Four States Living Magazine

From age 10 to 18, Amy Meadows served as the unpaid pianist for her small church in De Kalb, Texas—an early start that foreshadowed the career she would inhabit as an adult. She has been on staff at First United Methodist Church for 21 years, not only playing the piano but also working with the children’s choir, adult choir, and praise band. “Offering music in worship provides an outlet for me to use my gifts for God’s glory,” she said.

In her circles, Angela Warren is known for her service to others. She is a volunteer with Las Amigas Social & Civic Club, Top Ladies of Distinction Inc., and the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Beta Rho Chapter. “Whether it’s helping with programs, events, or outreach, I enjoy contributing to work that positively impacts students and families,” she said. “I like being present and supporting the efforts of others in the community.”

Though she now works with adult students, Kadie Allen began her career in early childhood education. In particular, her experience as a special education teacher helped her realize her passion for nontraditional or atypical learners.

In 2017, Karen Rayfield was ministering at Church Under the Bridge when she met a young woman in desperate need of housing. Karen reached out to her friend Dorothy Ware, who had access to a residential space where the young woman could live temporarily. From that day on, Grace House was born. 

Grace House is a Christian transitional home for mothers and expectant mothers ages 17–27 who have been displaced, are homeless, or are at-risk for homelessness. The one-year program, which is associated with Church on the Rock, includes regular church attendance and Bible study, as well as counseling and practical support.

For the past nine years, Principal Kim Cody has led Redwater Junior High with dedication and gratitude. A seasoned educator of 42 years, she spent 28 years teaching high school math in New Boston and Foreman before transitioning to administration.

“I could not talk about my career in education without mentioning Ms. Anita Baker,” Kim said. “She was instrumental in my decision to become a math teacher. Math wasn’t always my strongest subject, but she made it fun and approachable. She showed me that teaching isn’t just about the subject; it’s about loving students for who they are and meeting them where they are. Through her, I learned not only to love math, but also to love my students fully.”

Approaching four years of sobriety, Memorie Gilliam can hardly believe the life she has built for herself.

“I absolutely never dreamed of the life that I have today,” she said. Two years ago, she landed a full-time sales job in the oil and gas industry—“a very demanding job, but I love it,” she said. One year later, in September 2025, she was married, gaining not only a husband but also a fourth child.

Dr. Loren Robinson moved to Texarkana in September 2019 after accepting a job offer from CHRISTUS St. Michael—as their vice president of medical affairs. Six months later, the COVID-19 pandemic tested her mettle.

“I worked with an incredible interdisciplinary team throughout the pandemic here in Texarkana,” Loren said. She was tasked with establishing the hospital as one of the first vaccine hubs in the area. Beginning in December 2020, healthcare professionals and others eligible for first-round vaccination received the Moderna formulation. Loren led this initiative while pregnant with her second child.

Shaun Walker is known for her resilience—a trait she said she inherited from her grandparents. “My grandmother used to say, ‘I can live in Hell for a year if I know I’m getting out the next,’” she recalled. “And that stayed with me. It taught me that situations are temporary—but growth requires movement. If my story does anything, I want it to remind people of this: there is still a way forward.”

When PA Theresa Hebert transitioned to practicing alternative medicine, she faced pushback.

“One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced has been practicing a more integrated, root-cause approach to medicine in a smaller community where that mindset hasn’t always been widely accepted,” she said. “Early on, this approach wasn’t always embraced and at times led to criticism. But I stayed committed to what I knew was right for my patients—taking the time to educate, to look deeper, and to treat the whole person rather than just isolated symptoms.”

My crew is full of women—blood, step, adopted, and honorary. I’m the oldest of an all-girls family, and, at one point, even all of our pets were female. It’s always been loud, and my dad is always outnumbered unless his sons-in-law are around. You’d think that growing up around that much estrogen would be a tumultuous environment, but we’ve always thrived in it. My people are hilarious, genuine, and supportive. Our communal strength comes from years of cheering each other on, giving life advice, and being humbled in ways that only a sister can provide. These women shape how I see the world and myself.

One of the area’s largest and oldest service organizations began as a gathering of 28 likeminded women on February 26th, 1926. They were people of varying interests and talents who all held a strong interest in the social and cultural welfare of Texarkana. They became the charter members of the Junior League of Texarkana. Now, a century’s worth of women have followed in their footsteps, continuing their legacy of service and voluntarism.

Established in 1885, the Nash School closed its doors for good in 1963, when the area was incorporated into the Texarkana Independent School District. The school was on its third building: the first, a one-room schoolhouse, was destroyed by a cyclone in 1894. In 1904, a two-story structure was erected on Highway 82, and in 1924, it was replaced with a larger building to support more students.

Local entrepreneur Cody Peek had been eyeing the historic property for years when it came on the market in 2021. “The day the [for sale] sign went up in the front, I bought it,” he said. “I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I loved the building, and I loved the potential that the building had, and I hated the thought of it not being something cool.”

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