Category: Howe News Bulletin

Marilyn Ann Power, known to her childhood friends as Madie Kelso was born to Roy and Mary Kelso on September 28, 1939 in Stith, Texas. She passed after a long battle with Alzheimers on December 20, 2017 in Montgomery, Texas where she lived with and was taken care of by her youngest daughter Melanie and her family.

Madie was her daddy’s little girl and grew up with taffy pulls and slumber parties and loved her parents greatly. She graduated from Abilene Christian College, married and had children after graduating. She spent her early married years as a stay at home Mom raising her three daughters. She later held positions as a bookkeeper at the Towne Crier restaurant in Abilene, worked for Paul and Virginia Carter at Paul Carter Insurance in Sherman, substituted as a teacher and ultimately became a Middle School teacher and girl’s coach in the Howe ISD. Her passion was coaching the 7th and 8th grade basketball teams and was known as Mama P to all the girls. As much as she loved coaching, her true passion was her Lord and she worshipped faithfully at the Howe Church of Christ where she had many friends. Madie lovingly cared for her father and mother in their later years as her father also had Alzheimers and she would lose her oldest brother Derrell to the same disease.

Madie is survived by her daughter’s Donna Power, Melanie Leonard and Mitzi Power; son-in-law Lance Leonard whom she loved like a son; grandchildren Gentry Leonard, Devyn Power, Preston Leonard, and Dylan Power; brother Leon Kelso, sister-in-law Lorna Kelso, nieces and nephews and their children.

A graveside service will be held for immediate family only on Friday, January 5, 2018. Friends and extended family will be welcomed at the Stith Community Center on January 5th at 3:00pm to celebrate Madie’s life and share stories.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. For those unable to attend her remembrance gathering, the family requests that you share stories of your memories at www.starbuckfuneralhome.com that can be shared with her grandchildren.

When you’re suddenly cooking for one, you may ask yourself “what is the point?” or find yourself at a loss for small meal ideas. Our Cooking For One workshop, designed for those who have suffered a loss, will give you recipe ideas, tips and tricks to help make cooking for yourself more enjoyable. Whether you are a first time cook or experienced pro, this workshop will bring
something new to the table.

The workshop begins on Tuesday, January 8th and continues each week, January 15th, 22nd, and 29th from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. We will meet at the Home Hospice office at 505 W. Center St., Sherman, TX. The workshop is sponsored by Home Hospice and seating is limited for this interactive workshop. Please register by January 2nd by calling Melinda Kyle at 903-868 9315 or email at Melinda.Kyle@homehospice.org.

“In Cooking for One we are going to have a fun, interactive workshop to learn new ways to cook healthy and delicious meals on a smaller scale,” said Adrian O’Hanlon, top Chef for the workshop. “When someone suffers a loss, they often are not use to cooking smaller or special meals and they get discouraged. Many people think it is just too hard or not worth it when they
are only cooking for themselves. Working with each other and sharing ideas, we hope to make cooking fun and healthy.”

Those attending get to participate in planning menus, shopping lists and sharing cooking tips. Plus they will also receive a cookbook of recipes after they attend all sessions. And since the workshop is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, they get to help make and eat lunch together!

Home Hospice of Cooke County is a local community-based non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide the best care and support to enhance Quality of Life. We value those we serve as they are our neighbors, our friends and our families. For more information please call us at 903-868-9315 or visit our website at www.HomeHospice.org or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/homehospiceofgrayson.

Today Mickey Joe Griffis, 65, of Tom Bean, was sentenced to two life sentences in prison for Possession with Intent to Deliver, Heroin, 1-4 grams and Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine, 4-200 grams.  Griffis was found guilty following a day and a half jury trial.  Griffis elected to have a Grayson County jury determine his sentence.  On Wednesday, December 13, 2017 that same jury sentenced Griffis to the maximum sentence allowed by law on both counts and the fine of $7,000.00 on each charge.  The Honorable Jim Fallon presided over the three day trial in the 15^th Judicial District Court.  On Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Judge Fallon sentenced Griffis for his crimes and ordered him to pay the $14,000.00 fine.

Narcotics investigators with the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office began conducting surveillance on a residence in Tom Bean on January 13, 2017.  The surveillance led to the development of sufficient information for a search warrant.  Later the same day, a large team of law enforcement officers executed the search warrant at 106 Bois D’Arc and recovered a large cache of drug paraphernalia, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and 3 firearms.  The Sheriff’s Office had information that Griffis was a convicted felon and could be armed.

During the trial the Grayson County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence seized from the residence which included hundreds of small baggies used to package narcotics, syringes, pipes, a digital scale, and several grams of heroin and over a ½ ounce of methamphetamine.

“We presented evidence and testimony which clearly led the jury to believe the defendant was involved in the distribution of narcotics and was armed with a rifle, pistol and a .12 gauge shotgun while dealing his drugs” said Assistant District Attorney Brett Smith.

During the punishment portion of the trial, Smith presented evidence to the jury that Griffis had six previous felony convictions, and four of those cases were for drug related offenses.   The jury learned that Griffis had twice previously been sentenced to prison for drug offenses.

“The long sentence was, I believe, a result of the fact that this man just continued to deal drugs, and short prison sentences were not keeping him from doing that,” said Grayson County District Attorney Joe Brown.   At some point, people just get tired of drug dealers who keep selling drugs and do not get the message.   The system gives people resources to deal with addiction, but when you are selling, it is a different ballgame.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brett Smith with the assistance of Paralegal Sherri Williams.  Griffis was represented by Sherman attorney Ron Uselton.