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Obituaries published in the October 2020 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Don Thomas Nelson
DIMMITT - Don Thomas Nelson, former editor and publisher of the Castroville News, died Aug. 31. He was 86.
Until his retirement in 2002, Nelson was editor and publisher of The Castro County News, a weekly newspaper that was owned and operated by his family since 1943. He grew up as a “printer’s devil” in the back shop, learned to set type and had a newspaper route.
A native of Roaring Springs, he graduated from Dimmitt High School and attended Texas Tech University one year on a vocal music scholarship. Later, he transferred to the University of Texas, where he worked his way through school as a typesetter. He served as night sports editor for The Daily Texan, the school’s student newspaper.
Nelson received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from UT in 1956. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, he was news editor for seven years at The Arizona Record, a national award-winning weekly in Globe, Ariz.
He returned to Dimmitt in 1966 to become a partner with his father, the late B.M. Nelson, in The Castro County News. He became the sole owner of the newspaper following his father’s retirement in 1984.
Through the years, the News earned awards at regional and state levels. Nelson also won national awards for column writing.
He served as president of the Panhandle Press Association in 1970-71. He also served on the UT System Chancellor’s Committee of Editors in 1972-73 and was a member of the Texas Tech Mass Communications Advisory Committee for many years, including one term as chairman of the journalism committee.
He was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (Sigma Delta Chi) and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. He always was concerned with the ethics of the profession, especially as they apply to the unique position of the country editor. For a decade, he chaired an ethics panel at the Panhandle Press Association conventions, and in 1996 at the Texas Press Association at Midwinter Convention.
At the 90th annual convention of the Panhandle Press Association in April 2000, he was inducted into the PPA Hall of Fame. And in June 2000, he was honored for his half-century journalism career with a “Golden 50 Award” by the Texas Press Association.
He was also very active in the Dimmitt community, serving as president of the Jaycees, Lions Club and County Activities Committee, an officer and director of the Chamber of Commerce and the Dimmitt Satellite School and an advisor for the Interracial Youth Club. He chaired the American Field Service (AFS) Chapter in Dimmitt and was a mentor to numerous exchange students from across the globe who attended Dimmitt High School.
He was co-chairman of the Castro County Centennial Commission, which raised $100,000 to underwrite the county’s centennial celebration in 1991 and pay for construction of the Centennial Plaza and Gazebo on the courthouse square.
During the Centennial, his staff also produced a 116-page special edition. For his work on the centennial and for numerous contributions to Dimmitt and Castro County throughout his life, Nelson was honored as Dimmitt’s “Citizen of the Year” in 1992.
He was also active in the First United Methodist Church of Dimmitt, serving as choir director and in other positions.
He married Verbie Bess Oldham, whom he met at Texas Tech, in 1954. She preceded him in death in 2014.
He is survived by three children, six grandchildren, on great grandchild and other relatives.
A service celebrating his life was held Aug. 31 at Dimmitt First United Methodist Church.

Jimmy Daniell Isaac
LONGVIEW – Longtime News-Journal reporter Jimmy Isaac died Aug. 21 at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He was 43.
Isaac worked twice for the News-Journal. He began at the newspaper in April 2005 and was on staff until January 2012. He then worked as a reporter and anchor at CBS19 for three years before returning to the Longview News-Journal. He also worked at the Henderson Daily News as a sports editor.
A native of Rusk County, he graduated from Tatum High School and attended Tyler Junior College and Lon Morris College, majoring in political science. During high school, he wrote for the Trammel Trace Tribune newspaper.
He was a member of the Longview Rotary Club and served on the board of Special Health Resources of East Texas. He also volunteered with with PFLAG Longview, an organization for gay, lesbian and transgender people and their families. Isaac also attended and participated in numerous events and fundraisers, including the annual Bee for Literacy benefiting the East Texas Literacy Council.
A graveside funeral service was held Aug. 29 at Wright Cemetery in Henderson.

Betty Blake White Rickenbacher
DALLAS – Betty Blake White Rickenbacher, known to TPA members as wife of broker and former publisher Ted Rickenbacher, died Aug. 23. She was 87.
A native of Groesbeck, she was a 1955 graduate of the University of Texas, where she served on the staff of the Cactus yearbook.
She taught school in El Paso and worked in real estate in the Park City and Dallas area, where she met and married Ted Rickenbacher in 1985. She attended TCU, earning an honorary degree in ranch management and started Camanche Camp, a small cattle ranch on her family land near Groesbeck.
Her many activities through the years included world travel, investment club, volunteer work at St. Michael and All Angels Church, gardening, drawing, painting and studying Native American culture.
In addition to her husband of 35 years, she is survived by three children, two stepchildren, 10 grandchildren and other relatives.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

George Preston Whitley III
LONGVIEW – George Preston Whitley III, 54, award-winning sports writer for the Longview News-Journal, died Sept. 15.
A White Oak Roughnecks and UT Longhorn football fan, Whitley graduated from White Oak High School in 1985 and attended Kilgore College, where he worked at the the school newspaper, the Flare, as sports writer and sports editor.
Following graduation, he worked at several area newspapers, including the Henderson Daily News and the Longview News-Journal.
He left the newspaper business to work in sales for O&D Manufacturing for 18 years but continued to cover the White Oak Roughriders as a stringer for the Longview News-Journal.
Five years ago, he joined the News-Journal sports staff full time to work for fellow Kilgore College alum Jack Stallard.
He is survived by his wife, Melanie Whitley, a daughter and other relatives.
Memorial services were held Sept. 19 at Oakland Heights Baptist Church in Longview. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.