Category: Howe News Bulletin

Eugene Clarence White was welcomed home to Heaven on July 4, 2019, at Texoma Healthcare Center in Sherman, Texas. 

Gene was born in Sherman, TX on Thursday, November 22, 1944, on Thanksgiving Day to parents Eugene Houston and Leah Tuley White. Known to many longtime friends and family as “Sonny” he was raised in the Farmington Community Southwest of Howe. 

Gene was a 1963 graduate of Howe High School and received an Associates Degree from Grayson County College. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Howe. Gene married the former Norma Jean Savage in Gunter, Texas on Saturday, April 6th, 1968. They were married 51 years at the time of his death. 

Gene joined the U.S. Navy in 1966 and served a tour of duty in Vietnam with NSA Det Cat Lo with the Swift Boats PCF squadron Coastal Division 13. While serving in Vietnam he was awarded a Letter of Commendation and promoted to a second-class electrician in 1967. After serving a tour of duty in Vietnam he was stationed aboard the minesweeper USS Observer MSO 461 from 1968-1970 as second class electrician in Charleston, SC. He was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. His last duty station was the US Naval Base at Corpus Christi, TX in 1970 and after that served 2 years in the Naval Reserves. He was honorably discharged on March 13, 1972. He became 100% disabled from exposure to Agent Orange while serving his country in Vietnam. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans Organization. 

He was employed by Texas Instruments first in Dallas and then in Sherman, as a Process Engineering Technician for 32 ½ years and then MEMC for 2 years before retiring in 1998.

Gene was a natural born mechanic and enjoyed working on his own cars, building his own engines for his 1969 GMC Pickup. Failing health prevented him from building the last engine to be installed in his truck. That engine was built and installed by good friend Kenny Ferguson who preceded him in death. He and his brother-in-law James Savage built and raced their own race cars in the early 1970s. He also loved helping his son Todd build Pinewood Derby cars during Todd’s years in Scouts. He was an avid fan of NASCAR and enjoyed going to races at TMS for a number of years. 
He instilled honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic in his children that they have passed down to their children. He always supported his children’s activities in school, whether it be sports, scouts, or going to Camp Fire girls box lunch dinner with Tisha. 

He is survived by his wife Norma of the home, children, daughter Tisha Jean Taylor, and husband Brian of Van Alstyne, Texas, son and daughter-in-law Todd Houston White and wife Tina of Asheville, NC, precious grandchildren Madison, Jacob, Hannah, Molly, and Jack and great-granddaughter Carly. He is also survived by a special nephew and niece Vince Hash and Salina Byrd, brother-in-law and wife James and Debbie Savage, along with many friends.  Gene was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, sister and brother-in-law Dixie Jo and John Hash and first wife Linda Kay Smith White. 

Services for Gene will be held Tuesday, July 9th, 10 AM at First Baptist Church Howe, TX with burial to follow at Hall Cemetery near Howe with military honors. Family night will be held Monday, July 8th from 6-8 pm at First Baptist Church, Howe, TX. 

Pallbearers will be Harvey Purdom, Ronnie Lankford, Damon Salmon, Vince Hash, Tom Byrd, Craig Byrd, Travis Byrd, and Harold Finney. 

Donations may be made in Gene’s memory to DAV, Home Hospice of Grayson County or First Baptist Church, Howe, Texas. The family would like to thank the staff of Texoma Healthcare Center, in Sherman, and Home Hospice of Grayson County for the care given to Gene in the final weeks of his life. 

Services are under the direction of Scoggins Funeral Home & Crematory, 637 W. Van Alstyne, Pkwy. Van Alstyne, TX. 75495. 903-482-5225. 

You may sign the online register book at www.scogginsfuneralhome.com.

Saturday, June 22 at 1:35 am, Howe Police Officer Oscar Martinez arrested 25-year-old McKinney, Texas for Driving While Intoxicated on Haning Street after stopping him for a traffic violation.  Police say the stop and eventual arrest was a result of a citizen’s report that there was a possible intoxicated motorist driving southbound on U.S Highway 75.  The officer reported stopping the suspect vehicle after it took an exit onto the west control road and the driver committed a traffic violation.  The officer smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the suspect and he subsequently failed a roadside sobriety test, police say.

Wednesday, June 26 at 11:45 pm, Howe Police Officer Oscar Martinez arrested a 40-year-old Sherman man for Public Intoxication on the parking lot of a residence in the 500 block of South Collin Freeway.  According to a press release, police were dispatched to the residence because of a report of a disturbance. Upon his arrival, the officer found the suspect and another man were involved in a fight, and the suspect was intoxicated.

Thursday, June 27 at 2:10 pm, Howe police Corporal David Morris arrested a 35-year-old Howe man at the Howe Police Department for driving while intoxicated.  According to police, the officer saw the man drive onto the police department parking lot off of Haning Street before walking into the police station to turn in found property.  Upon meeting with the suspect, Cpl. Morris reported smelling a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on the suspect, noticed the suspect’s speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet.  A subsequent failure of a sobriety test led to the man’s arrest for felony DWI 3^rd or more, the press release stated.

The Howe Area Chamber of Commerce board met this week to discuss a summer event to benefit all Howe non-profits. The event, dubbed “Hotter ‘N Howe Summer Bash 2019” will be a kid-friendly family event held at Howe’s Bicentennial Park on US Highway 75 on July 27, 2019 from 3 pm – dark. The two-ballpark area will feature a water slide and other activities.

The planning is in the beginning stages, but the chamber has had great responses from the youth sports organizations, Howe Volunteer Fire Department, Girl Scouts, and more.

Confirmed are Howe Youth Baseball who will host a home run derby at Hash Field, sell burgers, and are considering a movie after dark at the ballpark. Howe Youth Volleyball will sell funnel cakes and host a volleyball tournament. The Howe Volunteer Fire Department will have their trucks on-site and are considering a water-balloon fight and a slip ‘n slide. The Howe Development Foundation will be selling drinks including sodas and water. The Howe Chamber will provide a water slide, sell popsicles, and sausage on a stick. The Girl Scouts Troop 3698 will be selling Cowboy Nachos.

Others are meeting to determine their role in the event. Howe Youth Softball is considering hosting a kickball tournament at North Field. Howe Athletic Booster Club is considering selling Dip ‘N Dots. Howe Youth Football is considering a football throw.

All Howe non-profits should contact the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce, info@howechamber.com, to become a part of this event.

Each organization could use sponsorship help as the Howe Chamber’s water slide is sponsored by HIT Exteriors, LLC, TLD Design Consulting, and Housewarmers of Grayson County.

On Tuesday, June 26, 2019, at approximately 6:00 am, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence in the 500 block N. Burdette Ave Sherman, Texas, this warrant stemmed from a lengthy investigation into Internet child pornography.

The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program which is a nationwide network made up of 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are continually engaged in proactive and reactive investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in child abuse and exploitation involving the internet. Task Force colleagues from the Grand Prairie Police Department assisted in the investigation and Sherman Police Department assisted with the search warrant.

A 35-year-old white male from Sherman was arrested for Possession of Child Pornography. He is currently being held in the Grayson County Jail his bond has not been set at this time. This case is still under investigation when the investigation is complete charges to be presented to the District Attorney’s Office.

The Howe Bulldogs football program will celebrate 75 seasons this fall as the program officially began in 1935 under the UIL. Howe fielded football teams prior to 1935, but not on an official basis. The program was ceased after the 1948 season due to the lack of players available to field a team. In 1958, the Bulldogs once again hit the field as an 8-man program for two seasons before once again becoming an 11-man program and have remained so since. The overall record for Howe football is 385-355-24.

The football schedule has been released as well as all fall sports.

Charles Pelkey died on June 19th in Howe, TX, at the age of 75.

Charles is survived by his wife, Donna, and daughters, Karen and Kelly.

Charles was born in Fordyce, AK, to Dorothy and Ernest Pelkey. His father, Ernest Edwin was killed in World War II a few months after Charles was born. Dorothy and ‘Chuck’ moved to Angleton, TX. where he graduated from Angleton High School and later attended Texas Tech University. Charles married Donna Taylor in 1968 and moved to Friendswood, TX, where they raised two daughters. Charles spent his career as an electrical engineer. Charles was a private pilot in earlier life and enjoyed model building.

Charles and Donna moved to Tulsa, OK, in 2000 and later retired to Howe, TX, in 2014. They are members of First Baptist Howe.

A Memorial Service is scheduled for June 21 at 10:00 at First Baptist Howe.

A visitation is scheduled for June 22 from 1-2, with service at 2:00, at Autry Funeral Home in Jacksonville, TX; graveside service to follow at Griffin Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Baptist Howe at 100 E. Davis, Box 247, Howe, TX, 75059. The family would like to thank the members of First Baptist Howe and friends and neighbors in Howe.