Freestone County, Texas Reflections FREESTONE PAST/PRESENT J.R. (Sonny) Sessions CYCLONE Recent tornadoes, twisters or cyclone and threats of such in area bringing out family and personal stories, so here is mine as told by my mother, Thelma Batchelor. Her father Dr. Claude Batchelor completed Medical College shortly before the railroad came to our area, raised in Limestone Co. near Horn Hill he returned here, moving his young family first to Delia in Limestone Co., then shortly to Yeldell in Freestone Co. before settling at Shanks in Freestone Co. to practice medicine. Shanks a farming community sometimes called Nip N Tuck as times very hard here, Resident B.I. Smith a grown man and married still went bare footed. My mother told that on a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon Dr. Batchelor and his family went by buggy to the Israel area to see a patient. When they returned home late that afternoon they found only the floor of their home with a heavy organ or piano sitting on it. Everything else was carried away by a cyclone, nothing was ever found or where it went. This probably why they moved to the new town of Kirvin at this time. My grandmother Batchelor very afraid of the weather especially now and would not live where there no storm cellar. My mother said every time it clouded up they were all carried into the storm cellar. My mother would never go into one after she married and moved out. I never knew my grandmother Batchelor, who died young, my mother helped raise her younger siblings. I never knew Dr. Batchelor to live where there was a storm cellar; he practiced medicine and had a drugstore in Kirvin, also bought cotton in the fall. He moved to Teague and practiced medicine there until his death in l954. Many storm cellars were used in the country to store canned goods, foods, ect due to the cool temperature and keep from freezing in winter. Most living in this area for many years had similar experiences with the weather. As Will Rogers said “Every one talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it” *** Sheriffs Office l965 Fairfield PD Chief J.B. Scott assisted often, made lots of area football games as we usually the only security. First involvement with habitual criminal “Red” who burglarized nearly every rural home between Palestine and Bryan at one time or another, also first to ever sue me. Truck tire thefts at Rock Crusher by Theodore, indicted but never tried. Disarmed man with pistol held on another, man with gun drinking and unhappy with other about comments on local women. Klu Klux Klan hearing Limestone Co. Courthouse. Woman jailed drunk with habit to taking clothes off, looked better in em. Eight Baylor male students at Frank Wards 2am where left by fraternity. Tragedy at intersection US75/84 when truck driver ran red light with Mrs. J.B. Scott fatally injured. Judge Williford and I to Palestine funeral where ex-sheriff’s daughter killed by husband who killed himself. Carried Bro. Cliff Coleman to Waco Grand Lodge to receive his 50-year award. Before integration there a bitter basketball feud between Fairfield Dogan and Butler School, called to Butler game after unhappy Fairfield fans pulled pistols when game cancelled and wouldn’t give their money back, all gone when got there but told they be back to get their money, called back next morning when found school broken in and safe missing. Safe found at Reds Lake dam where pulled with truck and tried to roll into lake when couldn’t get in after beating all knobs off. Carried elderly Streetman couple Herbert and Zora Burleson home when released from hospital. Brought New Years in with 2/30am call from man running joint on US 84 about where Something Different located today that bunch of out of towner’s taken over and wouldn’t let him close, found occupied by crowd I didn’t know and couldn’t get their attention due to loud juke box until fired my .12 gauge riot fun into ceiling, didn’t take long then for music to stop and crowd disappeared, report on barb wire fences torn down and some ran half way back to Dallas, Dan wouldn’t let me leave until he locked up and I took him home, don’t think he ever opened the doors again. This different world in law enforcement from today. *** Grandpa’s Report Recent memorial services for Donie friend Mr. Paul Fulton, a longtime friend it always a pleasure to be involved with. Kenzie and Devin drove me to trash dump and check cattle, one drives first then other drives back. Surprise visit from retired Refugio Co. Sheriff Jim Hodge and wife Betty, Grandma and I joined them for supper in Palestine and local rendition of Calamity Jane. Waco for VA doctor appointment, on way home stopped by Lone Star Steak House, good visit with longtime friends Limestone Co. Commissioner Billy Waldrip and mentor Clara June. Freestone Co. Historical Comm. monthly meeting, good attendance and interesting program with speaker former Dallas Co. Deputy Al Maddox a friend for many years and wife May. Waldrip, Maddox and wives all raised on farms west of Coolidge. Maddox worked with famous Dallas Co. Sheriff Bill Decker for years and during the Kennedy assassination period and Jack Ruby. The Historical Comm. speaker for May is longtime friend Alton Frost of Wortham sharing some of his experiences as a WWII fighter pilot in the Pacific. To be held at the Freestone Co. Training Center on May 1sr. at 7:30pm. Hope to see you there.