Video Presentation: Man “Known Only to God” Receives Recognition and Identity in Planned Ceremony at Sulphur Springs City Cemetery
Rhonda Bechhold, a member of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society, has conducted an almost two-year research project finally leading to fulfillment, and it’s proven to be a satisfying journey. When Rhomda moved to Sulphur Springs a few years ago and was researching cemetery records, she noticed a grave marked “Known Only to God”. That sadly stuck in her memory and later, when perusing newspaper clippings donated from the Bobby McDonald Archives, she found the 1954 front page story about the unidentified man who was buried in Sulphur Springs City Cemetery. Now, the hitchhiking stranger killed in that late-evening crash at the White Oak Creek bridge on Highway 19 north of Sulphur Springs has a name, his family has been located, and his grave will soon be marked with his name, John Everett Phinney, along with the military marker that he deserves. The gravestone will be revealed on Saturday June 16, 2018 at 10 am in Sulphur Springs City Cemetery, followed by an 11 am ceremony downtown, open to the public to attend.
As Rhonda and assistant researcher Carole Ann Smith began the slow backward search from the man’s death date to his orgin, they found out that the Cass County family of eight children lost their mother in death in 1945 and soon afterward their father. John Everett, the eldest and at the time a WWII Army soldier, found out that some of his younger siblings had been adopted out and some had been placed in the Buckner Children’s Home in Dallas. When he arrived a few short years later in Hopkins County in the summer of 1954 and met his death, he was hitchhiking to visit the two youngest whom he knew were living with their adopted families in Texarkana. That he was a responsible, caring brother is shown through Buckner Children’s Home records revealing that Phinney had made allotments of his Army pay to the care of his brothers residing there.
Obtaining a death certificate, court order and other documents and later, correcting his name from “Unknown” to John Everett Phinney, involved months of diligent work which really put Rhonda through her paces as a genealogical researcher. This has proven to be her most difficult case, but possibly her most fulfilling. Meeting his surviving siblings and planning the cemetery event to honor “Known Only to God” have been among her pleasures, she admits, with tears in her eyes.
Downtown Satisfaction Survey
KSST is conducting a survey to evaluate overall satisfaction with Downtown Sulphur Springs.
Please take a few moments to make your opinion count.
Downtown Sulphur Spriings, TX
Local Whataburger NOT Affected by Bun Problems
Rest assured that you can still get your favorite Whataburger sandwich or burger in Sulphur Springs as your local Whataburger bread supplier is NOT the supplier having problems around Texas. Other burger chains, namely In-and-Out Burger, closed some of their stores recently due to a quality issue with their bun supplier. For a brief time, some other Whataburger stores were having issues with their White Buns and Texas Toast, but that is NOT the the case with the Sulphur Springs Whataburger. In speaking with one of the managers, Melissa said, “It’s business as usual with our customers, as our supplier is different than some of the other stores having trouble. All of your favorites are still available!”
Tanker Fire Diverts Traffic in Delta County
Photo provided by Cooper Review, Cindy Roller, Editor
Sparks from the rim of a wheel caused a tanker filled with unleaded gas to catch fire on State Highway 24 in Delta County. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Wednesday near the Highway 24/Highway 154 intersection causing traffic to be diverted from the area.
Kerry Bell of Winnsboro, driver of the vehicle, was uninjured when a tire blew and the rim created sparks causing the fire.
A truck from L3 of Greenville sprayed foam on the truck to extinguish the flames.
Meet Dairy Festival Contestants #7 and #8, Lucia and Caitlyn
It’s a full week of rehearsals for the eight Dairy Festival contestants on the stage of the SSISD Auditorium inside the Civic Center. That’s where the Coronation Pageant will be held on Saturday June 16th at 7 pm. Tickets will be $10 at the door, and the exciting evening will be filled with beauty, creativity and talent. Let’s meet the final two contestants from a KSST Morning Show interview held on Thursday June 14, 2018.
L. to R. Lucia Yanez and Caitlyn Williams
Contestant #7 Lucia Yanez came away from last weekend’s Milking Contest with smiles and fun memories, as her cow “Curtis” definitely displayed an attitude about being milked! Despite the drama, Lucia came in second place in milking. For the parade, her float’s theme was “Tailgate Party”. IN deciding her pageant talent, Luci created a skit about finding a talent to perform, and it will incorporate her skills in singing, acting, playing the French horn and stage management. A member of the SSHS Marching Band, she actually found similarities between her field marching training and the gliding “walk” that contestants are taught to use onstage during the Pageant. Lucia has selected a teal evening gown with sparkling top and silk skirt. She gives credit to her sponsors Christus Mother Frances Hospital ad Dairy Max for their helpful support during the past weeks, as well as her 4 sisters and her parents Jose Yanez and Celina Yanez.. After high school, Lucia’s plans are to attend college, and work toward her dream of establishing a Dog Rescue Sanctuary.
Contestant #8 Cailtyn Williams is a tap dancer who will perform to “Singing in the Rain” during the Dairy Festival Queen’s Pageant. She also did pretty well at last weekend’s Contestant’s Milking Contest, placing third. Her parents and younger sister were on her parade float team, and helped design and construct it with a “Masquerade Party” theme. For evening gown competition, Caitlyn selected a royal purple dress in a classic style with a sparkling belt. She has especially enjoyed watching the other contestant’s talent presentations during rehearsal nights, and says that everyone is great. Caitlyn will be a Senior at SSHS, has been involved in Jr. Key Club and has competed in FCCLA, where she advanced to State competition in 2017. She thanks her sponsors Junior Waverly Club and Ag Workers Insurance, friends who are like family, also her dance coach Christi Lewis and pal Terry Fox who will provide backstage assistance on Pageant night.
Hearts of Life Presents Rowdy for Adoption
Rowdy is still searching for his forever home! Rowdy is 2 years old. He is medium to large in size. Rowdy is still in his “puppy” years and full of energy but he is also incredibly smart and willing to learn! His adoption fee is $100.00 which includes all previous vetting, neuter and rabies shot.
Please contact Hearts of Life Animal Rescue by phone at 903-439-5019, email at [email protected], www.facebook.com/heartsoflife or find him on Petfinder.com.
Chamber Connection June 14, 2018
We had such a wonderful time at the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce 2018 Homemade Ice Cream Freeze-off! I would like to extend an extra special thank you to our sponsors for Ice Cream. We wouldn’t be able to host this traditional event without YOU! TRIPLE DIP Sponsors: Sulphur Springs Dodge, Fire in Texas, Alliance Bank/Alliance Financial/Galyean Insurance, Martin Marietta Ready Mix Concrete. DOUBLE DIP Sponsors: Phinesse’ Farm Winery, S.S. Commercial Services, Hope Family Fellowship, Jon Wayne Company, Chicken Express, State Representative Dan Flynn, Dairy Health Services, Inc., Interstate Body Shop, City National Bank, A& S Air Conditioning, Magic Scoop General Store, Dairy Queen, Southwest Dairy Museum, Saputo, HC Sheriff’s Department, Walgreens. Single Dip Sponsors: Fix & Feed, Jay Hodge Chevrolet, Cypress Basin Hospice, Advantage Copy Systems, Super Handy, Too Good! Treats, Circle E Western Store, Bear Littleton State Farm. Finally, we are so thankful to Shannon Oaks Church and the Dairy Festival for all of their assistance with the Ice Cream Freeze-off. The week of Dairy Festival is certainly a busy one, and it takes a village to pull that off. I love being a part of this place we call home!!!
Here is the schedule for the remaining parts of the Dairy Festival:
Wednesday through Sunday, June 13–17
Carnival on the Civic Center Grounds
Saturday. June 16th
Whipped Challenge, 9:30 a.m. at Civic Center Grounds
Coronation Pageant, 7:00 p.m. at Civic Center Auditorium
Sulphur Springs Public Library presents their Summer Reading Program for June and July
The Sulphur Springs Library is hosting a summer reading program called Fun with Mary Poppins Reading Program 2018. Story time will be each Tuesday at 10 a.m. in June and July (except for July 10 and 17). Watch for special guest appearances along with fun, stories and great prizes. Minecraft is back every Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. beginning June 1 and ending July 27. Thursday, June 21st at 6 p.m. is a special Mary Poppins Story time event, and Friday, June 22nd at 3 p.m., don’t miss the Bubble Show with Brett Roberts. Then, Thursday, June 28th, at 11 a.m. the library will welcome Will Parker with a very musical story time. The library is happy to answer any questions, please call (903) 885-4926, or you can visit www.sslibrary.org.
Heart of Hope is hosting a ribbon cutting celebration
Heart of Hope, located at 407 S. Davis Street in Sulphur Springs, is hosting a ribbon cutting celebration on Wednesday, June 13th at noon. Please make plans to attend the ribbon cutting to learn more about Heart of Hope and the benefits they offer Hopkins County.
AgriLife Extension offers Rebalancing Work & Life Webinar
The Military Families Learning Network (MFLN) is providing a free monthly webinar in partnership with USDA, U.S. Department of Defense, and Extension. The June 13th webinar will take place at 10:00 a.m. To sign up, go to: https://learn.extension.org/events/3261. To join the webinar, use the ‘event location’ link designated for each webinar and follow directions within the site. The MFLN offers both continuing education credit (CE) and certificates of completion for webinars. For more information, call the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office – Hopkins County – at 903-885-3443.
Reilly Springs Jamboree hosts Hanah and Hailee
Reilly Springs Jamboree will welcome teen sister duo Hanah and Hailee back to the stage on Saturday, June 16th, starting at 6 p.m. Hanah and Hailee and their Scatter Proof Band will bring their original songs and country favorites before taking off on their “The Road Ahead” Summer Tour. For tickets and information, contact Enola Gay Mathews 903-438-3568.
AFLAC hosting ribbon cutting celebration
Leann Oliver and Sheila Askins with AFLAC are hosting a ribbon cutting celebration at the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, June 20th at noon. The Chamber is located at 300 Connally Street in Sulphur Springs. Please make plans to come by and network with these business professionals at the Chamber.
Workforce Solutions is hosting a Career & Community Resource Expo on June 28th
Workforce Solutions of Northeast Texas is hosting a Career & Community Resources Expo at the ROC, 120 Oak Street in Sulphur Springs, on Tuesday, June 28th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are accepting vendors on a first come first served basis with a deadline for vendors of June 16th. Exhibitor space is free of charge but limited. For additional information, please call Workforce Solutions at (903) 885-7556 x 414.
AgriLife hosts Community Health Talks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is hosting a round-table discussion series on issues affecting health in our community. Session 1 is called Animal and Human Health and will be held on July 6th at 6:30 p.m. at the Hopkins County Extension Office located at 1200 W. Houston in Sulphur Springs. Dr. Leah Larsen, DVM, will speak on rabies and diseases affecting pets and humans. Danielle Altenbaumer, Dept. of State Health Services, will speak on clearing up the human vaccination confusion. Register by calling 903-885-3443 by June 29th. Session 2 is called Food and Food Safety. It will be held on July 13th at 6:30 p.m.at the Hopkins County Extension Office located at 1200 W. Houston in Sulphur Springs. Brad Fain, of Zoetis Animal Health, will speak on food security including temperature danger zone, safe food handling.
Ribbon Cuttings:
Opening Ceremonies Ribbon Cutting for the Dairy Festival was Friday, June 8th at noon
The Dairy Festival officially kicked off with a ribbon cutting celebration on Friday, June 8th at noon on Celebration Plaza. What a fun way to celebrate the start of the Dairy Festival!
Express Employment Professionals held their ribbon cutting celebration
Express Employment Professionals hosted their ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, June 12th at noon. They are located at 204 Shannon Road West in Sulphur Springs. Express Employment Professionals can help you with all of your job and career searching needs. Make plans to drop in and visit with them today.
Avoid State Highway 24 in Delta County Wednesday Afternoon
Those traveling in Delta County on State Highway 24 are asked to avoid this area, according to our friends at the Cooper Review.
Photo Credit: Cindy Roller
Dinner Bell Sponsored by the Worsham Family
The June 13th, 2018 Dinner Bell was sponsored by the Carol and Don Worsham Family.
Served at 11:45 AM at the First United Methodist Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.
