The Tiny Central Texas Conference Town Makes a Big Thanksgiving Difference to Fort Hood Soldiers
An Erath County tradition that WFFA News in Dallas/Fort Worth termed “a scene that might even be too sweet for Norman Rockwell” continued over the weekend as the good folks of Morgan Mill, Texas hosted their annual Thanksgiving dinner. While a community thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t normally blip the radar of large regional news outlets like WFAA and the Fort Worth Star Telegram, this celebration is special because it has become a tradition not only for the sprawling metropolis of 300, but also for soldiers stationed two hours away at Fort Hood.
The Star Telegram writes, “It's a legitimate question how Morgan Mill, population under 300, with a post office, cemetery, three churches and a school that ends at eighth grade, could be considered a perk for single soldiers stuck a long way from home at Thanksgiving. The soldiers are not the reason for the Morgan Mill community holiday lunch, which fed about 800 people Friday, Nov. 18. The lunch is
20-years-old, and soldiers have been coming for only about five years. But the presence of young troops, most of them out of high school only a few years, has infused the lunch and the town with a greater sense of pride and thanksgiving. It has also given the youngsters something to look forward to: big kids to play with on the playground after lunch.”
Morgan Mill UMC is one of many who helps sponsor this event and the majority of the School Board members are also members of the church.
To read the entire Star Telegram article, visit www.star-telegram.com. A flash video version of the WFAA News report is also available at wfaa.com.