By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
After 30 years of bouncing around with Army life, Kelly Williamson and his wife, Cathy, began searching for a place to put down roots after he retired.
That place happens to be the north Montague County city of Saint Jo, where he also took the oath of office as its new mayor just a few weeks ago.
While he knows people may view him as an outsider, Williamson says his only agenda is do what he can to “make things better.” It is a goal he feels confident the city council can pursue with success.
Williamson recently turned 64. He and Cathy have one son, Tristan, 24, who lives in Argyle. Their son followed in his father’s footstep, going into the army serving four years after which he got out and began firefighter school. After about a year and half, Tristan decided he missed the army and returned to the infantry.
The new mayor hails from Monroe, LA and just out of high school he joined the National Guard in October 1979 to help pay for his education. He would remain active in the guard, reserve and active army for 30 years.
He stayed with the guard for a while and in 1993 moved to Dallas to become a pilot, but he then went to work for a corporate company, putting a stop to the flying career. More change was coming.
When the war started in 2001, Williamson recalls feeling left out as the army moved out for battle.
“Cathy and I were watching TV and saw the news. Tristan was about a year old. Kathy asked me, ‘You’re going back?’ I told her yes, I missed it. I went back into the reserve and got called up shortly for active duty.

Read the full feature in your weekend Bowie News.

Top photo – New Saint Jo Mayor Kelly Williamson stands in front of the Stonewall Saloon Museum, one of the first places he ever visited when he drove through Saint Jo on a trip. (Photo by Barbara Green)

Bowie Elementary’s first grade teachers and students enjoyed the annual Pioneer Days activities on the last day before the Thanksgiving break. Mrs. Jones showed off some family quilts while the kids in her class made quilt collages out of scrap material. (Top photo)

Once more we pose that question to Bowie third graders, who share their very colorful, helpful, unique and always hilarious recipes and procedures to create the best bird for the family dinner.
Enjoy their recipe suggestions as you sit down with family and friends this week for Thanksgiving. Hopefully it will bring a smile. Special thanks to Stephanie Crabtree, Karina Carter and Bailey Bolton for allowing their students to take part in this longtime Bowie News tradition. We tried to use as many as space allowed, thanks to all the kids.

Here are just a few:

Do you like turkey? I’m am going to teach you how to cook it. First,you go get your ingredients by going to buy a turkey from Walmart. Get your pan out and put the non-stick spray on the pan. Put the turkey on top of the pan.
Next, you put your turkey on the grill at 290 degrees for 30 minutes. While the turkey cooks, get your side food together. Next, set up your table. Then you put all of your food on the table. Sit down and enjoy your meal. Wasn’t that yummy?
Lennox

I’m going to tell you how to cook a turkey for thanksgiving and I will help you do the steps by you can go to bacon and. Frist buy a turkey.
Next take the turkey ripe off of the turkey put under the water crab the sensing. and but the oven on 250 to for place it in the and i will have eggs and green beans and cornbread and rice the table cloth, flowers and candles. Now you have to make a turkey on thanksgivig.
Sawyer

See your mid-week Bowie News to see lots of great kid’s recipe ideas.