PAT GANDY
Paschal Hearn Gandy, age 97, a life-long resident of Red River County, beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away on February 13, 2008 at Regency Nursing Home in Clarksville, Texas. He was born September 15, 1910 in Hopewell Community, to Lewis R. Gandy and Alice A. Tomberlin Gandy. He married Mildred J. Childers on May 27, 1939 and they had four children. He was a member of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church.
Being one of a large family, all of which were musically inclined, Paschal (Pat) learned to play just about any stringed instrument, but the fiddle was his favorite. In his early years, his reputation as a fiddler made his services in demand around the North Woods. He participated and won many fiddling contests in local activities and contests.
He attended school at Hopewell, which at that time was known as Mulberry. Mr. Forest Gamble was his first teacher. He left school before graduating because his father needed his help on the farm. In 1931, his father passed away, which left the farm, his mother, and 6 brothers & sisters in need of care. Pat kept the farm going quite a few years before deciding he could make extra money working a second job. He put in a bid on the Negley mail route and won the bid. He worked this route until it was discontinued when State Hwy 37 was built and the mail was assigned to the Route 6 carrier out of Clarksville. Another of his jobs was a Deputy Tax Assessor. Sometimes the road conditions were so bad that he would travel on horseback. When these days ended, Pat looked for other ways of earning a living. With lots of people still in the rural areas, he decided on peddling Raleigh Products. For several years he traveled around the northeastern part of the county selling these products. Then an opportunity from the Texas Forest Service came his way. In 1951, Bill Leatherwood, the first Forest Ranger to use Negley fire tower, built in the 1930's, recommended Pat to succeed him in his retirement. He was awarded a medal and certificate from The Texas Forest Service for having only 42 acres burn in his district in the first five months of 1955. Red River County listed fewest forest fires than any other within protected areas of East Texas. After climbing those stairs to the tower for 14 years several times a day, he took a job with the International Paper Company protecting their forests and worked hand-in-hand with the Texas Forest Service and was with International Paper until his retirement in 1973.
Mr. Gandy was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred J. Childers, grandson Bradley J. Taylor formerly of Clarksville, 7 sisters, and 4 brothers, 3 half-sisters and 1 half-brother. He is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Marvin and Susan Gandy of Clarksville; daughters and sons-in-law; Emma and Bobby Taylor of Clarksville, Alice and John Neese of Garland and Patsy and Steve Turney of Garland; one sister, Ivy Raibourn of Spring, Texas; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Service will be on Saturday, 2-16-08 at 1:00 PM at the Clarksville Funeral Home with visitation from 6 to 8 PM on Friday. The Rev. Ronnie Kellam will be officiating under the direction of Clarksville Funeral Home.
