Shelby County Today

October 28, 2025 - Community beautification is a major goal of the Center Garden Club. Recently, several members gathered to decorate the planter urns on the downtown square for fall.  The club wishes to thank the City of Center for its support with this project.

The ladies working on the project are (from left) Lavonne Wood, Vicky Warren (standing), Janette Wittmann (seated), Cherry Jones, Carolyn Bounds, Pam Sykes (chairman), and Jennifer Whittlesey.

Everyone in attendance for the grand opening of the new Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department Central Station participated in the "Push-in" ceremony.

October 27, 2025 - The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department (JVFD) proudly held the grand opening and open house of its new Central Station at 10am, October 25, located on 10777 Highway 84, next to the U.S. Post Office. The milestone event marked a significant moment in the department’s history, celebrating decades of service, community partnership, and growth.

The ceremony began with Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett welcoming guests and recognizing the department’s leadership past and present. Chief Boyett honored former Chief Travis Rodgers, the department’s first fire chief, as well as past Chief Steve Cockrell, an active member, and the surviving family members of the late Chiefs Elmer Mathews, Mike Wood, and Perry Pugh. Mrs. Donna Pugh, wife of the late Chief Pugh, was among those in attendance.

Pictured are family of Mike Woods (from left): Carsen McFarland (granddaughter), Jennifer Whittlesey (daughter), Mary Grace Whittlesey (granddaughter), Lavonne Wood (wife) and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett.

Brother Joe Walker of Logansport Missionary Baptist Church led the invocation and a special blessing for the new station. Assistant Chief Stephen Ewing followed by sharing the rich history of the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department with attendees.

Chief Boyett then presented a commemorative plaque to the Public Safety Corporation, whose support made the new facility possible. Members of the committee recognized include President Rusty Wilson, Vice President Rodney Dean, Phil Worsham, Vance Jordan, and the late Jay Dee Cockrell. A heartfelt thanks was also extended to Cornerstone Construction and owner Jeff Dean for their integral role in constructing the new station.

Pictured are family of Elmer Mathews (from left): Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett, Rodney Mathews (son), Denise Mathews (daughter-in-law), and Amber Mathews  (granddaughter) holding Cooper Deshotel (great-grandson).

In keeping with firefighting tradition, the ceremony concluded with a “push-in” event, where JVFD members and community guests joined together to roll Engine 1 into the new station, symbolizing the official beginning of operations at the facility. Guests were invited to sign the station’s guest book and enjoy refreshments, including a commemorative cake. The department also hosted a hamburger plate fundraiser, adding to the festive community spirit.

As the late Chief Mike Wood often said, “A good time was had by all.” The Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department extends sincere gratitude to the citizens, partners, and organizations whose continued support makes their mission possible.

Pictured are (from left): Donna Pugh (wife of Perry Pugh) and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett.

“We’re proud of our history, grateful for our community, and excited for the future,” said Chief Boyett. “This new station will help us serve Joaquin and the surrounding area for generations to come.”

Pictured are family of Jay Dee Cockrell (from left): Kade Cockrell (son), Jodi Cockrell (daughter), Selisha Cockrell (wife), and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett.

Pictured are (from left): Rusty Wilson, Public Safety Corporation Board President; and Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jeremy Boyett.

Pictured are (from left): Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett and former Chief Travis Rodgers.

Pictured are (from left): Joaquin Volunteer Fire Chief Jeremy Boyett and past Chief, and current member, Steve Cockrell.

Pictured are (from left): CAC staff members Marlene Hernandez, Sarah Shires, Denise Merriman, ETCF Program Officer Dana Durman, and CAC staff member Juana Valdez

October 27, 2025 - The Shelby County Children’s Advocacy Center (SCCAC) recently received a grant in the amount of $10,000 from the John Harris Community Fund at East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF).

These funds will cover a portion of the CAC’s daily operating expenses. We are grateful to ETCF for their continued support of our agency and their commitment to improving the lives of children and families in our community who have been impacted by abuse.

Pictured are (from left): Ralph Roberts (holding Pockets II), Carolyn Roberts and Barbara Smith.

October 26, 2025 - Ralph and Carolyn Roberts live in the Timpson area and are celebrating their 70th year together on October 26, 2025. 

“We ran off and got married and wound up in Memphis, Tennessee and Memphis is in Shelby County,” said Mrs. Roberts.

Before Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were married, they met on the school bus in the Houston area. When asked how they decided to get married, Mr. Roberts commented it was something he had never done before.

“I just knew what I wanted when I seen it and I wasn’t going to take no chances on anybody else getting her, and I haven’t regretted it. We’ve been happy and crazy all our lives,” said Mr. Roberts.

They have two daughters, Barbara Smith and Carol Lynn Wilburn who sadly passed in August 2022. Carol Lynn was more commonly known as Lynn.
The Roberts have five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren

Mrs. Roberts shared that she’s 86 and Mr. Roberts is 87. Their daughter Barbara comments that her parents still hold hands. Their home sits in a quiet location where they have a beautiful view of all types of wildlife, especially that which would make any birdwatcher envious.

“They feed the crows, cardinals and the Blue Jays and the doves,” said Smith. “If they’re gone, I get told to make sure I put their food out."

The couple, and their family, have had businesses in the Timpson area including a drive-in diner and a tractor repair shop. A former landmark that a lot of people in the community might be familiar with was a red tractor that was parked along State Highway 87 south of Timpson, and that was an advertisement for RC Machine and Tractor.

The Roberts had built part of the shop for RC Machine and Tractor, which stands for Ralph and Carolyn, and kept adding on to the original site. Mrs. Roberts commented, “this was all supposed to be temporary.”

“He would work at night, maybe until 3-in-the-morning on the lathe and he would walk through a door and come in,” said Mrs. Roberts. Mr. Roberts continued, “get something to eat, go back out, go to work on trailers and 18-wheelers.”

Roberts was a machinist and before the family moved to Shelby County, he was working for a crop dusting company doing precision work. He used to do work for all kinds of people around the area, working on drive lines and all kind of mechanical needs for them for their vehicles and tractors.

“They used to be real busy, when mama’s mother was sick she was in the hospital, they had me come out here to answer the phone, I was also seven months pregnant,” said Smith. 

When someone would call, Mr. Roberts would try and help them find their part, or figure out what part they needed. If it wasn't at the shop, they could reach out to a “locator system” to find what was needed somewhere else in the country.

“After we moved over here we started the tractors in ’81 and we bought the drive-in in ’81,” said Mrs. Roberts.

Mrs. Roberts had a 150 Cessna airplane when they moved up to Shelby County in the late 70s and they flew out of Center Municipal Airport.

“We flew around the country a little bit,” said Mr. Roberts.

Mrs. Roberts shared that their daughter Barbara worked at Timpson Drive-In, in Timpson, and they decided to purchase it from Randy and Drewan Ballard after their daughter “talked” them into making the purchase. The Roberts shared that the building was originally built by Forest Broadway for Tracy’s Malt Shop before Ballards had it, and it’s now the location of Rancho Grande in Timpson.

“I remember me ‘talking them into it,’ but I get told all the time,” said Smith.

“You suggested it, but your daddy said, ‘that’s a good idea,’ said Mrs. Roberts.

“Yeah, I think that’s more how it went, I suggested it and daddy ran with it,” said Smith.

Mr. Roberts recalled washing dishes at the drive-in, which at times could run as long as three hours.

“I was working here one day, and me and James Box decided to go get some lunch, so we headed up there [to the drive-in] and he had to wait on me for three hours, I washed dishes for three hours up there,” said Mr. Roberts.

Barbara explained there weren’t a lot of places available to eat at that time. She elaborated that some other options included offerings by Randy Graves at one location and Geneva Hutto at another.

“We worked two shifts, more or less, opened at 5:30 in the morning,” said Mrs. Roberts.

Mrs. Roberts recollects they had the drive-in from 1981 to 1995 and Barbara remarked they had the best malts around. The only two days they would be closed were Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they would have their family holiday meal at the drive-in and if a truck driver stopped, they would welcome them to their table.

Mr. Roberts continues to do some personal projects in his shop, but no longer as a business, and the couple continues to have an active social life going out to eat with a group weekly and holding hands along the way.