| Zona's Page |
June 26, 2008, Zona sent her bio in her own words:
What a wonderful surprise I had a few months ago when I answered
my telephone and Jan was on the line! We chatted, reminisced, and
"caught up" to the present. It seemed slightly overwhelming, but
definitely fun, to attempt to encapsulate the past 50 years of my life
into a telephone conversation! Over time, I have often made the
comment "Gosh, I could write a book"...about all the wonderful
experiences, many of them miraculous, that have occurred within
"my little corner of the world"! However, the boundaries of "time",
"space", and the "risk of boring my fellow classmates" all mandate
that I be concise!
First, let me congratulate JAN and EVERYONE who worked to create
this website! It's clever, exciting, creative, and so-o-o-o well
done.....like stepping back into time!
I joined the wonderful Class of 1960 when I was promoted to 8th
grade at Belton Junior High. I was completing 6th grade at BJH when
one of my teachers, Doris West (remember her??), was
convinced I should be accelerated to eighth grade the
following year. After meetings with administrators and
teachers, my parents allowed the promotion. Now,
academically speaking, that was fine.....but OH MY! Here
were all of you beautiful 8th grade girls...most of you
already in bras and even some make-up...and here comes
Zona looking like a little boy with a pony tail! But...that
speaks so well of our class.....because, you were
gracious, and you accepted me like I had been around
since Day One. I had attended Tarver Elementary in
Belton in 2nd grade (I think that building is a church now)
and Tyler Elementary in 3rd grade. My family moved
around a lot when I was young, so I didn't enter Belton
schools again until 6th grade.
By the time I finished college, my first husband and I had
two beautiful little girls; Debora (DeDe) and Mona (MiMi).
We lived in Austin when we divorced, and I became a
single Mom with two babies....difficult, but PRICELESS! It
was in Austin that I met my present husband, Chuck.
We worked in the same bank building...He was "Morning Man" at
KNOW Radio, Austin's #1 station at that time. His radio station was on
the 5th floor; my office was several floors up....but the Coffee Shop
was down on "2"...and the rest is history. When we married, Chuck
had three daughters: Janna, 5; Christianne, 3; and Dina 2. My two
girls blended perfectly within those ages: DeDe, 4; and MiMi, 2...a
ready-made family of 5 little girls. Four years later, our only son,
Chuck II, was born in Oklahoma City, where Chuck was "Morning
Man" for the 50,000-watt KOMA, with listeners as far away as
California.
His radio broadcasting career has spanned almost 50 years. It has
been a very interesting life...he has emceed shows/concerts with
artists like THE BEACH BOYS, CONWAY TWITTY, MERLE HAGGARD,
BUCK OWENS, and so many more. Many station promotions involved
our going to dinner or other special events with many of them.
Our next move was to Houston, where Chuck was contracted to
kick-off a brand new station KENR as Morning Man and General
Manager. I was thrilled to be back in Texas!, where we've been ever
since. We moved to Belton in 1970 into one of my Mom's houses. We
later purchased a home in north Belton...in fact, right across the
street from Dicksy and her boys. Those boys were so precious and
helpful..every time they saw me drive in with groceries, they would
rush over and help me carry them in! Chuck worked at Belton's KTON
Radio (remember that great station?), and I was Administrative
Director at the Cultural Activities Center (a multi-discipline arts
agency with performing arts, visual arts, and classes) for almost 10
years. We had some great times during those years with Marie and
Nick Moore, and also with Joe Henry Brown and his wife Linda. Nick
and Marie's son Nicky and our daughter DeDe won 1st place together
in the Belton Rotary Club's SEARCH FOR TALENT. Chuck was
President of the Belton Baseball Association; I was in charge of
stocking and running all the concession stands. Our son played
baseball with Richard and Jane's son Wade. Then, our baby daughter,
Candice (Candi), was born in 1980, a definite "late-life surprise."
Chuck II was almost 14 years old when she came along. Neil and
Linda Chaney baby-sat Chuck II while I was in the hospital giving
birth. Their son Bobby and Chuck were studying for 6-weeks exams,
when Linda gave our son permission to call me at the hospital to
check on me. His first question...."Mom, is she really a girl?" He
wanted...he NEEDED.... a brother to help balance all those sisters!
Our older children attended elementary, junior high and
high school in Belton. DeDe and MiMi were cheerleaders
together in junior high; DeDe was cheerleader in high
school; Janna was in Rodeo Club. When KTON sold,
Gaylon Christie, a radio icon in Texas, built a station in
Copperas Cove, KOOV. Most of the KTON gang migrated
there; Chuck commuted from Belton. He also taught
Telecommunications at Central Texas College in Killeen. I
had been asked to head up the capital campaign drive to
build the Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen, where I worked
as the Executive Director until its completion. During this
time, we saw Judy E and Frank at many social functions
for KOOV (Frank was the attorney for the cooperation).
We also ran into Dicksy and Bill at Vive Les Arts
Functions. Judy and Dicksy always looked gorgeous, of
course! It was at this same time that Chuck, Chuck II, and I
took core classes in real estate...then passed our State
exams as Realtors...we were all with Century 21 in Copperas Cove.
Our son was the youngest licensed realtor in the state. Hard work...
very rewarding!
My Mom had lived in Lometa for many years after my Dad passed
away. We thought this might be the perfect place to retire. We
checked out the school...we were a little concerned that Candi might
not be academically challenged in a small school. We were amazed to
find that curriculum was Number One...so, we made the move in 1988.
We moved Chuck's Mom there, too. All our older children were
grown...some of them married...some embarking on their
careers....and now, it was as though Candi was an "only child"! She
was a third-grader, and we were starting over again!! But..we had a
blast! Chuck was Mayor for three terms; I was on the School Board
for twelve years. Lometa ISD was really into UIL literary events, in
addition to athletics. Candi went to State twice in UIL Prose, once in
UIL One-Act Play. She also competed at State in Voice of Democracy.
She was cheerleader and drill team officer for six years...so, when
she entered the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, she was a
cheerleader the very first year that UMHB had a football team..1998!!
When Candi was still in school in Lometa, our son's twin daughters,
Brittnie and Whittnie, came to live with us after his divorce. They
were with us four wonderful years...they're just like my own kiddoes!
When they moved to their mom's, we just had to shut off their part of
the house for awhile, but we survived. They'll be sophomores in
college in Minnesota this fall, but we see them often.
My Mom suffered a stroke in 2000; I was her caregiver until her death
in 2005. I also helped take care of my sister, who had retired in
Lometa; she died the following year from a form of Parkinson's. Candi
had purchased her home in Belton after graduating at UMHB; she
had gotten married, was teaching high school Spanish at Killeen
Ellison, and by this time, was expecting her first child. Chuck's Mom
had also passed away....so we toiled over the decision to move back
to Belton. I dreaded selling our home and leaving friends, but here
we are! Things have a way of working out, however, because Candi's
little Isaac was very ill at first, and I was needed. She has since
divorced, so I help her with our now very healthy 2-year old!
After retiring four times...Chuck is only semi-retired now; he's Sports
Editor at the Belton Journal, and he works much of his time from his
home office. He is presently recovering from hip replacement and a
very serious case of hospital staph.
Candi has now also earned her elementary certification, and she has
just completed her first year as First Grade BiLingual at the new Joe
Pirtle Elementary in Belton. DeDe, who has been in the electronics
industry for years, is in New York; MiMi is in Real Estate/Property
Management in Waco; Janna has a ranch in Canada; Christianne has
resumed her studies in Clinical Psychology in San Antonio; Dina is
now a stay-at-home-mom in Hondo; and Chuck II lives in Bedford,
where he is Southwest District Manager for RainSoft, Inc. We have 12
grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren (the youngest one is
only a month old). Our family get-togethers are huge, loud, and
fun....we are blessed! Since my sister died, one of her sons and his
family now join us for holidays....so the get-togethers are even
bigger!!
Love, Zona
A bit more from the phone chat we had in April:
Zona was born in Lampasas, Texas, on June 19, 1943---she's just a
KID! Her favorite thing to do nowadays is gardening. Not long ago
she saw Dicksy, who looked absolutely radiant, really beautiful.
Zona's hoping to see all of us at our 50th Reunion.
What a wonderful surprise I had a few months ago when I answered
my telephone and Jan was on the line! We chatted, reminisced, and
"caught up" to the present. It seemed slightly overwhelming, but
definitely fun, to attempt to encapsulate the past 50 years of my life
into a telephone conversation! Over time, I have often made the
comment "Gosh, I could write a book"...about all the wonderful
experiences, many of them miraculous, that have occurred within
"my little corner of the world"! However, the boundaries of "time",
"space", and the "risk of boring my fellow classmates" all mandate
that I be concise!
First, let me congratulate JAN and EVERYONE who worked to create
this website! It's clever, exciting, creative, and so-o-o-o well
done.....like stepping back into time!
I joined the wonderful Class of 1960 when I was promoted to 8th
grade at Belton Junior High. I was completing 6th grade at BJH when
one of my teachers, Doris West (remember her??), was
convinced I should be accelerated to eighth grade the
following year. After meetings with administrators and
teachers, my parents allowed the promotion. Now,
academically speaking, that was fine.....but OH MY! Here
were all of you beautiful 8th grade girls...most of you
already in bras and even some make-up...and here comes
Zona looking like a little boy with a pony tail! But...that
speaks so well of our class.....because, you were
gracious, and you accepted me like I had been around
since Day One. I had attended Tarver Elementary in
Belton in 2nd grade (I think that building is a church now)
and Tyler Elementary in 3rd grade. My family moved
around a lot when I was young, so I didn't enter Belton
schools again until 6th grade.
By the time I finished college, my first husband and I had
two beautiful little girls; Debora (DeDe) and Mona (MiMi).
We lived in Austin when we divorced, and I became a
single Mom with two babies....difficult, but PRICELESS! It
was in Austin that I met my present husband, Chuck.
We worked in the same bank building...He was "Morning Man" at
KNOW Radio, Austin's #1 station at that time. His radio station was on
the 5th floor; my office was several floors up....but the Coffee Shop
was down on "2"...and the rest is history. When we married, Chuck
had three daughters: Janna, 5; Christianne, 3; and Dina 2. My two
girls blended perfectly within those ages: DeDe, 4; and MiMi, 2...a
ready-made family of 5 little girls. Four years later, our only son,
Chuck II, was born in Oklahoma City, where Chuck was "Morning
Man" for the 50,000-watt KOMA, with listeners as far away as
California.
His radio broadcasting career has spanned almost 50 years. It has
been a very interesting life...he has emceed shows/concerts with
artists like THE BEACH BOYS, CONWAY TWITTY, MERLE HAGGARD,
BUCK OWENS, and so many more. Many station promotions involved
our going to dinner or other special events with many of them.
Our next move was to Houston, where Chuck was contracted to
kick-off a brand new station KENR as Morning Man and General
Manager. I was thrilled to be back in Texas!, where we've been ever
since. We moved to Belton in 1970 into one of my Mom's houses. We
later purchased a home in north Belton...in fact, right across the
street from Dicksy and her boys. Those boys were so precious and
helpful..every time they saw me drive in with groceries, they would
rush over and help me carry them in! Chuck worked at Belton's KTON
Radio (remember that great station?), and I was Administrative
Director at the Cultural Activities Center (a multi-discipline arts
agency with performing arts, visual arts, and classes) for almost 10
years. We had some great times during those years with Marie and
Nick Moore, and also with Joe Henry Brown and his wife Linda. Nick
and Marie's son Nicky and our daughter DeDe won 1st place together
in the Belton Rotary Club's SEARCH FOR TALENT. Chuck was
President of the Belton Baseball Association; I was in charge of
stocking and running all the concession stands. Our son played
baseball with Richard and Jane's son Wade. Then, our baby daughter,
Candice (Candi), was born in 1980, a definite "late-life surprise."
Chuck II was almost 14 years old when she came along. Neil and
Linda Chaney baby-sat Chuck II while I was in the hospital giving
birth. Their son Bobby and Chuck were studying for 6-weeks exams,
when Linda gave our son permission to call me at the hospital to
check on me. His first question...."Mom, is she really a girl?" He
wanted...he NEEDED.... a brother to help balance all those sisters!
Our older children attended elementary, junior high and
high school in Belton. DeDe and MiMi were cheerleaders
together in junior high; DeDe was cheerleader in high
school; Janna was in Rodeo Club. When KTON sold,
Gaylon Christie, a radio icon in Texas, built a station in
Copperas Cove, KOOV. Most of the KTON gang migrated
there; Chuck commuted from Belton. He also taught
Telecommunications at Central Texas College in Killeen. I
had been asked to head up the capital campaign drive to
build the Vive Les Arts Theatre in Killeen, where I worked
as the Executive Director until its completion. During this
time, we saw Judy E and Frank at many social functions
for KOOV (Frank was the attorney for the cooperation).
We also ran into Dicksy and Bill at Vive Les Arts
Functions. Judy and Dicksy always looked gorgeous, of
course! It was at this same time that Chuck, Chuck II, and I
took core classes in real estate...then passed our State
exams as Realtors...we were all with Century 21 in Copperas Cove.
Our son was the youngest licensed realtor in the state. Hard work...
very rewarding!
My Mom had lived in Lometa for many years after my Dad passed
away. We thought this might be the perfect place to retire. We
checked out the school...we were a little concerned that Candi might
not be academically challenged in a small school. We were amazed to
find that curriculum was Number One...so, we made the move in 1988.
We moved Chuck's Mom there, too. All our older children were
grown...some of them married...some embarking on their
careers....and now, it was as though Candi was an "only child"! She
was a third-grader, and we were starting over again!! But..we had a
blast! Chuck was Mayor for three terms; I was on the School Board
for twelve years. Lometa ISD was really into UIL literary events, in
addition to athletics. Candi went to State twice in UIL Prose, once in
UIL One-Act Play. She also competed at State in Voice of Democracy.
She was cheerleader and drill team officer for six years...so, when
she entered the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, she was a
cheerleader the very first year that UMHB had a football team..1998!!
When Candi was still in school in Lometa, our son's twin daughters,
Brittnie and Whittnie, came to live with us after his divorce. They
were with us four wonderful years...they're just like my own kiddoes!
When they moved to their mom's, we just had to shut off their part of
the house for awhile, but we survived. They'll be sophomores in
college in Minnesota this fall, but we see them often.
My Mom suffered a stroke in 2000; I was her caregiver until her death
in 2005. I also helped take care of my sister, who had retired in
Lometa; she died the following year from a form of Parkinson's. Candi
had purchased her home in Belton after graduating at UMHB; she
had gotten married, was teaching high school Spanish at Killeen
Ellison, and by this time, was expecting her first child. Chuck's Mom
had also passed away....so we toiled over the decision to move back
to Belton. I dreaded selling our home and leaving friends, but here
we are! Things have a way of working out, however, because Candi's
little Isaac was very ill at first, and I was needed. She has since
divorced, so I help her with our now very healthy 2-year old!
After retiring four times...Chuck is only semi-retired now; he's Sports
Editor at the Belton Journal, and he works much of his time from his
home office. He is presently recovering from hip replacement and a
very serious case of hospital staph.
Candi has now also earned her elementary certification, and she has
just completed her first year as First Grade BiLingual at the new Joe
Pirtle Elementary in Belton. DeDe, who has been in the electronics
industry for years, is in New York; MiMi is in Real Estate/Property
Management in Waco; Janna has a ranch in Canada; Christianne has
resumed her studies in Clinical Psychology in San Antonio; Dina is
now a stay-at-home-mom in Hondo; and Chuck II lives in Bedford,
where he is Southwest District Manager for RainSoft, Inc. We have 12
grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren (the youngest one is
only a month old). Our family get-togethers are huge, loud, and
fun....we are blessed! Since my sister died, one of her sons and his
family now join us for holidays....so the get-togethers are even
bigger!!
Love, Zona
A bit more from the phone chat we had in April:
Zona was born in Lampasas, Texas, on June 19, 1943---she's just a
KID! Her favorite thing to do nowadays is gardening. Not long ago
she saw Dicksy, who looked absolutely radiant, really beautiful.
Zona's hoping to see all of us at our 50th Reunion.
| 2006: Zona and her husband Chuck |
| 1960: "Our Zona" |
| Chuck, Zona, and first great-grandchild, Brooklynd, daughter of Alexis (Mimi's) |
| 1983: Youngest child Candi, standing, and oldest grandchild, Alexis, in Zona's arms |
| Chuck and Zona flank their son, Chuck II, at his wedding. Sister Candi is the Flower Girl. |
| 2008: Oldest daughter, Janna; youngest daughter, Candi; and Chuck |
| Chuck's mom, Chuck II, Zona's mom, and Candi on Chuck's OTHER Big Day |
| Chuck II's twins, Whittnie and Brittnie, who lived with Zona and Chuck for four years. |
| Whittnie and Brittnie, older. |
| The 7 Children: Christianne, Janna, Candi, Chuck II, DeDe, Dina, and Mimi |
| Janna, Chuck, Candi, Zona, DeDe, and Christiana at Dina's Wedding in San Antonio (Jan's note: So sorry I missed scanning lovely bride Dina.) |
| Candi Graduates: Zona, DeDe, Candi, Chuck, Chuck II |
| Chuck II's son Chad in Granny Z's bluebonnets |
| MiMi's son Chance |
| Candi's son Isaac. Zona cares for him while Mommy works. |
| Almost Everybody! Seven children, seven of the twelve grandchildren, and one great-grand. Front row: Chad (Chuck II's), Brady (Janna's), Haley (Dina's), Kylie (Janna's). Second row: Janna, Christianne, Zona, Taylor (Dina's), Lacey (Mimi's), Candi, DeDe, Mimi (w/her grandchild Brooklynd). Back row: Chuck II, Chuck, Dina, Shelby (Dina's), Aaron (Candi's husband then, Melissa (Chuck II's wife). |