Families gather for holiday celebrations throughout county

One of the most beautiful holiday seasons is gone. It came rushing in and suddenly the lights, the music and all the Christmas smells in the air will disappear.

We hope you had a blessed Christmas and wish you a most happy and successful 2008.

On Christmas Day, as we drove to town, driveways were full of cars of visiting families and friends who came to be reunited and celebrate such an important day.

Billie Jones, who is always such a gracious hostess, invited a group of friends to share Christmas Day.

A buffet table was full of meats, vegetables and desserts one could choose from and please every palate along with wines, tea and coffee.

The company was superb, Billie always has interesting groups.

We enjoyed the company of Billie, Dr. Mary Austin Newman and (Ret. Col. USAF) Wilbur Smith Jr. He wrote a book called Discrimination in Lending; Business and Home. It will be in the market in a few more weeks. Other guests were Ronnie and Dianna Arnold, Richard Arnold, Art and Sharon Schultz, Pat and Doc Blakely and their son Mike Blakely of Marble Falls. Also there were Dr. "Woody" Woodson, Billie's brother, James and wife Bobbie Hollis, J.B. and Liliana Johse.

The weather was beautiful, Doc Blakely kept us laughing with some stories he told, especially his experiences with some of the Wharton doctors, some who are gone and a few that are still with us, such as Dr. Caraway and Dr. Woodson. They are icons.

I feel very fortunate that I got to know three of them they mentioned, Dr. Voulgaris, Dr. Caraway and Dr. Woodson. The rest of the afternoon went on with more conversation and fun.

Richard Brant Arnold and Candace Leigh Snyder of Denton will become Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Arnold today.

His parents, Ronnie and Dianna Arnold, as well as his grandfather, Richard Arnold, and all the family are in attendance.

The groom's brother Clint Arnold, with the U.S. Army stationed in Fort Levenworth, Kan., has been promoted to major. The family is very proud. Our congratulations.

The last shopping day before Christmas we met at H-E-B: Jeffrey Blair with one of his beautiful daughters and his son-in-law, Elizabeth Honeycutt and husband Dr. Greg Honeycutt.

Greg is doing his second year residency in internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Elizabeth is a CPA with Exxon Mobil in Houston. They were expecting their youngest daughter and sister, Suzanne Blair and her boyfriend J.B., who were also coming to Wharton to spend Christmas with their parents.

Paul Sherland of Rust Reviews, LLC was guest speaker at the Lions Club Dec. 20 lunch meeting at Hinze's. He was the guest of Jeffrey Blair, who was in charge of the program. Paul is married to Rachel Rust of Wharton. Vickie Brooks was the young lady who entertained the Lions at the Christmas Party at the Johansen House.

We sang the birthday song for Dr. Hermann W. Of course he blushed!

Christmas was celebrated at the Guberts' residence by all the Abell Street Church of Christ members. Conversation and snacks were enjoyed by all at their home in East Bernard.

It was good to see Carla Weaver the other day looking healthy and happy. Husband John was home from Kuwait for Thanksgiving and should be back next February.

Matt and Julie Washburn and their beautiful children spent Christmas with their mother and grandma Mary Lee Ondrias.

Clayton and Laurie Bonnot were in Wharton spending time with both of their parents. Johnny and Kay Kunkel and Dr. Carlos and Wanda Bonnot. Dr. Francisco Ortiz and his wife spent a few days with their families in Monterrey, Mexico. They are back in Texas.

Betty Ann Krenek is back in Wharton at GCMC from a Houston hospital.

This afternoon Holly Marie Sohrt will wed Dustin Wade Kana at St. John's Catholic Church in New Taiton. A reception will follow at Taiton Community Center in New Taiton.

Wayne and Jennifer Koenig of Lafayette, La., will be attending the wedding. They are house guests of his parents Frank and Alice Koenig.

Louise Hunt is improving at GCMC after recent surgery.

Ruby Tyler is also a patient at GCMC and Hilda Smolik was at GCMC. Please keep them in your prayers. Marian Hobbins was at Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land.

Wendy Guin Tamayo graduated recently from Texas A&M Galveston Campus. She is the daughter of Tim and Sherry Guin. Congratulations.

Beverly and Temple Koonce hosted a Christmas party for the Abell Street ladies. Her helpers were Chelli Guthrie, Valerie Cheatham and daughter Maggie, Hope Montez and Pam O'Quinn.

Birthday wishes to Virginia Smith, Bob Fulton, Elaine Lovell, Rev. Mack Mathis, Kathy Miller, Carol Wootton, Bill Nelson. KCs with birthdays are David Luera, Charles Svatek, Franklin Sommer and Gary Winkenwerder. Happy birthday to Cheyenne Gubert, Thomas Wynn, Retha Johansen today and Sylvia Preisler. More birthdays this week include Julia Voulgaris, Jill Fitzgerald, Ann Gooden, Barbara Wingfield, Carol Milberger, Anthony Jarvela, Wesley Heimann, Amanda Evans, Morgan Pagel, Somer Moffett, Judy Chambers, Rachel Weaver, Glenn Stange, Philip Wuthrich, Randy Michael, Julius Pavlas, Richard Koch, Monica Broll and Judd Cullers.

Celebrating anniversaries Laurence and Margaret Morgan, David and Valorie Pagel, Tom and Grace Gladden, Dr. Carlos and Wanda Bonnot, Glenn and Candace Stange. Have a great anniversary and a happy New Year to all.

Dr. Caraway always writes a nice Christmas letter to friends. This year he is giving us the new spelling for his street if you didn't know. It is Bolling Green Dr. They have added another "L." As always the family continues to enjoy trips to the family farm and ranch on the Paluxy River a few miles upstream from Glen Rose. Another old fashioned Christmas will be celebrated there with a cedar Christmas tree brought in from the pasture. Congratulations to the Caraways. Brett in Austin at the University of Texas has just completed the required classroom course work and must now complete the dissertation to receive his PhD in radio, television and film. As a graduate student, he is teaching almost full time and that is what he plans to do following graduation.

Bruce and Sherri Caraway live in Magnolia. Bruce works with Smith International Inc. in Houston which provides products and services to the oil and gas exploration and production industry worldwide. Their children are Avery, 11, and Lauren, 9. Dr. Caraway volunteers as a fill-in worker with M.E.H.O.P. seeing patients in small, local towns which have no physicians. He is also an on call physician for Hospice. Annette volunteers at the Women's Crisis Center and Youth Assistance Thrift Stores in Richmond and also participates in Antique shows in Warrenton/Roundtop.

That is all for today. Until next year, drive with care. Be safe and God bless. I love you all.