sit in class and learn. They will find a way to cause a distraction and derail the class. A student who is uninterested or unwilling to learn will not suddenly become interested in class when their phone is taken away.
I speak from my own personal experience when I say this. I have witnessed students getting their phones taken away because it is a “distraction,” and all it did was cause the student to become louder and more disruptive. They did not suddenly pay attention. In fact, they ended up distracting more students without their phone than they did with their phone. Unless the student is given actual punishment, they will continue to disrupt class.
Moreover, phones create more of a distraction to teachers than they do students. Teachers face zero repercussions for being on their phones during instructional periods, which is entirely hypocritical. I have personally witnessed several instances where teachers or substitutes were so distracted by their own devices that they were unaware of the chaos around them. Students were wrestling, throwing trash, and arguing, yet the teacher did nothing. It is a complete double standard.
Furthermore, phones can play key roles in the case of an emergency. If a student has no way to reach emergency services, or, at the very least, a responsible adult, the consequences could be catastrophic. If a school shooting or other disaster was to occur in a location without an adult, what are the students supposed to do? If there was a medical emergency in a locker room, a room where there is no school phone and, typically, no adults, what is going to happen? Students should be allowed a way to contact authorities without having to run around the school in search of a teacher or working school phone. In the case of a school shooting, are students expected to not want to contact their families? What about the students in the bathroom or outside of the building? They have no way of knowing what is going on because all of the information is on the teachers’ phones and isn’t announced over the intercoms. A student that is not with a teacher will be in danger because they do not know what is going on. Other students should be allowed to share emergency information with those outside of the classrooms, but they will have no way of doing so without their phones, putting the lives of several students at risk.
Additionally, phones are sometimes required in classrooms. For example, during this past year, my geometry class had no choice but to use the calculators on our phones because the school-provided calculators could not complete the required equations. Similarly, some classes and organizations use apps on cell phones such as Remind to share information about meetings, assignments, schedule changes, projects, and much more.
It is true that phones can cause distractions, and I am not saying students should be allowed on their phones at all times. Students should keep their phones put away while a teacher is speaking, while doing an assignment, or while taking a test. But this bill goes too far. Ultimately, cell phones, when used properly, are more of a useful tool than a harmful distraction.
Douglas “Doug” Wayne Allee
Douglas “Doug” Wayne Allee passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Lubbock at the age of 84.
Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2025, at Robertson Saints Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Lowell Hall officiating.
Cremation and arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Doug was born on October 25, 1940, in Borger, Texas, to Jimmie and Mary Agnes Allee. He grew up in Clarendon, where he attended school, and at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy. During his time in the Navy, he learned the trade of heating and air conditioning, which led to a long career with York Heating and Air, working across Virginia, Florida, and Texas.
When he retired his hobbies were: fishing, golf, hunting, dominoes, pool, and restoring old cars.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, David.
He is survived by his two children, Jimmy Allee, and Donnie Allee and wife Brenda; cousin, Mattie and husband Larry Norton; other relatives; two granddaughters; and several friends.
Sandra Finchum
Sandra Finchum, 78, of Amarillo, passed away on Friday, June 20, 2025. Celebration of Life Services will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 27, 2025, at Hillside Christian Church, 6100 S. Soncy Rd. with Pastor Greg Corona officiating.
Sandra was born April 27, 1947, in Amarillo to Thomas and Loyce Moffitt. She grew up in Clarendon and Hedley, marrying her high school sweetheart, Jerry Finchum, on July 3, 1964, in Hedley, at the age of 17. The couple celebrated 60 years of marriage last July. Together, they raised their son, Terry, in Amarillo.
Sandra started out as a hairdresser before going to work for Paramount Terrace Christian Church in the office. The church later became Hillside Christian Church, and Sandra was employed with them for 32 years, retiring in 2017. She and Jerry were active members there as well.
Sandra had several close friends that she enjoyed spending time with. Among other fun things, the group frequented the Amarillo Little Theatre for shows and events. Sandra was a talker by nature and she enjoyed chatting with her friends on the phone. Sandra and Jerry loved travelling in their RV to the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico. Sandra will be dearly missed by her family, friends and church family.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry Finchum; her son, Terry Finchum and wife Lynette of Amarillo; her brother, Dickey Moffitt and wife Molly of Memphis, Texas; two grandchildren, Tyler Finchum and wife Alex of Palo Alto, CA, and Ashley Baker and husband Colton of Orange, Texas; and two great-grandchildren, Everett and Tatum.
Phyllis Darlene Bumgardner
Phyllis Darlene Bumgardner, 66, of Clarendon passed away on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Amarillo.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Cremation and arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Phyllis was born on November 5, 1958, in Bonham, Texas, to Dan Lee and Doris Lee Yandell Jones. She spent much of her life working as a waitress, where her hardworking spirit and kind heart were evident to all who knew her.
Phyllis had a deep love for the outdoors—camping and fishing were among her favorite pastimes. She also had a lifelong passion for animals and was a strong advocate for animal rescue. Faith and family were at the center of her life, and she was known for her unwavering love for God and the people closest to her.
She enjoyed watching wrestling, cooking shows, and “Say Yes to the Dress,” finding joy in both the everyday and the extraordinary moments of life.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Jimmy Ray Jones; her sister, Teressa Ann Hawthorne and brother-in-law, Jeff Hawthorne; and two great-grandchildren, Dustin Lee Jackson and Wyatt James Sells.
She is lovingly remembered by her children: son, Brandon Jackson and wife Eva of Clarendon; daughters, Christal Burns and husband Jason of Sayre, Oklahoma, and Yolanda Kay Sells and special friend Jerry Lucero of Clarendon. She was a proud grandmother to eight grandchildren: Shelby and wife Candace, Jesse and wife Trinity, Nathan and wife Katie, Jheri and husband Dylan, Colt, Johnathon, Chey, and Dakota. She also leaves behind nine great-grandchildren, with one more on the way; and her adopted sons, Edward Harris and Richard Holt; and an adopted grandson, Dominicc Holt.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Lung Association or the American Heart Association in Phyllis’s honor.
Wilma Faye Lindley
Wilma Faye Lindley, 82, of Clarendon passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in her hometown of Clarendon.
Graveside services were held on Monday, June 23, 2025, at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon, Texas.
Wilma was born on November 10, 1942, in Clarendon to C.L. and Mary Slater Mann. A lifelong resident of Clarendon, she married the love of her life, Harold Ray Lindley, on June 2, 1961. Together, they shared 64 wonderful years of marriage.
Wilma dedicated 22 years of service to her community as the Tax Assessor Collector for Donley County. Known for her warmth and creativity, she enjoyed reading, quilting, crocheting, and crafting beautiful bedspreads and afghans. Her kitchen was a favorite gathering place for family and friends, where her legendary “granny burgers” were always a hit.
Above all, Wilma cherished her roles as a devoted wife, loving mother, proud grandmother, and joyful great-grandmother. Her family was her heart, and her legacy of love and kindness will live on through them.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Chester Mann and Milton Mann; and her sister, Mary Lucille Williams.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Harold Lindley of Clarendon; her sons, Jay Lindley and wife Shirley of Dimmitt, and Ray Lindley and wife Sharon of Amarillo; her five grandchildren, Larissa Lindley, Trent Lindley and wife Megan, Bryan Landes and wife Michele, Brittany Lindley, and Wesley Lindley; three great-grandchildren, Kamryn, Caitlyn, and Tanner; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations be made to the Citizens Cemetery Association or the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department.
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