SCENE in Passing
MARIE WHITEHEAD
Last week's e-mail brought news from Crystal Vaught, the

daughter of Karen and Chris Vaught. She recently returned from a stay in Uganda which she calls different from anything she's ever encountered. She is even more excited to report that another Rusk youth, Jordan Beard, son of Vicki and David Beard, is also planning a visit to Uganda. Crystal says it is wonderful, inspiring and completely educational. She tried to send video but I was unable to bring it up. She asked about our grands and in a nutshell, grandson Chris is still trying to put a new stem on the apple, Apple Mac that is, in Austin; granddaughter Sandy is going down home stretch in second year of law school at UT and youngest Lauren is finishing up an extended stay in Ecquador for a degree in biology from Boston University. She is almost through with a six weeks study in the rain forest. That should be a chapter in her life that she'll never forget.

Two of yesterday's children, Jeanne and Judy, daughters of the late Adon and Montel Duncan, called to express their joy in reading earlier words in this space about their dad's involvement with the early beginning of the Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show. They plan to forward a report to the Poteet Strawberry Festival folks where their parents lived prior to Rusk. Both are fine and serving as pharmacists. Jeanne is in Waco and Judy in San Antonio.

Closer to home we heard good news from John Clairborne Williams. The surgery planned for him did not happen and he's getting better and better anyway. That brings joy to his spouse Betty and their children, John, Joanna and Jane Clair.

Our community lost a unique citizen in Bill Cobble last week. He was known as a kind, compassionate good man. With his wife Linda and children Brittney and Stephen and a host of other friends and family, we will miss him greatly. He always wore a cheerful countenance and offered happy words. He was a miracle to me because his own health was not that good and yet he was known to be a 24/7 caregiver to his less than healthy wife whom he adored. He was just a good man, good friend to everyone.

Here's another citizen who is slowly improving, though not fast enough for him. Dub Isaacs is a typical man. They don't handle ill health too well. And we can all understand that. We live long, busy, productive lives and suddenly, we don't feel that well anymore. Dub has diabetes and circulation problems. But from his scooter on the front porch of his business, he makes sure that sons Johnny and Jimmy, the grands and his staff are busy taking care of business. It was nice to visit with him last week for a few minutes and we recalled some of our dear, departed citizens with whom we both had worked and served. We talked about the way things are and truthfully, we know they can be better. There was no planning committee for anything in particular, but it is good to know that if something pops up on the radar, Dub and your writer can be counted on to help out. If our volume of birthdays doesn't teach us anything else, it serves as a reminder to keep our sense of humor sharpened.

Last week brought the news of Paul Moseley. This special child of God has been moved to Hospice of East Texas, continuing care unit. He has been hospitalized since November, and we all hope and pray he will improve. His downward spiral began with pneumonia. And he didn't get better because other aggravations developed. Paul is the son of the late Martin and Jane Moseley. He spent many years with his grandparents and later moved to another state for quite a few years where he enjoyed a community of love and friendship with other little people. He has lived a miraculous life. His main support through the past years has been a dear cousin, Dolores Bryson. She has also been a pillar in the Friends of Texas State Railroad organization. It is a blessing that Dolores chose to move home. Home needed her.

Dovie Curtis had a several day stay in the hospital at Jacksonville recently. She is all better, back home with new pills and a new outlook on life. Her son is everyone's friend, Bubsy. He keeps her on her toes with her can's and can't do stuff.

Mary Bolton is a well known senior citizen. She reminded me of her age last week and I'm thinking she said she is 90- something. I must have misunderstood. Her late spouse, Marion, told a wonderful story about a goat that had been trained to go out, round up the cows and drive them up. We still laugh over yesterday's humor. Her relative by marriage, Rosalyn Bolton, is younger than Mary but is not in very good health, she told me. These two women have been here just about all their lives. If you know them, why not give them a call of rememberance? There's nothing like a friendly voice when you're feeling down.

Our neighbors Jim and Joyce Turner have made it back from another trip to the hospital. This one was necessitated by low blood. He needed some B-12 but actually he got blood transfusions.

And around the corner from them are friends and neighbors, Sam and Claudia Florian. who will be traveling to Houston this week. After tests in Tyler, next stop is M. D, Anderson Houston. Your prayers are invited to join ours in what we hope will be a miraculous outcome. Yes, in answer to your question, Claudia is now in her fourth year of remission.

In closing, here are serious words for all of us to remember: "Never bend your head, always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face." Without the knowledge of who said this, the words have little meaning. But when you know who said this, it opens another can of thoughts. It was the well known blind, deaf, dumb Helen Keller. What an inspiration. Keep smiling, heads up. mwhitehead@mediactr.com