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Obituaries published in the September 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger

MORRIS GARLAND CRAIG

NAPLES – Naples Monitor Publisher and Owner Morris Garland Craig, whose career of 67 years was spent at that newspaper, died Aug. 19. He was 85.

Craig was a native of Douglassville.  Before he started school his family moved to Naples following the sawmill trade. He made his home and career there for the rest of his life.

He was a senior in high school in 1956 working nights running the projector at the Inez theater in Naples when his newspaper career began. Lee Narramore, then owner, editor and publisher of The Monitor, offered him a job after graduation. He worked for Narramore until 1972, when he bought the weekly paper.

For a time before and after Craig bought The Monitor, his wife Melba has worked on the staff, leaving for a career in teaching and returning after retirement. At times their children have also worked in the family business.

Craig had been in the newspaper business for 54 years when he was awarded the Texas Press Association Golden 50 Award in 2010. According to the bio published at that time, “Craig and The Monitor are among the last of an almost extinct breed, the locally owned, family operated newspaper with a publisher who believes it’s his duty to get every name he can in every edition between the birth announcement and the obituary. And at this point in his career, Craig spends his time doing nothing else but that noble job.”

Over the years, the Monitor won many press association awards, including sweepstakes honors.

He was a former member of the Naples Lions Club and the Naples Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the First United Methodist Church of Naples.

In addition to his wife of 56 years, Melba, he is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and other relatives.

Celebration of life service was held Aug. 26 at the First United Methodist Church in Naples.

Memorials may be made to Omaha Cares, P.O. Box 932, Omaha, TX 75571 or to the First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 306, Naples, TX 75568.

JERRY AULDS

EL CAMPO – Jerry Aulds, the “Voice of El Campo” for four decades, died July 25. He was 82.

General manager for KULP-AM Radio in El Campo for decades, Aulds was also a columnist for the El Campo Leader-News.

A native of Amarillo, he started his journalism career in Borger, where as a high school senior in 1958 he wrote a golf column and covered local sports for the Borger Herald.

Following military service, he completed an associate degree at Frank Phillips College in Borger and worked in other industries until 1969, when he moved his family to Austin, where he attended the University of Texas majoring in journalism. As a sports columnist for the Daily Texan at UT, he covered UT athletics during the era of coaching legend Darrell K. Royal.

After graduating from UT, he joined the staff of the Quahah Tribune Chief as editor and advertising director. He was also news director for the local radio station. At that time, the newspaper and radio stations were co-owned by famed Texas book publisher and author Edwin “Ed” Eakin.

In 1976, he was hired by Fred Barbee, then owner of the El Campo Leader-News and KULP-AM, to be the radio station’s general manager and write a weekly column for the newspaper.

During his decades with the radio station and newspaper, Aulds was active in the community and created Polka-fest, one of the region’s biggest draws of heritage music and Czech culture. He also provided play-by-play and color commentary for El Campo High School Ricebird sports.

Aulds’ columns won numerous Texas Press Association and Gulf Coast Press Association awards throughout his 44-year career.

He was named Citizen of the Year in 2001.

Aulds is survived by his daughter and many other relatives and friends.

Memorial services were held Aug. 13 at First Baptist Church of El Campo.

Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church, 206 Depot, El Campo, TX 77437 or Everyday Heroes, P.O. Box 348, El Campo, TX 77437.

BETTE JEAN DODD MEADOR

HICO – Bette Jean Dodd Meador, who with her husband Buck Meador owned and operated the Hico News Review for 28 years, died Aug. 18.

She was 91.

A native of San Saba County, she had lived in Hico since the age of 14. Her family has roots in Texas dating to 1848.

She married E.V. Buck Meador in 1947. In 1955, the couple purchased The Hico News Review and published it together until 1983.

They promoted Hico and the area through their personal efforts and with their newspaper.

After selling the newspaper following her husband’s death, she devoted her efforts to final years of raising their son.

In the 1990s, she opened a successful ladies clothing boutique in Stephenville.

She served on numerous boards and committees throughout her lifetime, including Texas Press Association, March of Dimes, Girl Scouts of America at local and state levels, Hico Schools PTA, Bluebonnet Country Club and pageants associated with the annual Old Settlers Reunion.

She was an avid bowler and bridge player and enjoyed attending and supporting musical theatre and performances.

She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Hico, where over the years she taught Sunday school classes, assisted with Vacation Bible School and served on various committees within the church including United Methodist Women and United Methodist Youth Fellowship.

She is survived by two children, five grandchildren, five great grandchildren and other relatives.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 16 at the First United Methodist Church of Hico with private interment at Hico Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 99, Hico, TX 76457-0099; Hico schools, PO Box 218, Hico, Texas  76457 or the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.

MURRAY LAWRENCE FORSVALL

DALLAS - Murray Lawrence Forsvall, former golf columnist for the Dallas Times Herald and a competitive golfer, died July 12. He was 91.

Born and raised in Austin, Forsvall attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor of journalism degree. He served two years with the U.S. Army in Europe.

In 1958, he accepted a job as golf columnist for the Dallas Times Herald, where he worked in various positions for 19 years. He became a lifelong resident of Dallas.

He continued as an avid golfer, serving as tournament director of Dallas City Golf for 19 years, and created the Texas State Junior Girls Golf Tournaments, where he served as director and chairman for 12 years.

In the 1960s and 1970s he was also involved in sports car racing. Driving a Lynx Formula V, he qualified for the national championships at Road Atlanta, where he finished as high as 10th. In his later years he enjoyed running and completed 31 marathons, 75 triathlons and 99 duathlons.

He married Edna Flaskrud in Dallas, and she preceded him in death after 19 years of marriage. He later married Betty Noland, who survives him. Also surviving are two children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Services were held Aug. 5 at Highland Springs, a large senior living facility in North Dallas.

Memorial donations may be made to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, https://secure.nationalmssociety.org/

BRAD JOHN KELLAR

GREENVILLE – Longtime Greenville Banner reporter and columnist Brad John Kellar, 62, died July 10 at Hunt Regional Medical Center.

Kellar attended East Texas State University, where he studied journalism. After his studies he became a dedicated journalist for the Greenville Herald Banner.

He is remembered by many for bringing the news to Hunt County and for his dedication to the community.

Tributes from throughout the community included comments from Greenville Mayor Jerry Ransom and comments on the House Floor by U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, former Collin County judge, who noted “In a world full of media pundits and talking heads, Brad Kellar was a journalist in every sense of the word. There is a void left by Brad’s passing.”

Kellar enjoyed spending time with his family and was a loyal Dallas Cowboys fan. He was a member of Rose of Sharon Church of God in Christ.

He married Provida Bailey on Nov. 10, 1994, in Greenville and she survives him. He is also survived by three children, three grandchildren and other relatives.

Funeral services were held July 17 at Highland Terrace Baptist Church with interment at Memoryland Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made for the family in care of Coker-Mathews Funeral Home, 5100 Interstate 30 (at US-69) Greenville, TX 75402.