Willa Cather, 1873-1947

by Angela Moreno-Tijerina

One early morning in 1993, at the age of 6, Sara Wallace was awakened by a loud noise.  Emerging from her bedroom, she discovered the murder of her mother, and made the phone call to 911, begging for emergency response. 

She remembers, “At first, I thought the noise was a car backfiring.  Then, I knew it was a gunshot when I saw her lying there covered in blood.  There was so much blood.”

From that moment, Sara became a “child of the system.” Placed in foster care as a ward of the state, Sara eventually came to live at the Youth Ranch in 1995 as a shy, timid and withdrawn little girl, just 8 years old.  Over the next several years, Sara began to reclaim the previously lost joys of childhood, from learning to ride horses to chasing lizards and writing poetry. 

One of Sara’s poems, Gone, recounting the tragic morning when she lost her mom, was later turned into a song and recorded by Austin singer Sara Hickman for a CD, Broken Wings Can Fly.  The CD, published in 1998, is a compilation of songs derived from poems and stories of Youth Ranch residents.

Sara’s song was called I Believe in Heaven, and here are some of the lyrics:

My dreams are scary. 
I dream about that day. 
I thought I heard a car backfire,
then they took my mom away.

But sometimes, I see her
when my dreams are really good.
She touches my hair
and whispers in my ear,
“I would be with you if I could.”

So I believe in heaven. 
There must be lots of moms up there. 
She will be waiting for me,
if I believe.

Sara’s heart-wrenching story touched many hearts, both at the Ranch and throughout the state.  Shortly after her arrival, Sara met Laura Bush, when the First Lady of Texas visited HCYR in 1996 and Sara gave her the grand tour.  Impressed with Sara and her wonderful outlook on life, despite her painful past, Mrs. Bush stays in contact still.

Recently, Sara made another new friend, to add to her ever-growing number.  Over the Christmas holidays, Sara met Texas Governor Rick Perry during a hunting trip near Fredericksburg.  Boldly, she asked him to speak at her May graduation ceremony.  To everyone’s surprise, the Governor said yes! 

Another important friend to Sara was  Oma Bell Perry, who donated the Big Springs Ranch in 1996, which has become HCYR’s sister campus.  Sara was among the first children to move to the new Ranch in 1999. Until her death in 2003, Oma Bell considered Sara one of her “dearest friends”.  The feeling was mutual. 

When asked about her favorite memories of the Ranch, Sara is quick to talk about the admiration and love she had for Miss Perry.  “I will always remember everything about her – the way she walked and talked and how she joked with us and loved us.  The gift that she gave to us all was amazing.  She was an incredible person.”

The first from her family to receive a high school diploma, Sara is eager to continue her education. She will begin by studying for a real estate license.  Long-time HCYR Board member Brent Bates  has offered Sara a summer internship with his local real estate company, and to help her get her license.  Sara then plans to go to college.

While reminiscing on her years at HCYR as a young pioneer – first child to move to the Big Springs Ranch, first to attend and graduate from the Charter School – Sara is quick to add that she will “always be close”. 

While Sara does have dreams of one day marrying and having children of her own, she hopes she will never be far away.  “Gary and Carol Priour have raised me, they have been such an important part of my life – always there for me and with me.  I want them to be that important to my own children.  I will always be grateful for their love and guidance, and I can’t imagine ever being too far away from them.”

As with over 1000 graduates of the Youth Ranch program, we’ve had to say goodbye to Sara for now.  But none of us will forget her, and we do look forward to those next steps, and her staying in touch.  As Sara offered the benediction on graduation evening, I reflected on how she has grown since writing that first poem about her hurts and fears.

 “Dear Heavenly Father, we all know that it is a challenging world.  There are people my age who wake up every morning to face horrors of war.  Many of us do not have our natural families at this important event and in our lives, but we do have those who really love us, and because of their prayers and efforts, I am standing here today.  Thank You for the friends that have helped me get here today, and thank You, Lord, for the family that You gave to me.  Although the world is often a place of unfairness, I know that we are all equal in Your eyes.  And, I also know that we are all precious to You.  Amen.”