You Don't Speak Ill Of The Dead In Texas

[UpInArms]

2. I miss people like Rufe Jordan

I worked for him back in 1978/79

He was a democratic sheriff for 38 years

The larger-than-life archetype of a Texas sheriff was known for keeping peace in the Panhandle



Wearing handmade boots and a Resistol hat, Rufus “Rufe” Jordan was the larger-than-life archetype of a Texas sheriff, a position he held in Gray County for 38 years. Rufe stood a bulky 6-foot-4 and could be tough when the situation demanded it. According to local lore, four inmates once jumped Rufe in the county jail and he whipped all four in less than a minute, no weapons used. But his intimidating appearance was a facade: Rufe was widely known as a soft-spoken, tenderhearted man who would help anybody in need. So, when Dallas-based photographer Kent Barker visited in 1982 to photograph the sheriff in his office, it was no surprise when Rufe’s poodle, Honey, jumped into his lap. After Rufe died in 1991, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice honored his legacy by naming its Pampa prison the Rufe Jordan Unit.

https://texashighways.com/culture/history/sheriff-rufe-jordan-kicks-back-with-honey/

You just couldn’t find a better representation of Texas for me

ETA:

I was among the 20,000 people who marched down Congress avenue to reclaim the Capitol for Ann Richards … her daughter was among the best and brightest stars that shined over Texas