Archives > McKinney Courier-Gazette > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Running Districts Clerks office a tall order
By J.B. Blocker, Viewpoint
In the past 70 years, there have only been four District Clerks in Collin County handling records that go back to 1846. The latest of these guardians of records, Hannah Kunkle has held the post for 24 years. She grew up in McKinney and was part of the staff until an inexperienced outsider won the ’82 election. She only served one term!
Over the next four years, the District Clerks office experienced a 300 percent turnover and everything went to heck. There was mutiny!
Attorneys and Judges begged Hannah to run again which she did. Since then, there have only been five dismissals from a staff that now includes 68. Those dismissals were largely because of not having the right attitude.
“ We take great pride in going the extra mile to provide access to the documents that we are guardians to.”
This is her baby!
Patricia Crigger came to the department 23 years ago and has been an integral part of the growth and modernization of records keeping ever since.
“If Patricia ‘Wysong’ Crigger does not win this election, I will just cry! She has been a lifelong friend and my Deputy District Clerk for the last 15 years. My staff is efficient, well trained, knowledgeable, and a close tight knit unit. The thought that someone outside of this corps of dedicated professionals without the knowledge and experience to maintain the continuity of this office frightens me.”
The sentiment is shared by the entire staff! That is evidenced by the many staffers who have given up as much as 100 hours of vacation time to support their friend and supervisor. They are proud of their efficiency and are concerned about loosing that esprit de corps. Most certainly several of the upper management would not stay to be part of the inevitable shake up of a new and inexperienced District Clerk
I talked to a few local attorneys to get their feedback on this election.
Howard Shapiro, husband to State Senator Florence has been practicing law in Collin County for more than 36 years. His assistant Janis Nixon has been in the District Clerks office almost daily for the past 34 years. “ I would dare say that no one has had more interaction with the office than my staff. Ever!”
“I remember the disaster when an inexperienced candidate won the election purely based on party line voting. This was about 28 years ago. For the next four years, the stack of to be filed items grew and the staff kept changing over and over. I hope we never have to go through those kinds of changes again!”
“I can’t imagine any one but Mrs. Crigger taking over the reigns of a now well organized system and staff.”
Ralph De la Garza the Democratic candidate for Collin County D.A. has dealt with many District Clerks offices all over Texas. “I have never had a problem with the Collin County office. The staff is cooperative, and the records they handle are always accessible. I am proud to say that our county has the best District Clerks office I have had the pleasure to access. Even Dallas County has modeled their systems and procedures after Collin County.”
What’s in a name?
I have to admit, I have never had a personal need to use the District Clerks office directly. The only reason I even chased this story down was the fact that I kept seeing the name Wysong attached to campaign posters. I knew the name was significant to the history of Collin County, and I wondered if this Patricia Wysong Crigger was using that name for recognition purposes.
A few of my friends can date their families to Collin County for over 100 years. When I asked A.M. Scott and Thad Helsley about Patricia, what I got was unbridled support of a woman who takes exceptional pride in this county.
“You’ve got to know Patricia to understand.” This from two men who run the oldest real estate office in Texas. 100 years of continuous operation. “ She has always been feisty, dedicated, and most of all, well grounded. But in regards to this office she seeks, this woman is a perfectionist who knows how to lead, how to get along, and when to stand her ground.”
Helsley adds, “ The Wysong family is a proud name in this county, but even without the name, I know how the District Clerks office was before Hannah and Patricia, and I have seen nothing but forward thinking improvement since they have been there. Patricia can stand on her own with anyone. She is a class act!
She is also very competitive (‘don’t play golf with her and expect to win’) and she is not only proud to help preserve the history of our county, but she is dedicated.”
1840
Eight families left their homes to join other Virginians on a journey to settle a land of promise. Among them were C.S. Wysong and John Rattan. Their families have thrived and become integral parts of Collin County. The decedents are successful by their own rights and they have a love and dedication to the county that few can match.
Since that time, the Wysong family has produced noted surgeons, respected family doctors, and even champion golfers. That’s why Thad Helsley warned about playing golf with Patricia. Her brother Dudley won the Hawaiian Open, the Phoenix Open, and was runner up in the PGA.
Imagine Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer putting in the back yard at 1307 W. Louisiana in McKinney, Texas.
It’s true! A young Patricia whose mother was also a talented golfer stood her ground with the boys. When she attended the Byron in her twenties, Lee Trevino warned the others to watch out, the young Miss Wysong was already a 4 handicap. The elegant Patricia is a self proclaimed Tom-boy. I asked her if she still had some girl friends she played with. Silly me! Her answer, “ Heck no! I like to beat the boys!”
The Wysong Clinic has been home to three generations of doctors with cousin Bradford Wysong still active as a Radiologist. When you talk to either of the cousins, you understand their commitment to this community runs as deep as time itself.
Keepers of the Flame
The District Clerks office is the records keeper for all the District Courts. Here are their responsibilities: Civil Cases, Family Cases, Child Protective, Divorces, Felonies, Juvenile records and Capital Murder.
The nine District Courts rely on this office to keep the evidence safe and accessible. Over 18,000 cases a year are filed in this county and that number is continually growing.
The office is also responsible for supplying the jurors for all county cases. Patricia Crigger is the lead supervisor for jury selection and personally swears in the juror pool when ever possible.
I was granted a tour of the facility by Ms. Kunkle and saw first hand the amazing volume of well organized records and evidence that must be preserved. Showing off their handiwork are Patricia, Brian Edwards ( the only male among 67 ladies), and Becky Littrell.
The most remarkable thing to me was the incredible order and accessibility to the records that span 150 years.
Over the years Patricia has been integral in choosing and implementing the operating systems in place. This has been a complicated procedure that is meant to preserve the records of this county.
Who else could possibly have more dedication, experience, and leadership to preserve the path that Hannah Kunkle has established?
“I’ve got big shoes to fill, states the Deputy District Clerk. Hannah has a wonderful balance between employee relations and profession performance. Just like Hannah, I care about this office and the staff. I love my job and I am proud of the job we do. I intend to maintain the level of excellence that has become our standard."
J.B. Blocker is a media consultant based in Historic Downtown McKinney, Texas.
PHOTOS BY J.B. BLOCKER
Keepers of the Flame
Pictured holding the giant record books that have been converted to digital form: Marcia Simpson, Patricia Wysong Crigger, Becky Littrell, and Laura Akins.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
Republican Lady wrote on Mar 7, 2010 9:14 PM:
" Patrica Crigger is the only choice for this position. When we talk about experience, out of the two candidates, Patricia is the ONLY one with the experience and know how for the job. There will be no down time for her to learn the position. She is ready for it!!! PATRICIA WYSONG CRIGGER FOR DISTRICT CLERK!!! "
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
