Milestones, November 2018
Birthday
Billie Brister
97
Nov. 14
Phoenix, Ariz.
Retirements
Brother Eddie L. Brinkley Sr.
72 years
Brother Eddie L. Brinkley Sr.
A celebration was held on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, at the Wharton Civic Center in honor of the recently retired minister for the Church of Christ at MLK Boulevard in Wharton, Texas.
Brother Eddie L. Brinkley Sr. was the Gospel preacher for 72 years. Brother Brinkley was one of the boy preachers of the late brother Marshall Keeble.
Congratulations, brother Brinkley!
Burl and Y’vonne Butler
51 years
On Oct. 14, 2018, Burl Butler retired after 51 years of service to Westview Boys’ Home in Hollis, Oklahoma.
In August 1967, Burl and Y’vonne Butler started their work with Westview. Burl had been working at the GM plant in Arlington, Texas, when friends of theirs, Ray and Nancy Stowe, stopped to visit the Butlers on their way back to Hollis. They invited Burl and Y’vonne to follow them to Hollis and spend that weekend with them at Westview. During that visit, Westview’s superintendent asked the Butlers to come work as houseparents. They accepted the offer and started caring for boys at Sweetwater House on Westview’s campus on August 10, 1967, their tenth wedding anniversary.
Burl and Y’vonne Butler
Burl and Y’vonne worked as houseparents for ten years. When they arrived at Westview, they had two children of their own, Burl Ray and Kim. Their youngest son, Rhett, was born while they were houseparents at the Sweetwater House.
Eventually, their roles changed. Y’vonne became the secretary for Hollis High School and Burl held several positions at Westview. Through the years Burl was the Farm Manager, Campus Manager, and Director of Church Relations. Following her retirement from Hollis Public Schools, Y’vonne joined Burl on many of his trips representing the Home. Over the years, Burl has driven over a million miles visiting congregations and donors. During one year, Burl and Y’vonne went to every town in Oklahoma where there was a Church of Christ and either visited someone there or left material about the Home.
Burl’s fondest memories of Westview include trips with the boys to Yellowstone Bible Camp in Montana and a fundraising trip he took with another Westview team member. On the latter of those two trips, Burl visited congregations throughout eastern Kansas, southern Nebraska, and western Iowa. During that week-long trip, Burl was invited to speak at three congregations about Westview and its work with at-risk youth.
On Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, Westview hosted a come-and-go reception at their offices and invited friends and family of the Butlers to come and honor them and their years of service to thousands of boys who have found a home at Westview.
Greg Woods
34 years
Greg Woods is retiring after 34 years in ministry with Metro Church of Christ in Gresham, Oregon. During his time there he served as Youth Minister, Family Minister, and Intergenerational Minister. Woods also founded, and for 24 years co-directed, the Pacific Northwest’s largest youth event, Faithquest.
Memorial
Ellen Gay Young
1940-2018
Ellen Gay Young
Ellen Gay Bownds was born on May 17, 1940, in Dallas, Texas, to Jimmie and Ellen Bownds. She was little sister to Mary Nelle, and they were great friends who kept in close touch their entire lives. Mary Nelle and her husband, Walter Kreidel, currently live in Franklin, Tenn. Gay graduated from high school in Big Spring, Texas, in 1958 and from Abilene Christian College in 1962. On December 28, 1961, she married Doug Young, and he still resides in their home in Boerne, Texas. Gay and Doug have 3 children and 9 grandchildren: Kevin (Cindy) Young—their children, Whitney Young Groves, Delaney Young, Nathan Young, and Jackson Young (all of Boerne, Texas); Eliot (Julie) Young—their children, Conner Young, Macy Young, and Spencer Young (all of San Antonio, Texas); Juli Young (Steve) Haught—their children, MaKinzie Haught and Morgan Haught (all of Liberty Hill, Texas).
With Appreciation
The Christian Chronicle appreciates and acknowledges generous gifts received in memory of Vernell Craig, JoAnn Jamison, and Shelton Tom “Cap” Stewart.
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