Painting the Town Maroon - McMurry University

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Divinity degree while serving at Hereford. Through his many years in the ministry, the Trotters established lasting relationships and connections with many, including Lane and Tamra Boyd, who they met while serving in Dumas, Texas. Among their many friends at Polk Street UMC were Goldie and Omar Hermsmeyer and young Erin Stevens and her family. Lane and Tamra Boyd Lane and Tamra Boyd both grew up in Dumas, Texas, and they met Clifford and Irene Trotter while attending First United Methodist Church there. “I think the first time I heard about McMurry was from Clifford,” said Lane. “I was in the fellowship hall at Dumas UMC and Clifford said something about going to McMurry. I think I was in the ninth grade. I didn’t plan on it [attending McMurry], but he kept twisting my arm,” he said grinning. Tamra had a similar story. “He [Clifford] took me to McMurry for a campus visit.” She was sold on McMurry and enrolled as a freshman. Lane decided to begin his college career at Texas Tech, and he stayed there for one and a half years before transferring to McMurry.” On a visit to McMurry to see Tamra, Lane remembers going into the dean’s office on a Saturday morning and “noticing the welcoming atmosphere and the attention we got. That tilted the scales a little bit. When I finally decided to major in ministry and to transfer, the professors and others were so helpful and adjusted their day to advise me regarding a possible schedule for my first semester at McMurry.” “That first experience might have been even more impressive for someone who was attending a large state, public university,” Tamra added. And she said Lane might have had one other reason for transferring to McMurry. “I let him go with that explanation for a long time. He finally admits that there might have been something else that helped him decide to come to McMurry,” she said smiling. While at McMurry, Tamra served as president of Theta Chi and Lane was Theta Chi Guy. Lane also served in McMurry Student Government, served as president of Alpha Chi and participated in a Model UN trip to St. Louis. Tamra was a member of the Kappa Delta Pi National Education Honor Society. After McMurry, Lane earned a master of divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and then took his first pastoral assignment as associate pastor at Polk Street. He moved to Wolfforth outside of Lubbock for four years and then back to Abilene at Elmwood West United Methodist Church for four years. “That gave us an opportunity to reconnect with McMurry,” said Tamra. They served congregations at Spearman and Sweetwater and then Lane was named Pampa District Superintendent. Then, after serving at First United Methodist Church in Midland, Lane and Tamra moved to Polk Street in February 2005. In sharing his McMurry experience, Lane said, “We received a good well-rounded education and learned the value of being open-minded and to keep our eyes open to learning new things and gaining new perspectives. The professors, as well as being very intelligent, were very committed to their faith and to the church. That’s a strong witness.” “You felt like you were important. You were respected,” Tamra added. “We both got our master’s after we left, and we both felt we were prepared for the next step in our academics. I never felt at other institutions the relationships I felt at McMurry. I think we benefited from McMurry’s size and its affiliation with the United Methodist Church. We were treated with respect and kindness.” Lane has served on the McMurry Board of Trustees off and on since 1990. In August he will officiate the wedding of McMurry and Polk Street alumna, Erin Stevens. Erin’s mother and step-father are members at Polk Street. Omar and Goldie Hermsmeyer Originally from Nebraska, Goldie and Omar Hermsmeyer married and moved to Amarillo in 1945, where Omar was a successful businessman. He owned the Toyota dealership in Amarillo, as well as a downtown office building and the only downtown pharmacy. Members of Polk Street UMC since 1945, they became involved with McMurry University through the church and through their belief in the importance of higher education. “We gave because we were mission-minded, and we paid our donations directly 12 M c M u r r y U n i v e r s i t y
to McMurry,” said Goldie. Also, she recently donated a large gift toward the renovation of Bynum Band Hall as part of the Shaping the Future capital campaign. Goldie is proud of her longtime relationship with Lane and Tamra Boyd and Clifford and Irene Trotter. “Clifford and Irene have been very good to me,” she said. “I helped Irene when her mother was in the St. Anthony’s Hospital and I was a volunteer there.” She also volunteered her time working with youth at Polk Street and still promotes McMurry by giving their youth director the McMurry alumni magazine to display in the youth department. Demonstrating a strong belief in the importance of higher education, she has helped fifteen of her young relatives attend college. “It’s not like it was when we were growing up. Today, you need a college education.” Omar, who served for many years on the McMurry Board of Trustees, died in 1996. In 1999, Goldie endowed a scholarship in his honor to help students from the Texas Panhandle come to McMurry. Goldie fondly recalls that Erin Stevens from Polk Street was the first recipient of the scholarship. Erin Stevens Erin Stevens is one of the youngest links in the Polk Street–McMurry connection. “Growing up attending Polk Street United Methodist Church, I would hear a lot about McMurry University, from current students who visited our Sunday School class on a McMurry Sunday and from other church members like Rev. Jim Garrett, who served on the McMurry Board of Trustees,” she said. “Rev. Garrett would often return after a board meeting and mention McMurry in his sermon.” Clifford Trotter and Goldie Hermsmeyer were also instrumental in Erin’s selection of McMurry. While at McMurry, Erin was extremely thankful to have been awarded the Omar Hermsmeyer Endowed Scholarship, which she credits in helping pay off her college expenses. “Clifford and Irene Trotter have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and when I learned that Clifford went to school at McMurry, I knew I needed to look into that school.” Another Polk Street connection was with the Susanna Wesley Sunday School Class. “I received their scholarship all four years that I was in school. I would go and visit them any time I was home and update them about my McMurry experience.” While at McMurry, Erin was involved in Gamma Sigma Women’s Social Club and was president her senior year. She was a senator in McMurry Student Government her sophomore and junior years and was president of the Senior Class. “I helped re-charter the Student Ambassador Board and served as president, as well as sponsor when I was employed with McMurry. I was a Tribe Guide, a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Lambda Pi Eta,” Erin said. “All of my involvement at McMurry played a huge part in the success of my career. Leading organizations such as Gamma Sigma and SAB truly helped prepare me for the working world.” After graduation, Erin was hired as Associate Director of Alumni Relations, where she influenced many alumni as positively as she was influenced by her Polk Street mentors. “I am forever indebted to McMurry, because without the experiences I had in my six year,s there I would not be the person I am today,” Erin said. “McMurry took me, an average student who was just a number in high school, and turned me into a mature adult, a leader, a stronger Christian, a hard worker, a better daughter, sister, friend and soon-to-be wife.” Erin will be marrying Aaron Samson on August 7, 2010 at Polk Street where Lane Boyd will be officiating. “I got to know Lane and Tamra while I was working at McMurry and I couldn’t think of a better person to marry us than fellow McMurry alum, Lane.” Erin continues to build on her McMurry connections. She currently serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a constant advocate for McMurry. She proudly shared that she was successful in getting her cousin, Kelsey Head ’13, to attend McMurry. Forever Connected Clifford and Irene Trotter, Omar and Goldie Hermsmeyer, Lane and Tamra Boyd, and Erin Stevens...lives interconnected through a church and a university, both of which positively influenced the other and their shared relationships. As the Polk Street–McMurry connection expands and grows stronger, geography and generations overlap, and the people involved will remember their common heritage, memories and connections. • M c M u r r y U n i v e r s i t y 13
Page 1 and 2: SPRING 2010 Painting the Town Maroo
Page 3 and 4: T H E A lu m n i M ag a z i n e o f
Page 5 and 6: The people in our feature stories a
Page 7 and 8: every year, and more importantly, s
Page 9 and 10: Nathan currently attends McMurry, p
Page 11 and 12: “Artesia is like McMurry in that
Page 13: One might say that in certain light
Page 17 and 18: 35 graduates of Merkel High School
Page 19 and 20: March 11 & 12, 2010 H O S T E D B Y
Page 21: Conference Details This event is ho
Page 24 and 25: ATHLETICS For the full athletics up
Page 26 and 27: ATHLETICS For the full athletics up
Page 28 and 29: FRIENDS Become a fan of McMurry on
Page 30 and 31: 28 M c M u r r y U n i v e r s i t
Page 32 and 33: HOMECOMING REUNION DINNERS 40th Reu
Page 34 and 35: FRIENDS & FAMILY Chaplain Col. Holl
Page 36 and 37: FRIENDS & FAMILY coach and math tea
Page 38 and 39: FRIENDS WE’LL MISS doctorate in F
Page 40: Office of University Relations Box

Painting the Town Maroon - McMurry University

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