Meet RICK TOWNSEND

“Ricky” Townsend was born in 1954 in Terrell, Texas, the closest hospital to the Townsend farm north of Terrell. Rick says he has stayed close to home ever since, because he never found a good reason to leave. His ancestors, the Townsend and Criswell families, were farmers in the Valley View and Briscoe Community areas, and many cousins from this “large family” still live our community.

James C. (plumber) (member of WW-II 8th Army Air Corps in England) and Nina P. “Polly” (homemaker) Townsend (Parents) remained Forney residents until their deaths. Rick’s older Sister is Cheree Cargill.

Rick graduated from East Texas State University with a double major (Health & Physical Education and History) and ultimately became a “firefighter”—starting as a Volunteer Fireman in Forney (1976), and next being hired by Garland in 1978, staying there for 28 years, and then becoming Chief of the Forney Department in 2006—finally retiring from that position in 2020 after putting in 44 years as a fireman and now having a body that “feels it.”

A great lady, as Rick calls her, Nancy Townsend (retired from Forney I. S. D. after 39 years) has been married to Rick for 41 years, and they have two children (F. H. S. graduates) and four grandchildren. Rick has served the community on the School Board and is a Trustee and Deacon of the 1st Baptist Church.

Both Nancy and Rick are members of several Forney organizations and also spend much of their time with Grandchildren and “gardening/farming” and are waiting for a new adventure from the Lord!

Thanks to Museum Manager, Kendall Nobles, here are two photos of Mick Spellman’s House on Center Street. The earlier is from 1908, and the more recent is probably from about 1990, when Mr. Spellman was still residing there.

She also provided a photo of the “plaque,” which designates the Board of Directors when this museum was dedicated in 2001. Note that one of the original officers (biography in a recent article), Donna Hervey, is still our TREASURER today and still “going strong!” Also, note that Jerry Flook, author of Forney Country, was one of the 1st Board Members.