Monday, November 20, 2017
Thursday, November 16, 2017
QPL Connections by Delene Allen
Quitman Library
Connections by Delene Allen
November 22, 2017
Wood County Monitor – Quitman TX
The Quitman Public Library will be closed
Thursday, Nov. 23 and Friday, Nov. 24 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
Singer-songwriter and accordionist Jo-El
Sonnier will be at the Quitman Public Library on Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. to share his
love of music with the Story Time kids and to promote the new autobiography of
his childhood, “The Little Boy Under the Wagon” written by his sister-in-law
Shirley Strange-Allen. Copies of his book will be available for purchase.
There is a holiday collection of books for
pleasure reading, movies with a holiday theme, and books with recipe and
decorating ideas to make Christmas extra special. These displays are located
near the check-out desk.
The next 2nd Friday Acoustical Music Jam is
Friday, Dec 8, in the library’s community room. Acoustical musicians of all
ages and musical levels are invited to this informal jam from 6 – 9 p.m. An
open mic is set up for those who wish to perform. Listeners are welcome. Call
903-975-5745.
Patron cards are available for those
residents who can provide proof of residence in Wood County and photo
identification. A guardian must sign for children ages 5 - 17. Hours
are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Visit the library’s website at www.quitmanlibrary.org and keep up with current events
at www.facebook.com/quitmanpubliclibrary.
Adult Services
GED
class will meet again on Thursday, Nov. 30 from 4 – 6 p.m. The class is
designed to prepare adult students for the test in a classroom environment that
is motivational. Students work independently at their own pace with a certified
instructor assisting according to individual need. Sign up for this free class
at the library’s front desk, or call 903-763-4191.
Children’s
Services
Story Time will resume its regular schedule on Thursdays Nov. 30 at 2
p.m. with “When I Grow Up.” Story Time is designed for young readers and
home-schooled students, but anyone who wants to hear a great story is welcome.
Call 903-763-BOOK (2665).
Friends of the
Library
The Friends invite everyone to bring a lunch
and join them for an hour of friendship on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at noon as members
welcome the Quitman Elementary School Choir led by Katrina Morrow. The Friends
of the Quitman Public Library is an active group of volunteers dedicated to the
growth and improvement of the library.
New Arrivals
The
latest books, audiobooks and movies that have been added to our collection can
always be found by visiting our online catalog at http://quitman.biblionix.com/catalog. Download the
OverDrive® app for access to countless eBooks and audiobooks from the Quitman
Public Library. You may check out up to
five online items for your choice of 7 or 14 days.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
A Tornado Hits Wood County TX April 9, 1919
There are several
cemeteries in Wood and surrounding counties that have graves marked with the
same date of death – April 9, 1919. That
was the day one of the worst tornadoes of mass destruction tore across much of northern
Texas including Wood County.
It was just after
midnight on a Wednesday when the tornado developed what is now known as an F4
that traveled a long track nearly a mile wide making its way through the Red
River counties, and Henderson, Van Zandt, Wood and Camp counties. Oddly, the
tornado seemed to avoid the larger towns and focused its fury on the smaller
farming communities causing horrific damage and loss of life.
 |
| EF 4 Tornado |
Relief trains were
immediately sent out, each bearing teams of doctors, nurses, and emergency help
from Fort Worth, Dallas, Greenville and many other points along the way.
The Dallas Morning News reported, “Cyclopean
Fury of Death Storm . . . tornado moves
through Henderson, Van Zandt, Wood, Camp and Red River counties, killing 42 people
and injuring 150.”
By the evening of
Thursday, April 10, verified dispatches from the districts in northern Texas
and southern Oklahoma swept by tornadoes showed that at least 86 persons were
killed and more than 200 were seriously injured. In the tornado’s aftermath, upwards
of 1,000 persons were left homeless including many children some of them
orphans of the storm. Dallas Mayor Frank Wozencraft released his statement in a
telegram saying, “Dallas sincerely sympathizes with the storm stricken areas
and stands ready to cooperate in every possible way to relieve the situation.
The Woodmen of the World have kindly offered the use of a large number of
tents, and other relief will be supplied if needed.”
A few days after the
catastrophe, Mr. Jim Venable of Big Spring received a letter from his brother
in Bonham who witnessed the storm’s aftermath. The letter was dated April 9,
1919.
“Dear Brother & Family, I will answer your
kind letter received yesterday. We had a big cyclone that struck Bonham last
night. It swept things clean where it went. It tore Leonard and Ector all to
pieces. Killed 14 persons dead and wounded many. Several died today from wounds
and several more expected to die. There isn’t a house left from Mulberry to the
river. It just swept things clean. Jim, I witnessed the saddest sight this
evening I ever did before in my life. I hope I’ll never have to witness it
again. I saw them bring 9 dead persons men women and children in a truck to the
undertakers office. Their heads were beat all to pieces. Some with both arms
and both legs broke. One man in the bunch a piece of a 2 by 4 struck him in the
neck and went half way through it.”
No one is alive
today that can relate a first-hand account, but stories have been handed down
describing the horror of this catastrophic tornado. Many local folks recall hearing
stories told about how trees had planks of wood lodged clean through them with
sheet metal wrapped around fences and trees like cloth. One injured cow was
noted as still walking about with a plank of wood in protruding from its side. Another
man remembers his father talking about how the wind had blown straw and hay
into the bark of the trees.
So many lives
were forever changed that April 9, 1919. In Wood County alone, you will find
the following:
Nannie A Jones Vickery –
Concord Cemetery, Quitman
Iris Lucile Autry White –
Ebenezer Cemetery, Oak Grove
Mary Ann Calloway Turner –
Ebenezer Cemetery, Oak Grove
Nova Reba Minick – Syrna
Cemetery, Winnsboro
You can remember these
and a few others who lost their lives that fateful day by visiting the East
Texas Tornado April 9, 1919 Virtual Cemetery created by David Brasfield at this
link https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=vcsr&GSvcid=692214
Delene Allen
Wood Chips
November 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Quitman Library Connections by Delene Allen
November 8, 2017
Wood County Monitor – Quitman TX
The next 2nd Friday Acoustical Music Jam is
Friday, Nov. 10, in the library’s community room. Acoustical musicians of all
ages and musical levels are invited to this informal jam from 6 – 9 p.m. An
open mic is set up for those who wish to perform. Listeners are welcome. Call
903-975-5745.
November is National Native American Heritage
Month, and the Quitman Public Library is recognizing this event with a display
of media available for check out. Also,
there is a holiday collection of books for pleasure reading, movies with a
holiday theme, and books with recipe and decorating ideas to make Thanksgiving
extra special. These displays are located near the check-out desk.
Patron cards are available for those
residents who can provide proof of residence in Wood County and photo
identification. A guardian must sign for children ages 5 - 17. Hours
are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Visit the library’s website at www.quitmanlibrary.org and keep up with current events
at www.facebook.com/quitmanpubliclibrary.
Adult Services
Rebekah Yeager
and Virginia Hoffpauir invite students
of all ages and skill levels to bring their own supplies and join the group for
free crochet and knitting instruction each Thursday 2 – 4 p.m. in the
library’s main gallery. Learn to crochet ornaments for holiday gifts and
decorations.
Get
GED Ready @ QPL! Class meets each Thursday from 4 – 6 p.m. and is designed to
prepare adult students for the test in a classroom environment that is
motivational. Students work independently at their own pace with a certified
instructor assisting according to individual need. Sign up for this free class
at the library’s front desk, or call 903-763-4191.
Children’s
Services
Story Time meets each Thursday at 2 p.m. Lillian Gray plans an educational hour filled
with stories, crafts and plenty of fun. Upcoming themes are: Nov. 9 “What’s
Your Favorite Pie?” – Nov. 16 “Turkey Time is Near” – Nov. 23 there will be no
Story Time. – Nov 30 “When I Grow Up” Story Time is designed for young readers
and home-schooled students, but anyone who wants to hear a great story is
welcome. Call 903-763-BOOK (2665).
Friends of the
Library
The Friends invite everyone to bring a lunch
and join them for an hour of friendship as it welcomes Wood County Extension
Agent Angie Monk as the special guest speaker on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at noon. She
will be sharing healthy holiday meal tips.
The Friends of the Quitman Public Library is an active group of
volunteers dedicated to the growth and improvement of the library.
Genealogy
The Wood County TX Genealogical Society meets
Monday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Quitman Public Library. Members invite family
researchers, historians and storytellers, to commemorate their family’s rich
and deep history by allowing it’s volunteers to assist with beginning your
genealogical tree. Contact David Gilbreath at 972-977-7988.
New Arrivals
The
latest books, audiobooks and movies that have been added to our collection can
always be found by visiting our online catalog at http://quitman.biblionix.com/catalog. Download the
OverDrive® app for access to countless eBooks and audiobooks from the Quitman
Public Library. You may check out up to
five online items for your choice of 7 or 14 days.
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