6x3 mast ★ This is the first in a series of articles describing the life of one of Sulphur Springs’ most interesting residents, Billie Ruth Standbridge. Upon retiring from their jobs in Redlands, California, George and Billie Ruth returned to her hometown Sulphur Springs in 1955 where her parents, Frankie and Ann Mote still lived. Ever since she has contributed freely to the hum of activity that identifies “downtown” as a living entity. In this weekly series about a lady who never forgot where she came from, you will better appreciate why she holds the designation “Ms.Downtown”. I was sitting down for coffee with local editor Part One: Upstairs, Downtown With B. R. Joy Wilson in one of By Enola Gay Mathews our favorite places, the downtown balcony they met and he asked apartment of mutual her, “Would you like a friend B.R. It was on smoke?” She replied the eve of the May DBA “No, thank you, I don’t (Downtown Business smoke”. He then Alliance) meeting, asked her, “Could I and their conversation buy you a beer?” She was about the meeting declined by saying and various ideas and “No thanks, I don’t means for improvement drink, but I have other in the City’s downtown vices”. She couldn’t environment. As imagine why she I listened to B.R, I said that! But having realized her genuine gone to a women’s interest in helping university, she felt you merchants market were just considered a and bring customers “goody two shoes”, so through the door of she thought that was a their shops was just better answer. George part of her natural didn’t ask her to business inclination. elaborate, but they were Over a 24 year span married three months she’s helped transform later! They also bought difference since I didn’t longer do it, I never had Sulphur Springs into a the Gay Nineties Pizza know how to cook to cook again, except destination, as well as a Parlor the day before anything. He answered, on rare occasions. One time when he was place to be relished by they married. George “chicken cacciatore”. away for ten days, I the local citizenry. ran the business How would anybody next door became her Tx. It was from that from Texas know bought a bunch of Ever since she had answer. experience that she while Billie Ruth continued working what that was? Since box dinners and my a shop downtown A story about Billy was offered a job I didn’t have a cook daughter Mikelle said, on Main St, it was at the University of Ruth would not be to became a dance Redlands. Life was book and there were no “See Mom, we’re her dream to live complete without instructor and physical computers to look up doing OK”! I actually downtown. The an adventure! They the love of her life, education instructor in traveled all over the stuff, I went to the wife dreamed that we opportunity to do that her husband George, Redlands, California at of my department chair starved!” came after a lot further region, from mountains namesake of the new University of Redlands. to beaches, mainly who lent me a cook Long after the Gay down the block became property “Standbridge It was there that a very book with the recipe. Nineties Pizza period available for building. on George’s Harley. House”. Billie Ruth’s exciting chapter of her Billie Ruth goes I thought it looked when B.R. was coun- Not knowing exactly life actually began seling at Redlands what kind of design she far from town, “out High School, one of wanted, her daughter, in the country” in their English teachers Mikelle, drew up a the Starr Ridge area had attended a writer’s design that exactly fit of Hopkins County. conference at the Uni- their needs, especially When the family did versity of Redlands and since George was move into town on excitedly rushed back disabled by this time. It South Davis Street, to let her know that was all she ever hoped her schooling began the TV show “Cheers” it could be. Her dream at Austin Elementary had been modeled after had certainly been School. Between the the Gay Nineties Pizza fulfilled. Interesting family leaving Sulphur Parlor! The creators of enough circumstances Springs because of the TV sitcom, brothers sort of dictated the war employment, Glen and Les Charles, development next door. they ultimately ended had been speakers at Ordinances prevented up in Odessa where the conference and had windows from being she graduated from mentioned their many put on the east side of hours spent at the Gay high school. After on to describe their edible and it seemed to their apartment, so that completing college at life began, when she Nineties Pizza Parlor raised the possibility courtship, “When we taste OK, but he said during their studies at Texas State College met a handsome guy at began dating, I thought afterward he would of an investor building for Women in physical the Gay Nineties Pizza the University of Red- right up her west wall. it was appropriate that I never ask me to cook lands. They’d obvious- education and dance, Parlor in 1959. She was ask him up for dinner. again. Throughout ly been influenced in a Subsequently, the her first job was at at the pizza parlor and I asked him what he our fifty seven years 2-story residential/ Wharton County Jr. George was filling in would like, not that it of marriage, up until very memorable way! commercial complex College in Wharton, the night shift when would have made much he physically could no To be continued...... PAGE 2 THE MILLENNIUM SHOPPER May 16, 2019 CLASSIFIED ADS cont. Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Miscellaneous Cross Country Moving, Spectrum Triple Play! Get DIRECTV! ONLY Wants to purchase min- Long distance Moving TV, Internet & Voice for $35/month! 155 Chan- erals and other oil and Company, out of state $99.97/mo. Fastest Inter- nels & 1000s of Shows/ gas interests. Send de- move $799 Long Dis- net. 100 MB per second Movies On Demand (w/ tails to P.O. Box 13557 tance Movers. Get Free speed. Free Primetime SELECT All Included Denver, Co. 80201 quote on your Long dis- on Demand. 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