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County Bale Count Down by 59,000 by Darwin Robinson The Floyd County cotton harvest was down in 2002 compared to the bumper crop in 2001. Hail storms took out thousands of irrigated and dryland cotton acreages back in May and June, 2002, which caused the bale count to be way down. Charlie McQuhae of Lockney Coop Gin said, "The hail and severe weather of June 4, 2002 completely wiped out some 9,000 to 9,500 acres of cotton in this area. "The quality and color grade was also down some this year," McQuhae said. Lockney Coop ginned 17,501 bales in 2002 compared to 32,740 bales ginned in 2001. Eddie Foster of D&J Gin in Lockney said, "We were way off this year because of the hail damage on June 4th, and then again on June 9th and 10th. "We lost some 15,000 to 18,000 bales of cotton," Foster said. D&J Gin has combined this year with the Lockney Gin. D&J Gin and Lockney Gin in 2001 ginned together a total of 42,051. 2002 total bales ginned were 25,327. General Manager Leighton Stovall of Floydada Coop Gin said, "We lost one-third of our cotton crop acres on June 4th to hail. That made us lose one-fourth of bales to be ginned this year. "The cotton produced better this year than last year, but we were just down in acres," Stovall said. Floydada Coop Gin ginned a total of 29,500 bales in 2002, compared to 39,609 in 2001. A spokesperson at Barwise Gin said, "We lost about 7,000 to 8,000 acres of cotton due to the hail storm on June 4th." Barwise ginned 8,453 bales of cotton in 2002, compared to 18,040 bales ginned in 2001. Manager John Woefel of Scott Gin in Floydada said, "Due to the hail in June, we lost 5,000 to 6,000 acres of irrigated cotton." Concerning the latter rains on the opened cotton, Woefel said, "Very surprisingly our quality and grade was about the same (as previous years). It was maybe down some." Scott Gin had a total of 7,314 bales ginned in 2002, compared to 11,526 ginned in 2001. Don Marble, co-owner of Marble Bros. Gin of Lockney, said, "We lost 500 acres due to the hail in May, 2002. Then on June 15, we lost another 1500 acres to hail. "Floyd County seemed to be more affected by hail damage than the other nearby counties. The cotton in Sterley, Providence and Lone Star communities was lost on June 15 and the maize planted in its place didn't make due to the lack of rain," Marble stated. Concerning the latter rains as the cotton harvest was just starting, Marble said, "Only thirteen modules were hurt by discoloration due to those rains. After that the cotton kept a good quality to it." The Marble Bros. Gin had a total of 3,768 bales ginned in 2002, compared to 5,249 bales ginned in 2001. Manager Randy Pernell of Darty Gin said, "We were down this year because of the hail and lack of rain." Darty Gin ginned a total of 9,702 bales in 2002, compared to 11,459 in 2001. Manager Jody James of Blanco Gin said, "We had a good year. The hail did not hurt us." Blanco Gin had a total of 10,000 bales ginned in 2002, compared to 8,000 in 2001. James reported zero bales ginned in 2002 for South Plains Gin, compared to 2,350 ginned in 2001. Don Fry, Owner and Manager of McCoy Gin said, "We had some hail damage, but it did not affect us too much." McCoy Gin was slightly up in bales ginned in 2002 with 6,718 bales, compared to 6,445 ginned in 2001.
Historic "Floydada Meteorite" for sale online By Jeffrey Hunter It came blazing out of the cosmos thousands of years ago making a smoky landing in the dirt of eastern Floyd County. Now, the meteorite named after Floydada is landing on computer screens across the world as pieces are being sold at the Internet auction site eBay. Al Mitterling, an Indiana meteorite dealer, is selling a 12.5 kg meteorite on behalf of the owner, the Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Collection at Texas Christian University. Bidding for the piece ends on Friday at 2:43 P.M. Another piece was sold in December on eBay to a Midwest Illinois collector who withheld his name. eBay is a Web Site that allows users to hold online auctions of many different types of items &emdash; including cosmic rocks. The meteorite's journey from Floyd County to eBay is now a part of West Texas history. C.L. Bradford, a farmer in east Floyd County, found an unusual rock weighing 40 pounds in his pasture near Dougherty in 1938. "It was found in a junk pile," Dr. Arthur Ehlmann, emeritus professor of Geology at TCU said. "It was possible that it was dumped there to get rid of it." The rock, which "was dark as though colored by heat," was taken to The Hesperian office in Floydada, where it was proudly displayed in the window. An expert in Denver, Harvey Nininger, confirmed that it was indeed a meteor, and the rock stayed in the Hesperian's window "for weeks, possibly months" until it was sold to Oscar E. Monnig for $1 per pound. The Floydada meteorite remains a part of the Monnig collection, now under the care of the Geology Department at TCU. It is the small pieces of the main mass that are being sold online. A Fort Worth collector who traveled the Southwest following reports of fireballs, Monnig was known for his ability to find meteorites and amassed a collection of over 10,000 different meteorites. "Monnig would buy everything that would show up," Ehlmann said. "Back in a time when space travel wasn't even thought of, he was buying up meteorites." While collecting meteorites was a hobby for Monnig, he and Nininger were considered authorities on the subject, and between the two, the plains of Texas were scoured for the rocks. "Any big heavy rock called attention," Ehlmann said. "There just weren't many big boulders lying around, but those that were were well known." Ehlmann attributed agriculture as the main means of discovery for meteorites in the area. "I will still find one being plowed up every now and then, but less so than in the early days when the sod was first being busted." Floyd County and the surrounding area has a history with meteorites. According to records in the Floyd County Historical Museum, the town of Aiken was at one time named Meteorite. In 1880 Frank Collinson, a buffalo hunter who traveled to West Texas after moving from England in 1872, watched a fireball fall from the sky and hit one of the Quitaque peaks in northeastern Floyd County. "The meteor seemed to them to hit with great force and there was smoke from the impact, but there was the peak as usual when the atmosphere cleared," Homer Steen recalled in a column in the April 29, 1971 issue of the Floyd County Hesperian. According to Steen, it wasn't until fifty-six years later&emdash;1936&emdash;that an attempt was finally made to find the mysterious stone. The hunt, however, proved to be unsuccessful. "We never found it," Collinson wrote then. "I believe that it lies buried today in the vicinity of the Quitaque canyons." In addition, a meteorite weighing almost 1,000 pounds was found in 1882 east of Abernathy. (Before finally being sold to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. for $500, the meteorite sat outside the dugout of a Hale County resident and was used as a wash stand.) "A lot of the fire balls were never found," Ehlmann said. "Many never reached the ground but burned up in the atmosphere." Other pieces of the Floydada meteorite were acquired for the collection at a later date, including one from Silverton. "It seems that small pieces were sent to various people everywhere," Ehlmann said. Monnig collected many of his meteorites from ranchers, farmers and other land owners in the Southwest during the 1930s. The Monnig family ran a dry goods business that serviced stores in small towns. While on business, Monnig would leave a flyer offering a "fair market price" for any unusual rocks that turned out to be meteorites. "Oscar Monnig once quipped that if the state of Texas were canvassed for "hen house" door stops, a major meteorite collection would result," a TCU Web Site said of the collector. Upon Monnig's death in 1999, money from his estate was given to TCU to maintain his collection. In February, 10 percent of the collection will be on display in the Oscar Monnig Meteorite Gallery in the Sid Richardson Science Building on the TCU campus. The main mass of the Floydada meteorite is included in the display. "We've got a lot of Meteorites from West Texas on display," Ehlmann said. "Including Floydada." The gallery is open to the public from 1 to 4 P.M. Tuesday through Friday and 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. on Saturday. eBay, the online auction site, can be found at http://www.ebay.com
Obituaries SAMUEL JACK DECORDOVA Services for Samuel Jack DeCordova, 94, were held Saturday, January 4, 2003 at Acton United Methodist Church in Granbury. DeCordova passed away Wednesday, December 25, 2002, at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. He was born September 3, 1908, in Petersburg. He graduated from Floydada High School, where he lettered in four sports and was voted "The Most Popular Boy" of his senior class in 1926. After attending the University of Texas, he was employed by the Borden Company for more than 40 years and was very active civically. Jack was general chairman of the United Way in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and San Antonio, as well as being active in the Rotary Club and the United Methodist Church. He was a former resident of DeCordova Bend Estates in DeCordova,Texas where he was an avid golfer. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Hazel Massie; daughter, Jaqueline Brown (Stanton) of Waco and five brothers. Survivors include: his brother Ralph DeCordova (Cyndi) of Rhome; his wife of seven years, Albena Hill DeCordova, and his son, Edwin W. DeCordova (Nancy) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Debby Scarborough (Lee), Susan DeCordova, Stan Brown (Golda), and Nancy Dark; great-grandchildren, Susan Margaret Scarborough, Martha Scarborough, Jacob Brown, Lauren Brown and Stanton Lewis.
JERRY DON HART Graveside services for Jerry Don Hart, 58, of Lubbock were held Friday, January 3, 2003 in Floydada Cemetery. The Rev. Ken Horn officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Floydada. Mr. Hart died Tuesday, December 31, 2002 at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock. He was born on July 12, 1944 in Floydada to the late Leland Aubrey Hart and Eunice Opal Nelson Hart. He attended schools in Floydada. He moved to Idalou from Floydada in 1957 and to Lubbock in 1994 where he has lived for the last eight years. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Idalou. He was preceded in death by a sister, Jimmie Barbra. Survivors include two brothers, Rick Hart of Lubbock and Ken Hart of Amarillo and one sister, Renette Layton of Lubbock. The family suggests memorials to Meals on Wheels, 2304 34th St., Lubbock, Texas 79411.
SEVERA FLORES OCHOA Funeral Mass for Severa Flores Ochoa, 74, were held Thursday, January 2 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The Rev. John Ohlig, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church officiated. Burial was in Parklawn Memorial Gardens by Lemons Funeral Home. Mrs. Ochoa died at 4:36 p.m. Sunday, December 29, 2002, in Plainview Health Care Center. She was born February 2, 1928, in Alice and grew up in DeWitt County. She was a farmer in the Aiken and Providence area for many years. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. On January 20, 1947, she married Tomas Ochoa in Runge. He died August 18, 1984. Survivors include two daughters, Alice Cruz and Dee Ann Ochoa, both of Lubbock; five sons, Alex Ochoa of McAllen, Tomas Ochoa Jr. of Lockney, Ray Ochoa of Idalou, Albert Ochoa of Lubbock and Alfred Ochoa of Texoma; a brother, Vincente Flores Jr. of Weesatche; one sister, Margarita Leal of Houston; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A granddaughter is deceased.
LUCILE W. SMITH Memorial services for Lucile W. Smith, 79, of Quitaque, were held Friday, January 3, 2003 at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney. F.L. Montandon and Bill Sherman officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Lockney. Mrs. Smith died Tuesday, December 31, 2002 at her residence in Quitaque. She was born on January 24, 1923 in Brisco County to the late George Franklin Weast and Myrtle Lee Davis Weast. She attended schools in South Plains and graduated from high school in Silverton in 1939. She attended West Texas State University in Canyon and graduated from the University of Texas in 1942. She married Robert Lee Smith on August 14, 1943 in Tampa, Florida. He preceded her in death on February 10, 1988. She lived in Lockney for 37 years, 1943 - 1980; in Ruidoso from 1980 - 1999 and in Quitaque from 1999 to present. She was a homemaker and a member of the Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney from 1945 to 1980. She was chosen Lockney Chamber of Commerce woman of the year for Lockney and was involved in Drama Productions for the school and community. She was an avid gardener. Survivors include: one son, David Smith of Santa Fe, New Mexico; three daughters, Sandy Etigson of Ruidoso, New Mexico, Karla Gilliland of Baird and Robin Boedeker of Quitaque; one sister, Mrs. Annie Gilliland, Laura Gilliland, Luke Boedeker, Hannah Boedeker and Will Boedeker and four great-grandchildren Gabriel Taylor, Tye Schluter, Hope Taylor and Kayte Lynn Gilliland. The family suggests memorials to the Lockney Public Library, 124 S. Main St., Lockney, Texas 79241, to the Quitaque Public Library, or the Ruidoso Public Library.
Dear Editor, My sisters and I commend your support for the Floydada Veterans Memorial project. Community efforts to honor your citizens are appreciated by families, communities, and the nation. Thank you for remembering our father and all of the veterans from your county. Nora Hatley
Buchmann
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1995 CADILLAC SEDAN DEVILLE--One owner, excellent condition. 60,000 miles. $9,000. Call 983-2040
NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMPUTER? Troubleshooting, upgrade or repairs. Mac or PC. Call 806-983-6306.
LET ME BUILD YOUR WEB PAGE- Graphic Design Artist and proficient with PC's and Mac's. Call Jeffrey Hunter for quote, 806-652-2370. Go to www.duststorm.net for more information.
39.5 ACRES--Ideal location south of town. Call 903-334-9361.
Lockney FOR RENT--Clean, furnished apartment. Water and trash collection included. Call Barker Realty - 652-2642.
$MANAGER TRAINEE$ - $525/week average. Call 766-7175.
COUNTRY HOME ON 2 ACRES, 3 miles east Highway 70. Three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, fireplace, living, dining, den, office, utility, basement, 2 patios and shop. Call 983-2938 or 983-3786.
COUNTRY BEAUTY! Country property with everything you always wanted. Three bedrooms, two baths, basement and recently remodeled. Located on 3 acres with a barn, corrals and just 6 minutes from town. Call for an appointment to see! Jones Enterprises at 983-2151.
3 BEDROOM BRICK HOME with 2 baths, fireplace, central heat/air, single car garage, double drive and carport. Small shop and storage building at 816 Cedar. Good neighborhood. Call 983-5284.
HOUSE FOR SALE--3 bedroom, 1 bath. Central heat/air. Shop. Near schools. 323 W. Jeffie. Serious inquiries only. Call 1-479-474-6010.
HOUSE FOR SALE--3 bedroom, 1 bath with garage and cellar. 409 W. California. $24,000.00. Call 983-2967 - leave message.
PRICE REDUCED--Brick home. 3 bedroom, 1 3/4 bath. Near high school. 808 W. Marivena. $39,500.00. Call 983-2389.
HOT! HOT! HOT! Spice up 2003. Sell AVON. To buy or sell call Darlene 652-2029 I.R.
FOR SALE--Brown leather recliner, green club chair, Compaq A900 all in one printer, fax, scanner, copier. Call 983-5060.
FOR SALE--IBM Attiva computer - $50. Call 983-2449.
FOR SALE--Shelled pecans. Call 983-2418.
ALPHATEX KENNEL, AIKEN, TEXAS offers superior quality AKC Registered, DNA Certified Collies, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. Puppies and stud service available. 806-652-3458 or 806-292-5348.
Floyd County, pursuant to a tax foreclosure sale, is offering for sale the following property in the City of Lockney: All of Lots No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Block 35 and Lots 1 and 2 in Block G of the N. B. Davis Survey located in the City of Lockney, Floyd County, Texas also known as the Webster Service and Supply, Inc. property. Any offers should be submitted to: William D. Hardin, County Judge, Courthouse Room 105, Floydada, Texas 79235.
TIME TO SPRAY YARDS FOR WEEDS--Call Emert Spraying Service. Call 806-839-1509, Hale Center.
LARRY OGDEN AUCTIONEERING-Estates, Farm, Ranch, Business, Liquidations, State Licensed and Bonded. (806) 983-5808. TX. #9240.
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