The Clarendon High School Theatre Department will perform “The One Act Play Disaster” by Don Zolidis on December 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. in the CHS Auditorium. Baked goods will be available for sale to support the theatre program at CHS.
This Week
Dribblers sign-ups set for next week
Clarendon Dribblers Basketball will hold sign-ups on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 and Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. both nights in the Old Gym foyer.
Dribblers is for all boys and girls in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. The cost is $35 and is due at the time of sign-ups. For information, call Brandi Wann at 806-277-0456, Felicia Powell at 806-662-4285, or Renee’ Mott at 806-681-2630.
Elbert “Lynn” McKinney
Elbert “Lynn” McKinney, 65, of Clarendon passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025, in the First Baptist Church in Clarendon. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Viewing will be held Thursday at the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Lynn was born on September 3, 1960, to James and Rava (Leffew) McKinney at the Adair Hospital in Clarendon. He married the love of his life, Gina Kay Land, on February 9, 1980. For 44 years, Lynn worked faithfully at McKinney’s Motor Co. as a car salesman, where he built countless friendships and was known for his warm smile, honest nature, and dedication to serving others.
Lynn loved nothing more than spending time with his family. He enjoyed barbecuing for gatherings, cheering on his beloved Dallas Cowboys, and taking great pride in tending to his yard. His presence, kindness, and steady humor will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
He is preceded in death by his parents; and his son, Timothy Lyn McKinney.
He is survived by his wife, Gina, of Clarendon; his brother, Edward McKinney of McLean; his daughter, Mandy Burrow McKinney; grandchildren Jesse James Burrow and wife Abby, Nolan Lee Burrow, and Zackery Lockhart McKinney; and several nieces and nephews.
Franks breaks ice at NFR; earns first check
By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo
LAS VEGAS – It’s a good thing Cole Franks spoke his mind a couple months ago.
The bareback riders who qualified for the National Finals Rodeo got on a conference call to discuss what 105 horses they were going to have at the premier event. There are some disagreements and some haggling to break down the horses they considered the very best.
Andrews Rodeo’s Fresno was one of them.
“That horses is just really fast and pretty electric, and it’s a fun horse,” said Franks, who rode Fresno for 84 points to finish in a three-way tie for sixth in Sunday’s fourth round. “I fought my tail off to get that horse here this year. I’ve always liked that horse. I got on it in Salt Lake (Days of ’47 Rodeo) and did really well.”
It paid off for Franks. It wasn’t much – just shy of $2,000 – but the 2021 intercollegiate champion and rookie of the year collected his first payday of this NFR. He is eighth in the world standings with $212,333.
“You just have to have to freaking full send it,” said Franks, 24, of Clarendon, Texas. “It doesn’t matter what these horses are doing; you just have to spur. With fast horses like that one, it’s a little harder to just spur and go at them instead of flashing them up. It’s just go, go, go, go”
He went, and while the ride was fast, his NFR has been slow. By this time a year ago, he had pocketed $65,000; this year, he’s at $12,000.
“I’m riding just as good, if not better, than I ever have here,” he said. “It just seeks like I keep drawing toward the bottom of the pen or when I think I have a pretty good chance at winning a round or at least being at the top, those horses just don’t quite show up.
“It’s hard not to get down a little bit, but at the same time, I feel I’m doing about as good as I could possibly do with what I’ve had so far.”
He’s ridden four horses for a cumulative score of 334.5 points and sits seventh in the aggregate race. It’s a marathon in Las Vegas, not a sprint, and he has six more chances to take money out of Sin City.
“It’s been kind of a bummer, and I felt like I was on a losing streak,” Franks said. “The last three times I’ve been here, everything just flowed really easily.
“I’m know I’m doing my job, so this all depends on what the horse is going to control. That’s out of my control, so I’m not going to worry myself about it. If I was screwing up, it’d be a whole different story.”
He’s writing the script, and there’s are more acts to follow.
Lady Broncos defeated by the PD Lady Dons
By Sandy Anderberg
The Lady Broncos hosted the Palo Duro Lady Dons last week and fell short 42-56.
The ladies were able to compete with the 5A school but were not able to make good on the three-ball like they normally do. Senior Madi Benson hit the only three-pointer for the Lady Broncos.
A slow start hindered the Lady Broncos as they fell behind 11 points in the opening eight minutes and trailed by 14 at the break. They also struggled somewhat at the bonus line hitting only six of 10 free shots in the game. But it was not in the Lady Broncos to give up as they were able to work their way back by outscoring the Lady Dons in the closing quarter to shrink PD’s lead before the buzzer.
Kenidee Hayes played solid for the Lady Broncos and put in 17 points that include hitting three of five from the bonus line and Benson and Gracie Ellis added seven each in the loss. Preslee Smith had five, Berkley Moore put in four, and Millie McAnear helped with two.
Broncos smash the Borger Bulldogs, 66-45
By Sandy Anderberg
The Clarendon Broncos are beginning to mesh as a team and were able to get by the Borger Bulldogs at home last week 66-45.
The win is the boost the Broncos needed to continue to strengthen their teamwork as they play through their pre-district season.
The 21-point win was led by Michael Randall and Braxton Gribble who finished with 20 and 19 points respectively. Randall racked up a double-double adding 12 rebounds to his 20 points. Randall also had four assists, five steals, and two blocks. He was four of six from the bonus line and hit four of 16 attempts from the arc. Gribble added three rebounds, seven assists and one steal to his point total while converting free throws at 38 percent.
The Broncos were able to contain the Bulldogs under the basket and the 11 steals as a team gave the Broncos the momentum they needed to shut down Borger’s offense.
Aiden Morris put six points on the board while Kendon Hanes added five. Tyler Cavanaugh added four and Kreed Robinson finished with three. Overall, the Broncos grabbed 31 rebounds in the game and racked up 22 assists.
The Broncos will play in the White Deer tournament December 4-6 and travel to Highland Park December 9.
Chamber Christmas drawings start Friday
The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will hold its first Small Town Christmas drawing this Friday at noon as holiday shopping promotions continue.
The fourth annual “Shop Small” promotion from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will put a grand total of $550 in Chamber Christmas Cash in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants.
Sign-ups at participating merchants began last weekend, for drawings that will be held for $100 each Friday on December 5, 12, and 19. To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at local participating merchants.
Enter as many times as you shop locally, so shop often. Entries stay in the hopper each week, so those who enter will have multiple chances of winning.
Those merchants participating are: Amanda’s Country Soaps, Broiller’s Auto Parts, Clarendon Outpost, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomers Flowers, Every Nook & Cranny, Floatin’ T, Floyd’s Automotive, Henson’s, Garrison’s, J&W Lumber, Lowe’s Family Center, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Mulkey Theatre, Mike’s Pharmancy, Ramblin’ Ranch Boutique, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, and Whistle Stop.
The Chamber will also hold a bonus drawing for $250 in Chamber Christmas Cash on December 19. Sign-up for the bonus drawing will be held starting December 1 at the Clarendon Visitor Center.
Shoppers can bring their receipts and receive one entry for every $25 spent at the participating merchants.
Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.
Support the businesses who support your town and show your support for you local community.
Small Town Christmas draws good crowd
Cold, windy weather didn’t stop Clarendon’s second annual Small Town Christmas from attracting a good turnout for holiday fund and Small Business Saturday savings at local merchants.
Committee Chair Denise Bertrand said thought the event went very well considering how cold it was and said she had received only one complaint.
Bertrand’s committee will be meeting in January to discuss things to improve upon for next year’s event.
Several merchants reported a busy day Saturday, and Bertrand said food vendors did very well. The Roost had a full house for craft and specialty vendors and was a busy place downtown, and a barrel train kept kids entertained. Santa’s Play House also provided crafts for kids at the Clarendon College Downtown Center.
A scavenger hunt during the day drew three teams with first place and $75 in Chamber Cash going to the Dream Team – Elizabeth and Deon Cowan; second place and $50 in Chamber Cash going to the Judge & Jury – Pat and Kelly Hill, Mandi Gay, and Holly White; and Kirsten Bertrand was third and got $25 in Chamber Cash.
In the Gingerbread House contest, results were as follows: Children’s Category – Titus Truex, first place, $75 in Chamber Cash, Tobias Truex, second place, $50 in Chamber Cash, and Cavett Dorl, third place and $25 in Chamber Cash; Adult Division – Lisa Heald, first place and $75 in Chamber Cash and Emery Truex, second place and $50 in Chamber Cash.
Tom Thompson was the first place winner of the Ugly Sweater Contest with a $75 Chamber Cash prize. Annette Osburn got $50 in Chamber Cash for second place, and Krista Percival got $25 in Chamber Cash for third place.
Drawings were held throughout the day, and then winners were as follows: Lowe’s $50 Gift Card – Terri Luna, Garrison’s $50 Gift Card – Shonda Lowrie, Clarendon County Club Golf Package – Kirsten Bertrand, Lowe’s $50 Gift Card – Annette Osburn, Quarter Hog from O’Keefe Family – Corita Hopper, Clarendon Country Club Golf Package – Miss Etheridge, and Quarter Hog from O’Keefe Family – Roy Bertrand.
Enterprise Photo
That evening at the courthouse, Lion Club members served about 150 cups of hot chocolate, and Santa handed out gifts to scores of kids after arriving at the square in a horse-drawn carriage.
The Howardwick choir and Clarendon Elementary students performed Christmas carols, and Randy White read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” before the lights were turned on for the season at the Courthouse.
Also last weekend, a benefit movie on Sunday at the Mulkey Theatre collected more than $700 in donations for the Donley County Community Fund during a special presentation of “The Polar Express.”
This year’s Small Town Christmas celebration was generously sponsored by Republic Services and was a organized by a dedicated volunteer committee under the Chamber of Commerce.
Santa Letters due to Enterprise Dec. 12
The Clarendon Enterprise is getting ready to send its holiday issue to Santa Claus, and the deadline to have your letter turned in is fast approaching.
All letters need to be delivered to the Enteprise office at 105 S. Kearney by 5 p.m. next Wednesday, December 12, in order to be in the holiday issue that Santa looks for every year.
Send your letter to Santa Claus, c/o The Clarendon Enterprise, PO Box 1110, Clarendon, TX 79226, or bring it straight to the office, and we’ll make sure the big guy gets it.
Letters to Santa will be printed in the December 25 edition of The Clarendon Enterprise and its digital companion, Enterprise-D.
William Doyce Graham, Jr.
William Doyce Graham, Jr., 86, died on Sunday, November 2, 2025, in Clemson, South Carolina.
A celebration of life was held November 26, 2025, at the Clemson United Methodist Church in Clemson, South Carolina.
Born on February 22, 1939, in Clarendon, Doyce was the eldest son of the late William Doyce Graham, Sr., and Viola Fay Barker Graham.
He received his early education in Clarendon, graduating from Clarendon High School and Clarendon College before earning a B.S. in Agronomy from Texas Tech in 1962. His academic pursuits led him to Purdue University, where he earned a master’s and a PhD in Agronomy.
In 1966, Doyce began a career at Clemson University, serving as a professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics until his retirement in 2003. His research on small grains took place at Experiment Stations around South Carolina. In a testament to his contributions, Clemson University released the “Graham” oat in 2012, and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station released “Doyce,” a type of hulless winter barley, in 2003.
Beyond his professional life, Doyce had a passion for reading, particularly mysteries and military and aviation history. Upon retirement, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by earning his pilot’s license. He and his wife purchased a small experimental plane, enjoying trips to visit family, friends, and new destinations.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Linda Updike Graham; his daughters, Amanda Graham (Thomas Gaeng) and Carmen Graham Garland (Wilson Garland); his granddaughters, Caroline Garland and Alison Garland; his great-grandson, Graham Wilson Garland; and his brother, Michael Clark Graham. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, James Carl Graham.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Doyce’s memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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