COUNTY LIFE
By DANI BLACKBURN
The faculty of Bowie High School calls itself “one big family.”
While they may not share blood, they now share organs after teacher Candace Mercer donated a kidney to fellow teacher Ronnie Mund.
The 36-year-old Mercer has been teaching government and theater at BHS for seven years, while 53-year-old Mund has been teaching physics and horticulture at Bowie for five years. The teachers underwent surgery on June 6 and are recovering well.
The two are a part of a close-knit group of coworkers who have spent the last years eating lunch together on a daily basis and being pranked by Mund, who is referred to as the “Papa Bear” of the group.
However, work and fun with his coworkers was tiring for Mund, who had been living with low kidney function for nine years. The problem was due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidney and causes it to no longer filter correctly.
“The problem is it doesn’t filter out any of the toxins. You always feel bad because your body can’t get rid of anything causing you harm,” explained Mund.
Mercer agreed to donate a kidney to her friend and recently they underwent the transplant surgery coming through successfully.
Read the full feature in the weekend News.
Enjoy a fish fry and live music concert on Jan. 4 all to support the 4-H and FFA youth of Montague County as they compete in the annual youth fair.
The annual Bowie fish fry for the Bowie buyers group will begin serving at 5:30 p.m. at the Bowie Community Center. Cost is $10 per plate. There will be a live auction at 7 p.m.
The evening’s concert will feature Dax Davis. Live music begins at 8:30 p.m. with the Davis concert at 9:30 p.m. Cost for the concert is $25 per ticket and $20 for a student, or $300 for a reserved table for eight.
Tickets are available at Fashion Floors, 202 N. Smythe or call 872-2468.
The entry numbers are in for the 2025 Montague County Youth Fair has 1,160 projects will be considered by the judges Jan. 8-11 at various locations in the county.
Youth fair officials said of the 1,160 there are 333 students participating from clubs and schools throughout the county. These contests provide something for everyone from robotics and skills-a-thons to top cake bakers and welders.
The home economics divisions will welcome 596 entries up significantly from the 471 this past year. There will be 132 for creative arts, 64 in fabric construction, 160 in food and 240 in photography. There are junior and senior divisions for each category.
Home economics entries can be checked in from 7-9 a.m. on Jan. 8 at the Nocona Community Center. They will be judged that day with results posted at 6 p.m.
The silent auction for home economics items will open at 6 p.m. in the show barn and end at 9 p.m.
Read the full story on all the entry numbers in your mid-week Bowie News.
Top photo – Bowie High School welders work on their projects. (Courtesy photos)
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