Gaston Museum

04/28/2026

Please join the Gaston Museum Board in prayers and condolences for alumni Mr. C.P. "Tub" Thomas
Sep 14, 1935 - Apr 26, 2026

Funeral services for Mr. C.P. "Tub" Thomas, 90, of Henderson, will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 1, 2026, in the chapel at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home with B.J. Sprayberry officiating. Interment will follow at Pine Hill Baptist Cemetery under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home.

The family will receive friends from 9:30 AM until service time on Friday, May 1, at the funeral home.

Mr. Thomas passed away on April 26, 2026, at his residence.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at

The passing of a loved one is a difficult time. We are here to help you honor and celebrate their life, and to begin the healing process for your family.

03/24/2026

Please join the Board of the Gaston Museum in condolences and prayers for Gena, Steve and the entire family of our treasured Gaston teacher, Mr. Arthur Gene Smith
Nov 20, 1927 - Mar 21, 2026

A celebration of the Life of Mr. Arthur Gene "A. Gene" Smith, 98, of Henderson, will be held at 4:00 PM on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at First Baptist Church with Dr. David Higgs officiating. The family will receive friends at a reception, in the mall area of the church, immediately following the service.

A family graveside will be held at Buckner Cemetery under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home.

Mr. Smith passed away on March 21, 2026, at his residence in Henderson.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Children's Building Fund at 207 W. Main St., Henderson, TX 75652, the Henderson I.S.D. Education Foundation at P.O. Box 728, Henderson, TX 75653, or to the Buckner Cemetery Association at 1203 Westwood Dr, Henderson, TX 75654.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at

The passing of a loved one is a difficult time. We are here to help you honor and celebrate their life, and to begin the healing process for your family.

02/06/2026

Join the Gaston Museum Board in prayers and condolences to the family of alumni Ronnie Fergueson

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HTnNkFume/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Henderson ISD mourns the loss of Ronnie Ferguson, a beloved educator whose influence on students, c...

02/03/2026

Please join the Gaston Museum Board in prayers and condolences for the family of William Biswell Croft
February 5, 1940 – December 15, 2025
Mr. Croft "Bill" was the architect that generously designed the plans used for the Gaston Museum building in Joinerville, Tx

In Loving Memory
William B. Croft, 85, of Dallas, Texas, died peacefully at home surround loved ones from complications of lung cancer. He lived a very full life, was a larger-than-life presence who made an impact on those he touched, and left great empty spaces in those blessed enough to have known him.

Bill Croft was born in the east Texas oil field boom town of Troup Texas on February 5, 1940 to Wesley Glenn Croft and Ester Lewis Croft. He was raised in a rural area where his father worked for Mr. Sinclair as superintendent of two Sinclair Oil refineries. Bill worked as a tree-surgeon, and as an oil field pipe fitter.

He proudly attended Gaston School District grades 1 to 12, where he saw Elvis perform in the school auditorium and met Carolyn Posey, his high school sweetheart and later his wife. They had 2 beautiful daughters Nicole and Rebecca prior to their divorce in 1970. He remarried in 1974 to Linda Case and had a son, William “Stacey.”

He attended Kilgore and Tyler Junior Colleges while working to save money. He attended the first university to offer married student housing with an architectural school, Texas A&M. As a student, Bill worked construction, and in architectural firms. After 3 years, he took a short-term job in a Rio Grand Valley architectural firm. Then Bill moved to Austin where he found work with Brooks and Barr, who was President LBJ’s architectural firm.

He enrolled at the University of Texas where he obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Already an experienced architect through his work on President LBJ’s projects, he worked as a Project Architect on several major Austin buildings. His span of work ranges from Minnetonka, to Palm Springs, and Atlanta to New Jersey and every Texas metropolitan area, with projects totaling over 8 million square feet and $2 billion in construction costs.

Throughout his career, Bill worked at prestigious architectural firms such as Heery, and HKS, where as a principal, and 5th largest shareholder, he was in charge of local projects including JC Penny’s Headquarters, EDS Corporate Headquarters in Plano, (which he privately called Plano International Airport,) what is now the MaryKay building in North Dallas, and the GTE Campus, now Verizon, in Los Colinas. He worked with his teams on Master Plans, which are the foundation of many communities in Texas. The skylines of most Texas cities were irrevocably altered by Bill and his teams.

Bill left HKS for SKJB Croft, with Richard Jennings, which he ultimately bought and the firm became 3Ci Architects; Croft, Compton Company, Inc. in 1995 with Doug Compton. He led that firm to be the 17th largest architectural firm and the number one Emerging Company in the DFW Metroplex, (as ranked by the Dallas Business Journal.) Finally, he founded Croft Architectural Consortium with Matt Karpenko in 2003 where he finished his career.

His favorite aspect of architecture was the molding, development and strengthening of his team members, followed closely by the acquisition of new projects, and the heart of the architectural engineering process. Those fortunate enough to work with or for Bill Croft seldom recognized how much he influenced their strengths and careers until years later. Hence the loving moniker, ‘The Legend.”

Bill is survived by his wife, Janea Montgomery, sister Linda Yarbrough, daughters, Rebecca Neilson and Nicole Ureles, his son, W. Stacey Croft (Megan), his step-daughters Raechel Edwards, Cera Therrien (Stuart), and Natalie Hobdy (Weston,) his granddaughter Sabrina Neilson Hancock (Tyler,) his grandsons Jake and Cole Croft. His great granddaughter Emily Hancock, his step-grandchildren Chloe & Adaira Edwards, Skye & Claire Therien, Eliza, Emmett and Emory Hobdy, along with many nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.

Bill was a longtime member of the AIA, TREC and a Life Member of his beloved Texas Ex-Students Association and a Covenant Member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

02/03/2026

Please join the Board in prayers for the family of Mr. Troy Lee Lincecum
Oct 5, 1935 - Jan 23, 2026

After 90 years, Mr. Troy Lee Lincecum passed from this world on 23 January 2026 peacefully at Autumn Leaves Nursing Home in Henderson, Texas. He was born on 5 October 1935 in Joinerville, Texas to the late E. P. ‘Hodge’ Lincecum and Francis Leona (Nugent) Lincecum. Troy graduated from Gaston High School in 1954, where he was an avid athlete with the Gaston Red Devils. Shortly thereafter, He married the love of his life, Mrs. Ethel (Morphew) Lincecum and was married for over 60 years. Troy continued his education at Kilgore College as a work study student and graduated with an associate’s degree in manufacturing. Upon completion of his education Troy worked for the Texas Eastman Company until his retirement and soon after he continued to serve his community by teaching woodshop at the Bradshaw State Penitentiary to help young men gain employment once released. Troy loved living in the Elderville area for over seventy years. Troy was a true craftsman and enjoyed steel fabrication of all types (welding and knife making), furniture woodworking, marksmanship, bow hunting and fishing local rivers and lakes. One of Troys most favored past times was riding his various open road motorcycles in the mountains of New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and Arkansas with friends. Perhaps above all, he was a devoted father, who raised three children. Mr. Lincecum was a Christian from age of 14 who loved the lord.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Ethel, his daughter Laury Fountain Lincecum and his brother Truman Willam Lincecum and his sister Juanita (Midge) James and is survived by his two daughters Sharla Kim Guyer of Greenville and Christy G. Kyles Lincecum of Henderson. Also surviving are two grandsons Jesse and Rylan Fountain and Granddaughter Chelsea Kristin Maxwell along with two great-grandsons Bentley Lay and Connor Lay as well as a host of nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.

Funeral services for Mr. Troy Lee Lincecum, 90, of Elderville, will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, in the chapel at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home with Steve Walker officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home in Henderson.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the funeral home.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com .

If you would like to donate in his name, please donate to Harbor Hospice of Longview at (903) 238-8290.

The passing of a loved one is a difficult time. We are here to help you honor and celebrate their life, and to begin the healing process for your family.

01/30/2026

To all Gaston Exes and Gaston Museum Supporters:

The plan that the Museum Board had hoped to work out to maintain a small museum manned by new community Board members has not materialized. The Board has therefore voted to donate the grounds, buildings, and contents to a local non-profit organization.

Any items left from the previous disbursements will be available for you to look at. We have jackets, yearbooks and a few miscellaneous items that you are welcome to. Most antiques and historical pieces have been donated or sold to go into the scholarship fund. Contact Stephanie Osteen at 903-812-1794; please leave a message, as she is frequently unable to answer. You may also message on Facebook. The buildings are not currently open, so please make contact to schedule an appointment if you come. Items left after February 15 will be donated along with the buildings.

We will maintain the online presence at https://www.gastonmuseum.org and will keep a small budget for maintaining it. Other remaining funds will be donated to Kilgore College to endow a scholarship.

The gathering of exes that Twister Thomas spearheaded in October 2025 is again planned for noon, Friday, October 2, 2026 at a restaurant in Henderson. More details will be posted and mailed in September 2026.

Thank you for your support through the years. We are all saddened that this step must be taken, but we are so grateful for those who have gone before who gave us the wonderful times that we have had together to keep our Gaston memories alive.

Gaston Museum Board

Hands On Educational History of a Time Gone By

12/12/2025

If you are in need of this set, pm me. May be free

12/02/2025

Contact me by private message if interested in this set. Need to move asap. It needs light cleaning and its very heavy so bring help to load it. Lady asking 100.00 Located in the museum building

12/02/2025

If you donated a loved ones letter jacket and want to reclaim it, you have until Dec 31. After that they will be donated to various organizations. It is sad that we can't house the leftovers but there is no space left and we can only display a few things. I will have a few other items that will be available for purchase. I plan to have a small sale for those items as soon as the new exhibit room is complete in the building. Sometime in January, I will post the date as soon as I know. Please message if you are interested. Thank you.

11/17/2025

Please join us in prayers for the family of Gaston Alumni Mrs. Catherine Birdwell

Feb 7, 1929 - Nov 14, 2025

Mable Catherine Birdwell, age 96 went to be with the Lord at 1:13 PM on Friday, November 14, 2025. Catherine, as she liked to be called, was born in Henderson, Texas to Mary Francis and Henry Clay Minor. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, John Henry Birdwell, Sr, daughters Betty Ann Somerville and Janie Sue Sledge, brother Henry Clay Minor, Jr., sisters Raye Reeves and Faye Costello, Brother-in-Laws Baker Birdwell, Carl Grafton, Sister-in-Law Mary Ann Ridlehuber and Niece Carolyn Reeves.

Catherine attended Gaston High School and worked as a self-employed beautician for 35 years, bookkeeper, seamstress, waitress, and ceramics business owner. She was an extremely hard worker that never did anything at half-throttle. She rode motorcycles with her husband for many years and passed on that love to her children. But her main passion was family, whom she protected as fiercely as a Mama Bear.

Catherine is survived by her son, a retired executive with Lockheed Martin Corporate, Bethesda, MD. He resides with his wife, Kathy Ann Birdwell in Granbury, Texas. Surviving Sister-in-Laws Jeanelle Soape of Henderson, Texas; Clarise Crews of League City, Texas; Kay Birdwell of Austin, Texas; Son-in-Laws Neil Mac Sommerville, Sr., of Longview, Texas, Billy Sledge, of Henderson, Texas and Granddaughter’s Rachel J Hiatt, of Carrollton, Texas; Dr. Christine Birdwell, of Houston, Texas; Tracie McGill, of Conroe, Texas; Grandsons Neil Mac Sommerville, of San Antonio, Texas; David Sledge, of Henderson, Texas; and many grand and great grandchildren whom she loved dearly.

She will be missed by all.

Family visitation will be at the Crawford A. Crim Funeral Home in Henderson, Texas on Monday, November 17, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Memorial services will be held at the Crawford-A. Crim Chapel, Henderson, Texas at 2:00 PM Tuesday, November 18, 2025 with Alan Ketchum officiating, followed by graveside at Rusk County Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Vernon Minor, Kim Minor, Neal Minor, David Sledge, Mac Somerville, and Chase McGill.