Mitzi cross-stitched the "To My Other Mother" poem for me, which reads, "You raised in love a little boy and then gave me the man." Those words kept running through my mind on Marty Stuart Day when I remembered the little boy with the big dreams who left home when he was 13 years old. He returned on July 9, 2009, an accomplished, fulfilled man, kept humble by the "unseen hands" which have guided his life, and the advice he received from his mother, "never forget where you came from." It was hard to tell who was prouder: Neshoba County of Marty or Marty of Neshoba County. What a wonderful day!
Becky and Rex Webb have been busy this spring and summer following the activities of their children. In May, Rachel and her husband, Claude Harbarger, graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Claude received his Doctor of Medicine degree and Rachel a Ph.D. in pathology. Miriam graduated from Ole Miss in May with a degree in pharmaceutical science, receiving a scholarship award for a 4.0 grade point average. She is participating in an internship at St. Dominics Hospital in Jackson this summer, and will complete requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy at UMMC this fall. Thomas will begin his senior year at Mississippi College in August where he is majoring in biological science with plans to attend pharmacy school following graduation. This past year he was inducted into the Mortar Board chapter at Mississippi College, served in the campus senate, and has been elected to serve as Chief Justice on campus for the incoming year. For a summer break, Thomas is working as a counselor at Lake Forest Ranch. Now isn't that enough to make a mother and daddy's heart sing!
The descendants of Robert and Evie Rogers Edwards spread their lunch, shared a lot of memories and made new ones when they gathered at West Philadelphia Baptist Church on Saturday, June 27, for a reunion. Of the seven children in the family, Earline Peebles, Merline Barnes, Jack Edwards and Bobby Edwards, all of Philadelphia, were present. Yvonne Myrin, who lives in Brandon, Minn., was unable to attend. Pete Edwards and R.J. Edwards are deceased.
Special guests were the children of MawMaw Evie's sister, R.V. Rogers Williams, who came from the Mississippi Delta for the party.
How much of Europe can you see in 10 days if you move fast? Let's ask Craig Gordon, Brenda Gordon, Tyler Moore, Caleb Gamblin, Sarah Mars and Cheryl Mars. Traveling with EF educational tours, they joined four other groups from around the United States upon their arrival at Heathrow Airport in London, England. From London they rode a train under the English Channel to France where they took in all the sights of Paris. Leaving Paris on the Eurostar, a sleeper train, they went into Italy where they visited the cities of Florence, Pisa, Assissi and Rome. Speaking as a teacher, Cheryl said she was aware of a sense of mature development in Sarah, Tyler and Caleb as the trip progressed. Cheryl teaches seventh grade at Philadelphia; Craig is a science teacher at PHS, while his wife, Brenda, teaches in Oxford.
Have you seen the July-August issue of Mississippi Magazine? In voting from readers across the state, Philadelphia received great reviews and ratings. First-place awards went to Old Mexico for the best Mexican food, Peggy's for the best fried chicken, Geyser Falls at Choctaw, best attraction for kids, Dancing Rabbit at Choctaw for best golf course, Neshoba County Fair for best fair festival, and The Cole House for best bed and breakfast. Alice Rowe worked with Peter and Karen Cronin of Cronin Creations of Nashville who designed our Marty Stuart Room at the museum. They had this to say about The Cole House, "We loved it! We'll be back!" Philadelphian Carolyn Yates Voyles' CoatTails in Ridgeland was named best source for the well-dressed woman.
Rebecca Barnett's guests last week were her first cousin, Wayne Keller, and his wife Candace. Wayne and Candace were on a two-week vacation from their business home in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They also maintain a home in Jacksonville, Fla. As a military employee in Guantanamo Bay, Wayne shed a different light on conditions at the prison there as reported to us by the media. Would have made a great Rotary Club program.
And speaking of the Rotary Club, Allen Hardy taught the combined adult Sunday School classes at First Methodist last Sunday. The purpose of the lesson: To receive God's law as a gift and commit ourselves to holy living for the sake of God's mission in the world. He shared with us The Southern Ten Commandments as printed in The Rotarian.
1) Just one God
2) Put nothin' before God
3) Watch yer mouth
4) Git yourself to Sabbath meetin'
5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
6) No killin'
7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal
8) Don't take what ain't yers
9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'
10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff
The Tea Party Group met last week with Babs Kirkland. Mary Louise Blanks had as her guest her sister-in-law Wendy Miller of Osyka. Members attending were Helen Tolbert, Marianne Enochs, Nancy Yates, Laura Bryan, Clarice Williamson and Wilda Hunt.
I had a late-afternoon supper party for my sister, Beth Darby, on her birthday July 7. Joining me and our sister, Sarah McKay, in the celebration were Peggy Dees, Chris Fulton, Frankie Harpole, Betty Seward, Brenda Matthews and Joyce Dansby. Beth is the Timothy in my life. Philippians 2:20.
Although Jonne Mabus was unable to attend the baby shower for her great-grandson, Cullum Luke Crowe, born June 25, his parents, Chad and Brittany Crowe, made sure that Jonne got a piece of the cheesecake served at the party, the same cheesecake that was served at their wedding. It's becoming a family tradition.
Our thanks to Bobbie Ruth Anthony, senior adult activities director at East Philadelphia Baptist Church, for this report on The Traveling Seniors from East Philadelphia Baptist Church who have been on the road again enjoying a tour guided 50 minute sightseeing trip to the Red Hills Mine in Ackerman where the first lignite was mined in December 1999.
Hundreds of applicants are screened for the qualifications and skills necessary to safely operate and maintain heavy equipment. As a result of recruiting efforts, 97 percent of the workforce personnel and 58 percent of the support staff are from the local area in Ackerman.
The lignite at Red Hills Mine is found within the Wilcox formation. In Mississippi, this formation extends southeastward from Memphis, Tenn. to Meridian in a "belt" that is approximately 10 miles wide. The Mississippi Geologic Survey estimates Mississippi's lignite reserves to be 8.0 billion tons. The Red Hills Mine is the first large scale user of this plentiful resource and has in excess of $60 million worth of equipment necessary for mining lignite.
The mine actually manages reclaimed land until it can be returned to the owner's care, generally a period of at least five years after all mining and reclamation is complete as required by mining regulations. Most of the mined land is being restored to loblolly pine forest as requested by area landowners.
If you've never seen the Red Hills Mine you will be in for quite a surprise to see the huge machinery and all this mining going on so close to home here in Philadelphia.
We left there and enjoyed our noon-time meal at Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville.
By this time we were ready to get started home and those who enjoyed the trip were Randy Hearn, our bus driver, Jackie Hearn, Austin Hearn, Ray and Lilly Partridge, Margie Jones, Carolyn Smith, Mandy Hailey, Jane Pinter, Jerry and Charlotte Bishop, James Bishop, Tinye Marshall, Ann Baughman, Maudine Beckham, Hoyt and Margie Payne, Lorene Hutchinson, Richard and Linda Brewer, Thelma Guthans and Bobbie Ruth Anthony.
