VOICES
of the trans-pecos
around their house. A well went up the war experience, but her two
home. “The flare burned and roared though they didn’t want to, she
right across the street from their
all night,” she said. “It never got
dark.”
Through
some
financial
middle brothers both went even
said. Suzanne was young, but
remembers how awfully people
treated them when they returned
wrangling and trading, Suzanne to the States.
in Fort Davis in spring of 2019 as a unkindness in the world with
and Jim were able to buy property
satellite location for the Balmorhea
store. They opened on July 4 of last
Now
Suzanne
offsets
the
compassion and generosity. One of
her kindnesses when she lived in
year, even though it was still a Balmorhea was taking in an elderly
was hardly anything in the store, man whose wife had thrown him
work in progress. “Although there
people still came in and bought,”
Jim said. Their Grand Opening and
ribbon cutting was on November 9.
Suzanne and Jim love Fort Davis.
person. Paul was an 85-year-old
out. Suzanne and Leon took Paul in
as a guest, letting him park his
trailer behind their shop. Paul
He had started working with thing about West Texas - the oil
One thing that helped shape turquoise when he was 15 and kept
Suzanne into who she is now was
five children, her oldest brother
went off to college and was spared
16
Cenizo
Spring 2020
living in West Texas is the nature,
the animals, the beauty and the
pieces out of turquoise for the shop.
the Vietnam War. The youngest of
Suzanne’s favorite thing about
wanted to earn his keep and made “There’s no friendlier town, no safer
town, no prettier town,” Jim said.
next realm.
at it his whole life, going so far as
to
make
his
own
peacefulness. Her least favorite
wells.
Jim’s favorite thing is the star
stabilizing shine. “At night, you walk out and
with them before passing on to the you can just reach up and take
formula. Paul lived about a year
look up at the stars and seems like
one.” His least favorite thing is to
leave. When they have to go to
Odessa or somewhere farther than
Alpine, he complains. “Any town
bigger than Fort Davis is too damn
big.” n