OZONA HISTORY

March 15, 1934

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Piner and their two small children barely escaped with their lives Friday night when they awakened to find their ranch home northeast of Ozona enveloped in flames. The fire had made so much headway when they were awakened that they only had time to grab the children and a quilt from one of the children’s beds and run from the burning structure. They escaped in their night clothing; their entire household and personal belongings being destroyed in the flames. The fire is believed to have started from a defective flue.

March 18, 1954

An alert citizenry and law enforcement officers foiled a bold daylight attempt to rob the Ozona National Bank Tuesday afternoon. Minutes after two men fled from the scene of the bank robbery attempt, they were captured by two Ozonans who spied them fleeing across the rooftops of adjoining business buildings and gave chase when they dropped to the ground and ran. Held in Crockett County jail on charges of attempted armed robbery are Billy Bruce, 21, and Henry L. Smith, 21, both from Junction. Both signed voluntary statements to Sheriff V. O. Earnest admitting the robbery attempt and its planning as long ago as last Christmas.

March 12, 1964

A full-time attendant for the Crockett County Museum has been employed by the county and, beginning Monday, the museum will be open about six hours a day, six days a week. Acting on the request of members of the museum board of directors, the Crockett County Commissioners Court Monday took action to approve the employment of a full-time attendant to make the many attractive displays in the museum available to public view.

March 14, 1974

GTE General Telephone ad

March 14, 1984

Ozona’s historic Junior High School building is in the process of a complete interior renovation. Work began this week. Crockett County voters approved the project in great numbers when voting for the bond issue last year. Bids were let last month for the project which will give the school system some much-needed classroom space.

March 16, 1994

Becky Childress was named Outstanding Citizen on March 8 at the 30th Annual Ozona Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet. Four other awards were also handed out during the well-attended banquet. Mrs. Childress graduated from Richland Hills High School in Fort Worth and attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

After graduation, she married Dwight Childress, and they returned to Ozona where she worked for two years at The Baggett Agency and later taught biology for two years in high school. She is presently a partner with Camille Jones in The Teacher Store. She has served as a longtime member of Ozona Woman’s League, as a member of Ozona Community Center board, and is currently serving a term on the school board. One of her most crucial and time-consuming roles in the community was as overall chairperson for the 1991 Crockett County Centennial Celebration.