Lisa Wood Martin '94 and sons Chance, 4, Brock, 2, and Reid, 8 weeks.

Scholarship honors McKinney family killed in accident

6-13-08/R. Minton

A scholarship honoring the late Lisa Wood Martin and her three young sons Chance, Brock and Reid Martin, all of McKinney, has been established by her father Dr. James R. Wood of McKinney through the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association.

The Lisa, Chance, Brock and Reid Martin Memorial Scholarship will benefit a student who majors in early childhood at the university. The recipient must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, and the scholarship is renewable to its current recipient, pending meeting the specified criteria.

A native of Irving, Martin grew up in Chandler and Laredo and graduated from Laredo High School in 1990. She attended SFA and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in 1994. While at SFA, she was an officer in Alpha Chi Omega sorority and an active member of the Yellow House Christian Student Center. She met her husband Mike Martin at SFA, and the couple married in 1996 in Nacogdoches.

After graduating from SFA, Martin spent seven years teaching in the Nacogdoches, McKinney and Little Elm school districts. Throughout her brief teaching career, Martin demonstrated a unique gift for working with children. The positive impact she left on her students, fellow teachers and school communities in which she worked was reflected by her being named “2004 Teacher of the Year” at Hackberry Elementary School in Little Elm ISD.

Martin, 32, Chance, 4, Brock, 2, Reid, 8 weeks, as well as Martin’s mother Betsy Wood of McKinney were killed in a tragic, fiery truck-car crash on Highway 75 near Sherman on Sept. 20, 2004.

“As the devoted mother of her three precious boys, Lisa always exemplified the best of young motherhood,” said her father Dr. Wood. “Chance was a dynamo and self-proclaimed ballplayer. Brock was already a renowned charmer with a winning smile, and Reid, was a handsome and lovable baby boy who was attentive to every move around him.”

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Kenner Scholarship to benefit Chireno students

James T. Kenner

6-16-08/R. Minton

A scholarship honoring the late James T. Kenner of Nacogdoches has been established by Lucy and Richard Dewitt and Tem-Kil Company, Inc. through the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association.

The James T. Kenner Scholarship will benefit students who graduate from Chireno High School or any rural Nacogdoches County high school. It will be awarded based on academics and financial aid, and the recipient must maintain a minimum B average at the university. The scholarship is renewable to its current recipient, pending meeting of all criteria.

Born and raised in Chireno, Kenner graduated from Chireno High School in 1954 as valedictorian of his class. He attended SFA for a year and then completed business school. He remained involved in Chireno by serving as president of the Chireno Upper Cemetery for more than 10 years.

In 1964, Kenner married Janie Owens, and their 42-year marriage produced two daughters, Melinda Kenner Wiebold and Audry Kenner Adams, and three grandchildren, Jessica Wiebold, Taylor Adams and Leighton Adams.

An avid domino player, Kenner and Paul Kendrick participated in numerous tournaments and won an international tournament. He served as a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church and worked with the youth program. Kenner was passionate about baseball and softball and actively played until he was 55 years old. He previously coached little league for both girls and boys and served many years as president of the Nacogdoches County Girls Softball League.

Kenner died Sept. 10, 2006 at the age of 71.

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Scholarship to benefit students in SFA Nelson Rusche College of Business

Rachel Melcher '91

6-16-08/R. Minton

Rachel Melcher of Houston has established a scholarship through the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association. The Rachel Melcher Scholarship will benefit students who study business in the Nelson Rusche College of Business at SFA. The recipient must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, and the scholarship is renewable to its current recipient.

Melcher received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from SFA in 1991. While a student at SFA, she was active in Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity and worked as a student assistant in the SFA Alumni Association office. She volunteered as district director for Alpha Kappa Psi after graduating from the university.

In 1991, Melcher began a career with Invesco AIM in client services and obtained a Series 6 and Series 63 securities licenses. She currently serves as senior systems analyst in the Product Strategy and Investment Services Division of Invesco AIM.
She is a member of the Professional Organization of Women of Wine and serves as the vice president of the St. Emanuel Street Home Owners’ Association. For the past 10 years, Melcher has served as a member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. She previously served on the organization’s livestock committee and currently serves as captain of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s wine competition committee. This year, she won the Chairman’s Award for service to the committee.

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Huffstetler Scholarship to benefit Lumberjack basketball

Harvey Huffstetler '71

6-16-08/R. Minton
A scholarship honoring Harvey Huffstetler of Jonesboro, Ark., has been established by friends through the Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association. Earnings from the Harvey Huffstetler Scholarship, which was initiated in 2000, will be used at the discretion of the athletic director and head coach to benefit the Lumberjack basketball program. Funds for the scholarship were generated through duck hunts hosted by Huffstetler, Jack Nelson and Bob Sitton on the Huffstetlers’ land in Arkansas.

A native of Waxahachie, Huffstetler attended Tyler Junior College before earning his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from SFA in 1971. From 1972 to 1990, he served as executive vice president for Diversified Consultants in Dallas and vice president of JDL, Inc., two insurance marketing companies. He also served as president of American Diversified Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1972 to 1983.

Huffstetler has served as president of HH Corporation of Arkansas since 1990. He also has taught at Arkansas State University for Insurance Specialty Training of Arkansas (ISTA) since 2005 where he trained new agents to prepare for the Arkansas state-licensing program for life and health insurance.

He has worked with actuaries for many companies to develop insurance products to sell through payroll deduction and has sold pension and profit sharing plans to corporations. Huffstetler has worked in 27 states as a non-resident agent and has represented companies such as Washington National, Massachusetts General Life, Kennansaw Life, Government Personnel Mutual Life, Conseco, Shennandoah, US Able, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Phoenix Mutual, Jackson National Provident Life and Accident, Protective Life.

Huffstetler was inducted into the SFA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982. He and his wife Linda have one son, Wixson. The family is a member of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro.

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