Where Are They Now?

For a few years in the 2000s, Ben Templeton wrote a column in the Dublin Citizen called “Rustic Ramblings.” In his articles, he offered a humorous take on rural life — adventures and misadventures on his dairy, memories of a farm cat named Sinbad, a collection of reminiscences entitled “Owls I’ve Met.”

Even years later, the gentle humor he showed in his column remains essential in how Templeton looks at life. He’s had his share of misfortunes, but maintains his optimistic attitude. “Life’s too short to not try to be happy, no matter what comes your way,” he said.

Templeton grew up in Dublin until he was 16, when his family moved to Abernathy. “Although I moved, I will always be a member of the class of ‘62 at Dublin,” he said.

When he graduated from high school he started college at Texas Tech, then transferred to Tarleton shortly after it had become a four-year college. While living in Dublin and going to school, Templeton kept a seasonal job working on turkey farms around the state. Along with a small crew, he would travel around artificially inseminating turkeys to improve the rate at which their eggs would hatch.

In 1967, Templeton graduated from Tarleton with a bachelor’s degree in composite science and a teaching certificate, and moved up to Amarillo with his mother.

He married Susan Palmerton, also from Dublin, and soon after the Templetons moved to Cleburne where Templeton began working for the Boy Scouts of America as the assistant district executive. “I would teach the troop leaders in the district how to lead their troops,” he said.

But after a year and a half, Templeton decided he’d rather work outside, and went back to school in Waco at Texas State Technical Institute to become an electrician. When he finished school he and his wife moved back to Stephenville, then to Dublin, where they bought a house.

Templeton first worked for a Stephenville electrician, then for Associated Milk Producers Incorporated, or AMPI, on dairy barns. After working at AMPI for a few years, Templeton had the chance to run his own dairy outside of town. He ran Templeton Dairy for 17 years, until he and his wife separated.

After he stopped running the dairy, Templeton moved in with his mother until 2010, when his daughter, who was living in Granbury at the time, suggested he move closer to her.

He thought it sounded nice to be closer to family, and moved to the Pecan Plantation area outside of Granbury. After seeing an ad in a monthly magazine put out by Pecan Plantation, he began working there. “I was taking care of little trees,” he said. “They had to be trimmed and pointed skyward. People don’t realize how big that plantation is. There were over 80,000 trees still in production when I was there.”

Templeton stopped working in 2000 after a fall made it necessary for him to move to the Granbury Villa Nursing and Rehab Center so he could relearn how to walk.

With the pandemic still in full swing, he spends most of his days at home in the rehab center, but he enjoys getting out to visit with old friends when he can. His ex-wife Susan lives in Granbury as well, and the two are close. “She’s still my best friend,” Templeton said.

Templeton and Susan had two children, Molly and David, both of whom graduated from Dublin High School. They have both passed away in the last few years.

Throughout his life, Templeton has drawn inspiration from his mother, Winona Templeton. “She was a hard worker and she sacrificed a lot,” he said. “She wasn’t afraid of anything.”

Templeton’s advice to Dublin graduates is to try and find happiness when they can, and to stay optimistic about the future. “No matter what, it will be okay,” he said.

Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen.com.