That was shortly after he joined the Navy in 1945 and today the patriarch and matriarch of the Mays clan are still together as they both approach their 100th birthdays.

Though Laura and Billie Mays have lived in Irving since the 1950s, their son and daughter-in-law and most of their children and grandchildren have primarily lived in Flower Mound. So, when the time came to recognize the couple’s 80th wedding anniversary, Gary and Jaime Mays agreed to host the party. The April 13 event featured 35 family members which includes 14 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

“Billie has dementia so we decided to only do immediate family,” Jamie said. “We have a huge extended family and friend base but we’ve given them big anniversary celebrations in the past at hotels and resorts for the 50th, 60th, and 70th never dreaming they would make 80. It ended up being a good decision because we had a beautiful time.

“At one point we gathered in the living room in a circle with all the family and they retold their love story, how they met, how they married, etc. which many of the younger grands hadn’t heard. He told how it was “love at first sight for him” and he never looked at another girl after meeting Billie.

“Then the family took a turn and told them several things about what they meant to them and how they had influenced their lives. It was precious and so memorable. We wouldn’t have been able to have those moments if it had been a big gathering, one that we might not be able to ever capture again.”

His unusual first name occurred when he and his twin brother Lee – whose names were listed as Big One and Little One at birth – chose the names of their pastor and his wife when the town judge said they needed regular names on their birth certificates.

Laura attributes the long marriage to their faith and commitment to family.

“The first thing everyone should do in the morning when they get up is make their bed,” said Laura, who continues to make their big king sized bed. “If you care enough to make your bed, it sets the tone for the day.”

Laura is a World War II Navy veteran who loves talking about his military service. Last November they attended the Veterans Day program at Forestwood Middle School in Flower Mound which their great grandchildren Masy Jo (8th grade) and James (7th) attend. Their mom, Traci, is a math, science, and engineering teacher at Bridlewood Elementary School.

Traci and husband Brandon plus his brother Jim and wife Patricia, sister Mollie Sheridan and husband Travis, and sister Laura Willett and husband Nick and their children also all live in Flower Mound. Another great grandchild, Jaxon Salinas, is an assistant coach with the Flower Mound High School football team, while great grandson Cody Smith resides in Highland Village. The remainder of the family – Gary’s sisters Marsha and Cindy and their children and grandchildren – primarily live in Irving.

Many in the family have worked at Anchor Crane & Hoist Service that Laura started in 1969. Before that he was a salesperson for Dresser Industries.

Through the years they have spent time at their lake house on Lake Fork in East Texas. He enjoyed hobbies like golf and fishing while she had a talent for art including oil paintings and as a seamstress. Laura has been involved in the Honor Flight Network that provides World War II veterans with free flights to Washington, DC to visit the National World War II Memorial.

“The fact they were always there for us growing up whether at every event or gathering whatever it might be, they carried that over to the grandchildren and great grands,” Gary added. “They did it as a team. It always has been the two of them. They do everything together, except golf.”

Jaime has always felt the same way as her husband in the more than 54 years she’s been part of the family.

“From the minute I came into the family they have treated me the very same way they treated their own children – with the utmost respect and support that anyone could ask for,” she said. “That’s how they treat everyone, including strangers.

“They’ve helped more people not only financially but emotionally and spiritually. They walk the walk. What you see is how they live day to day. I’ve never seen a more devoted couple to each other either. They’re so cute.”

The post Flower Mound family hosts 80th wedding anniversary celebration appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Public comment on the proposed Eden Ranch development on the near west side of town was overwhelmingly favorable. However, during the work session where property owner Tyler Radbourne and his master designer Matthew (Quint) Redmond followed Flower Mound Director of Development Services Lexin Murphy at the podium, Council members asked several questions based on their skepticism of what they knew about the project.

Eden Ranch, which lies within the Cross Timbers Conservation Development District, contains 336-acres of agriculture-zoned land north of FM 1171 between Shiloh Road on the east and Red Rock Lane on the west. Its current plan includes 193 country home units, most of which will be on ½-acre, ¾-acre and 1-acre lots along with several larger agricultural spaces. Lot pricing will range from $475,000 to $850,000.

The community would combine living spaces with open areas including farmland and orchards to grow organic food. Potential amenities include an event/activity center, community wellness/fitness center, private school, daycare, arboretum/recycling/education center, parks, public trails, gym, sport courts, equestrian trail, vineyard/winery and market.

Many of Radbourne and his wife Julia’s neighbors – including Shiloh Church, the Old Shiloh Cemetery Association and Cristina’s Mexican Restaurant – support the project. They cited the development’s potential multi-generational aspect, farm-to-family concept and conservation focus including animals, multiple trees, and open space. Others from Double Oak and Flower Mound expressed opposing views based on too much density, additional traffic and safety issues.

Council members focused their issues on three things – less density of residences, fewer trees that would block the views of the property, and more specific detail on many of the individual parts of the overall concept. They had the most issue of proposed lots being smaller than the current standard of two acres.

Radbourne said his understanding was that he only needed an average lot size of 1.6 acres.

While Radbourne has been collaborating directly with staff for months and talked to individual council members on occasion, this was the first official presentation to the entire group. After Murphy pointed out the multiple changes Radbourne and Redmond had made to their original plan to meet staff concerns, she outlined proposed modifications to the development standards and master plan. These related to dimension standards for agricultural-zoned property, home occupation standards, accessory dwelling standards, commercial boarding/stables, keeping animals and topographical slope.

“There was a flaw in the master plan. We found that flaw after the fact and realized we could do better when presented with a better option,” said Radbourne. “Eden Ranch wants to do better and raise the standard of the master plan, not lower it.”

In regard to the council’s issue with the trees, Radbourne said he would rather the community be more secluded than out in the open for everyone on FM 1171 to see. The council prefers “view corridors” that allow onlookers to see the development from the main road.

“Town Council has given us time over the last couple of years to speak with us and they’ve all been cordial and we’ve created this plan based on their feedback except for the view corridors,” said Radbourne. “It’s really a battle of the view corridor and whether the town wants to see into the community or if they will support hiding homes in the community.”

He also thinks using trees as a buffer in between the community and FM 1171 would be more aesthetically pleasing for those living in the community.

“That ranch is my home, that’s where my family lives,” he said. “And we do not believe that having [FM] 1171, that is busy and loud, be the view for the people that live there and bought the land.”

The proposed development will require multiple reviews and recommendations from various town boards before advancing to the Planning and Zoning Commission, according to a report by Murphy. The project will eventually go before the Town Council for final approval.

In other action the Council:

• Approved the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024

• Asked for more information and options for the Green Waste Pilot Program

• Approved all consent items.

The Council’s next scheduled regular meeting is April 7.

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That was in May 2014, nearly two years after he initially started having stomach problems, and one year after he lost his mother Jody-Kae to leukemia. Looking for guidance, he initially learned there was little available for people like him.

“I was trying to find someone who looked like me to talk with,” he said. “I didn’t even know what was in front of me. I really couldn’t find anybody and then had my surgeries at UNC-Chapel Hill in North Carolina, and when I was on that floor it was all old white men. I didn’t look like them so I couldn’t relate to them. Their struggle was different than mine because they were a little older.”

Eventually finding out he wasn’t alone, he discovered an organization called Colon Club founded in 2003 by Molly McMaster Morgoslepov, who four years earlier was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 23.

“The whole point of the organization was for people that were young getting hit,” he said. “I found brothers and sisters who were just like me. Once I found the organization, they gave me a voice and they gave me another purpose to impact people besides in the classroom and on the football field.”

Fortunately, the former coach and current Liberty Christian School math teacher was only at stage 2 and colon resection surgery rid all the cancer from his body. But it didn’t end his side effects of having most of his colon removed which included losing 45 pounds in five days and sustaining a blood clot.

Because he had the cancer so young, the UNC doctors recommended genetic testing at which time he learned he had Lynch Syndrome, an inherited disorder that led to his cancer. A year later his abdominal pains returned, accompanied by some enlarged lymph nodes. While no cancer was found, he did have the nodes and more of his colon removed without further issue.

By the time he joined Colon Club, Morgoslepov had stepped back from the organization to raise her children and Vite was brought on by her successor to chair its board of directors. He ended up making major changes including bringing Morgoslepov back and grew the organization to where two years ago it merged with Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), one of the world’s largest colon cancer awareness organizations. He remains with that organization as backup to Morgoslepov on the Fight CRC’s board.

“The biggest thing is we didn’t want to lose the name and didn’t want to lose what we worked so hard for,” he said.

Among his successes was the lobbying efforts to lower the recommended age for colonoscopies from 50 to 45.

Well before his cancer diagnosis, Vite started his career as a purchasing director and pawn shop manager after earning a degree in business management at the University of Florida. He also taught math to youth in jail and realized he liked it enough to get a teaching degree and get into coaching.

Following wife Jade’s career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, he spent seven years in Sanford, Florida, two in Raleigh, North Carolina, and four in the Milwaukee area before coming to Texas and Liberty Christian six years ago. They have two daughters – Kennedy and Harlow.

He was part of football coach Jason Witten’s staff when Liberty won the first of its consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools titles in 2023, walking away from the program while remaining at the school as a math teacher.

Since then, Vite has started a non-profit program in Denton for girls called Surge Softball where he coaches his youngest daughter. He also plans to stay involved with Fight CRC including challenging firefighters and police officers to be screened.

“Why I’m here on Earth is to inspire people. Whether it’s in the classroom, or on the field, through the Colon Club, or colorectal cancer awareness, I want to try to help people,” he said. “People did that for me, and I feel I owe that. I’m paying it forward.”

The post Liberty Christian teacher turns cancer diagnosis into advocacy for young patients appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Stop by Serious Results Personal Training in Flower Mound’s Parker Square and you might just run into someone less than a year away from his 100th birthday.

That’s where Arzell Ball follows his weekly regimen overseen by co-owner and personal trainer Adam Hammett. The former Richardson Independent School System superintendent has been taking instruction there for about 18 months, ever since his daughter Barbara Love moved him into the Watermere independent living retirement community.

“It’s been a really good challenge for him,” Love said. “As you get older people expect less from you and do more things for you which is nice in a way, but in another way you can kind of feel like you’re not doing much or asked to do much. Here he’s asked to do some things and he’s successful over time and it’s really good for him both physically and mentally.”

Love and her husband Richard moved to Denton from Missouri five years ago to be closer to her parents who had an apartment there. Her mother Thelma died about three years ago and less than two years ago, she moved her father to Flower Mound.

Looking for somewhere Arzell could receive better training; she found Hammett and Serious Results.

“He used to do physical therapy but his insurance kind of cut that off,” Love said. “We were looking for someplace to help him increase his stamina and be more active.”

She’s glad she found Hammett as he and his oldest pupil hit it off right away.

“This guy here really works me,” Ball said.

“There are people far younger than him who aren’t as capable,” Hammett said. “He’s just got a drive in him and the ability so we do the best we can.”

Hammett puts Ball through a routine that includes squats, push-ups, curls, triceps work, upper back movements, and a little bit of balance all of which take a lot of energy and time.

“We don’t push him too hard, but we also don’t take it easy on him,” Hammett said. “He’s got the fight in him. It’s hard to put the fight in someone.

“We started him off with maybe 25 squats and he’s up to 50 or 60 squats. And we do some other exercises. Over time, we’ve got him up to some significant weights.”

Ball was familiar with weightlifting from his time in the Army and made it part of his routine throughout his life. After spending his formative years in Oregon and Missouri, he entered the Army during World War II. One year later during the famous Battle of the Bulge, he was hit by artillery shell shrapnel costing him to lose part of his right leg while on the Rhine River in Remagen, Germany. Transported back to the United States from a military hospital in France, he spent most of his recovery at a U.S. hospital specializing in amputees.

“Thank goodness someone carried me over the river, and I ended up in Battle Creek, Michigan,” said Ball, who received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star among his commendations.

Once leaving the military, he secured three education degrees – a bachelor’s from Missouri State University in Springfield, a master’s from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

He initially taught science and math and was a school principal in Missouri. After earning his master’s, he taught American history and was an assistant principal and later principal in Wichita, Kansas.

In 1964, he became assistant superintendent of the Lincoln, Nebraska, public schools. Three years later he took a job as superintendent in the Kansas City suburb of Shawnee Mission, a position he held for 15 years. The Balls moved to Texas in 1982 for the job in Richardson where he guided some major updates just like in Shawnee Mission.

“As a superintendent I was always in a position to improve the schools,” Ball said. “In the school district there was always something new that you needed to put in or it becomes obsolete,” Ball said.

He retired in 1994, after which he served as an interim superintendent for several districts and spent five years with the Texas Region 10 Educational Services Center where he organized the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program for 13 school districts in Dallas County.

The exercise regimen Ball has been doing is working, his heart doctor said he is in great shape.

“He’s a great people person,” said Love, mother of three of Arzell’s four grandchildren.

“I often use him as a reference when someone is whining,” Hammett said. “I tell them ‘I’ve got a guy who is 99 with one leg over here. I don’t want to hear any whining anymore.’”

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The Lewisville-based non-profit has been around since 2021 when Julia van Zeller expanded the small animal rescue she launched in 2002. Initially focused on rescuing and adopting out guinea pigs, that entity was later expanded to hamsters, rabbits, gerbils, rats, chinchillas, and an occasional hedge hog. However, extensive medical expenses incurred by multiple emergency room visits have forced van Zeller to consider closing the Fat Cats part of her organization.

“One of our primary goals is to reduce the amount of unwanted cats that are born each year, so we do have a focus on not only rescuing, rehabbing and adopting out cats making sure that they are fully vetted which includes spay or neuter, but we also focus our efforts on trap, neuter, release,” said Fat Cats spokesperson Maddy Cross, a Flower Mound resident who began volunteering for Fat Cats last year.

Located at 698 Metro Park Circle, the combined rescue opens weekly for anyone seeking to adopt animals. Fat Cats does not take owner surrenders – only through animal control or cats found in the Rio Grand Valley.

“All of our cats go to foster homes and some come up once a week on Saturdays available for adoption,” said Cross, who among other tasks helps administer vaccinations. “Julia provides litter, medical supplies, toys, food, anything associated with the cost of fostering cats.”

Fat Cats typically has around 100 cats in its database, with more during kitten season in the beginning of summer.

“I’ve always been an animal person,” said Cross, a 20-year-old sophomore studying animal science at Tarleton State University in Stephenville with a goal of becoming a veterinarian. “I’m a cat person. Julia has been so good to me. I’ve learned so much.

“I found a kitten my first couple of weeks in college and he was like a week and a half old and I texted Julia and she sent me all the supplies I needed and I ended up keeping him. It’s been quite an experience raising this small little kitten. I had to wake up every two hours to feed him. I found him in a ditch in Stephenville.

“We had this cat named Boo Boo and he has this condition called pectus excavatum (a malformation of the sternum). We have three cats that have FIP (a viral disease). They just came out with a treatment for it. We have a cat that came in as a baby who was super skinny and his tail was nephrotic but unfortunately he passed last week.”

Fat Cats partners with Chewy for food and supplies and the Flower Mound location of Hollywood Feed, which hosts monthly adoption events.

To help Fat Cats’ cause, a GoFundMe page has been established by Ryan Gillespie, one of Fat Cats’ foster parents. As of Monday afternoon, nearly half of the nonprofit’s $3,500 goal has been raised. You can also go to texasrustlers.com, email texasrustlersfatcats@gmail.com or call 972-219-1963 to donate.

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Called Eden Ranch, the 336-acre land north of FM 1171 and between Shiloh Road and Red Rock Lane is slated to include 193 country homes, most of which will be on ½-acre, ¾-acre, 1-acre and several larger agricultural lots. After the current proposal has been approved and with enough community support, 12 acres will designated for roughly 50 Legacy cottage lots for those 55+ and adults with disabilities, making this community truly multigenerational.

The gated community will combine living spaces with open areas including farmland and orchards to grow organic food. Planned amenities will include an event/activity center, community wellness/fitness center, private school, daycare, arboretum/recycling/education center, parks, public trails, gym, sport courts, equestrian trail, vineyard/winery, and a market.

It is unlike other developments proposed or completed in Flower Mound. In fact, Radbourne believes it may be the first of its kind anywhere in the United States.

“This is best described as similar to a golf course,” Radbourne said. “It looks like a golf course from above. It operates like a golf course. However, instead of greens and fairways, we’re using that space for functional farm, organic, healthy food, and community.”

So far, the project design has been reviewed by town staff three times and presented at a community input session on Nov. 7, resulting in what Radbourne said were only minor changes. Once he and his master designer Matthew (Quint) Redmond update the latest feedback, they will submit a new plan prior to a second community meeting.

“We’ve done projects all over the country that have some farms or some agricultural component and a lot of sustainability components. This is the most well-developed of the idea which is very important,” Redmond said. “Tyler is health conscious. Other developers are dollar conscious, but Tyler wants to make it healthy, and he wants to do something really good for the community.”

“We are literally from blade of grass to blade of grass doing the most sustainable design we possibly can. We’re eliminating as much impervious surface as possible. We designed all the roadways to improve wildlife habitat. We are doing it the right way.”

Elements in the “The Need to Grow” documentary will be highlighted on the ranch.

The next steps at the Town are the Environmental Conservation Commission relating to the tree management plan and the Parks Board to determine how the plan meets the parks plan dedication before making recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission and eventually the Town Council. Radbourne is hopeful this can all be completed early in 2025 so that the project can be started soon after that.

“Because of its size and master plan amendment involving a change to the town’s thoroughfare plan, it would trigger a work session with the Planning and Zoning commission,” said Lexin Murphy, Flower Mound’s director of development services.

A serial investor in the real estate construction, oil and gas, recycling, and regenerative agriculture realms, Radbourne bought the ranch and numerous animals from longtime owner Charlie Cummings two years ago. Radbourne and his family – wife Julia and sons Ethan and Luke – moved there from Grapevine where he resided since moving to Texas in 2017. They previously grew up in the country – he in Minnesota and she in Texas.

“We’re essentially trying to build the dream community,” the 39-year-old Radbourne said. “We have more people who want to move here and buy here than we have lots. Eden Ranch’s vision is to reach excellence. We not only meet but exceed the town’s goals and objectives of having a country feel. We hope to inspire future developments and others to do the same.

“Speaking to community members of Flower Mound one of the things I know is special is maintaining that country feel when you drive down Cross Timbers. What we’ve done intentionally is create designs that flow with that same feel.”

Flower Mound Mayor Cheryl Moore has been impressed with how Radbourne is presenting his case.

“What I like is that they are trying to appeal to a community that wants more natural and sustainable living to preserve our environment,” she said. “They are trying to bring something new to our community, something different while still preserving the environment.

“Also, they are really focusing on trying to make it a very family-oriented neighborhood to allow generations to live in the same community. We just have to make sure – if the project moves forward – that it is respecting what the community wants as far as our Master Plan.

“I think it’s going to be well-supported. I really do. We just want to make sure those pieces are put together in the final stages when they get there. We want to make sure it is respectful to the community. I’m hoping this project will come through in a way that the community embraces it. That’s what we want.”

Radbourne said that he has had good interaction with Flower Mound officials and can tell that the town staff really cares and strives for excellence, adding “they are great to work with.”

Eden Ranch will feature multiple local custom home builders to be announced soon. It will not allow pesticides to be used in any part of the community. “This raises the standards of what even Flower Mound thought possible,” Radbourne said. “We’re a model not only for restoration, but also preservation, and regeneration.”

“I encourage everybody to have chickens. We’re working with builders to have their chicken coops designed to match the house. Cohesive design is really important to us. We’re working with Heritage Design in Southlake. We want to build homes that will stand the test of time.”

Pricing for half-acre lots will start at $475,000 while the future 55+ lots will be about $250,000. Those who like the concept but may not be ready to move there yet can still be involved through what’s called Eden Ambassadors.

“Eden Ranch combines the dream of living in the country with first-class, high amenities,” Radbourne said. “It’s for people who want to live on a farm but don’t want to or have the time to farm.

“It’s an exceptional, high demand community and we’re looking for roughly 200 families that want to live in the Garden of Eden essentially. This is for people who want to live that slower pace of life, want excellence in living in a healthy community with food, agriculture, education, and renewable decentralized energy to offset the grid demand.

“We are designing it in such a way to dramatically reduce the need to be on the grid. And if there is a power failure, we’d be able to operate at reduced capacity.”

Deposits for lots are currently being accepted. For more information, visit the developeden.com website, email sales@developeden.com or call 817-200-3410.

(Sponsored content)

The post Eden Ranch development moving closer to reality appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

But that was just the start of months of U.S. and Allied forces pushing back and eventually defeating the German Nazis. Few, if any, would know that battle included the small inland village of Sainteny.

French author Jean-Paul Pitou spent 20 years researching and producing a 606-page book on the invasion, occupation, and liberation of the area that came out in 2017. Called “Sainteny: 1938-1963, From Shadow to Light,” the book has now been translated into English by longtime Double Oak resident Larry Scheerer.

“This isn’t the story of a few guys in combat. This is a story of the whole village of approximately 800 people for whom an estimated 5,000 people died in the effort to liberate it,” Scheerer said. “It was about what happened to the residents of Sainteny and their liberators in that 25-year period.”

With Pitou’s assistance, Scheerer, 78, took more than five years to complete the tedious effort of creating the book’s 507-page English version. It will be available Nov. 11 at bookshop.org/shop/ingramspark.

Scheerer’s father, 1st Lt. Richard Scheerer, was a platoon leader with the U.S. Army 83rd Infantry Division that played a major role in liberating the village. Of the 37 men in his unit, 11 were killed and 8 wounded – including Lt. Scheerer – battling the entrenched Germans in flooded marsh and hedgerow terrain. So severe were his wounds caused by mortar shrapnel that he wasn’t expected to live. Fortunately for him and his family, he ended up surviving until two months short of his 101st birthday in 2016.

As was the case with many involved in war, Lt. Scheerer talked very little about that time with his family. He did share some details in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2011 that Larry learned where in Normandy he had been. The next year, Larry and wife Rosaline made their first trip there and met Pitou through the 83rd Infantry Division Association’s historian. They shared what they learned with Larry’s father.

“He would not go with us but was happy we were interested,” Larry said. “We were fortunate he lived as long as he did because when we made that first trip, I was concerned he might pass away before we got back.

“The welcome we had in Normandy was astounding and I wish every American could experience that. There was an incredible amount of healing that occurred because of the extreme gratitude expressed by the people of Normandy who weren’t able to thank their liberators back then.”

Larry and Rosaline returned to the area to commemorate the 70th anniversary in 2014, 75th in 2019 and 80th this past June when Larry spoke at the dedication of a new memorial at his father’s battlefield.

The post Double Oak resident brings father’s WWII battlefield story to life in new book appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Known as The Quirky Crew, this vibrant group of folks who all work in senior living have been bringing their special brand of fun for three years, all thanks to a bright idea sparked during one of their regular Friday lunches. It started with Lily Castro, who has a flair for dressing up.

“I love costumes. I’m all about standing out,” said Castro, who works as a community liaison for MaximaCare Home Health and is known for her unending supply of fun costumes including dressing up the entire month of October. In December, she has enough costumes to wear through Christmas.

The friends tested their quirky idea on Thanksgiving 2021, and the rest is history! After a resident at one of the senior communities rolled past them in her wheelchair and called them a “bunch of weirdos” during a Christmas performance, The Quirky Crew found its name. And the fun hasn’t stopped since.

“We may not be professional entertainers, but we are entertaining!” said Lori Williams, owner of Lori Williams Senior Services, laughing about the group’s talent (or lack thereof). “We can’t sing, we can’t dance – but we pretend, and that’s what makes it fun.”

The goal? “Bring joy to the seniors in our community” says Theresa Williams, community relations coordinator at Highland Village’s Rambling Oaks Courtyard Assisted Living.

“And keep them active,” said Bill Cowan, director of business development at Flower Mound’s Cross Timbers Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center.

“And happy,” Lori Williams added.

Activities are themed to their specific audience and include games like trivia and The Price is Right, plus tequila tastings, Tacky Tourist days and more. The Quirky Crew puts their heart into everything they do.

“We’ve seen residents in memory care who haven’t spoken in a while light up, clap along to the music, and make eye contact. That’s what keeps us going,” said Theresa Williams.

Other members of the crew include Karyl Thomas with Lori Williams Senior Services, Kelli Black with Reliant at Home Hospice, Kori Blouse with Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital of the Mid-Cities, and James Muench, who earlier this year bought BrightStar Care from Kevin Jones, a previous Quirky Crew member.

Lori Williams’ daughter Abby even designed t-shirts for the group with the slogan, “Bringing Love, Laughter and Joy to Seniors.”

With stops at Rosewood Assisted Living, Rambling Oaks, Avanti Senior Living, Lewisville Estates, Watermere, The Pearl, RiverWalk Flats, Pinewood Hills, and the Flower Mound Senior Center, the group brings their joyous energy typically on major holidays like Easter, Halloween, and July 4th. Whether handing out candy or leading silly parades, The Quirky Crew is all about creating unforgettable moments.

One of the crew’s proudest traditions is helping to sponsor events like the Senior Prom at the Cross Timbers YMCA and the Flower Mound progressive dinner for seniors. Their dedication to bringing joy goes beyond just the costumes – it’s a genuine bond with each other and the seniors, full of love and laughter.

“We’ve shared so many giggles and inside jokes. We can’t wait for the next one,” said Theresa Williams, reminiscing about the countless fun memories they’ve made along the way.

The group’s next performance is set for Oct. 30, and if you’re lucky, you might just catch them in action, decked out in their quirkiest costumes yet!

Keep an eye out for some fan-favorite costumes like Theresa’s Snow White, Cowan’s snowman, or Castro’s senorita—because this crew is all about bringing love, laughter, and a little bit of magic to seniors every chance they get.

The post The Quirky Crew spreads love, laughter and joy to local seniors appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Instead, they found each other because they had breast cancer. Ranging in age from 39 to 51, they call themselves the “Argyle Breasties.” They formed the group this spring after McDougal posted her story on Facebook.

“You find this is a group nobody wants to be a part of,” said the 45-year-old McDougal, whose only child Barrett turns 10 in November.

“It’s more of a moral support type of thing more than anything else,” added Argyle’s Amy McCarty, 46, who has children ages 14, 15, and 22. “We may be going through things differently and at different stages, but we all understand especially the emotional impact it has on not only us but our kids.”

These women spend their time online and in-person supporting each other through the toughest times of their lives. This includes sharing intimate details and pictures of things not meant for public consumption.

Some found they had the disease through routine monthly self-exams, others from their annual mammograms. Many have the same oncologists and plastic surgeons.

McDougal found her tumor by accident in late January which turned out to be triple negative stage 2 cancer. She did 24 weeks of chemotherapy and had a double mastectomy on Oct. 2 where they found more cancer than anticipated.

“I’m not a typically an anxious person but in that February-March timeframe, I was about to go overboard,” McDougal said.

McCarty’s doctor discovered a lump during a routine check-up in 2021. After a biopsy, she learned she had Stage 1 cancer. Earlier that year her father died of pancreatic cancer and after her diagnosis genetic testing showed she had a mutation. It turns out she was predisposed to have cancer. She had a double mastectomy and reconstruction but no chemotherapy because her cancer was hormone driven. Following a year’s process, she was told she was cancer free.

“It’s almost like a grief process,” McCarty said. “You’re mad, you’re angry, you’re tired, you’re scared. It’s the fear of the unknown.”

Dawn Harden, 51, recently moved to Justin from Argyle where she lived for four years after 19 years in Flower Mound. Genetic testing in 2021 told her she had the cancer gene in her and last December at her annual mammogram a lump was found, tested, and confirmed at stage 2. She completed six rounds of immunotherapy followed reconstruction in June. She also had to have eye surgery to repair closed tear ducts caused by her chemotherapy.

“I’m starting to feel normal,” said Harden, who has two grown children. “My hair is growing back. I’m starting to look and feel more like my old self.”

Argyle’s Michelle Leach, 42, was diagnosed early this year initially at stage 1 but through a biopsy was found to be stage 2. She started chemo drugs and immunotherapy but ran into some side effects that delayed and even stopped some of her treatments. She is scheduled for surgery on Oct. 18.

“Families are resilient. When they see us fighting and the community coming together it’s amazing,” said Leach, a computer scrum master and traveling nurse with children ages 11 and 13.

Leach’s neighbor Corrie Poli, who had a benign tumor removed at age 16, was 38 when she found a lump during a self-exam last year. After a mammogram and biopsy, she learned her fate in January and had a double mastectomy in April.

“I feel lucky I haven’t gone through what these other ladies have,” said Poli, the mother of two teenagers. “I didn’t have radiation. I didn’t have chemo. I had some revision surgeries and have done well since then.

“Don’t tell yourself you have to be 40 to start checking out your boobs. Know your body and not just your boobs. If you think something is wrong, you know better than anybody. Advocate for yourselves.”

Before turning 40 in April, Argyle’s Amy Fannin had what seemed to be grains of white sand thought to be calcium deposits found during a routine mammogram. Her doctor told her she could either wait six months for further investigation or have it looked at immediately. She chose the latter and the biopsy showed stage 1 cancer. She could either have a lumpectomy or the double mastectomy she opted for and so far, it has done the trick.

“I was very fortunate with that roll of the dice that it was not invasive at that point, so I didn’t have to do anything else,” said Fannin, who has five children between ages 9 and 12.

Flower Mound’s Denise Butler, 46, had a normal mammogram last December. By April, she found a lump while in the shower which turned out to be triple negative cancer. She searched Facebook for others like her and found Leach, like her a nurse practitioner. She will have a double mastectomy in November following five months of chemo.

“My message is to do those breast self-exams because if I had waited for eight months this cancer would likely have spread everywhere,” Butler said.

Despite their physical challenges, each of the women has continued to work as much as they physically can.

“You have to keep some normalcy in your life,” McDougal said.

McCarty said the biggest blessing was finding out how many others not only had breast cancer but nearly an identical version and treatment.

“Yes, you have family and friends to rally together. They can sympathize but not empathize,” McCarty said. “When you can show scars with each other, you’re okay.”

The women serve as positive cheerleaders for each other including setting up meal trains for each other.

“You find out who your true friends are when something bad happens,” Harden said. “I don’t know what I’d do without these girls. They are amazing.”

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Numbering between a handful and a dozen, these guys share a common bond of flying. All are either retired or still active pilots who have flown in the military, commercially, and/or privately for many years.

They spend 60-90 minutes each day discussing topics both related and unrelated to aviation. Some are there every day, others just occasionally. But make no mistake, this is a brotherhood of likeminded gentlemen who genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

Starting when a couple of them met for coffee about 20 years ago, it has expanded to more people and at various locations before settling in at the Snooty Pig. They reside in Flower Mound, Highland Village, Lantana, Copper Canyon, and Corinth and represent all branches of the military. Yet the group doesn’t even have an official name.

“This is like a therapeutical group,” said Lantana’s Charles Elliott. “We solve each other’s problems. We laugh together and cry together.”

Not only do members of the group support each other but their spouses as well.

“They have no idea how much they give to me every day when Bob is out of town. They are just great,” said Highland Village’s Joanne James, who was with her husband as he was recognized Aug. 30 by the Federal Aviation Administration with a Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.

Joe Murphy, the FAA’s safety team program manager, personally recognized James’ 50 years without any incident. Another group member – retired American Airlines pilot Neil Benton, 79, of Highland Village – received the same honor in 2016. They are among less than 10,000 pilots nationwide to earn the accolade since the program started in 2006.

James, 76, flew a single-engine Lancair 320 for 20 years – winning multiple times and setting multiple records in the Sport Air Racing League – until selling it last year. He piloted OV-10 Broncos during his eight years in the Marines.

“I feel like a go-kart racer among a group of Formula 1 drivers,” said James in humbly accepting the award.

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