Pecan Gap News

Lots of news this week for Pecan Gap! Nelda Campbell, former editor of the Pecan Gap News, informed me that last Sunday night she froze to her recliner. She reportedly was heard shouting, “Help, I’m STUCK and I can’t GET UP!” Nelda is a character and she’s a dear friend to me. Our First Baptist Church is so lucky to have her to play the piano beautifully for us each Sunday.

Dewey Marsh called to report that, “Just Historically speaking and for the record, that this is the coldest it has been in his 66 years of life in Pecan Gap, Texas, U.S.A.” SaaLute!

Enjoying a Valentine’s dinner at Webb Hill Country Club Saturday night in Wolfe City, were Kelly and Janice Connell, Allyn and Sandy Conover, Weldon and Sharline Freeman, Ed and Karen Pickard and Morris and Wanda White.

Bobby and Billie McCarrell are thrilled to announce that they have a new addition to their family! They have a new great grandson named Ripton Trace McCarrell. He was born February 11, 2021 and weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces! Ripton’s Dad is named Corey, Mom is Bailey, his grandparents are named Kevin and Mary. Of course Great Grandpa Bobby is thrilled that little Ripton will be carrying on the McCarrell family name, and rightfully so, indeed he should be excited! Congratulations from everyone one in “The Gap”!

Larry and Carol Erwin Dockray celebrated their second wedding anniversary on Valentine’s Day!

Happy February Birthdays this week to Beni Mays-14th, Joy Conley-16th, and Warner Cheney-20th.

Colt Conley invited six of his Marine Corps buds who served in the initial invasion of Iraq, Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines Artillery Unit, to Pecan Gap last weekend for their Annual Reconnecting Reunion. They also were deployed to Norway together in January 2002. All 7 of them received the Combat Action Ribbon in Iraq. I know that all of you join me in saluting the young men for serving our country and their bravery in helping to protect all of us here in America. We thank you!

So, even though this year was very unusual Texas winter weather, the six buds were not going to let the ice and snow stop them from their Annual Camp Out on the bank of the North Sulphur River on Ed Pickard’s property. The annual get together began in 2006. Since then they have never missed a year. Their reunions have included Bourbon Street in Las Vegas, Daytona Motor Speedway in Florita. They climbed Mt. Elbert in Colorado. Visited the Cheers Bar in Boston, Massachusetts. Tough Mudder West Virgina to name a few. This is their 5th trip to texas and the 3rd to the North Sulphur, once to Merrel bottom and twice to the Pickard bottom.

Colt said that even though it was cold with some snow and ice this year, but compared to their experiences in Iraq and Norway, that THIS was a piece of cake! The 7 Marines gathered in the Gap from Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma and another Texan besides Conley. The 7 soldiers all decided to name their campsite the Arctic Peninsula. They were there for 3 nights. Night one’s supper consisted of 15 lbs. of Smoked Texas Brisket Sandwiches. Night two’s feast was Chicken and Jambalaya. Night three, saved the best for the last. Colt fed the boys some of East Side Grocery in Ladonia’s, Famous Earl Campbell Hot Links! The Georgia and Bama boys both said that the biscuits Conley baked in his Dutch Oven were absolutely the best biscuits they had ever tasted! When they first arrived to set up camp, the six guys put up their 15 person tent while Colt chopped 2 cords of wood. When they left Camp Arctic, three days later, there was only 2 pieces of wood left. Visiting the campsite were Randy and Mindy Conley, Bobby Hill a Vietnam Veteran, and of course Ed Pickard.

Ed said that when they came crawling out of their tent on Sunday morning, they found him outside of their tent to greet them. He said by the time they had finished night number three, they were starting to look pretty rough. But, before he left, they offered him a piping hot cup of Joe. Ed told them that was by far the very best coffee he had ever tasted, as he chewed it up and swallowed a good chunk of it!