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| 3/12/2010 4:42:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| This photo was taken in 1940 at the opening of Tiger Stadium in Orange. Pictured is H. J. Lutcher Stark centered between his twin sons, Homer (No. 24) and Bill (No. 13). |
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Stark descendent pens tell-all book
Jennifer Johnson
Orange County Editor
Rebecca "Becky" Stark Nugent grew up in Orange as a member of one of the most well-known and influential families in the county but, according to her, the glitz and glamour of being a Stark belied the true, dramatic and, at times, brutally unbelievable secrets kept behind closed mansion doors. Now, with most of the key players long deceased and others talking candidly about the days when money and lies dominated a dynasty, Nugent is telling the entire world what actually transpired in Orange's Camelot in her "true Texas tale" book "If the Devil Had a Wife."
"About 13 years ago I got curious about my family history," Nugent said, referring to why she decided to write a revealing account of her genealogy. "There were a lot of boxes just lying around with about 400,000 documents in them. There was all kinds of information on the papers and I found things that were kind of ..." Her voice stopped for nearly 30 seconds before adding, "... unusual."
After poring over the mounds of documents and uncovering startling insight into her family's past, Nugent decided to talk to an authority on the subject - her father, Homer Stark. With new insight into the past, Nugent decided to play detective and ultimately learned truths she would never have believed in her wildest dreams. As homage to her father, the man who lived the story she was to be recounting for readers, Nugent penned her pages under the pseudonym Frank Mills - Homer Stark's pre-adoption name.
In detailing her account of findings, Nugent opens her novel with a quote from Mark Twain: "The truth is a fragile thing, but a lie, well told, can live forever." The words, she says, are fitting for the story to unfold over the remaining pages.
In an e-mailed explanation of the book, the author tells The Examiner, "Every family has a story. And every town seems to hold a secret close to its heart, one that is quietly understood but seldom mentioned except in whispers or behind closed doors.
"'If the Devil Had a Wife' is the story of the Stark family in Orange, Texas - our family. What you will read is factual and includes opinions of our family members, friends and total strangers who shared information, firsthand observations and memories that we felt obligated to put in writing.
"Over the years, the truth has been buried in lies or simply replaced by falsehoods that are repeated often enough to be treated as fact. It starts with one lie, one exaggeration or one omission of fact - and grows from there. Each time it is endorsed by a public figure, an attorney, a judge, the media or someone who should know better, it seems even more credible."
Nugent said readers might be surprised to learn that "my step-grandmother (Nelda Stark) posed as a nurse when she wasn't a nurse and there were a lot of people that had untimely deaths while in her care, my grandfather (H. J. Lutcher Stark) was credited with naming the Longhorns at the University of Texas" and various other salacious tidbits that involve drugs, rumors of murder and government corruption.
"It was difficult for me to write it because it was so complex and there were a lot of legal issues," Nugent said. "I just thought the story was one that needed to be told, one that the people of Orange would want to know. It was fascinating to me because I'm from Orange and all these things happened there. I love Orange; it's my hometown and always will be. Some of the stories were sad and hard to write about, but I'm glad I did."
"If the Devil Had a Wife" is now available on Amazon.com and has been well received, Nugent said. Although some outlets are hesitant to stock such a controversial and self-published work, copies of the book have been well circulated and Nugent said the response has been overwhelming.
As a result of the book, Nugent was asked to speak at a March 17 "Exploring History Lunch Series" at the College Station Conference Center. A week before the engagement, the program had already received maximum capacity reservations. Two days after her College Station speech, Nugent will be in Orange County, signing copies of her book March 19 at Bayou Trading Company, 1170 Texas St.
in Bridge City, from 3-6 p.m.
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