COUNTY LIFE
Saint Jo twins don’t let life’s circumstances define them
By BARBARA GREEN
Twin sisters Jamie and Jessica Hurd are typical high school seniors who blush when you ask about boyfriends and ecstatic to cheer on their baseball team in the playoffs.
They make good grades, are well liked and have jobs to help make their own way. However, the outcome could have been much different without the help of a family member and their own perseverance to rise above circumstances that saw them living in a homeless shelter and at one point in their family car; and where their parents were in jail and unable to care for them.
The pair could have easily become an unhappy statistic, but instead they are thriving and excited for what the future holds after graduation.
Family life
The identical twins were born Jan. 23, 2000 in Muenster to Julia and Bryan Hurd. Their childhood was fraught with instability as the parents attempted to provide for their young family.
The children recall spending a lot of time with their grandfather, Earl Hurd, who lived in Forestburg. They attended Forestburg School until they started eighth grade at Saint Jo. The girls recall their grandpa’s large garden and riding horses as special memories from that time, “he took good care of us,” exclaims Jessica.
Jamie recalls her father was in and out of their younger years spending time in prison for drug related charges. While talking about this missing figure is obviously painful, Jamie says struggling to provide made both her parents go the wrong way.
“In order to provide they thought they had to do wrong things, that was the situation. Desperation, yes,” explains Jamie.
Jessica recalls at one point their mom was in jail and they were living in Nocona with their dad and brother, Justin, five years their senior.
“Our dad was not really there much, so our brother provided a lot for us,” she said.
The trio of children stuck together taking care of each other. Jamie says Justin took care of them as much as he could at his age helping get them to school. They are still very close.
As the children grew times got tougher. The girls with their mother ended up in a homeless shelter in Wichita Falls where they lived for a period of time. One day they just left the shelter, but they still had no where to go.
Read the full story on this Saint Jo graduates in your weekend News.
COUNTY LIFE
Bowie community garage sales this weekend
This weekend find the deals in the City of Bowie Community-wide garage sales April 26-27.
See the map of a garage sale locations in Bowie in the mid-week Bowie News.
COUNTY LIFE
Post-pandemic world changes all marketing
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The big take-away from Tuesday’s Bowie Business Boost was time: “It only takes six seconds to make an impression in life.”
Lorie Vincent, certified economic developer, professional trainer and writer, was speaker for program number three of Bowie Boost with a focus on “Memorable Marketing in a Post-Pandemic Era.”
She opened about how she had started her business, ‘Acceleration by Design,’ and things were “rocking,” when 2020 came and things changed with the worldwide pandemic. As things began to reopen it appeared there were more opportunities but also more challenges.
Vincent laughed as she showed a Richard Simmons “Sweating to the Oldies,” infomercial that became one of the most popular and still running ads.
“Can you believe back then we would call a 1-800 number and give someone our credit card? That is crazy. They used big music, big voices and big adjectives,” exclaimed Vincent.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
(Top photo) Lorie Vincent, Acceleration by Design, discussed how marketing has flipped upside-down in this post-pandemic era. She spoke at the Bowie Business Boost part 3. (Photo by Barbara Green)
COUNTY LIFE
Senior center to serve up big breakfast April 27
Enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast and support the Bowie Senior Citizens Meals on Wheels program on April 27.
Serving will be 7:30 to 10 a.m. in the center at 501 Pelham. For $10 feast on biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs and hash browns, plus coffee, tea and orange juice.
-
NEWS1 year ago
2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS5 months ago
Suspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS1 year ago
SO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS1 year ago
Wreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS9 months ago
Murder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS12 months ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS1 year ago
Bowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS1 year ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint