Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / July 1, 1982, edition 1 / Page 11
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a PRR Ds rr ro! fi oa ia pi & MRS. JAMES CHRISTOPHER WILSON (Diane Rice) COKE AND A SMILE - If you want Pedro, a = coke. That's his favorite drink. Sewell is pic- A it donkey at Thurston Hamrick and Tony tured ‘here giving Pedro a can of the real 1 Sewell’s petting zoo near Kings Mountain Na- thing. tional Military Park, to smile, just give him a | If You Like Animals, You'll Love Diane Rice, Chris Wilson Exchange Vows On Saturday Diane Rice of West Palm Beach, Fla., and James Christopher Wilson of Bessemer City exchanged their wedding vows in a 3 p.m. ceremony Saturday at First Wesleyan Church in Kings Mountain. Rev. David Hammonds, pastor of Liberty Baptist Church of Gastonia, officiated in the double-ring rites. A program of wedding music was presented by Mrs. Macie Jenkins, organist; “Mrs. Ellen Bolin, pianist; and Mrs. Elizabeth Bolin, ‘soloist. Mrs. Bolin sang “Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us”, “Whether Thou Goest” and “The Wedding Prayer.” The bride is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard J." Rice Sr. and the granddaughter of Mrs. Mildred Rice of West Palm Beach, Fla. She is a graduate of West Side Christian School in West Palm Beach, at- tended Bob Jones University and prior to her marriage taught at West Side Christian School. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Wilson of Bessemer City and the grandson of Mrs. Bertie Hartsoe of Kings Mountain and Robert W. Spencer of Gastonia, and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Collins of Gastonia. He is a graduate of Bessemer City High School and Bob Jones University and is a teacher at South View Christian School in Statesville. The bride was given in mar- riage by her brother, Richard J. Rice Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. Her sister, Susan Baptist of Jackson- ville, Fla., was seated in memory of her mother. The bride wore a wedding gown of white rose lace over white silk, with an empire waistline, pearl neckline and white rose lace sleeves. Her veil was edged in rose lace and tiny pearls and she carried a white Bi- ble covered with white and yellow roses. Miss Janet Rohman of Lake Worth, Fla., served as maid of honor. Matron of honor was “Mrs. ‘Cathy Kiser, the groom’s sister, of Bessemer City. The bride’s cousin, Holly Spencer of Lincolnton, served as flower girl and another cousin, Lee Page of Cherryville, was ring bearer. Julie Spencer, a cousin from Durham, distributed wedding programs and rice bags and Diane Deal and Lu Ann Ketchie of Statesville attended the guest register. The groom’s father served as best man. Ushers were his brother, Mike Wilson, and brother-in-law, Brett Kiser, both of Bessemer City; the bride’s Turn To Page 10-B KM’s New Petting Zoo By GARY STEWART Editor As a youngster growing up on his father’s farm in Boiling Spr- ings, Thurston Hamrick developed a love for animals. He turned it into a career as a professional rodeo clown, and now it’s the result of a new venture-the establishment of a petting zoo and kiddie rides at the entrance to the Kings Moun- tain National Military Park. Hamrick and his partner, Tony Sewell, opened for business last weekend and will continue to operate the zoo each Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer. Week- day appointments will be made for church, civic, school and other groups and a nearby playground and picnic area will be available free of charge to all persons who attend the zoo. The two men, who have spent their winters putting on donkey basketball games in a seven-state area, began toying with the idea of a petting zoo about three years ago. But they hadn’t been ER i able to find a suitable location Photos by Gary Stewart until recently. feeding some grain to some of the animals. The zoo operates each Friday, Saturday and FEEDING ANIMALS - Thurston Hamrick, who along with Tony Sewell of Boiling Spr- LINDA LA-BRONE HORD (Bride-Elect of Wayne Willie Baliles) ENGAGED - Mr. and Mrs. Dick McClain of 407 Maner Road announce the engagement of their daughter, Linda La-Brone Hord, to Wayne Willie Baliles, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Baliles of Gastonia. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Kings Mountain High School, where she was active in the Deca and Pep clubs. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Ethel Allman of Kings Mountain and Mrs. Beulah Moore of Greenville, S.C., and is employed by Easco Hand Tools of Gastonia. The pro- spective bridegroom is a graduate of Hunter Huss High School and is employed by Lithium Corporation of America. The wed- ding will be an event of August 28 at Ridge Baptist Church in Gastonia. Jonas Bridges, general manager of WKMT Radio in Kings Mountain, suggested the location near the battleground due to the heavy flow of tourist traffic. The zoo is located on Highway 216 where the old Palmetto Railroad used to be. Hamrick said the summer months are the slack months for rodeos and donkey basketball, “and we’ve got to do something or get hungry.” : In addition to the petting zoo with animals such as ducks, chickens, donkeys, a ‘monkey, skunk, goats, lop-eared rabbit, guineas, miniature horse and two llamas, there will be pony and donkey rides for the children and a building housing a conces- sion stand and souvenir shop. Feed will be sold for the youngsters to feed the animals. “We think it’ll do good,” said Hamrick. “Nothing like this has been offered in this area before, and it’s educational and lots of fun for the kids.” Sewell, who is involved in donkey basketball but does not follow the rodeo circuit, will manage the business. Most of the zoo animals were ac- cumulated through the donkey basketball and rodeo businesses. Hamrick recalled that his love for animals began as a youngster when a horse trader in the Boil- ing Springs area conned the neighborhood kids into breaking in his horses. “I got pretty good at it,” he said. “I went to a couple of rodeos and decided I could ride as well as the rodeo riders. I started riding and got into clowning shortly afterward.” ings has opened a petting zoo near Kings Mountain Battleground, is pictured here Hamrick, who performs for four different rodeo associations, says he’s had thousands of thrills and experiences, but his most memorable experience came in Michigan when he almost died after being gored by a bull. Hamrick was fighting the bull to get it away from a rider who had been thrown, and after the rider got away Hamrick con- tinued to fight the bull. “I guess I zigged and he zagg- ed,” Hamrick recalled, “and he got me in the rib cage. They took about two-thirds of my liver out and I stayed in the hospital about two or three weeks. There’s always something hap- pening. I ought to be taking notes and write a book when I retire.” Hamrick, whose business is billed as “Thurston Hamrick’s Professional Animal Frolics”, got into donkey basketball’ several years ago after ac- cumulating several trick mules. He boarded the animals on his father’s farm in Boiling Springs and after accumulating so many he couldn’t take care of them himself, Sewell joined him. Of course, the two men hope the petting zoo will expand into something bigger in the future, possibly adding stagecoach and wagon rides. “But our main goal is to offer clean, family entertainment and see people not have to spend an arm and leg to have something enjoyable that the family can do together,” they said. Sunday. RIDES LLAMA - Candee Sewell sits on the back of one of two llamas which live at the new petting zoo near Kings Mountain National Military Park. But just in case the llama as ideas of getting up, Candee makes sure Thurston Hamrick keeps his hand on the bridle. RA
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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July 1, 1982, edition 1
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