Friday, March 29, 2024

Old friends and new friends are such a blessing

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MAYOR OF CRESSON

 

Cresson Mayor Teena Putteet Conway, a native of Cresson, attended school for two years in the historic Cresson school. She is a Granbury High School graduate, and earned a BBA from Baylor University. After marrying, then raising her family in the Metroplex, she returned to Cresson after 40 years.

As we said our goodbyes to a longtime Granbury pillar, John Boozer, this month, it made me think of all the people that have spent endless hours in support of this community. John was a member of the Granbury Masonic Lodge, and I would often get to say hello when he was collecting donations at the stop signs around the square. John and his wife, Barbara, set the bar very high for those of us that still want to help with making Granbury, Acton and Cresson better places to live.

John and Lyn Brawner are another example of servants to our community. Mrs. Brawner was my second-grade teacher at Cresson Elementary. She had a room full of kiddos, all nine of us, which included grades 1-3. When the school closed due to the dwindling class size, Lyn moved to teaching at Granbury Elementary where the span of 26 years. John Brawner was in public education for 38 years, serving as the Superintendent of GISD.

Moving back to Cresson my hometown in 2017 has allowed me to renew friendships as well as meet so many new friends. Cresson has residents that moved in while I was away. While serving as mayor to Cresson, I have met with many folks that are eager to help clean up our little booming town. Many come to my office to offer up suggestions and complaints. I am open to their input as it is important to gain their ideas and possible solution to problems.

If you take the time to listen to the new and old friends, I often find there are hidden pockets of talent among us. A gentleman was in yesterday to educate me on the game of handball. His wife is a professional athlete and coach who is in China currently coaching.

We have a gentleman staff member that can sew. He just repaired an awning on our city hall building with a needle and thread. My sweet mom always wanted me to learn to sew from her excellent seamstress skills. I never really caught on but did sew about a hundred halter tops one summer. She had a ton of scrap fabric, so it was easy to do. I wonder where those went?

While at a retreat with my Baylor sorority sisters recently, one of them asked me what a highlight is of getting to serve Cresson as their mayor. I said that it is all the old and new friends that I am getting to work with while keeping my eye on the target of cleaning up Cresson. This role is not always joyous, but the people make all the difference.

teenac@cressontx.org