Friday, February 08, 2008
Lawana Cruse
When Lawana and Marie Cruse bought the old Gem Theater in Turkey, Texas and talked about renovation, everybody thought they were nuts. Now it is the beautiful home of the monthly Country Music Jamboree and many other shows that bring in audiences from miles around. The building next door, once a drug store, has a new roof, and houses a dining room where delicious meals are served before the jamboree begins. And next to that are spacious restrooms, a big improvement over the original. Although Lawana died in a car wreck several years ago, her dream lives on, thanks to her sisters-in-law, Marie and Tommie Jo, and a handfull of volunteers.
Basically the same volunteers manage Bob Wills Days each April, a week of country music jam sessions, dances and general good fun. Saturday's parade, fiddlers' contest, and music by the remaining members of Bob Wills' band climax the down-home get-together that is attended by thousands of people from around the world. The old school house has been turned into a museum containing Bob Wills memorabilia.
Bob Wills grew up at Turkey and often played his fiddle in the barber shop where he worked. The shop still looks about the same as when he was there in the early part of the twentieth century, and is opened during this exciting week by the daughter of Harold Ham, the barber who ran it as long as he was able.
As a child, I watched many a Saturday matinee at the Gem, and my soul is always refreshed by occasional visits to the old stomping grounds. Besides all she did for Turkey, Lawana also helped me get started publishing my poetry. She was instrumental in many historical projects in the area and raised an outstanding family. What a legacy!
Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
cgtrent@att.net
Basically the same volunteers manage Bob Wills Days each April, a week of country music jam sessions, dances and general good fun. Saturday's parade, fiddlers' contest, and music by the remaining members of Bob Wills' band climax the down-home get-together that is attended by thousands of people from around the world. The old school house has been turned into a museum containing Bob Wills memorabilia.
Bob Wills grew up at Turkey and often played his fiddle in the barber shop where he worked. The shop still looks about the same as when he was there in the early part of the twentieth century, and is opened during this exciting week by the daughter of Harold Ham, the barber who ran it as long as he was able.
As a child, I watched many a Saturday matinee at the Gem, and my soul is always refreshed by occasional visits to the old stomping grounds. Besides all she did for Turkey, Lawana also helped me get started publishing my poetry. She was instrumental in many historical projects in the area and raised an outstanding family. What a legacy!
Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
cgtrent@att.net
