PCT : How long have you been in Parker County ? JG : We bought property here in 1999 and after totally restoring the old building and adding on we opened up Brazos River Catfish Cafe . It ’ s really been good for us .
PCT : What ’ s the coolest thing you have ever done ? JG : Opening a successful restaurant with zero budget . It was an old cafe and gas station from 1939 to 1966 , and it had just sat there and slowly became destroyed . It was for sale , and I just fell in love with the old building that the restaurant was in .
PCT : What ’ s your secret talent ? JG : Just being able to visit with people . Here everybody feels like they ’ re eating at home . We call them all family , but they have to pay for the meal .
PCT : What piece of advice has helped define your life up till now ? JG : Well , they told me to stay out of the restaurant business . We ’ re in the middle of nowhere — really we are . And [ some of ] our customers come from a hundred miles away . We ’ ve got Thursday-night customers and our Friday-night customers — they like to sit in the same place . We ’ ve got a very faithful clientele . Though we back up to the interstate we don ’ t get a lot of off-the-road traffic . All our people know we ’ re here , and then they bring their friends here , and then they become regulars .
PCT : If you could have another career , what would it be and why ? JG : Marina manager . I used to manage marinas , and I loved that . I ’ m a boater , I love to visit with boat people , but this is pretty much the same thing . I loved managing marinas . I did that for 36 years at three different marinas — two on Lake Texoma and one on Eagle Mountain Lake .
Dean Hungate
Dean Hungate is the Managing Director of the Doss Heritage and Culture Center . This is his second career as he spent more than 41 years working for John Deere , managing shows and exhibits , traveling the country and the world .
PCT : How long have you been in Parker County ? DH : I ’ ve been here since 2005 . I currently live in Millsap and have an 11acre ranch , with horses , dogs and cats .
PCT : What ’ s the coolest thing that you have ever done in your life ? DH : I ’ ve done so many things . The birth of children , traveling the world . I left Moline , Illinois and flew east until I flew into Moline again doing traveling programs . I made stops along the way in Germany , South Africa , throughout Australia , Hawaii and then home . All of the trip completed in just shy of a month . Afterwards , I slept for two days .
PCT : What ’ s your secret talent ? DH : I used to ride pretty well , travel around and trail ride . My dad was part of the original cowboy turtle association , the forerunner of the PRCA .
PCT : What is your definition of the best day ever ? DH : The day I married my wife , and the birth of my daughter . That ’ s my biggest joy , my wife had three children before we married , and I had one so we melded our families . I like having all of the kids around .
PCT : What piece of advice has defined your life up till now ? DH : Don ’ t be afraid to take a step backwards to move forward . I learned that a long time ago at Deer and so many young people don ’ t understand that .
PCT : If you could have another career , what would it be and why ? DH : I ’ m in it . I absolutely love the Doss Heritage and Culture Center , and I love the people .
LeAnna Jane ( Ingram ) Gieger
Executive Assistant to the President of TG Mercer
PCT : What do you do ? LG : When you are someone ’ s assistant it is your job to make sure that person ’ s day is as organized as possible . I do a little of everything and anything I ’ m asked to do and somethings that I am not asked to do anticipating what will come next for my boss and his family … That is the short version of my job !
PCT : What is your favorite book ? LG : This is a hard question because I love to read . I have read a lot of books and many are my favorite . If I had to pick one I would say , The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C . S . Lewis PCT : What is your favorite movie ? LG : Fried Green Tomatoes , Steel Magnolias , movies with strong friendships between girlfriends are always fun to
JANUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
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