Carol, Martin Lassie & Pepper on "A " mountain
El Paso
Caring for and playing with Sul Ross' Lobo Sully and her first snow
Flying over Alpine
Alpine 1968 • video
Upon graduation from Sul Ross with Bachelor’s degrees, Carol had decided she wanted to pursue her Masters degree. She was also accepted a Graduate Assistant position teaching Freshman English at Sul Ross.
While I began taking some graduate level education courses, I decided to apply to become a band director in the Alpine area. In the Summer of 1968, I was accepted and signed a teaching contract with Fort Davis public schools. However one day shortly thereafter, while working at the dispatch, Sanford DeVoll (right) came by. Sanford was the area Parks and Wildlife officer. He told me that he was also on the Fort Davis school board. He was aware that I’d signed the teaching contract to be a band director. He told me during the recent Fort Davis school board meeting that the board voted to eliminate the music programs and my position was to become a Texas History teaching position. I verified this with the superintendent, and withdrew my contract after learning the dissolution of the music program was true.
So now I needed to decide what to do. In 1967, I was only making $100 per month at the dispatch center. Carol was cutting back her hours at dispatch, as she now would be paid as a graduate assistant in the Sul Ross English Department.
Sul Ross Police Chief Gwen “Bubba” Kring (right) offered me a law enforcement commission with Sul Ross State College. The job started September 1, 1968 at $260 per month. This was the newly created college law enforcement departments that were initiated nationwide.
Jack O'Donnell's DPS patrol car two photos above. White Sul Ross patrol car above has the Brewster Sheriff's Office logo prior to the creation of the campus security departments.
While I enjoyed working as a Sul Ross police officer, it had its down side. Carol was working on her master’s degree and teaching Freshman English. I was mostly working 10 pm to 6 am shift for Sul Ross and taking graduate education classes. So time was hectic.
During this time my Mom was teaching at Sul Ross, Carol was a Graduate Assistant teaching English and I was working for the Sul Ross Police Dept. I stopped a student for running a stop sign on campus and he said, "Gees, I just left your mother's class and am late for your wife's class. This is too many Theophili!"
In December 1968, I was offered a position with the Texas DPW which allowed me to work days and also double my salary. I worked for the State for 22 years, Severn years of which was in Child Protective Services. When Carol and I moved to Midland for her to begin teaching at Midland High School, I decided that I would like to return to law enforcement. With Carl Williams support, I applied and was interviewed at the Midland Police Department and submitted an application the the Texas DPS. Both declined due to my loss of a kidney at age four which made me high risk. This had kept me from playing football and categorized as 4F for the Selective Service.
However, beginning in 2017, I volunteered with the Bastrop Police and Sheriff's Departments. This really met my fulfilling my desire to serve in law enforcement. I now patrol most weekends for the Bastrop Sheriff's Department in a black & white.
1968/1969/1970 Alpine - Austin - Midland • video
When Carol and Martin were working for the Brewster County Communications Center and attending Sul Ross, they became close friends with most of the law enforcement personnel. Alpine's DPS Officer Carl Williams who later became the Brewster County Sheriff was the Best Man at Carol and Martin's wedding. They also bought Alice and Carl's home when the Williams moved to Midland. Barbara and George Jones were good friends and we always enjoyed watching Sunday afternoon football at the jail, which was also their home. George was Carl's Chief Deputy and later moved to Midland and worked for the Texas DPS Narcotics Division. DPS Officer Jack O'Donnell would often spend the greater part of Martin's dispatch night shift playing cards. He also gave Carol and Martin their first dog Baron. Baron is seen in some of the early clips playing with a Hoover vacuum box and Carol.
Alpine High Exchange Student Claude Guillemet came back for a visit in 1969. Donna and Larry Johnson, Carol and Martin and Claude went down to the Big Bend. Carol and Martin also visited Donna and Larry in San Antonio.
While Carol completed her Masters at Sul Ross, she worked as a Graduate Assistant teaching Freshman English at the college. There are clips of Carol's Sul Ross office. Martin went to work for the Sul Ross Police Dept. and then took a position with the Texas Department of Human Services (22 years). This movies shows scenes from Austin when Martin attended the TDHS orientation for 6 weeks. He stayed at a motel across from Mueller Airport. It is strange to see just how smoky plane take-off used to be.
There are movies of more Alpine parades on this clip and some shots of Jackson Field.
1968 Alpine, Bronte with Corky • video
Jack O'Donnell arranged to get Baron's sister for Corky. Unfortunately the dog was somewhat withdrawn, as it had spent its early days with its mom. Jack brought the dog to out apartment and we took her to Corky who had begun his teaching job in Bronte,Texas. As part of my State job, I visited families in Candelaria and enjoyed the drive from Marfa south to Ruidosa and Candelaria.
1969 Bullitt • video
We really liked Steve McQueen's movie Bullitt, released in 1968. Movies were not as readily available back then. So Carol and I took our Super8mm camera into the Granada theater in her purse and filmed the chase scene from Bullitt.
It didn't turn out very clear. However, there's more to the Bullitt story.
In 1969 I was working for the State of Texas covering Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties. My friend, DPS patrolman Jack O'Donnell, was now working out of Sanderson. Jack and I agreed to meet between Marathon and Sanderson and then have lunch. I'd just seen Steve McQueen's movie "Bullitt." When I drove up by Jack's DPS patrol car, I asked him if he'd seen "Bullitt." Jack turned white and said what bullet? I said "The movie with Steve McQueen?" Jack said I need to tell you a story.
Jack was a completive target shooter. In fact, Sul Ross didn't allow their officers to carry guns after a tragic shooting of a 16 year old in Alpine. However when I was a Sul Ross police officer, the school wanted the officers to be armed during registration because of all the cash. I didn't have a gun, so Jack loaned me his long barreled target pistol complete with leg tie.
So to set up the story, you have to understand that Jack's original TxDPS partner in Alpine had been Jean Pate. Jean was the officer who helped my family find good used DPS cars. Well, Jean was very particular about his cars. Jean and Jack received a brand new car shown here with the "new radar" technology. Jack was new and had just been assigned to 
Alpine.
Jean (left with Sheriff Carl Williams) actually rode with Jack the first few shifts as he wanted to be sure how the new patrol car was driven. Of, course Jack ended up driving when the car received its first stone ding.
One Saturday, Jack takes the new patrol car to Marathon and meets up with the Brewster County Sheriff's Deputy Arthur Caveness to do some target practice. Jack began practicing fast draws and his gun gets caught in the tie down that I mentioned earlier and the gun fired blowing a hole in the hood of the new patrol car. 
Arthur said not to worry, I have a friend at the Webb Brothers Plymouth/Dodge body shop in Marfa. Arthur calls his friend, swears him to secrecy and the repairman says he can get it done by Sunday afternoon before Jean has the car on Monday. Problem solved (repairman probably thought there was a body out somewhere). So the car gets repaired and everything is okay.
So shortly thereafter, (knowing nothing of Jack's hood incident) I was working dispatch at the Alpine police station and Jean comes by and says he's taking the new DPS car to Marfa, as there is some paint imperfections on the hood he wants fixed. Also there's a loose bolt that rattles down the frame when the hood is raised.
Later in the day, the Plymouth dealership calls from Marfa and wants to talk to Jean. As Jack's luck would have it, I can't locate Jean, so I call Jack to have him talk to Webb Brothers. Jack asks me not mention it to Jean, but never says why. The bolt was of course the bullet from the misfire which stuck in a rib of the hood. Jack went and picked up the car and nothing more was ever heard about it until I mentioned "Bullet" to Jack in Sanderson a year or two later.
Carol and I moved to Midland. Jack took a position with the US Border Patrol eventually becoming a training officer in Marfa. We only saw each other a few times over the years. Carol and I were divorced, Jack had married and later I'd met and married Chris in 1985.
One day Chris and I were visiting in Alpine and saw Jack coming out of the First National Bank. I introduced Chris and Jack and said she's heard all the wonderful stories, so it's great that we meet. Jack says, I have to run, however come out to the US Border Patrol office later this afternoon and I'll share a new story.
So we go out. Jack says, I was sitting at this desk adjusting the sight on my gun. He unloaded the gun and was cleaning it when a phone call came in. While talking and distracted he unconsciously loads the gun. Jack hangs up the phone, looks down the barrel checking the sight and pulls the trigger, blowing a hole in the corner of his desk.
We all laughed 'til we were crying. This brief period working with all the Alpine areas law enforcement officers, was a period for which I will be forever grateful!" Martin
Alice and Carl Williams hosted a party at their home in Midland. Pictured is Jack O'Donnell (then a training officer in the US Border Patrol in Marfa), Jack's wife. Standing is George and Barbara Jones with George's TxDPS boss, and Carol and Martin.
