Crawfish boil honoring lives of three public servants deemed a success

By Ben Woods
bwoods@casscountynow.com

Crawfish fanatics and event supporters flocked to the recent Big Bird Crawfish Boil despite morning rain. 
The 20th annual Big Bird Crawfish Boil celebrated the lives of three public servants from Cass County while raising money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. 
Along with the sale of crawfish meals, there was an auction with donated items and a cakewalk. 
There was also a horseshoe tournament, in which Jeremy Griffith and James Williams took first. 
The public servants honored were Scott Burns, Bubba McMillon Jr. and Jacob Dude Turner. 
Burns was a Texas State Trooper, a native of Cass County and a graduate of Linden-Kildare. He worked at the Telford Unit located in New Boston until he was accepted into the DPS Academy. 
After completing the academy, he returned to East Texas and was stationed in Marion County. Burns tragically lost his life in the line of duty on April 29, 2008. 
McMillon was a Linden-Kildare graduate and a fourth-generation peace officer. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Haskell McMillon. 
Bubba was serving as chief of police for Ore City until his death on Oct. 3, 2009 from a medical condition.
Jacob Dude Turner was a native of Linden, a Linden-Kildare graduate, and a corrections officer at the Telford Unit. Turner lost his life on January 5, 2010 in an automobile accident on his way to work. 
Donations are still being accepted and are close to the goal of $15,000.
Anyone who would like to send a donation can mail it to Big Bird Crawfish Boil benefitting St. Jude, to the care of Pam Cornett Whatley, at P.O. Box 187, Lodi, Texas 75564.