FREESTONE PAST/PRESENT
J. R. (Sonny) SESSIONS 

Wortham Public School
  Grandma and I to Wortham football game and to see Kenzie and the 
Wortham Band perform at half time. A few years ago Bill and Linda 
Ferris both successful musicians became interested in the Wortham
School Band and Music and became very involved along with school 
productions where students participated. Each time they perform the small 
auditorium is filled to capacity, and enjoyed by all. The Ferris’s wear many 
hats at school, and as music directors at the Wortham Methodist Church. 
Wortham is very fortunate to have such talented people involved. As there 
no room for the band, Jeff Jones a member of the School Board headed up a 
project to restore for such use the part of the old school still standing and 
used for storage. Visited this recently and couldn’t believe what has been 
accomplished here by Jeff, Jerry Hogan and his son James, shouldn’t be long 
before back in use. Over the years this served numerous things from class 
rooms to cafeteria.
  Although I never attended school here have been involved in many ways, 
our son’s Hammond, James and Ken all graduated from here also JR III
who now a Cadet at West Point Military Academy also grandson Kyle who 
into construction, and Kali last year. Son James a longtime member of the 
Wortham School Board.
  The Wortham Independent School District the oldest in the County, also 
the first to have a full high school and the first granted affiliation with the 
State University. The first school here a private one as early as l870 in the 
Masonic Lodge, the girls sat on one side of the room and boys on the other, 
at recess they had different areas to use. It has seen some good times and 
some bad one’s, with the oil boom in l924 Wortham a little town of l,000 
went to 20, 000 nearly overnight, the school and other public facilities 
couldn’t handle all that came, many sat on wooden boxes around the walls 
of the class rooms. It survived it all and today a small school with a low tax 
base and doesn’t have the money Fairfield, Teague or even Dew have to 
operate on. Personally glad our kids got to go to school here. Today Cooper, 
Kenzie, Devin and Sara attending and doing well. 
  About 1940 the Government sponsored WPA work program built a 
beautiful gymnasium out of native limestone rocks and football field which 
still something to see. For a more detailed history of the school see the l996
booklet done by Mrs. Jacqueline Davis Collins, and her class. The Wortham 
School has been blessed with exceptional teachers, to name a few Mrs. Ora 
Jones, The Stookberrys, the Wrens, Sadie Kirgan Stubbs and others to many 
to name.
                               	***
  November meeting of Freestone Historical  Comm. with impressive 
program presented by Marlas Pace, Herb Casey and James Downey on the
Bi-Stone Antique Tractor Restoration Club. This become very popular
in many areas and found very interesting. Marlas even brought one he 
restored and enjoys, appreciated. The December meeting will be at the
Moody-Bradley House Tuesday Dec.4th at 6:30 pm for our annual dinner. 
Reservations must be made in advance, send $10.00 per person to Peggy 
Sessions, P. O. Box 341 Kirvin, TX 75848 by Nov. 30th to secure yours.
   Memorial services for Tommy Williams lifelong friend of our boys, all 
raised and attended school together. Tommy died after a lengthy battle with 
leukemia; he also served as Freestone Co. Reserve Deputy and Navarro Co. 
officer. The Navarro Co. Sheriffs Honor Guard and Bag Piper from Waco 
participated.
                                      *** 
              Grandpa’s Report
..
  Bumper pecan crop this year as ground covered in some areas, Kids been 
picking up them up and enjoying it, shame the price so depressed when you 
sell em, but valuable when have to buy them later. My mother and friends 
loved to gather them and spent many happy hours here.
  …