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Hix Wilbanks, 74, former
sheriff and pioneer of Hansford County is still in critical condition in
Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo.
The rancher and farmer
was injured about noon Wednesday, Nov. 23, in a three-car accident, that
killed his wife, and two other people and fatally injured a six-year old
boy.
Killed in the, accident
were Mrs. Trixy E. Wilbanks, 74, Mrs. Thomas B. Fox, 40, of Borger and her
father, William Clark, 71, of Borger. Mrs. Fox's son, Jimmy Wayne, 6, died
later from injuries.
The third car in the
accident was driven by Robert Andrew Norman of Borger and Howard Jack of
Pampa.
Norman said he was
driving south in front of the Wilbanks car when he saw a car approaching
from the south in the west traffic lane.
He swerved abruptly to
the left to avoid the oncoming station wagon. It sideswiped Norman's car
and bounced into the path of the Wilbanks car and the two cars collided
headon.
Wilbanks served as
sheriff of Hansford County for 19 years. He was first elected in 1919 and
served until 1922, then was returned to office in 1928 to 1946.
He was noted as the
sheriff that didn't wear a gun and he didn't make an arrest his first
three years in office, he just sent word to the accused persons to come in
to see him. They usually came.
He came to Hansford
County in 1902 when his parents moved here from Johnson County.
He married Trixey Evans
Winn Oct. 11, 1908. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary last
year.
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Rites
Held Saturday For Mrs. Wilbanks
Funeral services for Mrs.
Trixy Evans Wilbanks were held at 2:30 p. m. Saturday in the First
Christian Church of Spearman with the Rev. Don Cox, minister of the
church, officiating.
Burial was in the
Hansford Cemetery under the direction of Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Home of
Amarillo.
Trixy Evans Winn was born
Feb. 26,1885 near Columbia, Mo., the oldest daughter of Young Ewing and
Georgie Alice Winn.
She became a, member of
the Christian Church while a young girl.
After completing
Warrensburg Normal in Missouri, she came to the Texas Panhandle in 1907
and taught in the Micou and Happyjack communities.
She married Howell L. (Hix)
Wilbanks Oct. 11, 1908, in a dugout parsonage located near Hansford on
land presently owned by the family. The couple moved to Spearman in 1920.
Mrs. Wilbanks was a
charter member of the Spearman Christian Church that was organized ''in
1926 and served in many positions of service and leadership in the church.
Pallbearers were Roy
Wilmeth, J. E. Gunn, Freeman Barkley, W. 0. Groves, Guy Fuller, Bruce
Sheets, Jake Vernon and Floyd Mitts.
Honorary Pa1lbearers were Vester Hill, Carl Archer, Bill Russell,
Lee McClelan, Rex Sanders, Clay Gibner, Jess Womble,
Garrett Allen and Dr. R. L. Kleeberger.
Surviving besides her
husband are four daughters, Mrs. Mary Hazelwood of Fort Worth, Mrs. Ruth
Bryan and Mrs. Beth Phelps of Spearman, and Mrs. Julia Billingsley of
Lubbock; a foster son, Marcus Larson of Spearman; three sisters, Mrs.
Annaliza Wyant of Tulsa, Mrs. Estelle Lehman of Booker, and Mrs. Ruby
Snuffer of Foster, Mo., a brother, Hugh Winn of Hollywood, Calif., and 14
grandchildren. | 