Page 15 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2022 - Online Magazine

LOCAL LEGENDS

Mr. Patterson said that in all
the years he had been going
out there on Christmas,
he had never witnessed a
Christmas Day release. It’s
interesting that that miracle
occurred when it did, since
it was the last time the
group was able to go at
Christmas because of the
pandemic.

Clifton Jr and Rev Peoples Gilbert Herrera with TJ
Reverend Peoples, the
longtime Pastor of Mount
Olive First Missionary and laughingly
Baptist Church in Slaton, mentioned that he would added that it was
pick up Mr. Patterson several times a week to go to the “just to get him off
Covenant Lifestyle Center to work out. “TJ was always my back”! Once
lively and talked to everyone,” he said. “We also would on the Council, he
go to the park just to meet and visit with people and pray was disappointed
with them.” occasionally when
TJ wouldn’t give him
Clifton Jr., Reverend Peoples’ son, reiterated that TJ advice. “He would
would pray for people all the time and that they would sometimes give you
just come up to him and share their troubles, and he advice, but a lot of
would immediately ask to pray for them. "He was always times he’d make you
concerned about trying to help make people’s lives come to the decision
better,” he said. yourself. He was wise
like that.”
One of those ways was through working with at-
risk students. As an officer with the Lubbock Police Longtime friend, Gilbert Herrera, worked for many years
Department, Floyd Price would see him four to five with TJ Patterson in the civil rights movement and in the
times a week when TJ would stop by. He said that he was war against drugs in our city. “TJ used his newspaper,
always so concerned about the kids and would say, “We The Southwest Digest, and later his position on the City
need to take care of our ‘chilluns.’” Council, to support our cause. He was a godly man who
never backed down from doing what he believed was
Floyd laughed as he recalled that TJ would stop by right. He was one-of-a-kind. Irreplaceable! There will
to visit and then end up taking over the counseling
sessions by talking to the students. He would tell them never be another TJ Patterson!” Or in Floyd’s words, “He
was a spark that no one could put out!”
that no one could force them
to be decent, but that they
were responsible for their own
actions. He also talked to them
about how it was important
to “dress for success,” and TJ
would set a great example for
them each time.

When TJ planned to retire from
the Lubbock City Council after
serving for 20 years, he began
Floyd Price to talk his friend Floyd into
running. Floyd finally relented

Lubbock Senior Link 15