SCENE IN PASSING
MARIE WHITEHEAD herald@mediactr.com
The second half of June means our once, new year will soon be half gone. Louise Nicholson was gleeful this week after her special guests had returned home. She was so excited to report that her daughter Janis of Seguin, her daughter Holly and baby Emma Louise of Round Rock, Janis' son Jeff Hernandez of England and two cousins of her late husband, Bonnie Ray, Gary and Barbara Nicholson of Nashville, had all been recent house guests. Cousin Gary is a musician, serving as a teacher and composer. There's nothing like family visits.

The nice word for people like me is "historian." The truth is, we're all pack rats. That means, like a pack rat, we save and hoard for a potential need. Still others who have spent time observing the pack rat people blame our behavior on memories of the Big Depression. That too makes us savers. We're fearful that tomorrow we will need...whatever it is. For me, it is things, of course, but also information. All info is historical to somebody. Recently while attempting a bit of clean-up in our office, I found a small booklet, the biography of the late, well known Dr. Travis, founder of the Nan Travis Clinic in its beginning. That in itself has lots of interesting facts. Tucked inside the booklet was a newspaper clipping. It had been published in some newspaper in Missouri. Don't ask me how I know. Using my Jessica Fletcher techniques, I just figured that one out. For one thing, a newspaper clipping often has more than just one story saved. It can be surrounded by other copy which may contain words that offer a clue. Often the back side of the clipping will provide additional info to verify when and where. This clipping gave enough hints to know that the newspaper was located in Missouri and that its date was approximately 1940s. The saved bit of history announced the retirement of Rev. Thomas H. Raper. He was concluding 39 years as a Methodist minister. The action was to be approved at the annual Missouri West Methodist Conference meeting held June 10 in Fayette.

Over the years, we have seen numerous students benefit from the bequeath of Raper Scholarship funds at First United Methodto ist Church in Rusk. I just thought to myself, "If I had received Raper Scholarship funds, I would like to know more about him." And so, if you are one of the fortunate recipients, here's a little info to add to your memory book. A direct quote follows:

"A native of Rusk, Texas, Rev. Raper attended school there and took undergraduate and seminary work at Southern Methodist University, Dallas. He began his ministery in the old St. Louis Conference and preached his first sermon in a small Ozarks church near Willow Springs. He served in St. Louis churches for 10 years before being reassigned to New Mexico. While in the Albuquerque Conference, he served in Albuquerque, Clovis and Santa Fe churches for a total of 11 years. From 1951 until he moved here, he served in Oklahoma churches including those in Muskogee, Chickasha and El Reno.

"Rev. Raper is married to the former Florence Watson Springfield, choir director at the Neosho church. Mrs. Raper graduated from Drury Coillege and attended the Oberlin, Ohio Conservatory. She holds an AB degree in music from Drury. The Rapers have one daughter, Mrs. T. S. Gambill, Chappaqua, N. Y. and four grandchildren. They will move from here to a home they have purchased in Lubbock, June 18.

"Accomplishments while assigned to Neosho include completion of arrangements to purchase property west of the church for educational facilities and the addition of 237 new members for a net increase of about 125."

Now...you see? If it had not been for the rat pack before me and then me for the past 57 years, we would not be sharing these words today... Rev. Raper was obviously one of God's special children. And his service lives on through the young people of his hometown. "Time waits for no one. It passes you by, and floats on forever like clouds in the sky." Do all the good that you can for as long as you can...and keep smiling. Life really is good.