2012 Meetings

Spring

WHERE:  Petroleum Museum, Midland, Texas

WHEN:   10:00 a.m.  –  April 21, 2012

DETAILS:

• 9:00 A.M. Registration—Coffee and breakfast treats; Visiting;Viewing of displays. Buy books to benefit PHS.
• 9:15 A.M. Board of directors meeting.
• 10:00 A.M. General Meeting
• Welcome: Peggy Kelton—President of Permian Historical Society
• Betty Cash—Program: Introduction of proposed presenters.
• Kathy Shannon of the Petroleum Museum will bring us a history on the museum and the future plans for renovation & expansion.
• Wiley Dabbs: Mr. Dabbs works on a ranch in the Marfa area and is happy to share his story of the Babb family from around Langtry.
• Barbara Barton: She will entertain us with her story on Nora Locklin, “One Feisty Schoolmarm”
• Patrick Dearen: Patrick has spoken for the PHS before and is a noted author who will share bits of his book “Devil’s River, Treacherous Twin to the Pecos, 1535-1900.”
• Scott Jordan: Scott is the Executive Director of the Pecos Trail and will help us explore the historic people, places, & things to visit  and study in the Texas Historic Pecos Trail within the Pemian Basin.
• Donna Bell: Casting of ballots for Best Presentation Award that will be given at Fall 2012 meeting;
• Best Presentation Award from the Fall 2011 meeting: Evans Turpin
• Other awards and prizes………………………..Peggy Kelton
• Best Costume Award Oldest in attendance
• Door Prizes Youngest in attendance

]]> http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2012/04/09/meeting-notices/feed/ 0 http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2011/05/10/nancy-rankin-mckinley-2011/ http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2011/05/10/nancy-rankin-mckinley-2011/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 15:02:15 +0000 Les http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/?p=484

Nancy Rankin McKinley:  Nancy was a mover and a shaker.  She was 3 months shy of her 98th birth-
day.  She attended schools in Midland and graduated from Midland High in 1931.  Her entire life was
spent in recording and preserving history especially the history of Midland.  She married and raised a
family in Midland.  She was an active member of every historical organization around.  She was a fun
person to be around and easily recognized by her bright red or blue hat and large glasses on a tiny frame.
These folks are gone, but will be remembered for a long, long time.

Doug Damron was not only a good member of PHS, but a good friend of mine (PK.) Actually he was a
friend to everyone he met.  Friendly, full of fun, always agreeable to work or fun or mischief.  He and
wife Betty were outstanding citizens of Crane serving in many capacities. Betty is currently Chairman of
the Crane County Historical Commission and Doug was always there to support her in her activities.

Jim Stewart along with his wife Frances have become great members, never missing a meeting and al-
ways dressing up in the designated theme.  He was such a good sport and the two of them always friendly
and with a smile on their faces.  We will also be missing Jim and hope that Frances stays with PHS as she
is such a good member.

Rose Mary Rogers of Iraan. Rose Mary always dressed up for our meetings.  She did extensive research
on many projects for PHS, the Archeology Society, her Church, the Pecos County Historical Commission
and many other local activities.  She was the chauffeur and best friend to Snooks Collett, another active
member of PHS. She will be missed by many.

Elmer Kelton (1926-22 Aug 2009), the No. 1 Western writer of all time and a Fellow of PHS, was born at Horse Camp on Five Wells Ranch in Andrews County, Texas. He grew up on McElroy Ranch near Crane, where his father Buck Kelton was foreman for thirty-six years.  After graduating from Crane High School, he studied at The University of Texas at Austin two years before going into the Army at the end of World War II. Returning from military service in Europe, Kelton graduated from U. T. with a degree in journalism and became a writer for San Angelo Standard Times.

Over the years he wrote and edited for Sheep and Goat Raisers Magazine and Livestock Weekly. As he worked for the newspaper and magazines, he managed to write more than forty Western novels which made him a popular and honored author. Kelton received numerous awards including those from Texas Institute of Letters and the Western Literature Association. He was named a Fellow of Permian Historical Society in 2007.

PHS is saddened by the loss of this talented and humble friend who was always just one of us!

Vernon Albert Vasbinder was born 28 May 1926 in Del Rio, Texas, and graduated from Del Rio High School in 1943. Between 1943 and 1946, he served in the United State Navy during World War II. He graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and took a Master of Science at Sul Ross State University in 1957. In thirty-nine years of teaching public school, Vernon taught every grade except the second and retired while on the faculty of Odessa High School.

He was an active community volunteer and a charter member of Permian Historical Society. Many counted him as a friend and are proud to have known him.

Enid Holm was a talented dancer, actress, director, author, and teacher. In the 1940s she began a professional career as a 15-year-old dancer in the Starlight Operettas, now known as the Dallas Summer Musicals. In 1948, she was named Miss West Texas and later was a runner-up to the Miss Texas title. After graduating from the Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Ms. Holm taught dance in Arlington and drama in Ector County schools. She made the arts her life and was the 2003 winner of Texas Medal of Arts Award.

Ms. Holm was a charter and life member of Permian Historical Society. She died 22 August 2006.

Edith Irene McNerlin Springer was a native of Kent County, Texas. At Texas Tech, she majored in government with a minor in history and English. She became a country schoolteacher, spending twenty-six years in the schools of Valley View, Tarzan, and Lenorah. She and her teacher husband, Grover, sponsored Junior Historians at Grady School and encouraged students to research and write local history.

Irene and Grover were members of PHS and each was honored with the Permian Pioneer Award in 1994. Edith was always willing to help out at the registration table for PHS meetings with a smile and a kind word.

Joseph Duke [Joe] Pickle was born in Roscoe, Texas, and moved with his family to Big Spring in 1920. He graduated from Big Spring High School in 1928 and Baylor University in 1932. He started a career with the Big Spring Herald after college graduation and remained there forty-three years until his retirement in 1975.

Joe was recognized throughout the state for his journalistic work and his advocacy for a stable water source for West Texas communities. He was secretary-treasurer and spokesman for the Colorado River Municipal Water District from 1948 to 1995. As a strong supporter of PHS for decades, he was named to the Academy of History in 1993, and served a term as its president. He was a man who made a difference in the world he lived in.