Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from “The Hall County Gangster: Raymond Ballew” by John R. Ballew.

The following is a story about a man born and raised in Quail, who joined the Army prior to World War II. Pfc. G.D. Ashton was stationed in the Philippines when it fell to Japan in 1942. After spending a grueling two and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW), Ashton was loaded onto a “Hell Ship” destined for Japan. However, in one of the many tragedies of the war, the ship he was on was sunk by an American submarine,killing him and 667 other prisoners.

The Memphis Compress was based on the motto,“We have nothing to sell but service.” For 84 years, the Allen family supported Memphis and Hall County in every way possible. From buy ing the grand champion pig at the stock show to building the Allen Field House, the Allens always advocated for what was best for our community.

I had a psychology professor in graduate school back in the 1970s that was generally considered to be eccentric or quirky. I enjoyed his class, but my fellow students and I had to be “on our toes” at all times.

Dear Editor, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a unique organization made up of unique individuals. CASA also uses trained dogs extensively in their program.

If you’ve been thinking about life insurance, especially if you have family, loved ones, or anyone who depends on you financially, you might be curious about the different kinds of policies available. Which type is right for you? Es sentially, you can look at two main categories of life insurance: term and permanent.

You might not have thought much about beneficiary designations — but they can play a big role in your estate planning. When you purchase insurance policies and open investment accounts, such as your IRA, you’ll be asked to name a beneficiary, and, in some cases, more than one.

A Memphis native, John R. Ballew taught history for 25 years in the trenches of the Texas public school system. He is a triple master: a Master of Science from Texas A&M University- Corp u s Christi, a master plumber from Te x a s and a master mason. He and his wife have been a couple since they were 11 years old and have six grandchildren.

The Memphis on TNE Red and Hall County would like to invite y’all to come to Turkey on the last weekend of April for Bob Wills Day. Hotel Turkey would like y’all to “stay all night and stay a little longer, and dance all night and dance a little longer.” Y’all can watch “The Bubbles in My Beer”from “Across the Alley from the Alamo,” and sing “Faded Love”all night.

We all hope to remain healthy and independent throughout our lives – but life can be unpredictable. If you were ever to need some type of long-term care, would you be financially prepared? Long-term care encompasses everything from the services of a home health aide to a stay in an assisted living facility to a long residence in a nursing home.