Alpine Avalanche

12/05/2025

Archie Sullivan Gill
The one-and-only Archie Sullivan Gill completed his final road trip on October 31, 2025. Arch was 84 years old and a long-time member of the Terlingua community.
Archie never met an engine he couldn’t fix, a machine he couldn’t operate, or a grandchild he couldn’t teach to fish. He learned first-hand how to DIY, as did his entire family. Arch was born in 1941 in Detroit, Michigan, to members of The Greatest Generation, Evelena Sherrill Gill and Richard Sullivan Gill. Twin sisters Arlene and Sandra were born seven years later, who quickly picked up on his adventurous habits, like jumping out of the family apple trees as babies. Arch graduated from his first bicycle to his first motorcycle at age 12, though it wasn’t the best idea. Family myth is that he got expelled from school because he rode the motorcycle through the halls—something his whole family believes is true. He changed the tire on the family Farmall Cub that summer. After reading the complete 10th-grade Science textbook before the first day of school, he announced to his teacher that he wouldn’t return to class until the final exam. Family myth says that happened too.
Archie enlisted in the US Navy at age 18. He served aboard the USS Shadwell, the Navy’s first landing dock ship fitted with helicopters, on multiple missions to the Mediterranean after the Lebanon Crisis and into Cuban waters after the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion. Aboard Shadwell, he saw Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the Caribbean. The story he told his sisters was that he never learned to swim in Navy boot camp—that he held his breath and swam underwater to the finish line. Probably true. It is true that he completed his GED in the Navy. He was honorably discharged in 1961 and remained active in Naval reunions until his 80s. Parents Richard and Evelyna passed too young in the 1960s, leaving Arch with younger sisters and custody of his first daughter, Diana Lynn, until he married Joanne Dellaire in 1967, in mid-Michigan. He worked at Pontiac Motors, then started his first auto repair shop out of his garage, getting his private pilot license as well, just like his father, Richard, had done. Amanda Marie was born in 1972, and the family moved to Texas a decade later. In 1986, he purchased land in Terlingua and founded Terlingua Auto Service. Whether ranchers, retirees, “snow birds,” or Hollywood film crews, he kept their AC cool and the Chili Cook Offs hot. He loved fishing at Del Rio, guns, NASCAR, and talks with Richard Petty ( #43) and Tommy Lee Jones. He earned his own cast credit in the 2015 Badlands, Texas TV series by NatGeo S1.E4.
He served his Terlingua community with Ron Willard, founding the Terlingua Volunteer Fire Department, then Terlingua Fire & EMS; Assistant Fire Chief; Fire Chief and EMT; and Director and President of the Terlingua Ranch Property Owners Association and Study Butte Water Corporation. After 48 years of marriage, his wife Joanne passed away on July 31, 2015. He was baptized with his grandson, Chase, in 2016. His daughter, Amanda, and husband, Tommy, worked with him for 25 years and continued Terlingua Auto in 2020. In 2022, he married Jill O’Neal, doing inspections between fishing trips and watching NASCAR. With her care, he lived to see his very accomplished six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and three stepchildren.
Arch had strong opinions about everything, as all who knew him can recall. He considered rules mere suggestions and felt it was his destiny to explain why his way was the best way. About everything. To anyone. Often, he was right and never acknowledged otherwise. Archie died at rest, of double pneumonia, very late on October 31, 2025, in hospice at Hendricks Health System, in Abilene. We think he waited until all his family finished their farewell prayers and songs to have the last word.

12/04/2025

12/03/2025

We are SOLD OUT!!! Thank you community!

Hamburger Plate Sale!

Join the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office and the Fort Davis Fire Department on Friday, December 5th, 11 AM - 3 PM.

All proceeds will go to support our Operation Blue Santa.

12/01/2025

Get ready—February 21st is your chance to step into the arena, compete against top talent, and earn your place on one of the most historic rodeo programs in the nation. The 3rd Annual Sul Ross Scholarship Rodeo is back, and this year’s event is bigger than ever. We’re offering scholarships to first and second place finishers in every NIRA-sanctioned event, giving high school and junior college athletes the opportunity to secure their future as part of the legendary Sul Ross Rodeo Team.
But the experience doesn’t stop at the rodeo. Prospective students are invited to come down early for a unique behind-the-scenes look at life as a Sul Ross athlete—practice with the team, walk our beautiful campus, meet the coaching staff, and feel the energy that comes from being part of a program with deep tradition and unmatched pride.
If you’ve ever dreamed of competing in the NIRA’s Lone Star Region, now is your chance to get a head start. The mountains, the history, the opportunity—Sul Ross has it all, and we want YOU to be part of it. Don’t miss this event.
For more information or to enter the rodeo contact Coach Aragon at [email protected]
or 432-208-2333

11/26/2025

Leslea Charlesworth stands in her kitchen, the setting for her culinary creations she’s mapped out in her new cookbook.
Courtesy photo
Local author leaves it all on the table
From the Saddle to the Skillet brings easy meals to busy families
By Kara Gerbert
Managing Editor

Marathon rancher Leslea Charlesworth is no stranger to hard work.
This includes the kitchen, where she’s been known to feed not only her family, but friends as well as ranch crews.
Her meals now have a place on the shelf as well as the table, with the publication of her first cookbook, From the Saddle to the Skillet: Fast and Easy Meals for Ranch Living.
“I grew up in Iraan and went to school there. We never lived close to town or to a grocery store, so cooking and planning have always been a part of my life,” she says.
Charlesworth married her ranching husband, Brent, 26 years ago. Helping out on the ranch, homeschooling, raising, and hauling their two daughters to rodeos took up a lot of time, so quick and easy meals were a necessity. These quick, easy meals were a part of everyday life, and once her girls left home, they missed their mother’s cooking.
“My girls started asking for recipes for this or that, and I wanted them to have recipes that they could actually use. Recipes for simple meals that don’t take all day, so they still have time to ride their horses and rope. I didn’t expect anyone else to want copies of my recipes, but it was a sweet surprise, and now I’ve written a cookbook.”
Charlesworth credits her family, including her mom, grandmother, aunt, and mother-in-law, for her cooking skills.
“I have a lot of great cooks in my family, and the kitchen was always the hub of every celebration growing up. I learned a lot from my mom, Linda, as well as my grandmother Betty, who handwrote me a cookbook that I treasure,” she says. “My Mimi, my aunt Linda, and Cherokee, my mother-in-law, have all shaped the way I cook.”
Charlesworth says that Thanksgiving is her favorite meal to cook.
“I love everything about it! The food, the talking, and having everyone together. It’s not just about the food; it’s about the time spent in the kitchen and around the table.”
Every day on a ranch means hard work, and the meals need to work just as hard to fuel those doing the work. Ranch work is also rarely a job with banker’s hours, so quick, filling, and easy meals are a must.
“I work side-by-side with Brent on the ranch every day. I also do all the cooking, so I need to be able to whip something up that’s filling, satisfying, and allows us to still take care of business.”
Charlesworth says that writing this cookbook was a surprise. “I don’t have plans at the moment to write another cookbook or another book, but who knows what the future holds.”
Charlesworth’s cookbook can be purchased locally at Big Bend Saddlery.

11/26/2025

Carolyn Ann Finney Schaeffler
Our hearts are broken as we share that Carolyn Ann Finney Schaeffler passed away on October 20, 2025, far too soon. She fought a brave battle in the final months of her life and remained the very embodiment of grace and kindness until her final breath.
Ann was born on June 20, 1951, to Martin Sheldon Finney and Nelta May Locke, somewhere between Brewster and Presidio counties, impatient to meet the world and arriving quickly on the way to the hospital. She joined her loving siblings Peggy, Pat, and Martin, later welcoming sisters Janet and Nell into the family fold.
Ann’s call to serve others came early. At just fifteen, she began her first candy-striping job at the hospital in Alpine, a spark that would ignite a lifelong dedication to nursing and public service. She graduated from Alpine High School in 1969 and attended Sul Ross State University. She went on to become a licensed vocational nurse and later a registered nurse. Between raising children and caring for others, she still found time to pursue higher education, earning both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Angelo State University in 1997 and her Master of Nursing degree from Walden University in 2010, alongside her lifelong best friend, Sara. Ann embodied the spirit of a lifelong learner, always seeking new knowledge and training to provide the very best care to her patients.
After a long and distinguished career, Ann retired in 2013 from Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine. She was beloved by her colleagues and patients alike for her steady, compassionate presence, particularly in the emergency room, where her calm and reassuring manner brought comfort during patients’ most difficult moments. Her intuition, combined with exceptional skill and deep empathy, made her one of the very best nurses you could ever hope to find.
Ann cared for others not only through her nursing profession but through her cooking, which was her love language. She could prepare a meal that rivaled any five-star restaurant, yet it was the warmth of her hospitality that made each gathering unforgettable. When you sat at Ann’s table, you left with both your stomach and your spirit full. You were never a stranger in her home; she was truly the heart and soul of her family. Ann had a love for all animals. She cared for numerous pets, including horses, cats, dogs, chickens, goats, exotic birds, and any other creature needing food, shelter, and love.
She was a devoted mother to Kenneth Martin Clouse, Scarlet Michele Clouse, Emerald Grace Schaeffler-Kennedy, and Lance Zane Schaeffler, and a joyful, loving “Nana” to Grayson Thomas Anderson, Sydney Anne Anderson, Zion Avery Schaeffler, and Ronan Brooks Kennedy, her beloved “Magnificent Eight.” Her family was her greatest joy and her proudest accomplishment. Everything she did, she did for them, selflessly.
Ann leaves behind a legacy of kindness, courage, strength, and love that will never fade. She walked faithfully in God’s light and taught all who knew her the importance of integrity, loyalty, and compassion. Her wisdom shone through in the advice she offered to friends and family members facing hard times, and her presence could steady even the stormiest hearts. We will miss her smile, her strength, her humor, and the way she made everyone feel seen and cared for. Her spirit will live on in the countless lives she touched and the deep love she gave to those she loved.
She is survived by her husband, Vance Edward Schaeffler; her children, Kenneth and Dawn, Scarlet and Wendall, Emerald and Philip, and Lance; her grandchildren, Grayson and Sarah, Sydney, Zion, Ronan, Bonnie, Josh and Harvey, McKeeley, and Charlie; her brother, Martin; her sisters, Pat, Janet, and Nell; and many cherished cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is welcomed to heaven by her father, Sheldon; her mother, May; her sister, Peggy; her beloved baby Gene; and baby Hayes, who left this world way too soon.

11/26/2025

Una May Wedin Narowetz
Una May Wedin Narowetz passed away on November 13, 2025. Born in Del Rio, she was the daughter of predeceased parents, Annie Jo Perry Wedin and Frank H. Wedin. She graduated from Marathon High School and graduated from Sul Ross University. She taught school for many years.

11/26/2025

James Walter Carrico
James "Jim" Walter Carrico, long-time resident of Terlingua, passed away on November 1, 2025, in Fort Stockton. He was 91 years old.
Jim was born on October 30, 1934, in Dover, Ohio, to Walter L. Carrico and Helen (Carroll) Carrico. He was a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he met Virginia (Ginny) Galloway. They married in June 1956.
After completing service in the United States Marine Corps in 1960, Jim got a job with the National Park Service at Mesa Verde National Park. He spent the next 30 years working in national parks throughout the U.S. His last assignment was as superintendent at Big Bend National Park. After retiring from the National Park Service, Jim worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife at Big Bend Ranch State Park and later was a partner at Desert Sports in Terlingua, Texas.
Jim is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ginny; daughters Lisa and Marge (Jim Traylor) and son Pete (Karen); four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
No services are planned at this time. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.

11/24/2025

The Alpine FFA competed in the District FFA Leadership Development Events at Sul Ross this week, earning two first-place wins, two second-place wins, a fourth, and a fifth-place finish.

11/20/2025

Mobile Mammograms are coming back to Big Bend. Appointments are open now!
Call 1-888-204-9214 to schedule your appointment. Limited spaces available.

Monday, January 12, 2026 | Presidio Activity Center
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | Presidio Activity Center
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | Terlingua Fire & EMS
Thursday, January 15, 2026 | Alpine Public Library
Friday, January 16, 2026 | Alpine Public Library

Without mobile mammograms, many people who live in rural areas would not have access to life-saving screenings! Early detection is key to reducing mortality. Don’t wait, schedule your appointment (or tell a friend, mother, sister, grandmother, neighbor) today!