Tralee Crisis Center Tree Dedication

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Two local women who died recently as a result of domestic violence were remembered this week at a tree dedication in North Crest Park, held by Tralee Crisis Center victim services agency.

Tralee staff, volunteers, and family and friends of the murdered women gathered at the park on Oct. 18 to dedicate two red oak trees, purchased through community donations and planted as symbols of the beauty,  strength and resilience of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

On Aug. 21, 2020, Sabrina Bowen, 20, of Shamrock, was found shot to death on a street corner in Shamrock. After an investigation by the Texas Rangers, her boyfriend, Denver Page, 23, was arrested and charged with her murder. He was convicted Aug. 16 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

On May 23, Pampa police responding to an open 911 call discovered Sarah Baxter Bolch, 38, dead of a gunshot wound in her home. Her husband Matthew Bolch was arrested and later indicted for first degree murder. He remains in Gray County Jail on a $1 million bond awaiting trial.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month throughout the nation. In Texas, 228 persons died at the hands of intimate partners, a 23 percent increase from 2019 and the highest number of deaths in a decade, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. The youngest victim was 14; the oldest was 90.

Dee Dee Laramore, retired executive director, presented the program. She introduced Jennifer Foreman, LCSW, as the new ED and Karen McGahen as the assistant director. “With this leadership, I know Tralee will be in good hands for years to come,” she said.

Laramore also thanked the donors who made it possible to purchase and plant the trees: R&H Electric, Pike Motors, Family Support Services, Doug and Sara Carmichael, and Linda Ditmore. She recognized Pedro Arreola and A&T Yard Services for their help in planting and stabilizing the trees and the City of Pampa Parks Department for providing a place for the trees and ongoing care for them.

Since 1984, Tralee Crisis Center has provided a 24-hour hotline, shelter, and comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and all violent crimes in eight counties of the eastern Texas Panhandle: Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hemphill, Roberts and Wheeler.

If you or someone you know needs help, call Tralee’s hotline at 806-669-1788 or 1-800-658-2796.