Delta Magazine March/April 2022 Complimentary Issue by Delta Magazine

Delta

MARCH/APRIL 2022

Wedding The

ISSUE

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5+ More Years of Laughter, Love and Life! Did you know the 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer caught in the earliest stages is over 90%? That’s an added 5 years or more with the ones you cherish! Colorectal cancer screenings get a bad rap for being slightly uncomfortable, but for so many, the rewards far outweigh anything else. If you’re 45 years of age or older, the time is now. Call your doctor to schedule your colorectal cancer screening today. Choose better with Baptist.

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Publisher: J. Scott coopwood Editor: cindy coopwood Managing Editor: pam parker Contributing Editors: hank Burdine, Maude Schuyler clay, Jim “Fish” Michie, Brantley Snipes roger Stolle, noel Workman Digital Editor: phil Schank Consultant: Samir husni, ph.D. Graphic Designers: Sandra goff, Maggi Mosco Contributing Writers: Jim Beaugez, Becky gillette, Sherry lucas, Susan Marquez, Mary lee McKee, aimee robinette, angela rogalski, Mark Stowers, tricia Walker Photography: abe Draper, anna Satterfield, Johnny Jennings Account Executives: Joy Bateman, cristen hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy Mize, ann nestler, cadey true Circulation: holly tharp Accounting Manager: emma Jean thompson POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to Delta Magazine, pO Box 117, cleveland, MS 38732

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call (662) 843-2700 Delta Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials or photos and in general does not return them to sender. photography obtained for editorial usage is owned by Delta Magazine and may not be released for commercial use such as in advertisements and may not be purchased from the magazine for any reason. all editorial and advertising information is taken from sources considered to be authoritative, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. neither that information nor any opinion expressed on the pages of Delta Magazine in any way constitutes a solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities mentioned. no material in Delta Magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publication. Delta Magazine is published bimonthly by coopwood Magazines, inc., 125 South court St., cleveland, MS 38732-2626. periodicals postage paid at cleveland, MS and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delta Magazine, pO Box 117, cleveland, MS 38732-0117. Delta Magazine (USpS#022-954)

Delta Magazine is published six times a year by Coopwood Magazines, Inc. EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICE ADDRESSES: Mailing Address: pO Box 117, cleveland, MS 38732 Shipping Address: 125 South court Street, cleveland, MS 38732 E-mail: publisher@deltamagazine.com editor@deltamagazine.com

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from the editor

A Fool’s Hill “A little foolishness, enough to enjoy life, and a little wisdom to avoid the errors, that will do.” – author unknown

e often wring our hands at the younger generation. We shake our heads at their decisions, the way they think and respond to the world, their likes and dislikes. But as we go to press with the wedding issue, after looking through thousands of photos from the most special days of these young couples’ lives, seeing the joy, the families celebrating and the friends cheering, i must ask—aren’t we thankful for the foolishness of youth? Would anyone take the leap of faith required to get married for life if they weren’t slightly foolish? When i first met Scott, i really did know almost immediately that he was who i would marry. he was blissfully unaware, mind you, but i knew, and that was all that mattered. and it seemed very foolish by all accounts. Many know that Scott is an accomplished musician, and at that time he was immersed completely in the pursuit of that dream, which is a polite way of saying he was unemployed and playing a guitar. he is also almost seven years older than me, a fact which bothered me not at all, but definitely gave pause to some—especially him. i was young and still in college, he was uncertain about his career path, as musicians often are; i came from a very traditional A family affair: Scott with family, and he had essentially been on his own since he was sister Candy Myles at the fifteen. there were lots of differences. But i patiently waited for rehearsal dinner for her him to come to the realization that he was going to marry me daughter Olivia. and that it was all going to work out. in the meantime my granny, a very pragmatic woman, told my mother that “cindy is climbing a fool’s hill.” But Mama was on my side. in fact, the second time she ever met Scott, she looked over and saw us talking to each other and knew then that he was the one i’d marry. (She wisely didn’t tell me that until much later.) So—when we got engaged, on my twenty-first birthday (foolish), he was twentyseven, had cut his hair, and had just begun what turned out to be the beginning of his career in publishing, but neither of us knew that at the time, i might add. (the blind leading the blind). he was working very hard at something completely new, and was understandably uncertain about how he would support us, so we didn’t set a date right away. Fast forward several months—still no date. he needed a little nudge and my former patient self had had enough. i told him “You should be glad that i want to marry you when you don’t know what you’re going to do!” (who says that?) Cousin love at our niece Olivia Myles wedding! and again i told him to quit worrying and that it would all work out. that line of Pictured are Jordan and Thomas Coopwood, Savannah and Olivia Myles, Travis Coopwood, and Pearson and logic worked and we set a date—for eight weeks later! (insane) the rest is history, and thirty-two years later i can assure you there’s been a lot Prescott Myles. more foolishness along the way: jumping into publishing with no knowledge or background in it, moving back to Scott’s hometown of Shelby from Jackson, raising three children—and all this in the midst of life’s ups and downs, successes and failures. But thankfully we were young and dumb enough to climb the fool’s hill together. in closing, we congratulate all our brides and grooms—and here’s to the foolishness of youth! DM

Cindy Coopwood Editor @cindycoopwood | cindy@deltamagazine.com

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contents Volume 19 No. 5

ANNA SATTERFIELD

March/april

ABE DRAPER

214

ANNA SATTERFIELD

SKELTON PHOTOGRAPHIE

MADELEINE B. PHOTOGRAPHY

68 features

48 58 84

When Love comes to Town

departments

BOOKS

ART

MUSIC

HOME

214

FOOD

222

HISTORY

Teach for America members who came, fell in love with the region, and planted roots

At Home and Abroad Wedding Showcase

Johnny Jennings’ lifetime of adventure

GIFTING WITH STYLE: Ideas for newlyweds, the wedding party, and hostess gifts page 88 Wedding Tends and Registry Tips, page 92 The Hunt Is Over, page 98 Curated Wedding Photo Showcase, page 110 Formal Announcements, page 162 Engagement Announcements, page 204

ON THE COVER: Bride Ann Elizabeth Walker carries a lush bouquet of gorgeous all-white blooms for her Canton wedding. Photo by John Cain Photography. 12 | March/april 2022

Reviews of new releases and what Deltans are reading now

OLIVIA FIELDS Childhood trips to the Delta inspired this Georgia artist’s love of nature THE SEEKER How Squirrel Nut Zippers’ Jimbo Mathus found his way back to Clarksdale

YOUNG COUPLE, OLD HOUSE Greenwood newlyweds tackle major home restoration

Colorful main dish salads for Spring

PAPA AND PIGGOTT Ernest Hemingway and the Arkansas Delta

in every issue 16 Letters 22 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

24 Off the Beaten Path Roaming the real and rustic Delta

28 228 234 240

Hot Topics Events Delta Seen The Final Word by Trisha Walker

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“WE ARE ALL TIME-TRAVELERS,

JOURNEYING TOGETHER INTO THE FUTURE.“

Stephen Hawking

LET’S PLAN YOUR FAMILY’S PERSONAL GOALS.

Where are You in Your Life?

Gainspoletti.com

Gary Gainspoletti

Russell Gainspoletti

Brandyn Skeen

Jennifer Pongetti

CFP®, CPA, Branch Manager gary@gainspolettifinancial.com

CFP®, CPA Investment Advisor Representative russell@gainspolettifinancial.com

Investment Advisor Representative brandyn.skeen@raymondjames.com

Administrative Assistant JPongetti@gainspolettifinancial.com

2042 McIngvale Road Hernando, MS 662-429-4436

805 West Sun ower Road Cleveland, MS 662-843-6090

Securities o ered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are o ered through Raymond James Financial Services, Advisors, Inc. Gainspoletti Financial Services is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

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LETTERS

Delta

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

Annual Tourism Issue

Steamboats on the River Getaway to Natchez Hotel Roundup Native American Artifact Collectors

may 6-8, 2022 RIDGELAND, MISSISSIPPI

Three signature events in one epic weekend! RIDG E

LA ND

MEATLESS MAIN DISHES TO TRY RIGHT NOW

What great memories, Archie! We laughed out loud when we read your Billups story, smiled about literally walking everywhere in town, and loved those Friday nights! thanks for everything you’ve done to show the world how a decent human being raised the way we were raised makes the world a better place—precious memories of life in the Delta. Joan Flowers Weiss (from the destination of many road trips—Ruleville)

Atlanta, Georgia HISTORY

“I am what I am, so, I have no problem.”– MAE HELEN FLOWERS

S FESTIVAL ART

UM ANNUAL

NE FI Mae Helen Flowers was in charge of her counter at Kiame’s. She always had a smile, always knew your name and always shared her love. For forty-five years, Mae Helen was considered the “House Mom of the late-night crowd of Ole Miss students at Kiame’s”.

Kiamie’s Mae Helen Loved and Remembered by Ole Miss Students BY HANK BURDINE

SANTE’ SOUTH

NA TC

HE Z A TR CE C ENTURY RID E

artwineandwheels.com 16 | March/april 2022

DALE FLOWERS

VAL ST I FE

W I

ART

Lee Harper Meticulous and Mesmerizing Miniaturist Lee Harper has captured the essence of some the Delta’s most treasured places with uncanny detail and accuracy

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOGAN KIRKLAND AND COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

T Harper’s exact replica of the old Pabst light fixture hanging in City Grocery is just one example of the detail she pours into every project.

he world of Lee Harper is magical and miniature. Her artwork consists of perfect scale models of treasured places in Mississippi, some still existing, while others exist only in memories. The work is mesmerizing, accurate in every detail.

Lee didn’t plan to be a miniature artist. It started fifteen years ago when her son was a young boy. “I really have a disdain for Elf on a Shelf,” admits Lee. “But I guess I like the concept because at Halloween I thought it would be hilarious to have a skeleton doing something funny each day. I did it each day for a week leading up to Halloween, and my son loved it.” Each day the scene got more intricate, and her husband posted them on Facebook. “People loved it!” It became an annual tradition which she also shared with her niece and nephews. “But they got older and clearly didn’t care anymore, so I started doing more obscure history scenes and true crime events.” During that time, Lee was painting commissions for others, but the miniatures she created were strictly for her. An active supporter of the arts in her adopted city of Oxford,

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iconic spots. i’ve received tons of positive feedback from it, which makes sense because Delta Magazine is absolutely top notch. Susan Marquez wrote a beautiful article, and was a blast to visit with in my studio, as well as photographer logan Kirkland, who did an outstanding job. i consider them all friends now and wish nothing but the best for Delta Magazine! thank you for the support—and i hope to create many more Delta spots in the future! Lee Harper Oxford

believe Mae Helen Flowers loved everybody she ever met, especially

her Ole Miss students. Working behind the counter at Kiamie’s Bowling Lanes for forty-five years, she met, knew, and remembered thousands of students. She was an absolute favorite of the late-night crowd at Kiamie’s, always smiling, always laughing, and always attentive to the students’ needs and concerns. She gave out a lot of advice, filled innumerable hungry bellies, and even helped heal some broken hearts. She will never be forgotten by those who knew and loved her.

Mae Helen Flowers 138 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022

I thoroughly enjoyed Hank Burdine’s article “Kiamie’s Mae Helen” in the January/February issue. it reminded me of the first time i met Mae helen. When my husband Bubba and i first started dating, we went to a ballgame in Oxford and he took me by Kiamie’s just so i could meet Mae helen and eat a bowl of chili! When we walked in, she remembered him immediately and ran over saying, “hey Bubba!” and gave him a big hug. it had been several years since he had seen her, but she didn’t miss a beat. thanks for such a great article about a wonderful lady! Becky Tollison Ruleville Big thanks to Editor Cindy Coopwood for the incredible article in the January/February issue about my work highlighting several of the Delta’s most

Words are not adequate to express our appreciation, not to mention our surprise, when we discovered the recent feature of natchez in Delta Magazine! as always, the quality of your publication shines in the copy, the beautiful photography, and the coverage of so many of our historic sites, restaurants and attractions. truly enough is included to convince anyone that a visit to natchez must be tops on their bucket list! Many years ago, as a small boy, i fell in love with natchez on various trips with my parents. i always dreamed that natchez would some day be my home. i never imagined however that i would be blessed with the opportunity to serve as mayor here. natchez truly is an american Jewel, the oldest city on our planet's most majestic river, and what a blessing it is to know that others across our state realize it! thanks again for shining a spotlight on our beautiful city. We invite you to come back soon to one of our many festivals and special events—2022 is going to be our busiest and most exciting year ever! Dan M. Gibson, Mayor Natchez

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO: editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732

Y’all Said SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS @deltamagazine

We Asked... The groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today. Are you ready for six more weeks of winter—or ready for spring, and why? Ready for spring! Spring brings hope and renewal! It is just good for the SOUL. I can’t wait! – Katrina Corban Spring will come when spring wants to come. She doesn’t care about dear old Phil! – John Whiteside Ready for spring! I love the spring with all the “newness” of God’s beautiful creations exhibited in the lowers and birds and budding trees. – Andrea Marble SPRING!!! Cause I’m now at a point in my life where about all I can take of winter is couple weeks around Christmas. Also the past few weeks here in West Virginia have been not been fun, even a little bit. Looking forward to getting down y’all’s way come April! – Mike Lucas Actually, after fighting winters forever, tired of hot sweaty summers, mowing, working on outside projects, a few years ago I embraced winter and it flew by—like lunch hours. It gave me a muchneeded break, let me focus on research, and neglected inside projects. So, as long as there’s no more snow and ice like in ‘94 and last February where I was “trapped” inside by my steep driveway and road leading to house for eight days—I say go for it Phil!!! – Steve Stricker

READER RESPONSE deltamagazine.com

January-February Issue 2022 Lee Harper: Meticulous and Mesmerizing by Susan Marquez ~ Lee Harper’s work is exciting and I would be so happy to own one. I was born and raised in the Delta, and when I return there I always reserve a night for dining at Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville. Oh what a fun place, not to mention being served the most delicious steak ever. Now you are creating miniatures of these delightful structures! Thank you for reintroducing these to all of us in such a unique way. – Robert Blackwell What an amazing talent. These buildings are so realistic! I admire her for preserving historic places in such a lovely way! I’m from Greenville and, of course, loved Doe’s. I can remember my daddy Norris (Stokes) Menhel going to Doe’s to pick up their famous tamales for our family. What a treat that always was! – Vicki Menhel Dennis Delta Magazine 2022

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promise of spring

PHOTO BY DELTA MAGAZINE

Old river, one of the many oxbow lakes in Bolivar county, near gunnison, on the cusp of the arrival of spring. in the weeks to come, it will be busy with fishermen trolling along looking for bass, bream, and crappie, enjoying the warmer days and the annual unfolding and rebirth of god’s creation that is the promise of spring. DM

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ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

Red and Rural

CLARKSDALE

TIPPAH COUNTY

Resonate Stringed instruments at Bluestown Music. – AUSTIN BRITT

Standing the test of time, the Haynes barn in Cotton Plant.

– JIM HENDRIX

TCHULA

bove A m o r F w ie AV

PHOTO OPS River Run

Late afternoon light over Delta fields.

– ABE DRAPER

BOLIVAR COUNTY

ROSEDALE

Church Bells

For generations, people have been visiting Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the riverside’s most historic structures. – JIM HENDRIX

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A furry friend enjoying a sunny day on the banks of the Mississippi River. – NANCY FRANKLIN

LEFLORE COUNTY

Blues Icon

History Revisited

GREENWOOD

Looking north on Howard Street, circa 1910.

Roadside Delight

Blues enthusiasts pay their respects to Robert Johnson on Money Road.

COAHOMA COUNTY

& FUNKY STOPS Clean Cut

Happening times featuring Spongebob and turkey legs at Carnival Treats north of Clarksdale on Highway 61. – RORY DOYLE

Concreltee Jung

MEMPHIS

CANTON

A good place for an old-fashioned haircut and hot shave. A stroll through the streets of Bluff City. – JIM HENDRIX

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

ML PROVISIONS Inspired by the West, handmade in the South

ITTLE DID MARY LANDRUM PYRON KNOW THE CAREER PATH SHE WOULD EVENTUALLY CHOOSE WHEN SHE HEADED OUT WEST AFTER COLLEGE. “i graduated from Ole Miss in 2016,” says pyron. “But i knew i wanted to live near Jackson hole because of the skiing and my love of the outdoors, so i moved out there.” She landed a job as a caterer and expedition chef at a nearby dude ranch, the a Bar a, where she cooked for guests. “i had to wear a hat every day—it’s a part of the lifestyle in that area of the country,” she said. it was this fact of western life that led pyron to want to learn how to make hats of her own, which she did by apprenticing with a local hatmaker. now, she’s back home and operates her new company, Ml provisions, in the loft of a barn on her family farm in crystal Springs. it’s there she spends long hours making beautiful, custom, felt hats, many created with unique embellishments such as a rattlesnake rattle, a spur from a turkey she herself harvested, or a square nail taken from the 175-year-old barn that houses her shop. each of her hats are creative representations of the custom options she offers clients. Mississippi’s first and only hatmaker, pyron works by appointment only. high demand has forced her to work with clients in-person only, fitting them and finding out exactly what the customer wants—and not just Mississippians. “recently, i’ve had groups of people come to my shop from georgia and Wyoming,” she says. now known as “the Mad hatter”, pyron says it takes her about eight hours to make each felt hat. “to get the full experience of what i do, you have to come out to my studio and see how and where i work. i don’t ever want to become too large because i love what i’m doing right now and my family helps me with my business as well, running errands and such.” check @mlprovisions on instagram for more information about appointments and pricing Instagram: @mlprovisions 24 | March/april 2022

Attention to detail, superb materials, and a creative eye allow Mary Landrum Pyron to create custom, one-of-a-kind works that are a true labor of love.

DELTA’S EDGE ANTIQUE STORE AND VINTAGE MALL & LOST GRINGOS COFFEE CO. Shop antiques and quirky finds in Holcomb. Sample unique Nicaraguan coffee flavors in French Camp.

ROM ANTIQUE FURNITURE TO CONCRETE YARD ART SUCH AS BIRD BATHS, all made

in-house, Delta’s edge antique Store & Vintage Mall has a unique and eclectic blend of items for the home. located in holcomb, Miss., the shop gets new arrivals almost daily and has been open for a year. rosemary couch is the owner and says that over the years antiques have been a big part of her professional life. “then one day i just decided to open up my own shop. and it’s been great. We make our own concrete and metal yard art, along with carrying a wide array of vintage and antique furniture and items.” Delta’s edge antique Store & Vintage Mall is open Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. couch adds that what makes Delta’s edge special is the uniqueness of what they offer. “We have things in our store that other people don’t have. it’s a unique shopping experience.” Whether you are in the market for fun yard decorations or fine antiques, Delta’s Edge is a mustvisit destination. Below, Lost Gringos, may be a small establishent but it packs a powerful punch of unique flavors of Nicaraguan coffee country.

195 Highway 35 South, Holcomb, Mississippi 662.614.222 or 662.417.1467 facebook.com/deltasedge.net

HE ADAM BLAYLOCK FAMILY TOOK A MISSION TRIP to the mountains of

nicaragua to help the locals learn about Jesus. the trip inspired them to open lost gringos coffee co. which is located on the natchez trace in French camp. the family brought the great flavors of nicaragua coffee back home. lost gringos is housed in a two-story historic building decorated with artifacts from the Blaylock’s travels. Open six days a week 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, in addition to delicious coffee, lost gringos also has breakfast treats such as sausage/bacon biscuits, croissants, english muffins, just to name a few. With six million travelers hitting the natchez trace each year, lost gringos is in an ideal location for travelling coffee aficionados. 5999 Highway 413, French Camp, Mississippi lost-gringos.com; facebook.com/lostgringos Delta Magazine 2022

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Touching lives. Powering the future. At Entergy Mississippi, the communities we serve are the communities we call home. That’s why we stay active and involved – because we know our responsibility reaches beyond the power grid. So, we invest in education and industry, while developing new solutions to power tomorrow. As a community, our successes fuel each other. We’re all on a circuit. And together, we power life. entergybrightfuture.com

26 | March/april 2022

HOT TOPICS CRU FINE WINE & RARE WHISKEY A Unique Spirits Destination in Greenwood cru Fine Wine & rare Whiskey is a unique spirits store located on historic howard Street in downtown greenwood that offers an exceptional selection of wines and a unique wine-buying experience. With a knowledgeable staff, customers are encouraged to sample and learn about the bottle they choose. Owner, andy O’Bryan says this makes for an exclusive opportunity to try new wines or whiskies. and while the name “cru” might be unfamiliar for some, it’s really well known in the world of wine. “it’s an elite designation of wine. When a wine is considered the best of the best, it is called a grand cru,” he says. “cru Fine Wine is a new wine-buying experience for the Mississippi Delta,” O’Bryan explains. “the customer can come into the store and actually sample the wine with our staff and learn about the wine with a small educational session should they want to before purchasing the wine of choice. Of course, that isn’t required. Someone can just come in and buy without the wine-tasting, but we do

offer that service should a customer want it.” committed to educating its patrons, crU often features a wine of the week, as well as hosting regular wine-tasting events, sometimes collaborating with other local businesses downtown. although the store is focused primarily on wine, O’Bryan says they do carry a selection of rare whiskies. “We don’t really carry your run-of-the-mill whiskies that you can buy at most package stores,” he adds. “instead, we carry the rare whiskies that you won’t find just anywhere. We are a special-order-focused store, so we’re working with brokers, importers, and the wineries themselves to find special things that no one else has.” 319 Howard Street, Greenwood; 662.477.1027; cru.vin Facebook: @CruFineWine; Instagram: @cru.vine

BREAD AND BUTTER SHOPPE Serving up gourmet sandwiches and superior hospitality there is nothing quite like a well-made sandwich created with only the freshest of ingredients. at the Bread and Butter Shoppe in greenwood, you can find such a sandwich made with infused cooking oils and smoked salts to add another depth of flavor. the building where Bread and Butter is housed was once the location of a winery, which owner Valour taylor cobbins originally wanted to reopen. She decided to start with a restaurant as a means to generate income while getting the proper licensing and having the wine in production. “little did i know how well people would respond to my food,” she says. cobbins said her restaurant has “bread and butter” in the title as an homage to her favorite television series, “Downton abbey.” “a bread and butter letter is sent to a host after attending a party as a thank you for their hospitality. it’s one of the reasons restaurants welcome you with bread and butter at your table. For me, the Bread and Butter Shoppe is a fitting name for our mission: Superior hospitality,” she says. the owner has been a home cook since she was 10 years old, and has always been fascinated with flavor combinations and recipes. When she was a teenager, she would call some of her favorite restaurants and ask the chef for their recipes of menu items and they’d actually tell her, not accustomed to someone so young wanting to recreate their dishes. cobbins uses a smoker because she had been smoking salt and other seasonings for several years. “i really liked the flavor profile of the food smoked over hickory. the menu naturally began to evolve

28 | March/april 2022

with the foods i enjoy eating.” as a vegetarian for the last 10 years, she has also focused on meatless options to prove they are just as flavorful. it ensures her menu has something delicious to offer for every diet choice. She also offers various cooking classes throughout each month, so if you are wanting to learn a little something to take back home to your own table, the Bread and Butter Shoppe has you covered. Open 10:30 a.m. to 22:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, the Bread and Butter Shoppe is located at 500 howard Street. For more information, call 662-219-0381 or check out their Facebook page for updates. 500 Howard Street, Greenwood; 662.219.0381; breadandbuttershop.square.site Facebook and Instagram: @breadandbuttershoppe

GARDEN CLUB OF JACKSON 2022 Spring Garden Tour the garden club of Jackson’s 12th biennial garden tour, provides the perfect trifecta for getting outside in spring: embracing nature, observing the clever and beautiful designs brought to fruition by landscape architects, and gleaning ideas to try at home. the will be held april 6-7 and will feature four homes and gardens that vary from playful to contemporary, from formal French to minimalist. add in a Japanese-inspired meditation garden and the tour is sure to offer something for everyone. Mississippi landscape architect rick griffin, whose own home is part of the tour, believes people attend garden tours not only to observe but to gather information. One surprise on the 2022 tour might be the artificial turf that griffin advised his clients to use to border their swimming pool. the tour will include Meadowbrook highland’s Japanese meditation garden with traditional tea house and arched footbridge over a koi pond; Shirley and rick griffin’s whimsical garden and home; the formal French home with motor court and garden of Madalyn and Steve hindman; the home and minimalist garden of Martha Jo and greg Vance; and the english home and contemporary garden of ashley and Douglas hindman. For those interested there will also be two special events, including the evening garden party, tuesday, april 5, and Flowers after hours, on april 6. Flowers after hours will feature floral designer Julia putt of Fresh cut catering, and Jill Steenhuis, american impressionist

painter who now lives in aix-en-provence, France. proceeds from the 2022 tour will restore the stucco garage at the house of eudora Welty, perhaps Mississippi’s most famous gardener, transforming it into dedicated classroom space for horticultural activities and workshops. the gcJ tour in Jackson’s upscale Meadowbrook highlands neighborhood will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday and thursday, april 6-7. tickets, $20 each, will be on sale beginning March 1 at the everyday gardener or through the website, gardenclubofjackson.com. For more tour information, including the advance purchase of tickets for the special events, visit gardenclubofjackson.com. Facebook: The Garden Club of Jackson Spring Garden Tour; Instagram: thegardenclubofjackson

THE ONWARD STORE Onward and upward with new ownership in Mississippi, there is nothing quite like history and tradition. that’s exactly what Jake and avery howell have found in the Onward Store and are reviving in this 109-year-old storied treasure. renowned for its ties to the fabled inception of the teddy Bear, the Onward Store was originally a hunting camp. it was there Mississippi governor andrew longino invited then president teddy roosevelt to a bear hunt. roosevelt subsequently refused to shoot a captive bear, and cartoons of the event are thought to be the creating factor of the most loved children’s toy. “When we stopped to think about it, we realized Onward is older than a woman’s right to vote. it has seen a lot and leaving it to decay felt so wrong. We have reopened the restaurant and the general store, although both businesses still need to be fleshed out. the store in particular is lacking a lot of merchandise i would like to have available. everything is a work in progress, but we’re slowly figuring it out,” said avery, who was born and raised in Mississippi.

Jake lived in Mississippi as a teenager, which is where the couple first met. the couple lived in colorado for several years, but when covid hit, the two realized the importance of staying in touch with loved ones and moved home. the Onward Store, located on Mississippi highway 61 in rolling Fork, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner. “We are opening for our first Sunday lunch this weekend and those hours are 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to accommodate the church crowd. i’m sure Sunday hours will change when we know more about the locals and what they need. Our general store only closes when i leave,” she says. “We would really love people to know we’re trying to be a scratch kitchen whenever possible. On steak nights, we have scratch-made biscuits. Our fries are made in house. all of our salad dressings are made right here, and more.” 6693 Highway 61, Rolling Fork; 662.873.6809 Facebook and Instagram: @theonwardstore Delta Magazine 2022

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BOOKS

Buzzworthy Comments

King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King by Daniel de Vise (Grove Press) King of the Blues by Daniel de Vise is the most comprehensive, entertaining, and well-written of all the biographies about the legend who forever changed not just the blues, but also american music itself. Daniel de Vise clearly understands music and the business behind it. is allows him to write about King not only on an honest personal level, from his humble birth in 1925 to his becoming a musical genius, but de Vise is also able to give the reader a rich context of all that surrounded King throughout his life, the conditions that made him the music titan he was. Written with deep appreciation and respect for one of the Delta’s greatest men by a talented storyteller, this biography shines a light not just on King’s life but on the modern history of the american South and its contribution to music. (liza Jones) Daniel de Vise

Pride and Prejudice by Jane austen this book set the standard for all that have followed. o David Dallas, director of Boys and Girls Club Greenwood, Mississippi

Jillian Cantor

Army Pro: A Memoir of a Soldier’s Life by LTC. Floyd Russell Mulvany, Jr.

o Eugene S. Clarke Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

o Leslie Smith Shellman Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

o Deborah Garrard McLeod Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 32 | March/april 2022

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? by elbert albee. in the book, albee exposes the romantic notion of love. people, particularly broken people with painful childhoods, don’t come together to magically create a better life for themselves. george and Martha have created a life together the best way they know how—the way they learned —through games, insults, and deception. love is labor, rarely easy, and at times, downright savage. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf remains one of the most honest and engaging stories about love’s ferocity. o Mollie Shivers, teacher St. Louis, Missouri

The Notebook by nicholas Sparks. this book clearly defines the enduring power of love. the characters overcome great odds and their love was enough to always bring them back together. Charmaine Wilkerson

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading

o Kevin Miller

o Brucie McKamy Mintz, retired Chatham, Mississippi

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (Harper Perennial) Fans of Fitzgerald’s e Great Gatsby will be delighted with Jillian cantor’s Beautiful Little Fools, another imaginative retelling of the classic novel. e title cleverly taken from the iconic line of Daisy Buchanan, Beautiful Little Fools shows us the glittering world of Jay gatsby through the eyes of three women: Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and catherine Mccoy, sister of Myrtle Wilson. We are shown the lives of these three women before the wild summer in question, and all their lives are at a pressure point by the time the original gatsby drama occurs in 1922. cantor does an amazing job of weaving a murder mystery from the original novel: a diamond hairpin is found by the pool where gatsby was shot. all three women come under suspicion for his murder. is novel was a delightful companion piece to the most famous american novel, a fun read. (liza Jones) Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Ballentine Books) For those readers who enjoy generational family intrigue, Black Cake by charmaine Wilkerson is an exceptional debut novel. two siblings, Benny and Byron, are estranged from each other until their mother dies. eleanor, their mother, wants them to eat a black cake together and listen to a recording she has left them. Only the recording is not about the division of assets. it’s about her life. there is a lot these very different siblings don’t know about their mother and so the intrigue begins, taking the reader from the caribbean to great Britain to california. this novel is quite a gorgeous read and a touching family saga about what we really pass down to subsequent generations in terms of identity, cultural heritage, and tradition. (liza Jones)

We asked Facebook friends and Delta Magazine Fan Page Group Members to share with us the best love story they have ever read.

o Barbara Andrade

o Peggy Nations The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta by Richard Grant

o Carolyn Ann Sledge

Inferno by Dan Brown

o Robert Hardin

o Larry Switzer

o Sherry Bailey Luke by R.C. Ryan

o Joan Morgan

The Autograph by Ron Kattawar

The Redhead of Auschwitz: A True Story by Nechama Birnbaum Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

o Burt Brown

The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The Savvy Sphinx by Robert Dance (University Press) From the late 1920s through the thirties, greta garbo (1905–1990) was the biggest star in hollywood. She stopped making films in 1941, at only thirty-six, and thereafter sought a discreet private life. Still, her fame only increased as the public and press clamored for news of the former actress. at the time of her death, forty-nine years later, photographers continued to stalk her, and her death was reported on the front pages of newspapers worldwide. In The Savvy Sphinx: How Garbo Conquered Hollywood, robert Dance traces the strategy a working-class Swedish teenager employed to enter motion pictures, find her way to america, and ultimately become hollywood’s most glorious product. Brilliant tactics allowed her to reach hollywood’s upper-most echelon and made her one of the last century’s most famous people. The Savvy Sphinx, which includes over a hundred beautiful images, charts her rise and her long self-imposed exile as the queen who abdicated her hollywood throne. garbo was the paramount star produced by the hollywood studio system, and by the time of her death her legendary status was assured. (Special/DM Staff ) Drawing the Past, Volume 1 edited by Dorian L. Alexander, Michael Goodrum, and Philip Smith (University Press) Drawing the Past, Volume 1: Comics and the Historical Imagination in the United States the first book in a two-volume series, provides a map of current approaches to comics and their engagement with historical representation. the first section of the book on history and form explores the existence, shape, and influence of comics as a medium. the second section concerns the question of trauma, understood both as individual traumas that can shape the relationship between the narrator and object, and historical traumas that invite a reassessment of existing social, economic, and cultural assumptions. the final section on mythic histories delves into ways in which comics add to the mythology of the US. together, both volumes bring together a range of different approaches to diverse material and feature remarkable scholars from all over the world. (Special/DM Staff) Mother Land Father Land Whatever Land Searching for Home by Erik Smalhout, edited by Erika Berry (University Press) erik Smalhout was born a child of privilege in the netherlands east indies. Smalhout’s father sent his unruly son to a boarding school in australia, just months before the Japanese seized the netherlands east indies in early 1942. While young Smalhout adapted to life in rural australia, his sister and father back home were placed in Japanese prison camps, an experience that proved fateful for his father and changed his sister’s life forever. Serendipity followed him through induction in the WWii Dutch military, his postwar service on merchant ships circling the globe, and eventually to the most southern place on earth: the Mississippi Delta. Smalhout’s story reminds readers that place is secondary to experience and that no matter where we are or what fortunate or unfortunate circumstances placed us there, an eternal curiosity for humanity will help us find a place in the world.(Special/DM Staff) DM Delta Magazine 2022

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ART

Olivia Fields Childhood trips to the Delta inspired this Georgia artist’s love of nature BY SUSAN MARQUEZ • PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

LIVIA FIELDS IS A SELF-DESCRIBED NATURE GIRL.

“I love being outdoors, immersed in nature. I observe and study nature and find extraordinary joy in it.” From her studio in her parents’ basement in Peachtree City, Georgia, Olivia creates beautiful artwork that ties into her love of nature, which, in part, stemmed from childhood trips to the Delta. “I have always had an interest in art,” says Olivia. “My mom always supported that. She posted my artwork on the wall going down to the basement when I was growing up. As I got older, I borrowed my mom’s camera and took pictures in her garden. I loved photographing butterflies and flowers. I have a special love for flowers.”

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Olivia attended the University of georgia where she earned a degree in advertising with a minor in studio art. after college, Olivia worked on a dude ranch in Wyoming. “the job wasn’t so great, but i loved being around kids all day. and the surroundings were amazing.” When she returned home, she got a job in advertising but felt it wasn’t creative enough for her. “advertising wasn’t what i thought it would be,” she laughs. “i felt that art was god’s will for me.” her gypsy-like desire for travel has taken Olivia to many places, and she says her artwork stems from her travel experiences. “i’ve been fortunate to have traveled a lot, from childhood into adulthood.” after building up her inventory for a while, Olivia saved enough money to go to hawaii for three months with a friend from college. “it was in February 2020, just before cOViD. it was not the best timing, but that trip was a turning point for me. i decided it was time to stop frolicking and really dive into my art as a career. i was inspired, and it

was a wake-up call to get busy.” Olivia had her first-ever art show in hawaii, a benefit for a ministry that had an outreach to the homeless community. “i made a small collection for the show. it wasn’t very thought out, but i felt like the lord led me. at the end of the night, only one piece had sold, and i was a little discouraged. i am an abstract artist, and it seems that abstract art does not sell well in hawaii. But later i received a check in the mail for the piece i sold and that helped motivate me.” that experience gave Olivia the inspiration to explore different techniques and mediums. “i’m still trying to figure that out! My brand is somewhat scattered, but my goal is to always grow as an artist and not be stagnant. it would absolutely cripple my soul to have to do the same technique over and over.” One of the techniques that Olivia has been working with is plaster. She has been creating plaster flowers. “i thought about it while working out, i guess sort of like a dream come true.” She uses real flowers that Delta Magazine 2022

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she dries. “i use a special technique to dry some of the flowers; then others, like hydrangeas, just dry out on their own.” She carefully applies eight to ten layers of plaster on the flowers then paints and seals them. “Dried flowers are very dainty, so it is a meticulous process.” Olivia says she has never before seen anything done with real flowers. “i have such a love of flowers. i love the structure of nature, and my work gravitates towards that.” recently, Olivia did a piece using flowers from a friend’s wedding bouquet. She has also done one with flowers from a high school prom corsage. “those kinds of things are keepsakes, but what do you do with a dead corsage or bouquet? this is a way to preserve them and have a nice piece of art at the same time.” another medium Olivia enjoys using is clay. “i like to make clay flowers. it’s one of my favorite things to do. When i’m making them, i lose all track of time.” She uses nonfiring clay and a special resin that helps the clay stick. “i also love incorporating driftwood in my art. i have pieces i’ve collected from hawaii, the potomac river, and from Mississippi, including pieces from the creeks by cabins.” her textile pieces are inspired by the Delta landscapes she loves so much. Olivia has spent a lot of time in Mississippi during her life. her mother, edna Fields, grew up in clarksdale. her cousin, georgia tindall, co-owns Balance Fitness in cleveland, where Olivia’s art is displayed. “i still have an aunt and several cousins in the Delta.” it’s the “chaotic 38 | March/april 2022

beauty” of the Delta, as well as the measured linear landscapes, that fascinate Olivia and inform her art. “i’ve always been drawn to linear things, and the miles of fields have a simple, rhythmic quality. then the swampy areas around the cabins where we go hunting are more complex.” When she was growing up, Olivia’s family spent most holidays with her grandparents in clarksdale, and every summer she attended “ama’s camp,” where her grandparents would have a week’s worth of daily planned activities. “i never went to formal camp, but i loved spending time in the Delta with my grandparents.” Olivia’s art is available for sale at rosson co. in cleveland, and she recently did a show at the cotton house hotel where her art will hang for three months. “i’m so excited about my art being in the Delta,” Olivia says. “My goal is to find more galleries to sell my work.” One of her favorite things is doing pop-up art shows. “i’ve done one in nashville, in Oxford, and at Balance Fitness. i love showing art in a small intimate setting where people can socialize. i love entertaining, so that makes it even more fun for me.” She also sells her work online at www.oliviafieldsfineart.com. always racking her brain for innovative ideas, Olivia says she gains inspiration by

being outside. “i love going on walks and observing everything around me. i also love traveling, even for a weekend getaway, and being with my family. My grandmother lives thirty minutes from our home, and my cousins are an hour away.” She has many other creative pursuits, including cooking. “i’d love to have a restaurant one day. and i’d like to create a

cookbook, and i could do the illustrations.” her work ranges from photography to sculpture and pottery to painting. “i think i’m kind of all over the place, but i love everything i am doing. i feel that i can’t learn enough, and i want to keep trying new things. that’s what feeds my soul.” DM Delta Magazine 2022

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MUSIC

the

SEEKER BY JIM BEAUGEZ

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itting behind the wheel of his pickup truck, James H. “Jimbo” Mathus was crisscrossing America in search of something. Not for anything he could put his hands on, necessarily, and not for anything he could see. But he thought he would recognize it when he found it. At nineteen years old, he was looking for a place to begin.

PHOTOS OBTAINED FROM DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES

How Squirrel Nut Zippers frontman Jimbo Mathus discovered his path and found his way back to Clarksdale

Jimbo Mathus has been honing his blues talents for the majority of his life. His guitar skills once landed him a gig backing blues great, Buddy Guy.

his life to that point—his youth spent in corinth and clarksdale; his brief stay at Mississippi State University, where he dabbled in philosophy; and his stint traveling Old Man river with the Merchant Marines—was all preamble to the real Jimbo Mathus, the person he began looking for sometime between thumbing a borrowed paperback of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and dropping out of college. the ingredients were all there, thanks in part to Mathus’s father, who taught him the ropes of bluegrass, honky-tonk, and gospel music. not to mention the blues he absorbed on visits to clarksdale where his grandfather, tony Malvezzi, ran the conerly shoe store chain. he motored through california, new York, and alaska, using his time off from the river barges to find a place where he fit in. chapel hill, north carolina, was funky and Southern enough, he thought, and it had a real music scene supported by local record labels and the University of north carolina student body.

“i had a vague idea of what my career could be, but it was unformed,” Mathus says. “chapel hill just resonated with me. as soon as i found that, just on one of my travels on shore leave, i called back to canal Barge company on the pay phone, said ‘i quit,’ and stayed there. it was just one of those instinct things, i guess you’d say.” Mathus’s intuition proved correct. chapel hill was not only a hotbed of musical activity but also an intellectual enclave where he could learn all he wanted for free at the Unc library. rents were cheap, and minimum wage was relatively good for the era—eighty dollars a month for a place to stay and five bucks an hour for his labors—and he set out to find the like-minded musicians who would eventually join him in his new band, Squirrel nut zippers. “When i got up there, i was just wideopen,” he remembers. “i was trying to learn and trying to understand american music, how i fit in and what i was going to do with it. So all the resources up there from

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Above, Mathus performing at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport Rhode Island with Margo Price and Andrew Bird. Below, Mathus with his backup singer, Shaeffer Llana.

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literature to the music, it all helped me figure it out pretty quick.” Built around an unlikely but infectious melding of american music styles, Squirrel nut zippers drew from be-bop jazz, bluegrass, Dixieland, swing, and rock ‘n’ roll and became a surprise hit in the mid1990s. the band’s 1996 album, Hot, sold more than a million copies in the United States alone, and the 1997 follow-up, Perennial Favorites, posted another half a million in sales. the zippers played the White house, made the late-night television circuit, and toured the world. But the band was swept into the short-lived swing-music revival, and when the fad ended, their fortunes began to erode, culminating in Mathus’s divorce from bandmate Katharine Whalen and a hiatus beginning in 2001. Mathus had been making trips back to Mississippi for years by then, where he immersed himself in Delta and hill country blues. he also learned of his connection to charley patton, one of the most influential blues artists of all time, through family friend and housekeeper rosetta patton, who Mathus learned was charley’s daughter. the 1997 album Songs for Rosetta, credited to James Mathus and his Knockdown Society, paid tribute to her with a set of Delta blues songs. “rosetta is somebody i consider a relative, [and] i’m still close to her family,”

he says. “lo and behold, after all these years, i find out that she was the daughter of charley patton, the king of the Delta blues. that’s when i really staked my claim and thought, ‘Okay, i’m up here in north carolina. i’m very much known for this retro band Squirrel nut zippers, but i’m going to go ahead and stake my claim to Mississippi music, where i’m from. i may not be living there right now, but i will be back there someday.’ Songs for Rosetta was like a manifesto for my future self.” his dedication to learning the craft of the blues landed him a gig backing Buddy guy, which is where he retreated when the zippers imploded. Mathus threw himself into the work of touring on neutral ground, so to speak, until decamping for clarksdale in 2003 to start his next chapter as owner of Delta recording, a studio he set up in the storefront of the former alcazar hotel, where as a kid he watched early Wright, the first Black radio disc jockey in Mississippi, spin records for WrOX on the aM dial. By Mathus’s account the building was in disrepair, with power that barely worked and drafty windows that blocked only some of the weather. in other words, “it was the perfect studio,” he recalls, and he recorded some two hundred albums in the space. One of his highest-profile clients was elvis costello, who brought his band down

from Oxford, where he was recording with Dennis herring, and cut Delta-Verité - The Clarksdale Sessions, a seven-song bonus disc to costello’s 2004 release The Delivery Man. “it was just a really cool place with a lot of history to it,” he says. “i don’t think anything like that could ever happen again. i got it at a cool time, so it had the spirituality, the history of early Wright being right there above it, and just a renegade vibe that really can’t be replicated.” Since those days in the early 2000s, Mathus has released more than a dozen solo albums and reactivated Squirrel nut zippers, which has become a popular draw again across the US. his latest release, These 13 [2021], is a collaboration with former zippers bandmate-turned-solo-artist andrew Bird. Following a central tenet of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance that encourages a balance of rational and romantic impulses, Mathus spurned a scholarship to the US naval academy to pursue his own path. that journey has taken him many unexpected places, but none more important than his selfdiscovery of the artist Jimbo Mathus. “i guess my whole thing has been sort of serendipitous, a fool following his folly,” he says. “it’s not like i calculated anything, you know?” DM

For many years, Mathus has entertained audiences from coast to coast. In addition to his musicianship, Mathus is also known for his unique collages. Below are two of his recent works: “Geronimo with Flower” and “Prismatic”.

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When LOVE comes to town Many of the Teach for America corps members who came to the Delta thought they would stay for only two years. Instead, they fell in love with the region, found their soulmates and planted roots.

Students of Amanda Delperdang build a school garden.

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Sanford and Amanda Johnson with daughters at ribbon-cutting for Clarksdale Collegiate.

BY MARY LEE MCKEE

t’s a beautiful spring day and you’re at a festival, let’s say Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, and you’re in line for those delicious tamales everyone’s been buzzing about. You’re visiting from out of town, and it’s

been years since you were there. In front of you is a couple with a toddler and a baby in a stroller. Unable to help yourself, because, well, you are from Mississippi, you strike up conversation. “How’re y’all doin’? Where’re you from?” Equally friendly, the woman replies, “We’re from Cleveland.” You detect she doesn’t sound like she’s from Cleveland. But not wanting to make assumptions, you ask, “Did you grow up there?” They laugh. “No, no. I’m from New Jersey,” she says, and he, “I grew up in Kansas.” “Wow. What brought you to the Delta?” They explain that they came with Teach for America (TFA) to teach for two years, he in a school in Leland and she in Indianola. That was over ten years ago. this scenario repeats itself until, by the end of the day, you’re pretty sure you’ve met people from at least half of the United States. Over the years, you’ve heard more about people leaving the Delta than you’ve heard about people moving there. Yet during a matter of hours, you’ve met a small army of relatively new residents. You come to learn that so many of these transplants ended up here because of tFa, many with the intention of moving on after their two years of service. however, many of them did not move on but, rather, built a life here. they stayed. this is a story about falling in love. Sometimes with each other.

Amanda Johnson consoles a student in the hallway.

Sometimes with someone else. But always with a place. this place. the Delta. “there’s just something about it. it gets a hold of you,” Jenn Mohead of lula declares, reminiscing on her own tFa journey from Florida to the Delta twenty-five years ago. “i couldn’t leave Walmart without seeing my students and their families. there was such a strong sense of community.” She taught in helena and lived in Moon lake, where she met her husband, local restaurateur and musician, John Mohead. She has lived in the Delta and worked with tFa ever since. “this place ruins you,” according to Justin zamm who lives Delta Magazine 2022

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Matty Bengloff on the Delta Dairy bike.

Amanda Delperdang teaching summer art classes in Cleveland.

Jon Delperdang in the classroom. Matty Bengloff and Suzette Matthews

The Delta Dairy, Cleveland

in lyon with his wife, colleen, their six-yearold twins, John and prudence, and their dog, lula. “it slows you down—lets you have a conversation with somebody or have a cup of coffee or hear a song. things you ordinarily rush through. it ruins you for the high-speed life.” Justin, who grew up forty-five minutes from new York city in norwalk, connecticut, and colleen, who hails from Orange county, california, met as corps members in tFa in 2010. together they have more degrees than a hot day in august. Justin is a classically trained guitarist with two degrees from eastman Todd Dixon conservatory in upstate new York. colleen studied at columbia University, the University of Virginia, and harvard law School. She worked three years in corporate law with her sights set on going into public interest work. and then the recession hit; public interest jobs weren’t exactly plentiful. For so many, the recession changed people’s plans, including Justin’s and colleen’s. however, an organization that appealed to Justin’s interest in teaching music and colleen’s desire to serve the public interest was hiring. they applied to tFa and became teachers in clarksdale and ruleville. 50 | March/april 2022

tFa launched in 1990 as a solution to meet the need for teachers in urban and rural schools by recruiting and training individuals, corps members, who commit to teaching for two years. Since 1991, over three thousand corps members from all over the United States have taught throughout the Delta, providing critical teaching support to schools and helping students achieve academic success. For many corps members, that two-year commitment turned into three years or eight years or twenty-five. “i knew i wanted to stay longer than two years,” recalls laura howell, who is from north carolina and is now the executive director of the Bologna performing arts center at Delta State University. “i loved the Delta. it took getting used to the things i didn’t have, but i loved the sense of community and the unique way generations come together.” laura did her two years of service at carver elementary in indianola teaching fourth grade and lived in leland, where she met her Delta husband, Frank howell, at church. they live there now with their two children. “actually, i didn’t expect to stay longer than two years. i like to move around and try new things. if todd and i had not started dating, i wouldn’t have stayed,” explains Shannon McMulkin,

Colleen Zamm and scholars.

originally from colorado. She and her husband, todd Dixon, met at Kipp Delta collegiate high School in helena. todd came with tFa in 2006 and taught at Kipp Delta for twelve years where he also established the physics program and eventually became a school leader. Shannon arrived in 2013 and taught for four years. they married in 2020 and are expecting their first child in February. “We have a great life here,” todd shares, “and so many relationships.” they left teaching and launched their new business a year ago, Suncrop Solar and energy Solutions, which largely focuses on residential energy efficiency. already, they have saved their customers tens of thousands of dollars in utility bills. Shannon adds, “it’s very satisfying to go to the homes of people you know.” like Shannon, amanda Johnson wouldn’t have bet on staying after completing her two-year commitment. “i didn’t think i would like small-town life. i definitely did not see being here longterm.” that was in 2003, and amanda planned to practice law. “But i fell in love with the Delta, and after my first year, i knew i wanted to stay.” She continues, “i loved the people and being in community—the kids, their families, my co-workers. i loved the civil rights history, the culture of music and art. to be a part of that, to know families that are connected to that history is really meaningful.” then she started dating fellow corps member, Sanford Johnson. “During my second year, i asked amanda to dinner one night…and the rest is history,” Sanford confesses with a hearty, happy laugh. For Sanford, currently the Mississippi executive director of teach plus, ending up in the Delta was the last thing he would have expected. “i was running away from Mississippi.” at auburn University, he studied politics and policy with plans to go to law school and work in D.c. and then a funny thing happened while in school in alabama that altered those plans. as

Justin Zamm at Reds.

any Mississippian knows, if you’re in alabama, you will be subjected to relentless jokes about the Magnolia State. Sanford became defensive of his home state; he even developed a new affection for Mississippi and grew proud of it. proud enough to want to work there. in 2002, he applied for tFa because he knew that experience would fuel the policy work he wanted to do. he was placed at coahoma high School, and by the end of his first year, he knew he wanted to stay. he and amanda married in 2006. after helping to open the high-performing Kipp Delta literacy academy in helena in 2009, amanda founded clarksdale collegiate public charter School in 2018. the preDelta Magazine 2022

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Dr. Rolando Herts as Grand Marshall in 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade.

Dr. Rolando Herts at Club Ebony for the 2016 Indianola Blues Challenge with Jerry Mason (left) of Central MIssissippi Blues Society and Shirley Waring (center) of Vicksburg Blues Society.

Mary Kate Hinshaw with Billy McKee and KG. 52 | March/april 2022

work to open collegiate provided an opportunity for some of Sanford’s earliest policy wins. “One of the changes we advanced was for students to be able to cross district lines to attend a school. that change allowed for rural charter schools.” this critical achievement was accomplished at Mississippi First, a non-profit which he co-founded in 2008 to advance policies that improve education in Mississippi. “When i left for college, i was escaping Mississippi. too many problems. But now, i’m here. By choice. and working hard to stay here.” it was a similar sense of mission that brought Dr. rolando herts back to the Delta. in 1996, he served two years with tFa

Laura Howell (center) and Suzette Matthews (right) with fellow TFAer and Deltan, Courtney Van Cleve.

in indianola and then moved on for nearly two decades of higher education including fourteen years at rutgers University in new Jersey. currently he is the director of the Delta center for culture and learning at Delta State University and the executive director of the Mississippi Delta national heritage area where his work is devoted to understanding and promoting the cultural heritage of the Delta and its people to the world. looking back over his shoulder, it seems his entire life has brought him here, in spite of deterrents. When rolando arrived in indianola in 1996, he was refused rentals because he was black. instead, he lived in a house with other white tFaers. “i was warned not to let the owners know i was living there.” the experience was very sobering as well as inspiring. “i felt a greater sense of purpose.” nonetheless, he loved his time in indianola. “they loved the blues. the whole town. even the children. there was such a sense of pride in their culture.” now, he works on behalf of that culture. “Our stories live here. We have opportunities, by telling our own stories, to tell the story of the community and the region. We all have something to add to that story. that’s how rich this is. how deep it goes. i want everyone to recognize that.” Sanford is candid. “there’s work we need to do. But the way to fix it is not by leaving; the way to fix it is by staying. if you care and want to get something done, you can pretty much get it done here.” Matty Bengloff shares that sentiment. he insists, “this is such fertile ground for entrepreneurial endeavors. and so many grants to help you get started.” in 2013, he and his fellow tFa corps member, now wife, Suzette Matthews, opened the Delta Dairy, a popular self-serve frozen treats shoppe in downtown cleveland that has cultivated a special community of all ages and walks of life. “the Delta is such a cool, beautiful place. people are really kind and engaging.” When he first arrived, he knew nothing about it. “i was confused about why it was even called the Delta.” he fell in love with it quickly, though he admits growing up in long island made for quite an adjustment to living in Marianna, arkansas, a town of 3500. What does one do in a town of 3500? Jenn Mohead remembers her own adjustment to small-town life. She laughs about wild and crazy Friday night plans of potluck dinners. “a potluck? What are we supposed to

Frank and Laura Howell with their sons.

John and Jenn Mohead and their sons.

do at a potluck?” the answer? “Just visit.” there’s a joke in tFa, Matty shared, that if you get placed in the Delta, “you run a marathon, you get a dog, and then you get married.” Matty did all three. in that order. “it’s been a wonderful place to build community. it’s something special that couldn’t have happened other places.” Mary Kate hinshaw is also from long island and knew nothing about the Delta when she arrived in clarksdale, where she taught for eight years at Kirkpatrick elementary. “i’ve never felt as cared for as i did there. and clarksdale felt like that. people were watching out for me.” her love for her students and for teaching, the community, and the cultural assets kept her around, Delta Magazine 2022

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Shannon McMulkin and Todd Dixon working at their business, SunCrop.

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Suzette Matthews, Matty Bengloff and Laura Howell with other Teach for America Corp members at Juke Joint Festival.

as did her fiancé, clarksdale native, Billy McKee. “too,” she colleen and Justin actually tried to leave the Delta after admits, “i was sick of the cold and wanted to be someplace warm.” completing their service and getting married in 2012 but found Warm weather was certainly a draw for John Delperdang, who they simply could not stay away. “Our plans took us to grew up in Minnesota where winters are most unkind to a tall, connecticut. But we were miserable,” colleen says. “i thought, skinny frame like his. he also wanted to be someplace that needed ‘has Mississippi ruined us forever?’” teachers. tFa sent him to teach math and act preparation in “Back in connecticut we realized we could be anywhere rosedale, which provided a vibrant community. “the teachers because all the stores are the same and nobody was talking,” Justin were really committed to their schools explains. “We missed the characters.” and the kids. and they were so willing By day, Justin, teaches music, and by to help me.” John discovered that he night he plays gigs around town, often loved teaching. he also discovered that at red’s Blues club. “every night at he loved the Delta. in 2016 he red’s is like living in a Barry hannah married his across-the-street neighbor or larry Brown story. it’s addictive.” and fellow corps member, amanda, But it’s more than just the characters who is from Utah. they now have two that draws people, according to Justin. children and live in leland. amanda, he believes it’s about connection. who is an artist and graphic designer, “i know all my neighbors,” colleen has been teaching art and reading. states. “all of my students. i see them however, this will be her last year in at the grocery store. We see them grow the classroom because she is founding Jen Mohead and Mia Meadows, Executive Director of TFA up. We see them graduate from the Mississippi Delta nature and Greater Delta greet a student at the celebration of the college. there are so many stories.” learning center in greenville, set to ribbon cutting ceremony at Clarksdale Collegiate. Jenn Mohead asserts it is connection open in the fall of 2022. She is also a that is partly responsible for those certified horticulturalist. “Our community needs family stories. “i have seen so many students’ trajectories change to a recreation spaces. and children need opportunities to play.” path of opportunity. that sense of connection in the “We really enjoy our community,” John shares. “i’m part of community allows us to make educational equity a reality for the rotary club here, and we are doing good projects. We bought students.” a house. this is where we are going to be.” they have even “people are so hungry to connect,” Justin claims, “especially recruited others to join them; amanda’s parents bought a house over the kinds of lines that are drawn in society.” he values the down the road, and her brother is also considering moving there. blues as a conduit for shared humanity, for connection. “people “We love the laid-back lifestyle, and the cost of living is so cheap,” come here from all over the world because it is so rare to have this she says. colleen zamm’s parents bought a house on Moon lake, live music experience where people are the connection. We play and she knows of many other tFaers whose parents have bought in small venues, and the performers and the audience are right around the area. “it’s a place where people know their neighbors there together. the number of people who come up to me and and take care of each other,” she explains. say ‘this is the greatest night of my life’ blows my mind.” DM Delta Magazine 2022

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JOHNNY JENNINGS A life of adventure at home and abroad BY BECKY GILLETTE

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ne never knows the impact a simple gesture may have on a person’s life. For example, the teacher who gave Delta native Johnny Jennings copies of National Geographic—nude photos removed—in the second or third grade couldn’t have known that she would spark a life-long interest in international travel, photography, and adventure. And now at age seventy-four, in addition to flying hot air balloons in the United States and abroad, Jennings has ridden motorcycles long distances around the US and Canada and bicycled through Vietnam and China.

Jess Luxton, Wallie Stuckey, and Jennings stopping for a photo-op in the dessert off Highway 50 in Nevada.

he started flying a hot air balloon in 1968 with Bill Mundy. Since earning his air balloon pilot license in 1970, he has logged over two thousand hours in a hot air balloon. prominent guests in one flight included then arkansas governor Bill clinton, Mississippi governor ray Mabus, and louisiana governor Buddy roemer. another memorable flight was

with astronaut Stuart roosa, who had circled the moon on apollo 14. “i was just always fascinated with flying and aviation,” Jennings said. “i couldn’t afford to do a solo fixed wing. i figured with a hot air balloon, i could do promotions. it was a hobby that made money.” Jennings has flown over east central

park in new York city for the Mississippi picnic and has participated in the albuquerque international Balloon Fiesta several times. he also enjoyed doing a big advertising flight for coors Beer when the company expanded distribution east of the Mississippi river. in 1990 he flew in the Freedom of the Skies benefit in the Soviet Union in the center of St. petersburg in lenin Square. “that was absolutely insane,” Jennings said. “there were thirty-five balloonists from all over the world. We were the Mississippi balloon.” he finds the biggest thrill is the reaction of his passengers, their joy and excitement in taking off in a hot air balloon. “that has been the greatest satisfaction next to the people i have met and the places i’ve been able to go,” Jennings said. “it is such a peaceful, connecting sport. it is really a unique experience, and i enjoy letting people share that experience.” Jennings grew up in tutwiler and has had a remarkable tenure of twenty-six years on the greenwood city council. he is a highly sought-after photographer and has also been successful in residential and commercial real estate investments. While proud of that work, clearly his appetite for traveling, seeing new places, and meeting new people are highlights of his life. he and attorney Wallie Stuckey have regularly gone on seven thousand to eight thousand mile trips all over the US and to canada. Jennings rides a sport cruiser bike, a Yamaha FJr 1300. “it is much more comfortable and not as loud as most motorcycles,” Jennings said. “it sounds like a Ferrari. it is perfect for long distances. Sometimes we have ridden in excess of one thousand miles per day. Motorcycling itself is pretty dangerous, so anything you can do to improve safety like wearing a helmet is a wise and common-sense decision. the helmet helps protect you from rocks and bugs in the face; plus there are communication devices in our helmets so we can talk to each other, which is another safety feature. if one person sees a hazard, they can communicate to the others. i’ve been to every state on a motorcycle except north Dakota. i’ve even ridden a motor scooter in hawaii.” Jennings and Stuckey started riding motorcycles together in 2004. Before the pandemic, they used to take one long trip Delta Magazine 2022

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Glacier National Park

Wallie Stuckey, Jennings, and Richard Beattie biking through Greenwood.

Jennings and Beattie with their North Vietnam guide. 60 | March/april 2022

north Dakota. i’ve even ridden a motor scooter in hawaii.” Jennings and Stuckey started riding motorcycles together in 2004. Before the pandemic, they used to take one long trip each year and two or three short trips per year. “Some of our trips have been eight thousand miles, which takes a little over two weeks to do,” Stuckey said. “We had a regular group we would meet up with in amarillo, texas. We have just had wonderful times. thank goodness no one has ever gotten hurt. We’ve seen a lot of the country, and you can see and smell better from a motorcycle than a car.” “Johnny has never met a stranger, and he is always happy. While the scenery is great, the most memorable times we have had are the people we have met, complete strangers, very friendly, who have gone out of their way to talk to us. that is really the reward, talking to the people who live in the place you visit.” One of his favorite memories is of traveling to Jackson hole, Wyoming, arriving at the end of the day to find out there were no hotel rooms to be had because of a big bicycle race. they walked into the antler inn, which was full, and Jennings said it was a shame they couldn’t get a room because his great aunt was the first innkeeper in Jackson hole. the owner of the antler inn overheard that comment, had known the great aunt, and the antler inn owner set the group up in a recreation room with a kitchen and bathroom and had five beds moved in. “it wasn’t until the next day we worried

about how much it would cost when the regular room rate was $275 a night,” Stuckey said. “it turned out she charged us ten dollars a person. We remained friends with her for years after that. i’ve been back a couple times and spoken to her.” Jennings has also traveled a lot with richard Beattie, a retired vice president for national picture Frame. Beattie got Jennings interested in riding bicycles long distances. “around 2001—just two months after 9-11—richard and i flew to Melbourne, australia, went to tasmania, and rode all around the tasmania province of australia,” Jennings said. “richard introduced me to some of his good friends—business associates from national picture Frame, who live in australia and tasmania. they invited us to come, so we loaded up and went. We were really struck by the uniqueness of all the animals and how the trees looked very prehistoric. it looked like places you would think a dinosaur would walk out of. they have mostly virgin forests with big skyways to walk through the trees. it is a paradise. the people in smaller towns in australia kind of live off the land and are very independent and friendly.” the two flew to hong Kong, took a bullet train up to china, and joined the first rei bicycle tour from nanning, china, to hanoi, Vietnam. Beattie said they share a sense of adventure. “Johnny never meets a stranger even if it is someone who can’t speak english,”

Jennings captured this image of a Mississippi Hot Air Balloon in Lenin Square, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Beattie, the Mayor of Móng Cái, and Jennings in front of the border crossing checkpoint from China to Vietnam. Delta Magazine 2022

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The Golden Gate Bridge

Above, on the southern tip of Tasmania. Below, Richard Beattie presenting the American flag to the welcoming committee in China.

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“Johnny never meets a stranger even if it is someone who can’t speak english,” Beattie said. “it is fun to travel with him. We have also done some backpacking out West.” Beattie said at the time they went to china, the people there had rarely seen Westerners. “the food was also very adventurous,” Beattie said. “Much of the food had to be shipped in because local food was not something Westerners would enjoy, like eating snakes. it was always interesting to see how people reacted to Johnny. not only were Westerners an unusual sight, but people in rural china rarely saw anyone that size. little kids would want to come up and rub Johnny’s stomach. it was almost like he was one of those Buddha sculptures.” Beattie said it was hard to describe how

Jennings with Wallie Stuckey at the bridge to Prince Edward Island, Canada..

unusual it was to see bicycles being used not only as personal transportation but to haul things. a bicycle with big basket might have a pig in it. they saw one bicycle with a chest of drawers balanced on it. Bicycle travel was the dominant form of transportation.” Jennings said they felt very safe in china and Vietnam. “the people in china are insanely friendly, curious, and cordial,” Jennings said. “every little home would have a family living upstairs and a business downstairs where they would make and sell goods. no one in Vietnam was rude. that war had been over so long before. they were more worried about how they were going to eat and survive than about us. everywhere we went, we were covered on the news. i was really impressed with

Above, Curb Service Band members Dwight Dilly, Haley Bennett, Johnny Freeman, Charles Hall, Rick Lambert and Sid Herring and the Curvettes members Vicky Morgan, Connie Black, and Cathy Jennings with Johnny Jennings. Below, Jennings showing children in China a video of themselves. They had never seen a video camera.

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Jennings in New Mexico.

Above, Jennings at Yellowstone National Park. Below, riding motorcycles through Glacier National Park.

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only were Westerners an unusual sight, but people in rural china rarely saw anyone that size. little kids would want to come up and rub Johnny’s stomach. it was almost like he was one of those Buddha sculptures.” Beattie said it was hard to describe how unusual it was to see bicycles being used not only as personal transportation but to haul things. a bicycle with big basket might have a pig in it. they saw one bicycle with a chest of drawers balanced on it. Bicycle travel was the dominant form of transportation.”

Jennings said they felt very safe in china and Vietnam. “the people in china are insanely friendly, curious, and cordial,” Jennings said. “every little home would have a family living upstairs and a business downstairs where they would make and sell goods. no one in Vietnam was rude. that war had been over so long before. they were more worried about how they were going to eat and survive than about us. everywhere we went, we were covered on the news. i was really impressed with hanoi, which had nice hotels, restaurants, and people. they had bootstrapped themselves and were moving on to the next level.” Jennings would stop traffic with his pocket camcorder when he turned the screen around so people could see what he was filming. Jennings has also traveled to africa and greece. Other than his marriage to his wife of thirty-seven years, cathy, a pharmacist, Jennings said travel has been one of the biggest thrills of his life. “My wife was insanely generous letting me do all those trips,” he said. “it kind of made me who i am and made me want to be more than i am by seeing other people. every time i travel, i reset appreciating how

fortunate i am to be able to go places.” Jennings’ interest in photography grew from being tapped to work on the classroom newspaper in high school. “they handed me a camera and showed me where the darkroom was,” Jennings recalls. “i went in there and learned how to make pictures. i got a fever for that. then i went to work doing photography for newspapers and magazines such as Delta Magazine and farm magazines across the country. i used to do thirty-five weddings a year. now everyone has a digital camera; there is less demand for wedding photography. But i still do video production. My passion is getting into my computer and doing editing and post production.” cOViD has put a crimp in foreign travel. Jennings is glad they traveled when they were younger and more adventurous and there were no cOViD restrictions. Still another accomplishment has been performing as a guitar player and backup singer in the rock-and-roll band curb Service and the curvettes since 1977. the group has performed all over the Southeast. his wife is one of the three curvette singers. Jennings has had an active and varied business life as well. he recently got out of the residential rental business but still owns some commercial buildings and retail shop spaces downtown greenwood; he also has a cell tower lease. Far from retiring, he is thinking of going into the climate control business. Jennings and his wife have two daughters, Dr. anna Jennings nix, a pediatric dentist in clinton who has three boys, and Sarah Jennings, a kindergarten teacher and master cake maker in houston, texas, who also has three sons. DM Delta Magazine 2022

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HOME

young couple

OLD HOUSE

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Floor-to-ceiling charcoal velvet drapes provide visual impact, draft protection, and a pleasing complement to the furnishings.

NEWLYWEDS ANNE CLAIRE AND DREW FANDEL OF GREENWOOD TACKLE MAJOR HOME RESTORATION BY SHERRY LUCAS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY ABE DRAPER

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The Fandel’s fresh take combines loving attention to original wood floors, crisp white walls, twin open-back shelves and a Frame TV above the mantel. Family furniture passalongs helped with decor.

BEFORE

he Fandel’s 1920s Craftsman-style charmer on West Harding in Greenwood has the good bones of a strong foundation and, thanks to its recent renovation, a fresh outlook for the future—not unlike the newlywed couple who swept in with updates and now call it home.

Drew Fandel and anne claire Dunn’s betrothal came on the heels of a pandemic shutdown. “i guess it kind of worked out,” Drew says, even as Mississippi State and Ole Miss, where they’d been pursing master’s degrees, went online. “We ended up coming back here (to greenwood), and that next week is when we got engaged.” Drew grew up in tupelo, but his grandparents were born and raised in greenwood, and his grandfather’s parents, italian immigrants, came through new Orleans to settle in the Delta town. anne claire’s parents, originally from arizona, moved to greenwood in their twenties, and she grew up there. “he is way more related to people here than i am,” she says, laughing. “it’s crazy.” 70 | March/april 2022

Their first home merits a thumbs up for newlyweds Anne Claire and Drew Fandel.

This gas heater insert, an attic find, was cleaned and repurposed for living room use.

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Gold-rimmed china and glassware bring a luxurious shine to this Easter setting. The china cabinet and Oriental rug add warm stability, while an airy chandelier pulls in breezy charm.

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The Fandels converted a former bedroom into their dining room with a farmhouse table, perfect-fit sideboard, and lovely view of the backyard’s magnolia tree.

those connections surface in serendipitous ways. the diamond in her engagement ring first belonged to his great-grandfather (elmo collum), who called roll for Sunday School at the same church anne claire grew up in. “My grandmother told me that diamond was available,” Drew says, “and this was after anne claire and i had only been dating a month.” Drew and anne claire wed new Year’s eve 2020 with a ceremony at First Baptist greenwood and their reception at the historic elks lodge. She had a job lined up at Delta State University, teaching college algebra and stats. he started working for her father, William Dunn, at his farm in cruger. “We knew we were going to be in the Delta,” anne claire says. “Once he started farming, we kind of had to meet in the middle.” the house hunt was a struggle, they say. the few options they found were often both expensive and old, needing repairs. this

BEFORE

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A full kitchen renovation makes sleek work of the space, from the subway tile backsplash to the butcher block countertops.

BEFORE

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The sweep of countertops, farmhouse sink, and stunning picture window are standout features that makes any kitchen duty—such as Anne Claire’s sideline business, All Dunn Baking—a pleasure. Estate sale finds glitz up a butler’s pantry cabinet.

house needed work, too, but was also much more affordable, so the budget worked. tall ceilings, big rooms, a big backyard, and a deep front porch were draws, too. Since her dad used to build houses, they knew he could lead them through the process. “that’s the only way we could do it,” anne claire says. “and we loved this neighborhood.” they bought it in July 2020 and immediately jumped into the redo. together, they’ve navigated a suite of big life changes in a relatively short period of time—marriage, first home, major renovation. “i feel like it really brought us together,” anne claire says. “i think it takes a special person or couple to even do

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Drew Fandel’s skill set grew with every stage of home renovation, such as laying tile in the master bathroom. The vertical placement was a creative workaround for old house issues.

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Downstairs in the guest bathroom, the tiled floor and shower add a cool design complement to the white walls and fixtures.

renovations. i don’t think you can be very picky about stuff.” With slanting floors and other old house quirks, “You can’t be very OcD. i’m very okay with … “everything not being just perfect,” Drew finishes her sentence. “and we had a lot of fun working together doing it,” she adds. that holds true, even if it was hard and sweaty at times—such as painting the exterior in July. Drew replaced the roof himself, with help from anne claire’s dad and brother, in august. “i just brought popsicles and prayed a lot,” she says. “people would drive by and ask, ‘What company is doing the roof?’ and i’m like, ‘Oh, it’s just my husband!’” they learned a lot in the process. “he is so good at learning how to do almost anything,” anne claire brags on Drew. “he tiled both bathrooms himself.” “everything was learning from scratch,” says Drew, who was brand new to major renovation. inside, the decor combines choice family passalongs and a

BEFORE

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design details

ACHIEVE THE LOOK

Butcher block countertops add a rich contrast against the white tile.

The frame TV above the mantle displays a favorite wedding photo.

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Palette-pleasing green makes the guest bedroom a welcoming retreat.

modern sensibility. gold and white crop up a lot. pastels, too, contribute to the fresh look and add interest against the background of grays, neutrals, and white. in the living room, gray velvet drapes enhance the windows and complement the light gray sofa and charcoal leather armchairs. pieces that once furnished her aunt penny and Uncle Dwight Dunn’s condo in Oxford came the Fandel’s way when it was sold. “We had good timing,” Drew says. She’d bought a pair of shelves for their wedding reception, knowing she could put them to good use in their living room afterward. above the marble mantel, a winsome photo from their wedding is actually on a Frame tV, which can display art until it’s pressed into service for entertainment. the wool rug in neutral oatmeal adds texture and warmth. a pair of deer skull mounts recall his and her hunts. Most of the home’s redwood floors are original, sanded to bare wood and stained in a rich dark walnut. For boards that needed replacing, Blue Ox reclaimed lumber of carrollton had the answer. “We were able to sort through and find boards that matched what our floors were,” Drew says. a few framed selections from their engagement photos by

Madeleine B. photography add happy smiles to surfaces and walls throughout the house. the guest bedroom’s pale green bedding is soft and inviting, and a haley Farris painting and handmade pillows from Mississippi Stitches provide extra interest. the headboard and dresser, family pieces from Drew’s side, bring in a warm familiarity, and an upholstered swivel rocker—another condo score—makes a comfy corner accent. the bathroom shows off Drew’s handiwork. the floor and shower tiles’ blue, gray, and white design, coupled with the crisp white walls, sparks an almost greek feel for the room, while a jade Mccarty vase anchors it right back in the Delta. in the dining room, sunlight pours in, making a showy view of the sculptural beauty and glossy green leaves of an attractive magnolia out back. inside, pastel pinks and gold trim combine for an elegant easter setting with Sasha nicholas monogram plates nestled in anna Weatherley Dusty rose china. gold-rimmed glasses were a lucky estate sale find, and anne claire’s grandparents’ silverware is still of lovely use. ceramic bunnies from friends and fancy pink marbled eggs from her mom, Julie Dunn, complete the theme. the set of speckled glass decanters from Fincher’s in Delta Magazine 2022

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Home renovation, from top to bottom and back to front, was a hands-on, hands-in business. 80 | March/april 2022

The rebuilt laundry room provides the perfect workspace for Anne Claire’s cookie baking/decorating side business.

greenwood, a wedding gift, makes a gorgeous statement on the buffet. their dining room was originally pegged as a bedroom with an attached sewing room, according to a 1926 listing found by their neighbor. the sewing room is now slated for an office. it’s the perfect spot for the 3D printer (a gift from Drew) anne claire uses to make cookie cutters for her sideline business, all Dunn Baking. a box of prettily decorated sugar cookies, destined for an engagement party, awaits delivery. that little room, once open to the dining room, can now be shut discreetly behind paneled double doors—this time a lucky Facebook Marketplace find by her dad. the couple’s now fabulous kitchen once had a wall separating the butler’s pantry. they opened that up and made it bigger with better flow and more length for the butcher’s block countertop. the old window was useless for a view. “My Uncle Dwight came over to the house and said that window definitely wouldn’t do!” anne claire recalls. the renovation tripled the window space, and he and aunt penny gifted them the four-by-four-foot picture window as a wedding gift. the remarkable feature, right above the farmhouse Delta Magazine 2022

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Their front porch refresh is a crisp improvement for this Craftsmanstye home.

in the bathroom, Drew laid the subway tile vertically, as a visual sink, fills the room with natural light during the day. new recessed foil to the slant in the wall. the white granite vanity countertop, just lighting in the tongue-and-groove ceiling brightens things up at short of ten feet long, had to be cut in half to make the tight turn at night. the top of the stairs—a joint that’s invisible now. there’s a matching their thirty-six-inch oven can handle the full-size commercial bench in the shower. a six-foot framed mirror, propped against the baking sheets anne claire uses for her cookie business. a subway wall, contributes to the bathroom’s spacious feel. tile backsplash keeps the look fresh and clean. a laundry room in the restful bedroom, with its need of a rebuild brought the powder blue bedspread and blue velvet opportunity for a redesign, and the new drapes, is a soothing and attractive wall holds the fridge and a handy, retreat. pillows in a haley Farris fabric recessed microwave. bring in a dash more color and visual now, the rebuilt laundry room, with interest. the bed’s king-size mattress its wall of big cabinets, offers plenty of presented another tricky stairs move to storage and workspace for equipment conquer. “i do not know how y’all got and her baking and decorating needs. it up here!” a still-amazed anne claire One cabinet closest to the door is a marvels at Drew. they joke that it’s great place for Drew to stash his there to stay, even if they move on one hunting gear. day. at the kitchen’s other end, tall a year into their marriage, Drew cabinets in the butler’s pantry open to Porch details, hidden behind hedges, don’t have nearly and anne claire Fandel take a lot of reveal a treasure trove of glassware bling. the impact of the Fandel’s clean slate. pride in the work they’ve put in—from the “i kind of got it from my mom,” anne ground up, top down, and back to front—on their first home. claire says of her collecting passion. “She loves going on eBay and “i love it. i absolutely love it. i just can’t believe we’ve gotten this finding these.” anne claire goes for the gold at estate sales. far,” anne claire says. “We only have two bedrooms, so we can’t be Upstairs, the Fandels transformed the attic into a sweeping master here forever. But i’m going to have a hard time ever leaving it, for bedroom and bath. “this was just a blank canvas, and we designed sure.” DM it how we wanted to, which was nice,” says Drew.

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Delta Magazine’s

WEDDING S H O W C A S E

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NOTHING STAYS THE SAME, AS THEY SAY, AND THIS IS TRUE OF WEDDINGS AS WELL. On the following pages we present trends in weddings that run the gamut from extending the party all night, to keeping it small and personal. There are also tips for choosing a registry, and some unique wedding gift ideas. Our curated selection of fabulous photography, along with formal wedding and engagement announcements, will make you feel like a guest—and inspire ideas for your own big day!

Basinger-Lott, Followell Fotography

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Adorable travel jewelry pouches by Stoney Clover are a great idea for a bridesmaids or a small token of appreciation! Ultimate Gifts, Southaven Facebook: @ultimategifts1; Instagram: @ultimategifts

Hand-painted and oh-so gorgeous, your bridesmaids will adore these personalized champagne bottles by Molly Chain. Molly Chain Collective, Oxford mollychaincollectiv.com Instagram: @mollychain_collectiv

gifting

Decorative items help make a house feel homey, and are a special and often unexpected gift for a new couple. Neysa’s Fireside Shop, Cleveland; 661.843.3311 neysas-fireside.bridgecatalog.com Facebook and Instagram: @neysasfiresideshop

with style

Wedding season comes with a variety of events that call for a special gift. Let us help with ideas from local retailers and artisans! For something your newlyweds will never forget, what better way to start a life of adventure together than with than his and hers custom matching hats by ML Provisions, Mississippi’s only custom hatmaker!

Cork Pops are truly the ultimate wine opener. Give as a gift for a stock-the-bar shower, or for a host/hostess, bridesmaid’s, or groomsmen’s gift! The Olive Tree, Starkville; 662.722.3019 theolivetreestarkville.com Facebook and Instagram: @theolivetreestarkville

ML Provisions, Crystal Springs Instagram: @mlprovisions

A beautiful coﬀee table book is always a wonderful gift that adds a personal touch and is a great conversation to any room.

Each gorgeous acrylic gold tray is a unique piece of art made with specialty pigments. Useful as a serving tray or gorgeous decorative accessory, and would make a lovely wedding or special hostess gift!

The Finery, Jackson; 601.566.1066 thefineryjackson.com Facebook and Instagram: @thefineryjackson

The Mississippi Gift Company, Greenwood; 662.455.6961 themississippigiftcompany.com Facebook and Instagram: @TheMississippiGiftCompany

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A quality Smithey Ironware Dutch oven is essential for any kitchen. This is a gift that will last a lifetime. Rosson Co., Cleveland; 662.843.3986 rossonco.com Facebook: @RossonCo; Instagram: @rossoncompany

Original art is a great way to support local artists and give a unique gift that newlyweds will treasure for a lifetime. Olivia Fields Fine Art oliviafieldsfineart.com; Facebook: Olivia Fields Fine Art; Instagram: @oliviafieldsart

Keep the bubbles ﬂowing from cocktail hour to bath-time with soothing Prosecco scented bubble bath by Antica Farmacista. Make celebrating popping the question even more special with these proposal cups and napkins.

BellaChes, Ridgeland Mod and Proper, Cleveland

Fresh Ink, Cleveland; 601.982.0245 fresh-ink.com Instagram and Facebook: @freshinkstyle

Perfect for shower hostess gifts, these keepsake boxes will be treasured mementos! Frill Seekers Gifts; 850.460.2700 frillseekergifts.com Facebook and Instagram: @FrillSeekersGifts

Gold-rimmed Casaﬁna wine glasses will complement any china pattern your newlyweds may choose. Add a pop of color when you pop the cork with Estelle colored champagne coups. You can’t go wrong with any of the oﬀerings from Estelle! mod + proper, 662.400.3111 shopmodandproper.com Facebook and Instagram: @modandproper Rosson Co., The Olive Tree

Persnickety, Madison; 601.853.9595 persnicketyshops.com Facebook and Instagram: @persnicketyshops A personal poker chip set will be a much appreciated groomsmen’s gift. BelllaChes, Ridgeland; 601.605.2239 Facebook and Instagram: @bellaches

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WEDDING TRENDS From after-parties to micro weddings—the ever-evolving ways we celebrate the BIG DAY

Weddings are a special time for not only the bride and groom, but the guests as well. But who says that the celebration has to end with the cutting of the cake? Post-toasts following the rehearsal dinner have become popular the past couple of years, and now, after-the-reception parties keep the party going, and the options are endless—here are some ideas from the pros! Ellen Thomas of Ellen Thomas Event Designs “instead of a goodbye brunch on Sunday or post-toast after the rehearsal dinner on Friday, a handful of our couples have decided to have an after-party following the reception on Saturday. this is a huge trend you will see in 2022 and 2023 and we are so excited to see these events come to life!” says thomas. Often the after-party following the reception is at a different location, which allows the couple to have a completely different vibe than the more formal event.

the “tis the Stevens” after-party for Molly harris and gill Stevens’ December 2021 wedding was definitely an event to remember. the party was completely customized with fun cocktail napkins, koozies, and Santa and Mrs. claus. they served jello shots and milk punch to really make it a separate event from the elegant ceremony and reception. the couple’s favorite time of year is christmas, so this was the perfect ending to one of our favorite events of 2021.

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PHOTOS KELLY GINN PHOTOGRAPHY

Wacky Tacky Christmas After-Party

CPHOTOS OURTESTY OF MONT HELENA

Microweddings as the landscape for events is ever changing, there has also been a rise in microweddings, with some venues offering solutions for smaller party weddings that still include all the features of a larger traditional wedding, only on a smaller scale. couples looking for this kind of intimate turnkey experience need look no further than the new full-service offerings from Mont helena in rolling Fork. "With the pandemic putting limitations on crowd size and adding stress to wedding planning as well as the rising costs involved in larger weddings, we saw a special niche,” says emily carter with the Friends of Mont helena. “Our goal is to make the wedding a stress-free event, which makes it perfect for the busy or overwhelmed bride. Mont helena is a beautiful venue, but above that, the attention to detail is unmatched,” says carter.

Attention to Detail

the historic grand home on the hill is offering package deals for couples looking to enjoy the blessings without the stressing that often comes with planning. these microweddings include everything from the cake, flowers, clergy, seating, and a champagne toast. inviting the guests, a limit of up to thirty, is just about the couple’s only task for the big day. it’s a fantastic way to experience a true Mississippi Delta-style wedding in a historic atmosphere. For more information, visit www.monthelena.com

Amanda Cottingham of The Pantry After-parties and other late night trends:

“We’ve done several late-night or after-parties! One thing i love about them is there is often a theme or they pay homage to the groom in some way. Such as a Mardi gras theme for the groom who loves new Orleans,” says cottingham. Food stations: lately we’ve set up late-night food stations. typically the younger crowd stays until the bitter end, so they need to eat! Breakfast stations—such as an omelette bar or waffle and grits bars—are really popular right now. Passable snacks and to-go bags: passable late-night snacks are fun too. We love to pass cheese fries, sliders, and pizza. We’ve also passed to-go bags with coffee, pastries, water, and advil. these are greatly appreciated by those who may have been overserved. New traditions:

• For grooms—Something new we’ve seen is forgoing a traditional groom’s cake for their favorite dessert, such as an ice cream bar, blueberry cobbler, banana pudding, or miniature pies. Late-night corn dogs and chicken tenders were served at the reception for the DunnFandel wedding designed by Greenwood event planner, Pryor Hackleman.

• For brides—instead of tossing the bouquet to the unmarried women to see who will catch it, all the married women were gathered and the bouquet went to the one who’d been married the longest!

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Wedding Registry

Tips

reating a registry should be a fun and exciting part of planning a wedding—but when you consider that you and your partner are not only choosing items you will use in your new life together, but also combining what you already have—it can be overwhelming. With that in mind, we wanted to share a few tips for the kitchen and home to consider as you choose your registry.

BY CINDY COOPWOOD AND CORDELIA CAPPS

IS THE PERFECT 1|NOW TIME TO UPGRADE

Since most couples are bringing a mix of items from college or their first apartments, it may seem logical to exclude items you already have—but we suggest this is a perfect time to assess, clean out, and upgrade to higher quality kitchen tools, dishes and serveware. in other words, it’s time to toss the no-longernonstick skillet with the wobbly handle, and the chipped, cracked, and mismatched plates and glassware currently in your cabinets. Whether you’re someone who cooks every night or are just getting started, choose quality pieces that will help you be successful, such as well-made cookware and knives.

LESS IS MORE, WHEN IT 2|COMES TO COOKWARE

Kitchen cabinets have a way of getting overcrowded with multiples that often go unused. Believe us, you will find yourself using the same few go-to items everyday, so consider your available space, and avoid cookware and appliances that will have limited use in your kitchen. a basic highquality set of skillets, Dutch ovens, saucepans, and bakeware will meet most of your needs. Other daily-used essentials are a large cutting board and chef’s knives.

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TO THE FUTURE 3|LOOK AND OPT FOR HEIRLOOMS

Don’t consider only what you will use now, but also things you will want to use down the road. You may not host thanksgiving year one, but in a few years you’ll be wishing you had a complete set of fine china and the matching gravy boat, or those larger pieces of cookware. You’ll find yourself entertaining more at home in the years to come. so go ahead and register for a fine china and silver pattern. and if you enjoy having friends over now—even if you order takeout—setting a table and having attractive serving pieces, linens and glassware makes all the difference!

SAVE CHINA FOR 4|DON'T SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Speaking of fine china—remember nothing is too precious. every single one of your registry items should be accessible all the time and used often. if a complete place setting seems stuffy to you, learn to blend high and low to keep it fresh looking. Mix in a modern colored glassware, or use your more obsolete pieces, such as bread and butter plates, for appetizers. You will never regret using your nice things—they elevate any occasion and it’s a great reminder of the friends and family who gave them.

TO INCLUDE 5|REMEMBER DECORATIVE OPTIONS

there will be guests who want to give you something memorable and special, so be sure to include a few items in your registry that give variety such as art, throw pillows, vases, lamps, and even fine bed linens. these gifts will help make your new house feel like a home, and friends and family will love seeing their gifts being used. For dining, accessories like linens, placemats, and candlesticks add instant personality to the table and are great gifts. You will never regret having a beautiful set of matching napkins—we promise!

BUT STAY TRUE 6|TO YOURSELF

everyone will have ideas and opinions on what you should include in your wedding registry—including us!—but ultimately you know yourselves best. We believe this is a special time to collect great items that will last you throughout your life together, but they should also be reflective of who you are as a couple. and just remember that your guests may have different ideas of what is appropriate to give as a wedding gift, so be sure to have plenty of options and a range of prices on your list.

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GREYS CHEESE Cheeseboards Grazing Tables Bridal Showers + Luncheons

901-529-7046

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greyscheese.com

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The Hunt Is Over

Ann Elizabeth Walker and Andrew LoCicero may have met in class, but it was their shared love of hunting that sealed the deal for these newlyweds BY MARY LEE MCKEE • JOHN CAIN PHOTOGRAPHY

“SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENED TODAY,”

Ann Elizabeth told her mother over the phone. “I met somebody in my real estate class. Somebody very cute. Andrew. Andrew…Luh- Lo-, Lo-something. I didn’t quite get his last name.” the next day, while lunching with friends, she received a text, “i really enjoyed meeting you yesterday. i’d love to hang out sometime.” after a bit of back and forth by text, andrew asked her if she would like to join him to check deer cameras that day. he didn’t expect her to accept an invitation to such a rustic chore. But ann elizabeth is a multi-generational outdoorsperson, her entire life full of just such treasured excursions with her father and grandfather. “i’d love to,” she responded. that February afternoon would be the first of what would become innumerable hours-long walks and rides in the woods. ann elizabeth’s father, george Walker, grew up in leland, near their family farm in Stoneville. an ardent hunter like his father, george shared his passion with his children, four daughters. Delta Magazine 2022

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The new blended family of LoCiceros and Walkers, seated at the head table on rehearsal dinner night.

“My earliest memories are opening day dove hunts with my family in leland, deer hunting with my dad and my grandfather,” ann elizabeth recalls. When she met andrew locicero from Destin, Florida, she was intrigued to learn that he too was a devout sportsman, equally adept at fishing and hunting. But how did a Destin boy become a proficient hunter? andrew been around hunting much of his life. Until age ten, he lived in the Sportsman’s paradise, louisiana, where he hunted and fished with his father and friends. then in Destin, he had friends with whom he would hunt at their clubs and camps in alabama and Mississippi, including leland. he was surprised to learn that ann elizabeth’s family was from there. “it’s such a small world!” ann elizabeth, exclaimed. “One of andrew’s best friends in Destin is austin, and austin’s parents are from leland.” austin and andrew went hunting in leland frequently. “that actually had a lot to do with why he ended up going to Ole Miss,” she explained. “it was close to a lot of good hunting.” the first time andrew went home with ann elizabeth, it was turkey season, and they went hunting at the Walker’s hunting camp in canton, cameron plantation, built in 1840. “turkey hunting became our special time,” ann elizabeth shared. not only was it a successful hunt but andrew completely won over ann elizabeth’s family.

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“We loved him immediately,” her mother, christie, recalls. “and he has such wonderful manners. he always wrote us thank you notes when we took them to dinner or when he stayed with us.” perhaps no less would be expected from someone whose mother is an etiquette expert. heidi locicero’s Destin business, Frill Seekers, specializes in custom-designed stationery, invitations, and personized gifts. Yet andrew’s manners are matched by his down-to-earth sincerity. his warmth and fun and love of family fit in perfectly with the Walkers, and george was especially delighted to welcome another hunter into the fold. “he’s the mirror image of george,” christie said, with a laugh that conveys her fondness for both men. What christie wanted for her daughters’ future husbands was that they would be more than inlaws, that they would be family. thus far, her hopes have been fulfilled. By the time andrew and ann elizabeth got engaged, christie was no stranger to planning a wedding. her first daughter, caroline, was married only a couple of months previously. “When caroline got engaged, i was so excited but didn’t know where to start,” christie confessed. She had certainly planned, hosted, and co-hosted her share of parties: birthdays, homecomings, graduations, and all four girls made their debuts in greenville, as had their grandmother and great-grandmother.

A garden bridal luncheon at the home of Ann Elizabeths grandmother was a beautiful start to the weekend.

But none of that compared to planning a wedding. So christie called her friend and frequent collaborator, elizabeth heiskell, renowned caterer and chef in Oxford. “elizabeth! i need help,” christie exclaimed over the phone. elizabeth reassured her and put her in touch with Mona Dunlap, of Mona e. Dunlap events in Memphis, and together they assembled the dream team that would make caroline’s wedding not only gorgeous and special but also an overall delightful experience from concept to execution. When ann elizabeth got engaged, christie knew who to call. the wedding had to be at cameron, which had become ann elizabeth and andrew’s special place. Outdoors, of course. “i wanted an elegant, pretty ceremony that still felt like cameron,” ann elizabeth shared, “and a really fun reception in a big, open tent with a fun band. and a bar with no waiting!” Under Mona Dunlap’s direction, elizabeth heiskell, floral designers greg campbell and erick new of garden District, White Door events, Delta Magazine 2022

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and amerispan tents, all of Memphis, came together to grant those wishes. to set the tone from the outset, Dunlap commissioned a watercolor of cameron that was featured on the save-the-dates and later on the wedding programs. Frill Seekers designed and produced elaborately engraved wedding invitations and the save-the-dates, as well as the invitations and printed embellishments for the bridal luncheon. Dixie ryall at Ménage Stationery, also in Memphis, designed the wedding programs and printed accessories for the reception. On the eve of the nuptials, a beautiful October day, the bridal party honored the bride at a garden luncheon on the patio of ann elizabeth’s grandmother’s home, the happy site where christie and george were married years before. a magical setting reminiscent of medieval fairy tales was created by Signature Occasions and lavish Fleur and catered by ingrid taylor, all of Jackson. that evening, the groom’s parents, Brian and heidi locicero, hosted a lively rehearsal dinner at reunion golf and

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country club with live music by the Jackson all-Stars and hours of loving toasts by beloved family and friends. From the beginning, ann elizabeth and andrew knew they wanted to be married by the lake. it was one of their favorite spots that became increasingly significant because repeatedly during their engagement it was the site of a double rainbow, like the one that emerged the day andrew asked for george and christie’s blessing to marry their daughter. “We wanted everyone to experience being by the lake, to walk on the grass, to see god’s creation,” Dunbar recalls. guests were ushered into an ethereal cathedral of breezeanimated white chiffon and seated beneath a vaulted ceiling with suspended chandeliers. the view of the lake was before them, still and reflecting the sky and the trees. “the lord supplied the beauty,” she explains, “and i didn’t want to complicate it. We wanted to keep it simple and to keep the main thing the main thing.” ann elizabeth was escorted by her father down an aisle

of grass, wearing a Monique lhuiller ballgown. the juxtaposition of sophisticated elegance and the pastoral landscape only served to enhance both her beauty and the beauty of the scene in which she walked. george’s life-long friend from greenville, chip henderson, senior pastor of pinelake church, officiated ann elizabeth and andrew’s exchange of vows beneath a lofty, lush arch of greenery and flowers that looked as if it had grown in that very spot for that very occasion. “i wanted something to look like it could have come from the land, not like a florist installation,” greg campbell explained. “We used the colors of the foliage, green but turning a pale coral on the tips. and we used some foliage from the farm.” the ceremony was timed so that when it ended guests rose and turned to witness a glorious setting sun. they then strolled to the reception tent, which was a bit of a distance and required some guidance. “We created a path with clusters of lights that are two inches high,” campbell explained, describing one of his Delta Magazine 2022

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design details

ACHIEVE THE LOOK

The custom stationery, invitations and other personalized details were provided and designed by Frill Seekers Gifts, owned by Andrew’s mother, Heidi Locicero. 104 | March/april 2022

favorite touches. “it was like walking through a meadow of firefly lights.” there were many special, personal touches. For instance, guests received iced cookies with the happy image of andrew’s four-legged companion, red, who has played an important role in andrew and ann elizabeth’s relationship from the beginning. When they got engaged in Deer Valley during a family ski trip, he helped to lure ann elizabeth to the spot where andrew was waiting to propose. it was only fitting that red participate in the ceremony as an honorary best man. “the family and bride and groom drive our decisions,” Dunbar explains. “We took the place and andrew and george,

too, into account as we planned the reception and the food and decor. We used their deer mounts and some of their taxidermy, turkey and fox.” heiskell catered a seven-foot charcuterie table, an oyster-shucking table including seafood, and a wild-game table, complete with spoils from andrew’s, ann elizabeth’s, and george’s hunts at cameron. “elizabeth is an absolute magician with her foodscaping and presentation,” Dunbar bragged on her colleague. the custom-built locicero tequila Bar, a nod to george and christie’s favorite sipping spirit, cast a celebratory purple neon light throughout a greenery and flower-adorned tent, studded with glittering lights. Yet the real showstopper was the groom’s

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cake: a wild turkey in full strut amid felled logs, a duck decoy, and shotgun shells, created by cakes by Mom and Me of West Memphis. after dancing the night away with a thirteen-piece band, party on the Moon, out of atlanta, the newlywed locicero’s were feted with a fifteen-minute fireworks extravaganza before stealing away to their honeymoon accommodations—the beginning of all the tomorrows. When asked what her favorite moments were, the mother of the bride didn’t hesitate, “their vows.” She added, “and watching them watch the fireworks, arm in arm.” Funny thing about fireworks. they end. and it gets quiet. turns out, that’s where the magic is. reflecting on her own marriage, christie just wants long, quiet hours of walking and sitting in the woods with george. they’ve been doing that a lot lately. Ultimately, that’s what it’s about. ann elizabeth and andrew are making that an early habit. DM

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4 ̾ ̾/ ̾! ̾ / # ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ N̾ 1 ̾& ̾ ̾, ̾* ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ K̾ + ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ N̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾;>@̾ ̾ N̾ ̾ ̾ K ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ K @@<F<=>F<==; 4 S ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾, ̾* ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾$ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ ̾ , ̾ K ;<8̾ ̾! ̾ ̾2 N̾*0̾ ̾=B@AA 1 & , * K

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Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

a few of our

Favorite Things

Galbreath-Kelley, Blake McCollum Photography

Clark-Love, Jo Darling Photography 110 | March/april 2022

Basinger-Lott, Followell Fotography

Dunn-Fandel, Madeleine B. Photography

Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie

deBruler-Agostinelli, Kristen Soileau

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Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography

McIntosh-Mize, Beth Giachelli Photography

Hines-Gowdey, Taylor Square Photography

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Clark-Love, Jo Darling Photography

Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis

deBruler-Agostinelli, Kristen Soileau

Flautt-Russell, Madeleine B. Photography

Basinger-Lott, Followell Fotography Delta Magazine 2022

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Historic Downtown Cleveland

662-843-4541

Our wedding specialists make sure all your guys look great and have fun too! www.abrahamsclothing.com

PERFE CT PA RT N E RS H I P

Anticipating your every need so you can enjoy each moment to the fullest At Westin, we’re committed to helping our guests feel their best when it matters most – and no occasion could be more important than your wedding day. From intuitive service and thoughtful touches to enriching experiences and vibrant spaces, we ensure that every detail of your event comes to life flawlessly, in your unique style. Let Westin make your celebration one to remember. To book your Westin wedding, visit westinjackson.com or call 601.968.8200

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Self-Moon, Kayleigh Ross Photography

Worsham-Clegg, Amy Hutchison

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Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography

Jarrett-Henderson, Benjamin Martin Myles-Ferreira, Alexander and Abigail Donalson Photography

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography

Dalrymple-Jefferson, Anagram Photo Delta Magazine 2022

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Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

Worsham-Clegg, Amy Hutchison

Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography

Worsham-Clegg, Amy Hutchison Galbreath-Kelley, Blake McCollum Photography 118 | March/april 2022

A N I N V I TAT IO N T O YO U R N E W B E G I N N I N G AT MOUNTAIN HARBOR RESORT & SPA

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• On-site Event Coordinator

wedding photos.

• Multiple Lake-side Venues

(870) 867-2191 • 1-800-832-2276

MountainHarborResort.com 994 Mountain Harbor Road Mount Ida, AR 71957

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NAMED BEST BRIDAL SHOP IN MS 2017 - 2022

RIDGELAND, MISSISSIPPI WWW.ELLEJAMESBRIDAL.COM Delta Magazine 2022

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Goode-Talley, Taylor Square Photography

Hines-Gowdey, Taylor Square Photography

Hines-Gowdey, Taylor Square Photography Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography 122 | March/april 2022

Mascagni-Branton, Beth Giachelli Photography

Whitt-Fowler, Beth Giachelli

Goode-Talley, Taylor Square Photography Self-Moon, Kayleigh Ross Photography Delta Magazine 2022

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Dalrymple-Jefferson, Anagram Photo

Goode-Talley, Taylor Square Photography

Courtney-Lamb, Letty Weeks 126 | March/april 2022

Terracina-Nicholson, Masa Kathryn Photography

Daniels-Hobart, Patrick Remington Photography

Myles-Ferreira, Alexander Donalson Photography

and

Abigail

Wilson-Moorman, Leigh Carter Photography

Galbreath-Kelley, Blake McCollum Photography

Wilson-Moorman, Leigh Carter Photography Delta Magazine 2022

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Terracina-Nicholson, Masa Kathryn Photography

Brock-Brown, Patrick Remington

Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

Dunn-Fandel, Madeleine B. Photography Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography 130 | March/april 2022

Dunn-Fandel, Madeleine B. Photography Clark-Love, Jo Darling Photography

deBruler-Agostinelli, Kristen Soileau

Myles-Ferreira, Alexander Donalson Photography

and

Abigail

Courtney-Lamb, Letty Weeks Delta Magazine 2022

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Smith-Hutchinson, B. Flint Photography

Clark-Love, Jo Darling Photography

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography Sampolesi-McTeer, LVSTRY Photography 134 | March/april 2022

Basinger-Lott, Followell Fotography

Brock-Brown, Patrick Remington

Warren-Hollingsworth, Claudia Hemphill Photography Delta Magazine 2022

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136 | March/april 2022

Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography

Smith-Hutchinson, B. Flint Photography

Dunn-Fandel, Madeleine B. Photography

Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography 138 | March/april 2022

Warren-Hollingsworth, Claudia Hemphill Photography

Wilson-Moorman, Leigh Carter Photography

Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

Smith-Hutchinson, B. Flint Photography Delta Magazine 2022

| 139

140 | March/april 2022

Proudly serving the Delta and beyond for over 50 years with the largest wine selection in the state of Mississippi

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Delta Magazine 2022

| 141

Warren-Hollingsworth, Claudia Hemphill Photography

Domino-Stewart, Skelton Photographie and Claudia Hemphill Photography

Brock-Brown, Patrick Remington

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography 142 | March/april 2022

Walker-LoCicero, John Cain Photography

deBruler-Agostinelli, Kristen Soileau

Goode-Talley, Taylor Square Photography

Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography

Walker-LoCicero, John Cain Photography Delta Magazine 2022

| 143

144 | March/april 2022

Delta Magazine 2022

| 145

Portner-McClellan, Elena Jameson Photography

Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis

Sampolesi-McTeer, LVSTRY Photography

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography 146 | March/april 2022

Clark-Love, Jo Darling Photography

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography

McIntosh-Mize, Beth Giachelli Delta Magazine 2022

| 147

Coombs-Moak, Angela Lally Photography Sullivan-Thornhill, Lauren Wood

Warren-Hollingsworth, Claudia Hemphill Photography

Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis

Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis 148 | March/april 2022

Jarrett-Henderson, Benjamin Martin

Warren-Hollingsworth, Claudia Hemphill Photography

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Delta Magazine 2022

| 149

150 | March/april 2022

Delta Magazine 2022

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Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis

Basinger-Lott, Followell Fotography

Sampolesi-McTeer, LVSTRY Photography

Domino-Stewart, Skelton Photographie and Claudia Hemphill Photography 152 | March/april 2022

Sullivan-Thornhill, Lauren Wood

Myers-deRegt, Braxton Wallis

Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

Delta Magazine 2022

| 153

154 | March/april 2022

Delta Magazine 2022

| 155

Flautt-Russell, Madeleine B. Photography

Walker-LoCicero, John Cain Photography

Domino-Stewart, Skelton Photographie and Claudia Hemphill Photography

Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie

Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie 156 | March/april 2022

Hines-Gowdey, Taylor Square Photography

Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie

Ellis-Monteath, Kelly Ginn Photography

Holloway-McIntire, Skelton Photographie

Walker-LoCicero, John Cain Photography Terracina-Nicholson, Masa Kathryn Photography Delta Magazine 2022

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DELTA

MAGAZINE

g n i d d e W SHOWCASE

2023

WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS

ONE PAGE HOWE

BATES

TWO PAGE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BAILEY

BRATTON

Formal

◆ One vertical photo ◆ Two horizontal photos ◆ Up to 450-500 word write-up HOGAN

ALLIE INGRAM HOGAN

CULVER

Formal

◆ Two vertical photos ◆ Four horizontal photos ◆ Up to 900-950 word write-up ANNOUNCEMENTS

ROARK

•

STEINLE •

& WALKER HILL CULVER

Visual

◆ Two vertical photos ◆ Two horizontal photos ◆ Vendor details

MARY MARGARET ROARK

& PAUL JACOB STEINLE III

Visual

◆ Three vertical photos ◆ Five horizontal photos ◆ Vendor details

Announcement information can be found online at deltamagazine.com/weddings. Chosen form will provide prompts to upload announcement or details (Word, Pages, or PDF) and all photos. Please provide high-resolution images. Screenshots of write ups or photos will not be accepted. Each announcement will have the option to upload an additional 35 photos for the wedding showcase feature. Please read the instructions carefully!

For questions or assistance contact 662.843.2700 or weddings@deltamagazine.com

158 | March/april 2022

DELTA

MAGAZINE

g n i d d e W SHOWCASE

2023

ANNIVERSARY & ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

HALF PAGE

ANNIVERSARIES

ONE PAGE

ANNIVERSARIES

Celebrating 30 years

Mr.& Mrs. Michael Couch Parker

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Couch Parker

Celebrating 30 years

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Couch Parker

Mr.& Mrs. Michael Couch Parker

◆ One vertical photo ◆ Up to 275 word write-up

ENGAGEMENTS

Mary Dudley Pillow & Trey Bozeman

◆ One horizontal photo and one vertical photo or three vertical photos ◆ Up to 275 word write-up

ENGAGEMENTS

Mary Dudley M Pillow&

Trey Bozeman

Mary Dudley&

ENGAGEMENTS

Trey Bozeman

Mary Dudley Pillow & Trey Bozeman

◆ One vertical photo ◆ Up to 275 word write-up

◆ Three vertical photos or one horizontal photo and one vertical photo ◆ Up to 275 word write-up

For questions or assistance contact 662.843.2700 or weddings@deltamagazine.com

Delta Magazine 2022

| 159

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BASINGER Dodson Farm

•

Starkville

Mary Frances Basinger Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery 162 | March/april 2022

•

LOTT

Followell Fotography

& Raybon Brooks Lott

November 20, 2021 Dr. and Mrs. David Basinger Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Lott The Bridal Path Dodson Farm Darby Neal Garner Harding Catering Lou Toole Accent Anna Catherine Easterling and Hillary Ross Jordan Lea and Anna Lancaster Carlson Craft

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BROCK

First Baptist Church

•

Cleveland

Carley F. Brock

•

BROWN

Patrick Remington Photography

& Robert W. Brown

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Bride’s Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

October 2, 2021 Ms. Becky Brock, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Brock, junior Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Brown Maggie Louise Bridal Cotton House The Pantry Inc., Amanda Cottingham Delta Meat Market Alice Chow Charmed Cakes Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster Brandy Grant Lauren Aldridge Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Delta Magazine 2022

| 163

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLARK

LOVE

The Samuel T. Dunning Golf Course at Cleveland Country Club

Braxton Elizabeth Clark Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 164 | March/april 2022

•

Cleveland

•

Jo Darling Photography

& Tucker Reed Love

June 5, 2021 Mr. Baxter Clark and Mrs. Julie Speakes Mr. Clark Love and Michele Reed Low’s Bridal Cleveland Country Club Celia Williamson Cleveland Country Club Mrs. Dora Sue Ferrell Bobbi Cakes, LLC The Juke Joint All Stars Leslie Box and Linzy Abraham The Perch Print and Press

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLEM

The Baby Doll House

•

CHENAULT

Benoit

•

Kingsleigh Elizabeth Clem Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

Gunner Sizemore Photography

& Bryce Martin Chenault October 23, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Tyson McKnight Clem Mr. and Mrs. Horace Martin Chenault III Low’s Bridal The Baby Doll House Delta Party Rental Food Trucks: Catfish Cabin, Levee Break Grill, MoonLight Smokers, Mr. Hot “T” Molly’s Jamie Clark and Bobbi Cakes, LLC OZ DJ Services Leslie Box and Linzy Abraham Copytime Clarksdale

Delta Magazine 2022

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

COOMBS First Presbyterian Church

•

Corinth

Taylor Nicole Coombs Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 166 | March/april 2022

•

MOAK

Angela Lally Photography

& Andrew Warren Moak

April 10, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Mark Coombs Mr. and Mrs. Robert Warren Moak Martina Liana from Low’s Bridal Shiloh Ridge Athletic Club Lee Childress and Martha Collins Couple’s favorites from Vicari Italian Grill, Pizza Grocery, Russell’s Beef House, and Smith. Bremma’s Sweet Treats, Oxford The Party Jammers Marley Ashe, House of Whit LLC Chestnut Press and Suzanne Cunningham

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COURTNEY The Herrin House

•

Boyle

Katelyn Ruth Courtney

LAMB

Letty Weeks Photography

& Joseph Williams Lamb

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

September 25, 2021 Mr. Tommy Courtney and Mrs. Carme Hull Mr. Rodney Lamb and Ms. Pat Williams Bridal by Engagements The Herrin House Delta Party Rental Tara Herrin and Catfish Cabin Bobbi Wiley, Bobbi Cakes, LLC The Players Courtney and Lauren Aldridge Lauren Aldridge Postable.com

Delta Magazine 2022

| 167

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DALRYMPLE Country Club of North Carolina

•

JEFFERSON

Pinehurst, North Carolina

Margaret Sumner Dalrymple Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 168 | March/april 2022

•

Anagram Photo

& James Randall Jefferson

June 12, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Chris Dalrymple Mr. and Mrs. Randy Jefferson Vera Wang Country Club of North Carolina Flora Wedding & Event Flowers Country Club of North Carolina Sugar Euphoria Pure Party Band Caleb Marion at Beautopia Arzberger Stationers, Charlotte, North Carolina

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DANIELS First Baptist Church

•

Mary Weldon Daniels

Inverness

•

HOBART

Patrick Remington Photography

& Chalmers Edmund Hobart III

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

February 20, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Craig Daniels Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers Edmund Hobart, junior Essense of Australia from Margaret Ellen Bridal Hollandale Municipal Airport The Pantry, Inc. The Pantry, Inc. Grapevine Cakes, Catering and Floral Compozitionz BATA Beauty Company and Styles by Kelsey Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper

Delta Magazine 2022

| 169

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEBRULER

Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church

Elise Michele deBruler of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Matthew Kevin Agostinelli of Clarksdale were united in marriage at six o’clock in the evening on Saturday, January 9, 2021, at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, in an intimate ceremony with only immediate family due to COVID-19 restrictions. She was given in marriage by her father, Mr. William Orville deBruler, III. The ceremony was officiated by Father Scott Thomas with vocal accompaniment by Eric McCrary. The couple honeymooned on the island of Antigua. The couple renewed their vows on Friday, May 28, 2021, at half past five in the afternoon. Father Kevin Slattery officiated with music accompaniment from Lisa Lefleur and Vance Woolf, trumpeter. The bride wore a long, fitted, antique white lace gown from Yvonne LaFleur and a cathedral-length veil edged in antique lace. The maid of honor was Ms. Gabrielle Lois deBruler, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Ms. Lauren Elise Agostinelli, Mrs. Kayleigh Eppling Binet, Ms. Sydney Nicole Finch, Dr. Taylor Renee Lahasky, Mrs. Grace Ann Mayne, Mrs. Shea Blanchard McDaniel, Dr. Heather Lynn Valdin, Dr. Caroline Elise Vollberg, and Ms. Taylor Ann Webre. The bridesmaids wore long plumcolored, off-the-shoulder dresses from Bella Bridesmaids. Mr. Robert Lawrence Agostinelli, junior, the father of the groom, served as the best man. Groomsmen were Mr. Michael Louis Agostinelli, Mr. Taylor Griffen Bailey, Mr. Patrick Lee Clark, Mr. Timothy Cole Glass, Mr. Warren David Huggins, Mr. Casey Michael Mayne, Mr. Christopher Cade Reece, Mr. Douglas Leroy Smith, and Mr. Albert Trey Zepponi. Dr. Scott Gioe and Mr. William Hepner served as ushers.

170 | March/april 2022

•

AGOSTINELLI

New Orleans, Louisiana

•

Kristen Soileau

Following the ceremony, the wedding party and guests were led in a “second line” by The Bucktown All-Stars to The Nopsi Hotel, where they were greeted with champagne and specialty cocktails. The intricately decorated fivetier wedding cake from Bittersweet Confections stood at the center of the grand hallway, welcoming guests into the Dryades Ballroom. Guests were treated to a raw bar of shrimp, oysters, and crab, prime meat stations, a trio of fresh raviolis, a lobster bar assortment, shrimp prepared three ways, a display of eight specialty sandwiches including roast beef debris and spicy alligator, and the chef’s specialty king cake, café au lait, and vanilla boozy shakes. The groom’s cake, decorated in MSU colors, was created by Gambino’s Bakery. Guests were entertained by The Bucktown All-Stars. There was also a special appearance made by Will Dempsey, rising country music star, to sing the bride and father’s first dance song. The celebration concluded with the band leading the couple and their guests to the front of the hotel for a final toast. The couple spent the night at the Windsor Court Hotel and then flew to Napa Valley. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William deBruler of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ferrel Peter Gioe of Metairie, Louisiana, Mr. and Mrs. William Orville deBruler, junior, of Biloxi, and the late Ms. Barbara Braiger deBruler of Chalmette, Louisiana. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lawrence Agostinelli, junior, of Clarksdale. He is the grandson of Mrs. Barbara Tavoleti of Clarksdale and the late Mr. Dominic Tavoleti of Clarksdale, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lawrence Agostinelli, senior, of Clarksdale. Mr. Matthew Kevin Agostinelli and Dr. Elise deBruler Agostinelli currently work and reside in Vestavia, Alabama.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DOMINO

The Chapel at Plein Air

•

Taylor

•

STEWART

Skelton Photographie and Claudia Hemphill Photography

Alisa Tyler Domino

& Hayden Earling Stewart

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

March 6, 2021 Mr. and Mrs Francis Domino, Jr Mr. Scott Stewart and Mrs. Stephanie Stewart Amelia Grace Bridal The Mill at Plein Air Linda and Salina Domino GRIT Taylor Patricia Farrish Stylish Entertainment RK Beauty Bar Ashlyn Eaves Zazzle Delta Magazine 2022

| 171

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DUNN

First Baptist Church

•

FANDEL

Greenwood

Anne Claire Dunn

Madeleine B. Photography

& Andrew Vincent Fandel

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 172 | March/april 2022

•

December 31, 2020 Mr. And Mrs. William Dunn Mr. And Mrs. Steven Fandel Rita Vinieris from Maggie Louise Bridal Historic Elks Lodge A Pryor Engagement Benji Perkins All Dunn Baking Compozitionz Kristy Harrison Minted

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ELLIS Annesdale Mansion

•

MONTEATH

Memphis, Tennessee

Jessica Brooke Ellis of Marks and Matthew Kyle Monteath of Cordova, Tennessee, were united in marriage at six o’clock in the evening on July 24, 2021, at Annesdale Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Officiating the ceremony was Reverend Kenneth Stewart of Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Craig Gaddy of Marks. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Monteath of Eads, Tennessee. The weekend began with a bridal luncheon at the Memphis Botanic Gardens hosted by bride’s family and friends that was decorated with vintage blue and white vases filled with white hydrangeas. That Friday evening, the groom’s parents hosted a dinner at Old Dominick Distillery. At Annesdale Mansion the bride wore an off-the-shoulder, form-fitting gown with lace embroidery and sequins. The bride’s cathedral-length veil was embellished in lace to complete the look. The bridal bouquet featured garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, tweedia, astilbe, and orchids in tones of white, cream, and blush. The bride’s bouquet was secured with her grandmother’s lace handkerchief and with her mother’s vintage dragon fly pin as her “something old.” For the recessional in the garden, the string quartet played “At Last” by Etta James. Attending the bride as matrons of honor were Taylor Flowers and Mary Alden Hildreth. Bridesmaids were Liz Connell, Grace Forsdick, Kristin Foster, Taylor Wheatley, Rachel Wills, and Caitlyn Woodard. Edie Ellis, Mary Wright Ellis, and Ella Foster served as flower girls. Attending the groom as best man was Nick Berra. Groomsmen were

•

Kelly Ginn Photography

Randall Mitchner, Shane Canale, William Ervin, Chris Childers, Lucian Godwin, Ryan Jones, and Roby Johnson. Wilkes Ellis and Beckham Foster served as the ring bearers. Following the ceremony, guests were welcomed with mini chicken tacos and margarita lime cups. The reception was held in Annesdale Mansion and an enclosed white tent off from the garden ceremony. Upon entering the tent, blue velvet lounge seating and floral arrangements set the scene. A floral structure with hanging orbs flourished with green hydrangeas, pink and orange roses, peonies, and greenery hung over the white dance floor. To represent her hometown, the bride had a Mississippi Delta food station that included tamale cakes, fried green tomatoes, and braised pork Southern sliders. The bride’s cake, provided by the Flour Garden, was a five-tier buttercream cake with the couple’s monogram in the center and was embellished with flowers. The cake topper was the bride’s late grandparents’ from their wedding. The groom’s cake was a banana chocolate chip with buttercream frosting decorated in Boston Red Sox memorabilia, which is the groom’s favorite team. The guests danced to the amazing sounds of the Memphis Soul Revue and received dance floor props from an Elvis impersonator himself. At the close of the reception, the bride and groom departed the venue under an arch of sparklers in a 1962 red Chevrolet Impala convertible. After a honeymoon in Napa Valley, the couple is at home in Germantown, Tennessee. The groom runs an industrial e-commerce company, and the bride is a nurse practitioner. Delta Magazine 2022

| 173

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FLAUTT First Presbyterian Church

•

RUSSELL

Greenwood

•

Madeleine B. Photography

Katherine Merrill Flautt and Jon Brighton Childs Russell were

Brandon; Jackson Neal Drew of Dallas, Texas; Andrew Garrett

united in marriage on December 18, 2021, at First Presbyterian

Fratesi of Saltillo; Tyler Brennon Iverson of Indianola; Ryan Watkin

Church in Greenwood. Officiating at the double-ring service was

Lester of Senatobia; Forrest Patrick Malvaney of Dallas, Texas;

Reverend Doctor Andrew Derby Chaney.

Bradley Darrington Phillips of Yazoo City; and Landon Alexander

The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Frank Henry Flautt, junior, of Greenwood. She is the granddaughter of Ms. Suzanne

Thompson of Jackson. His ushers were Colby Hester Gill of Raymond and Stephen Wyot Skelton of Indianola.

Smith McIntyre of Greenwood; Mr. Innes Thornton McIntyre, III, of

Nuptial music was provided by the Reverend Doyle Ray

Greenville, Alabama; Mrs. Lawrence Bear McLemore of

Smithee. During the ceremony, soloist Paul Vance Brown of

Montgomery, Alabama; Mr. Frank Henry Flautt of Greenwood; and

Greenwood performed “Love Came Down at Christmas.”

the late Ms. Polly Meek Upshaw.

A tented reception followed in downtown Greenwood on Front

The groom is the son of Mrs. Harris Douglas Russell and the

and Main streets, where guests entered through an allée of

late Mr. Harris Douglas Russell of Sunflower. He is the grandson

illuminated cypress trees. The décor featured fresh greenery and

of Mrs. John Williams Childs of Indianola and the late Mr. John

white florals with silver and gold accents throughout. Christmas

Williams Childs and the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Douglas Russell.

trees decorated in silver and gold ornaments with white velvet

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore an ivory gown

ribbon formed the centerpiece of the circular bar and food tables.

of matte silk featuring a V-neck and fitted bodice. The voluminous

The five-tier white wedding cake with white rose accents was

A-line skirt was adorned with silk floral embroidery and covered

displayed around fresh greenery. The groom’s cake was a two-tier

buttons down her back to the hem of the dress. The final touch

chocolate and peanut butter cake with Reese’s decorated with

was a cathedral-length veil with scalloped edge lace. She carried

Peter’s Pottery turkeys and antique wood ducks. Both cakes were

a bouquet of white hydrangeas, peonies, and roses hand-tied with

made by Alice Chow of Clarksdale.

an antique lace handkerchief that belonged to her maternal greatgrandmother.

The dancefloor was packed all night as guests grooved to the tunes of the 1-900 Band from Memphis. As the celebration ended,

Attending the bride as matrons of honor were her sister, Mary

the entrance was alight with sparklers held high by the guests as

Steele Mock of Savannah, Texas, and Molly Henderson Cooke of

the bride and groom departed in a vintage Cadillac convertible

Nashville, Tennessee. The maid of honor was her sister, Suzanne

provided by Michael Joe Cannon.

Alline Flautt of Jackson. They wore fitted gowns of ivory crepe with

The wedding planner was Pryor Hackleman with A Pryor

a high neck and scooped back. The bouquets were made of

Engagement in Greenwood. Catering the event was Karyn Burrus

petite white hydrangeas, white roses, and eucalyptus. Other

of The Grapevine Cakes, Catering, and Florals in Greenwood with

attendants of the bride were Victoria Elise Blackmon of Memphis,

floral arrangements provided by Kim Kellum. Capturing the

Tennessee; Katherine Lampton Brown of Jackson; Morgan Aline

couple’s wedding memories was photographer Madeleine B.

Cannon of Dallas, Texas; Mary Alexandra Doyle of Pensacola,

Photography and videography by Sami Sue Studios.

Florida; Elizabeth Holland Falls of Durham, North Carolina; Michelle

On the eve of the wedding, Mrs. Harris Douglas Russell hosted

Ley Gobbell of Nashville, Tennessee; Karyn Curtis Kellum of

a cocktail reception and rehearsal dinner at the Historic Elks Lodge

Oxford; Madelaine Breland Mangum of Jackson; Amy Dyess

in downtown Greenwood. Photography was captured by Johnny

Miskelly of McKinney, Texas; Laura Catherine Phillips of Yazoo City;

Jennings of Greenwood during the rehearsal and dinner.

Clara Frances Simmons of Jackson; Holly Ann Singh of

The couple now resides in Memphis, where the bride is a

Greenwood; Kathleen Davis Singh of Ponchatoula, Louisiana;

physical therapist and the groom is a graduate dental student

Leslie Hamm Sivley of Oxford; and Anna Reid Wright of Jackson.

working towards an endodontics residency at the University of

Attending the groom as best man was his uncle, Warren Lee Childs of Drew. Groomsmen were Charles Daryl Cage, II, of

174 | March/april 2022

Tennessee School of Dentistry.

Delta Magazine 2022

| 175

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GALBREATH

Colonial Park United Methodist Church

•

Sarah Alexander Galbreath Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery 176 | March/april 2022

KELLEY

Memphis, Tennessee

•

Blake McCollum Photography

& Chase Mason Kelley

October 16, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. James Joseph Galbreath Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Kelley Oxford Street from Low’s Bridal Colonial Country Club John Mark Enterprise Colonial Country Club Crave Sweets Blackberry Breeze Annie Shachelford Ashely Pearson The Onyx Press

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HOLLOWAY Belmont Plantation

•

MCINTIRE

Greenville • Skelton Photographie

Elizabeth Marie Holloway

& William Lamar McIntire

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

October 23, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Holloway Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Rochelle Martina Liana from Low’s Bridal Belmont Plantation 9.15 Floral Designs & Gifts Fit Chef Catering Shonna McGhee Style Entertainment Hayley Brown Erin Huggins Artistry Minted

Delta Magazine 2022

| 177

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GOODE

Clarksdale United Methodist Church

178 | March/april 2022

•

TALLEY

Clarksdale

•

Taylor Square Photography

Anna Douglas Goode

& Randolph Jefferson Talley II

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

February 20, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Gary Franklin Goode II Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Jefferson Talley II Essense of Australia Clarksdale Country Club Deedra Stone Designs Sasha Monty Debbie Alderson City Mix Anna Catherine Easterling Jordan Lea Magpie Gift & Art

Delta Magazine 2022

| 179

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HINES

Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church

•

GOWDEY

Jackson

•

Taylor Square Photography

Lillian Moore Hines and David Clement Gowdey, junior, were

a smaller version of Lil’s with satin streamers to add the perfect

united in holy matrimony on September 11, 2021, in an evening

feminine touch. The flower girls were the bride’s nieces, Norah

ceremony at Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in Jackson,

Olivia Walthall and Corinne Lillian Walthall of Charleston, South

Mississippi. The ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Will

Carolina. They wore custom heirloom lace dresses by Pieces by

Compton. The musicians were Jessica Nelson, organ, Daniel

Tam. The program attendants were Rimes Whittington Dehmer,

Jones, violin, Kate Morgan, viola, and Veronica Parrales, cello. The

Evelyn Hart Hines, and Pamala Lucille Hines.

vocalists were Sarah and Caleb Cook of Madison. Scripture was read by Phillip Koons.

The bridegroom’s father was the best man. Groomsmen were Kyle Lansford Cofer of Tupelo; William Walker Coffman of Dallas,

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Kirkland Hines

Texas; John Thomas Crews, III, of Memphis, Tennessee; Jacob

of Madison. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Bryant McLellan

Bernard Fugett of Nashville, Tennessee; Henry Alston Gowdey of

Moore and the late Mr. Moore of Clarksdale and the late Mr. and

Dallas, Texas; Patrick Cole Higginbotham of Nashville, Tennessee;

Mrs. Erwin Ralph Hines of Madison.

Dwight Kirkland Hines, junior, of Oxford; David Graham Hodge of

The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Clement

Jackson; Charles Brice McEuen, junior, of Jackson; Brother

Gowdey of Dallas, Texas. He is the grandson of Mrs. Charles

Samuel Nastri of Dallas, Texas; John Graham Rogers of Nashville,

Brown Sowder and the late Mr. Sowder of Salem, Virginia, and the

Tennessee; Steven Pratt Rogers of Memphis, Tennessee; James

late Mr. and Mrs. Harry Robinson Gowdey of Dallas, Texas.

Davis Rolfe of Nashville, Tennessee; James Carlton Smith, III, of

The bride, given in marriage by her parents and escorted by

New York City, New York; William Wesley Turner of Williston, North

her father, wore a classic silk satin gown designed by Monique

Dakota; Benton Henry Warren of Dallas, Texas; and Crawford

Lhuillier. Her trumpet-style gown featured a strapless, ruched

Pinkston Yates of Dallas, Texas.

bodice, buttons down the back, and a long layered train. Lil wore

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception

an Alençon lace off-the-shoulder bolero that accompanied her

at The Country Club of Jackson. Guests enjoyed music by The

gown for the ceremony. She completed her bridal look with a

Infinity Show Band. Fresh Cut of Jackson created beautiful floral

family veil and crystal and pearl drop earrings from Sara Gabriel.

design throughout the Country Club.

Lil found her bridal look at Maggie Louise Bridal in Collierville,

The traditional five-tier bride’s cake made by That Special

Tennessee. The bride carried a traditional mound bouquet created

Touch featured a smooth buttercream frosting. It was displayed

by Fresh Cut Floral. The color palette was white and blush using

on a large acrylic pedestal with white and pink roses. The

hydrangea, roses, blush ranunculus, lisianthus, and white freesia.

bridegroom’s cakes were a classic Texas chocolate sheet cake

The maid of honor was the bride’s sister, Olivia Hines Walthall

and a two-layer Ole Miss themed red velvet cake. The

of Charleston, South Carolina. Bridesmaids were Ashley Varner

bridegroom’s cake was displayed in the Vicksburg room at The

Crews of Memphis, Tennessee; Lucille Quinn Davis of New York

Country Club, which was transformed into Ole Miss gameday in

City, New York; Rebecca Parker Fugett of Nashville, Tennessee;

the Grove.

Caroline Phillips Garraway of Jackson; Mary Margaret Gowdey of

A bridal luncheon was held at the home of the bride’s aunt and

Dallas, Texas; Mary Magee Leech of Dallas, Texas; Laura Ramsey

uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Logan Phillips. On the eve of the wedding, the

Liberto of Madison; Catherine Andrews McIntyre of Ridgeland;

bridegroom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at River Hills Club.

Anniston Ingrid Owen of Jackson; Elizabeth Freiler Pyron of

Following a wedding trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the couple

Jackson, Wyoming; Caroline Walker Reed of Jackson; and Lockie

is at home in Jackson. The bride is a speech-language pathologist

Dearman Wade of Memphis, Tennessee. They wore various dress

at Beyond Therapy for Kids in Ridgeland. The bridegroom is a

styles in ballet faille by Amsale. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were

commercial real estate agent for Duckworth Realty in Jackson.

180 | March/april 2022

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

JARRETT

Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens

Carrie Jarrett Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup 182 | March/april 2022

•

HENDERSON

Hot Springs, Arkansas

•

Benjamin Martin Photography

& Tyler Henderson

December 31, 2021 Dr. and Mrs. James Edward Warrington, junior and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Jarrett Mr. and Mrs. Dee Henderson and Ms. Leslie Stecks Something Bleu Bridal Boutique Crystal Ridge Distillery Kelly Efird Flower Events Hot Springs Catering Company Taste of Eden Bakery Coop D’Belle Kassie Scates, The Parlor Erica Watkins, Beam Beauty

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MASCAGNI First Baptist Church

•

Greenville

Mia Elizabeth Mascagni

•

BRANTON

Beth Giachelli Photography

& Carson Corder Branton

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

May, 15 2021 Mr. and Mrs. James Reece Mascagni Mr. and Mrs. William Lindsey Branton, senior Sincerity from Low’s Bridal The Gin at Dunleith Jo’s Personal Touch, Jo Harris Cindy McRight Ashley Frazier Style Sarah Grubb Lacey Ferguson Magnet Street

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

MCINTOSH The Gin at Dunleith

•

Leland

Maria McIntosh of Lake Village, Arkansas, and Benjamin McLyn Mize of Leland were united in holy marriage as the Delta sun set at five o’clock in the afternoon on October 9, 2021, at The Gin at Dunleith. Maria is the daughter of Lynn and Mac McIntosh of Lake Village, Arkansas. The groom is the son of Ms. Wendy Mize of Greenville and Mr. John Mize of Lexington, South Carolina. After a rehearsal dinner at the Deer Creek Town and Racquet Club given by the groom’s family, the bride and her bridesmaids retired to the Thompson House where preparations began for the wedding. The bride wore her grandmother’s, Mrs. Mary McIntosh’s, Alençon lace over satin wedding dress. The dress, featuring long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a full skirt, has been worn by members of her family over the years. The dress fit perfectly. Adorning her hair was a circlet of pearl flowers and brilliants. Officiating the ceremony was Reverend Michael Lindsay, the pastor of First Methodist Church of Greenville. The bride was given in marriage by her father. Attending the bride as maid of honor was her sister, Miss Isabella McIntosh. Bridesmaids were Lauren

184 | March/april 2022

•

MIZE

Beth Giachelli Photography

Williams, Mallory Pieroni, Madeline Pieroni, and Lauren Bostic. The flower girl was Reese Delahoussaye. The ring bearer was Natalie Williams. Attending the groom as his best man was his brother, Andrew Mize. Groomsmen were Hall Daniel, Lonnie Moorman, Kaleb Brown, and Tucker Poole. After the outdoor wedding, guests were invited into the old gin situated in a cotton field. The rustic venue was decorated with lovely flowers in the bride’s favorite shades of blush, apricot, and dashes of black. The menu featured a four-tier cake, the bride and groom’s favorite foods, and the groom’s grandmother’s lemon squares. A very heartfelt tribute to the couple was read from the groom’s father via video. Everyone enjoyed dancing to the music by Chris Boykin and his band. Guests formed two lines, and the couple left under a canopy of sparklers. The bride and groom will take a honeymoon to Europe in the spring. The bride is a registered nurse in the Cardiac Unit at Delta Health-The Medical Center in Greenville. The groom is operations director for TecInfo Communications. They will make their home in Leland.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MYERS

Bridlewood of Madison

•

Ashlyn Christine Myers

DE REGT

Madison

•

Braxton Wallis Media

& Skyler Matthew de Regt

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design and Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

May 22, 2021 Mr. Christopher Myers and Mrs. Gina Grace Mr. and Mrs. Jan de Regt Custom Martina Liana from Elle James Bridal Bridlewood of Madison Elements Catering and Floral Design Jan’s Cake Place Style Entertainment Grace Freeman Fresh Ink and Generations

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

MYLES

The Colony Hotel

•

FERREIRA

Palm Beach, Florida

Olivia Ashton Myles

Abigail and Alexander Donalson

& Bernardo Gentil Legey Ferreira

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 186 | March/april 2022

•

July 24, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Myles Mr. Roberto Ferreira and Miss Bianca Gentil Fame and Partners The Coral Ballroom at The Colony Hotel Arms of Persephone Floral Design The Colony Hotel Johnson’s Custom Cakes DJ Machina Savvy Myles Canva and Truly Inspired Paper Co.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAMPOLESI

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church

•

MCTEER

Lake Village, Arkansas

Savannah Rose Sampolesi of Lake Village, Arkansas, and Brandon Lee McTeer of Greenville were united in marriage at half past five in the afternoon on December 31, 2021, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Village, Arkansas. Deacon Tim Sampolesi, uncle of the bride, performed the ceremony. Savannah is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ned Sampolesi of Lake Village, Arkansas, and the late Regina Fratesi Sampolesi. Brandon is the son of Mr. Lee McTeer and Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Elkins of Greenville. The celebration began on the eve of the wedding with a dinner honoring the bride and groom at Table 82 in Lake Village, hosted by the parents of the groom. The bride was honored at a New Year’s Eve morning brunch at Belmont Plantation. A luncheon honoring the groom was held at the Greenville Golf and Country Club. Both were hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Neal Haley of Greenville and Miss Marsha McGraw of Kernersville, North Carolina. As the ceremony began, pink roses were placed in the front pew of the church in memory of the bride’s beautiful mother, Regina. Vickie Cingolani directed the ceremony, and Martha Pieroni provided the music. Readers were Rhonda Sanders and Robin Sistrunk. Amy Stephens served as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Nina Deal, Tiffany Fisher, Bri Gifford, Allison Graham, Caroline Haley, Anna Jasay, Ashley Kinne, Brittany McTeer, Jodi Miles, Erin Moon, Reagan Mosley, Janella Myers, and Jenna Stapp. Lee McTeer served as best man. Groomsmen were Aaron Arnold, Ashton Barnes, Zeke Basco, George Davidson, Dalton Elkins, D.J. Elkins, Dwight Elkins, Neal Haley, Hunter McGaugh, Evan Russell, Sam Sampolesi, Vance

•

LVSTRY Photography

St. Columbia, and Matt Stephens. Land Freeman and Kody Jenkins served as ushers. Grey Elkins served as ring bearer and Georgia Talkington as flower girl. Additional wedding party members were Dylan Elkins, Tyler Manus, Steve Terracina, and Reagan Turner. Following the ceremony, a reception was held at Belmont Plantation in Greenville. Tonia Sims of TLS Weddings and Special Events created a fairy tale setting combining rustic elegance with a New Year’s celebration. Creams with gold accents were used with large vases of white roses and hydrangeas. Guests enjoyed the couple’s signature cocktails along with a variety of hors d’oeuvres prepared by Table 82, including shrimp cocktail, cranberry, pecan, and goat cheese truffles, filet oscar crostini, and petite shrimp tacos. Guests danced the night away to The Fountain City Players of Columbus, Georgia. Southern Exposure Selfie Booth of Vicksburg provided a photo booth where guests created photo memories for themselves and the newlyweds. At midnight, everyone stepped out to ring in the New Year with a fireworks display presented by Pyromania Fireworks, LLC, of Bossier City, Louisiana. Additional vendors were Taylor Rental, All-State Tank, Trey Childs, Ashley Frazier, LVSTRY Telling, Videography by Cory Burks, Beth Giachelli Photography, T&A Limousines, Delinda Vaughn, and Camille Collins. After honeymooning in Antigua, the couple is at home in Greenville, where the bride is a registered nurse and the groom is a federal law enforcement officer.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

PORTNER

First Presbyterian Church

188 | March/april 2022

•

MCCLELLAN

Cleveland

•

Elena Jameson Photography

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Katherine Mayo Portner Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Wedding Planner

& James Lee McClellan, junior

October 23, 2021 Dr. and Mrs. Mike Portner Mr. and Mrs. James McClellan, senior Monique Lhuillier from Maggie Louise Bridal in Collierville, Tennessee Home of the Bride The Pantry, Inc. The Pantry, Inc. The Pantry, Inc. Al Paris and the Heartbreakers Kut Works Salon: Brandy Grant, Melissa Logan, and Sammi Leinart Scout Mauch and Lauren Aldridge Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SELF

First Presbyterian Church

•

MOON

Lake Village, Arkansas

Erin Alisha Self

Kayleigh Ross Photography

& Jacob Palmer Moon

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery 190 | March/april 2022

•

November 6, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Curry Meeks Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Moon Essense of Australia, Town & Country Bridal of New Orleans Delta Men’s Association Lake Village Flowers DeLinda Vaughn For Goodness Cakes by LaDonna Stylish Entertainment Lacey Ferguson Scout Mauch Gem Printing of New Orleans

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SULLIVAN

The Chapel at Plein-Air

•

Taylor

Abigail Lynn Sullivan of Ripley and Bryan Alden Thornhill of Greenwood were united in marriage at five o’clock in the afternoon on April 10, 2021,

THORNHILL •

Lauren Wood Photography

Brookelyn Griffin, Alexa Glissen, and Taylor Braddock. They prepared for the wedding at the Southern Living House located at Plein Air.

at Plein-Air in Taylor. Officiating the ceremony was Reverend Doc Shelton.

Attending the groom as best man was his father. His groomsmen

Abigail is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Andrew Sullivan of

included Grant Spencer, Cooper Anderton, Chase Bennett, Jack Hill, John

Ripley. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Thornhill of

Todd, Gardner Thornhill, and Patrick Besselievre. The groom and

Greenwood.

groomsmen prepared for the day at The Chancellor’s House in Oxford.

The festivities were kicked off with a Delta-casual rehearsal dinner hosted by the groom’s parents. A post toast party followed hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Bagwell, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Ussery, Mr. and Mrs. Rutt Ussery, and Mr. and Mrs. William Vaughan at the Mill at Plein-Air. The signature cocktails were a refreshing Cathead Vodka lemonade and a whiskey sour. The musical selections were chosen by the bride and groom and featured covers performed on violin by Aria Bozart, on piano by Ray Maddox, and vocals by Ella Sego. The opening of the ceremony, hosted

After the ceremony, the guests were serenaded in the Mill by the rockn-roll trio known as Mississippi Gravy of Cleveland. Guests were treated to a lovely meal featuring a bevy of classics from New Orleans and the South. The celebration lasted long into the night. Afterward, the new couple departed under an arch of sparklers. The venue’s décor was perfect for a spring wedding with plenty of flowers and greenery throughout the venue to welcome guests. The couple’s florist was Tracy Proctor of Tupelo. The groom’s cake featured two of the groom’s favorite

in the chapel on premises, was started with a prayer by Russell Pannell.

things: Mississippi State and The Grateful Dead. The bride’s cake, by Flour

The couple welcomed two special guests to the ceremony: Lucy and

Garden of Memphis, was beautifully designed to reflect the decor.

Memphis Thornhill (pictured), who were very well behaved given all of the excitement.

The festivities were wrapped up as the couple headed to Saint Lucia for their honeymoon. Now the couple resides in Starkville with Memphis

The bride was given in marriage by her father. The bride was attended

and Lucy, where Abby is completing her studies to become a pediatric

by her maid of honor and sister Kiley Sullivan Forsythe. Her bridesmaids

nurse practitioner and Alden is the marketing lead for a cognitive

included Jenna Pannell, Meg Alexander, Morgan Bynum, Madison Shaw,

computing company.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SMITH

HUTCHINSON

Clarksdale United Methodist Church

192 | March/april 2022

•

Clarksdale

•

B. Flint Photography

Sawyer Alexis Smith

& Coleby Logan Hutchinson

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design and Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

November 6, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Leroy Smith, junior Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lewis Hutchinson, junior The Bridal Path Clarksdale Country Club Fresh Cut Catering and Floral Alice Chow and Detra Williams The DMP Band Hannah Thornton Hayley Hood Magpie Gift & Art

Delta Magazine 2022

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

TERRACINA St. Joseph Catholic Church

•

Greenville

Katherine Anne Terracina Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 194 | March/april 2022

NICHOLSON •

Masa Kathryn Photography

& Ryan Howard Nicholson May 29, 2021 Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Terracina Mr. and Mrs. Howard Nicholson Blush by Hayley Paige from Margaret Ellen Bridal Home of the Bride Erik Kegler and Green Oak Florist 4Top Catering For Heaven’s Cakes Big Night Dynamite Brynn Chesney Fresh Ink

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TURNER First Baptist Church

•

Cleveland

Laura Elizabeth Turner Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

•

DOWNS

Mary Kate Steele Photography

& Reed Holder Downs

December 18, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Wade Turner Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Downs Justin Alexander B. B. King Museum Indianola Floral Designs Sookies Catering Ashley Frazier Style Entertainment Ally Nicole Carlson Craft

Delta Magazine 2022

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

WALKER Cameron Plantation

196 | March/april 2022

•

LOCICERO

Canton

•

John Cain Photography

Ann Elizabeth Walker

& Andrew Edward LoCicero

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery

October 16, 2021 Mr. And Mrs. George Walker Mr. and Mrs. Brian LoCicero Monique Lhuillier Cameron Plantation Garden District of Memphis Elizabeth Heiskell Cakes by Mom and Me LLC Party on the Moon Watercolor Salon Alicia George Frill Seekers Gifts

Delta Magazine 2022

| 197

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WARREN

Sterling Hall

•

Molly Elizabeth Warren

HOLLINGSWORTH

Canton

•

Claudia Hemphill Photography

& Barry Scott Hollingsworth, junior

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery 198 | March/april 2022

July 17, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Tyrone Devon Warren Mr. and Mrs. Barry Scott Hollingsworth, senior Justin Alexander Sweetheart Dress from Low’s Bridal Sterling Hall Yellow Rose Floral Sterling Hall Events Pamela Cadenhead DJ Ben Weaver Heart and Soul by Ally Nicole Zazzle

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WHITT

First United Methodist Church

•

Briana Newman Whitt Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

FOWLER

Cleveland

•

Beth Giachelli Photography

& Dalton Jones Fowler

April 17, 2021 Mr. Michael Wayne Whitt, Mr. and Mrs. James Quinton Cauthen Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bradley Fowler Madison James from Low’s Bridal The Gin West End District The Flower Girl Florist Grande Design Lou Toole Style Entertainment Rebecca Brewer Rivers Minted Memories Delta Magazine 2022

| 199

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WILSON First Baptist Church

Erin Austin Wilson

•

Leigh Carter Photography

& Brandon Robert Moorman

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Hair Makeup Invitations and Stationery 200 | March/april 2022

MOORMAN

Cleveland

March 6, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Mitch Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Brett Moorman Allure from Engagements Bridal and Formal Wear Boutique First Baptist Church Delta Party Rental Food Fix The Sweetery Bake Shop Freida Easley Quincee Clark By Invitation Only

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WORSHAM First Presbyterian Church

•

Corinth

Priestley Hess Worsham Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Caterer Wedding Cake Entertainment Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery

•

CLEGG

Amy Hutchison Photography

& Philip Claude Clegg II

May 1, 2021 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hayden Worsham, junior Mr. and Mrs. Philip Claude Clegg Alyne from Maggie Louise The Franklin Courtyard Amber Rinehart The Franklin Courtyard Lauren’s Cake Shop GOT Groove Kelli Robertson Fresh Ink

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202 | March/april 2022

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ENGAGEMENTS

Anna Christian Bass & Vincent Thomas Serio Mr. Matthews Bass of Oxford and Mrs. Kristian Prewitt of Cleveland are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Anna Christian Bass, to Vincent Thomas Serio, son of Mr. Frank Serio of Clarksdale and Mrs. Angela Turner of Greenville. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Yeager of Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harris of Leland, and Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Gardner of Clarksdale. Anna Christian is a graduate of Mississippi State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the Charles Moore Award, the highest recognition in business administration-business information systems. She also earned her master’s of science in information systems from Mississippi State University. The bride-elect is employed by Mid-America Apartment Communities as an IT business intelligence specialist. The prospective groom, Vincent Thomas Serio, is the grandson of the late Marjorie Tuminello Serio of Clarksdale, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Long of Clarksdale, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Jose of Senatobia. Vincent is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration. The prospective groom is employed by Total Quality Logistics as a warehousing account representative. The two were engaged on March 19, 2021, in Memphis, Tennessee. They will marry May 28, 2022, at The Powerhouse in Oxford with a reception following.

Julianna Grace Mills & Joshua Kevin Stanford Dr. and Mrs. Steve Mills announce the engagement and approaching wedding of their daughter, Julianna Grace Mills of Brookhaven, to Joshua Kevin Stanford of Grenada. Mills is the granddaughter of Drs. Forrest and Janis Tutor of Pontotoc and the late Mrs. Jean Williams of Plantersville. The bride-to-be is also granddaughter to Mrs. Jane Mills of Destin, Florida, and the late Mr. Jake Mills. Stanford is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Keith Stanford of Vancleave and Mr. and Mrs. David Nobile of Grenada. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Alma Campbell and the late Dr. Mike Campbell of Grenada and the late Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Stanford of Grenada. Miss Mills is a graduate of Brookhaven Academy and Mississippi State University where she achieved her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and served as a Roadrunner and the Chi Omega fraternity president. She is currently a student of the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry. Mr. Stanford is a graduate of Kirk Academy and Mississippi State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and served as the president of Alumni Delegates. He is currently a student of the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine. The couple had many mutual friends at MSU, but it was not until their senior year that Josh’s cousin, Campbell Thomas, was in Julianna’s Bible study and knew they would be the perfect match. She would not stop until they went on a date, and the rest is history! The couple will exchange vows on Saturday, May 28, 2022, at five o’clock in the afternoon at First Baptist Church Brookhaven. A reception will follow at Butterfield Mansion. 204 | March/april 2022

ENGAGEMENTS

Mary Parker Janoush & William Ryan Redditt

The engagement of Ms. Mary Parker Janoush, daughter of Mr. James Paul Janoush and the late Mrs. Lucy Richardson Janoush, to Mr. William Ryan Redditt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Redditt of Cleveland, is happily announced by her father Mr. Paul Janoush. The couple became engaged on a Sunday afternoon in April with a ring that belonged to bride’s late mother. Mary Parker is a 2013 graduate of Cleveland High School and a 2017 graduate of the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, she was a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity. Ryan is a 2010 graduate of Bayou Academy and a 2013 graduate of Mississippi Delta Community College. He also attended Flying Tiger Aviation for Agriculture Aviation Operations. Mary Parker is currently the director of donor relations for Delta State University. She serves on the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Cleveland Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival CoChair, Cleveland Rotary Club, and the Boy Scouts of America Friends of Scouting Board. Ryan is an aerial applicator for Redditt Air Service of Skene and is an active member of the Mississippi Agriculture Aviation Association. The couple will exchange vows in a private ceremony on March 5, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church in Cleveland, where both are active members.

Delta Magazine 2022

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ENGAGEMENTS

Julia Virginia Knight & Justin Ryan Eldridge

Mr. and Mrs. William King Knight of Greenwood are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Julia Virginia Knight to Justin Ryan Eldridge, son of Mr. Charles Earl Eldridge and Mr. and Mrs. James Mitchel Ramage of Inverness. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. William Henry McIntyre, junior, and the late Susan Raney McIntyre of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Roy Knight of Greenwood. They will marry October 22, 2022, at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood with a reception following at Oakhurst in Inverness. The bride-elect is a graduate of Mississippi State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in human development and family science. She was a member of the Chi Omega fraternity. She also is a graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center where she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is employed by Cardiovascular Solution of Central Mississippi in Cleveland. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. Richard Repsher Horne of Inverness and Mrs. Lynn Simmons Jacobs and the late Mr. Will Jacobs, III, of Inverness and the late Mr. Charles RL Eldridge and the late Mrs. Georgia Laverne Eldridge of Shaw. He is a graduate of the technical lineman program at Mississippi Delta Community College. He is employed by Delta Electric Power Association in Indianola. The two were engaged on the afternoon of July 10, 2021, on the porch of Oakhurst, a home special to the groom’s family. The bride was surprised with a beautiful proposal table and her friend hiding in the background to capture photos of the special moment. The two later joined her family for a celebratory dinner at Luscos, a place her family has celebrated special occasions for years. The evening was topped off with a surprise proposal party at the home of the bride with a group of the couple’s

206 | March/april 2022

ENGAGEMENTS

Keely McAdams Shearer & Henry Rogers Varner III

Mr. and Mrs. George Nelson Crowe, II, of Spring Hill, Tennessee, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Keely McAdams Shearer, to Henry Rogers Varner, III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers Varner, junior, of Merigold. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dicky Wyatt McAdams of Montgomery, Alabama, and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Shearer, junior, of Mobile, Alabama. Keely is a graduate of Ensworth High School and an alumna of Auburn University, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in media studies. Keely is a licensed real estate broker in Nashville, Tennessee, and is currently employed by Smith Douglas Homes. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Francis Anthony Ola of Greenwood and the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers Varner of Cleveland. Henry is a graduate of the University of Mississippi where he earned a bachelor of accountancy degree and a master of accountancy degree. He was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He is a certified public accountant with Bristol Development Group in Franklin, Tennessee. The couple plan to exchange vows on June 11, 2022, at the bride’s family farm in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with a dinner reception to follow.

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ENGAGEMENTS

Elizabeth Chandler Swindle & William Lindsey Branton, junior Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Scott Swindle of Pearl announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Chandler Swindle, to William Lindsey Branton, junior, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lindsey Branton, senior, of Leland. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Luther Chandler of Greenville, Mrs. Tommie Withers Swindle of Greenville, and the late James Edward Swindle. The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Allen Buchanan, senior, of Greenville and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Thomas Branton of Leland. Miss Swindle is a 2016 honor graduate of Park Place Christian Academy. In 2020 she graduated from Delta State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. She went on to obtain a master’s of business administration in healthcare administration from Delta State University in 2021. While at Delta State, she was a member of Phi Mu fraternity and was honored to serve the university as student body president her senior year. Miss Swindle is currently employed by Delta State University as the assistant director of student life. Mr. Branton is a 2016 graduate of Washington School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in general business from Delta State University in 2020. While at Delta State, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity, serving as president his senior year. He is currently employed by Delta State University as a recruiter in the Department of Admissions. The couple will exchange vows on March 19, 2022, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Greenville with a reception to follow at the Greenville Golf and Country Club.

Neely Elizabeth Young & Adam Parker Ellis Mr. and Mrs. David Allan Young of Greenwood are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Neely Elizabeth Young, to Adam Parker Ellis. Adam is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Franklin Ellis, junior, also of Greenwood. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Gayle Hout Malloy of Greenwood, formerly of Clarksdale, and the late Rodney Erroll Malloy and the late Mr. and Mrs. James Haney Young of Clarkdale. She is a graduate of Pillow Academy and a 2019 graduate of the University of Mississippi where she earned a degree in hospitality management and event planning. She is employed as a sales representative for Panola Paper Company. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Cornelia (Connie) Parker Lawrence and the late Mr. George Ellett Lawrence of Greenwood and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Franklin Ellis, senior. Adam is a graduate of Pillow Academy and attended the University of Mississippi. He works with his family at Lawrence Printing Company. The couple will exchange vows on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at The Episcopal Church of the Nativity with a reception following at The Birches, the bride’s home. After the wedding the couple will reside in Greenwood.

208 | March/april 2022

ENGAGEMENTS

Bernadette Maria Zrenner & William Kethley Dossett, junior Mr. and Mrs. Michael Robert Zrenner of Grünwald, Bavaria, announce the engagement of their daughter, Bernadette Maria Zrenner, to William Kethley Dossett, junior, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kethley Dossett, senior, of Cleveland, Mississippi. Miss Zrenner is a small business consultant in New York City. In 2016 she graduated from the University of Graz in Austria. She then moved to Vienna to study at the University of Vienna, earning a master’s degree in psychology in 2019. While she enjoys most a Viennese schnitzel, the bride-to-be shares the Dossetts’ appreciation for a Doe’s steak. Mr. Dossett is a financial research analyst in New York City. In 2013 he graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Orange County, Virginia. He subsequently attended the University of Mississippi, graduating in 2017 with a degree in accountancy. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta, serving as president his senior year. Mr. Dossett always suspected he would marry a girl from Greenwood (“Grünwald”). The international couple has traveled extensively since meeting in 2018. Still, they appreciate their family and roots in the Mississippi Delta. The couple will exchange vows on October 1, 2022, on the prospective bridegroom’s family property, Money Hill, in Abita Springs, Louisiana.

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Delta Magazine 2022

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210 | March/april 2022

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When preparing for your big day, you’ll uncover everything to help create your happily ever after. Aerie • Allure Plastics • Altar’d State • Alterations by Tailor Kim • American Eagle • Angie’s • Another Broken Egg Café Anthony Vince’ Nail Salon • Anthropologie • Apple • Aqua the Day Spa • Aria Boutique • AT&T • BankPlus • Barnes & Noble Booksellers • Barnette’s Salon • Basil’s • BellaChes Specialty Gifts • Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano • Brooks Brothers Buckle • CAET Seafood|Oysterette • Charming Charlie Chico’s • Club Pilates • The Commissary • European Wax Five Guys Burgers and Fries • Free People • The Fresh Market • Gifts by KPEP • Gingersnaps • Hallmark • The Headache Center • Highland Park • The Hyatt Place Hotel J. Jill • Jolly Orthodontics • Kendall Poole Event Planning Koestler Prime • Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry • Libby Story The Little Village Children’s Boutique • Local 463 Urban Kitchen • LOFT • lululemon • Magnolia Soap & Bath Co. Material Girls • Mindful Therapy • Monkee’s • The Orvis Co. • Oswego Jewelers • Pandora • Panera Bread • Penn Street Investments • Red 8 Kitchen • Red Square Clothing Co. • Regus • Renaissance Cinema Grill & Bar • Results Physiotherapy • Ridgeland Visitors Center • Rivers Spencer Interiors • Sand Dollar Lifestyles • Sephora • SleepStore by Miskelly • Smoothie King • Soft Surroundings • Soma Intimates Starbucks Co ee Shop • Sunglass Hut • Talbots • Traditional Jewelers • Vintage Wine Market • Whimsy Cookie Co. • White House|Black Market • Williams-Sonoma • Zea Rotisserie & Bar

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See all our retail stores and restaurants online at www.RenaissanceAtColonyPark.com For leasing information, contact The Mattiace Company at 601.352.1818. Delta Magazine 2022 Ren_MSMag_Jan2022_BridalAd.indd 1

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2022 wedding registry S Mary Frances BASINGER Lillian Moore HINES & Raybon Brooks LOTT......................162 & David Clement GOWDEY, junior.....180 Carley F. BROCK Elizabeth Marie HOLLOWAY & Robert W. BROWN ..........................163 & William Lamar MCINTIRE..............177 Braxton Elizabeth CLARK Carrie JARRETT & Tucker Reed LOVE .........................164 & Tyler HENDERSON ........................182 Kingsleigh Elizabeth CLEM Mia Elizabeth MASCAGNI & Bryce Martin CHENAULT ...............165 & Carson Corder BRANTON ...............183 Taylor Nicole COOMBS Maria MCINTOSH & Andrew Warren MOAK....................166 & Benjamin McLyn MIZE ...................184 Katelyn Ruth COURTNEY Ashlyn Christine MYERS & Joseph Williams LAMB ....................167 & Skyler Matthew DE REGT...............185 Margaret Sumner DALRYMPLE Olivia Ashton MYLES & James Randall JEFFERSON ............168 & Bernardo Gentil Legey FERREIRA..186 Mary Weldon DANIELS Katherine Mayo PORTNER & Chalmers Edmund HOBART III ......169 & James Lee MCCLELLAN, junior .....188

Molly Elizabeth WARREN & Barry Scott HOLLINGSWORTH, junior...198 Briana Newman WHITT & Dalton Jones FOWLER...........................199 Erin Austin WILSON & Brandon Robert MOORMAN ..................200 Priestley Hess WORSHAM & Philip Claude CLEGG II.........................201

ENGAGEMENTS Anna Christian BASS & Vincent Thomas SERIO..........................204 Mary Parker JANOUSH & William Ryan REDDITT.........................205

Elise Michele DEBRULER Savannah Rose SAMPOLESI & Matthew Kevin AGOSTINELLI.......170 & Brandon Lee MCTEER....................187

Julia Virginia KNIGHT & Justin Ryan ELDRIDGE .........................206

Alisa Tyler DOMINO Erin Alisha SELF & Hayden Earling STEWART .............171 & Jacob Palmer MOON .......................190

Julianna Grace MILLS J & oshua Kevin STANFORD ......................204

Anne Claire DUNN Abigail Lynn SULLIVAN & Andrew Vincent FANDEL................172 & Bryan Alden THORNHILL..............191

Keely McAdams SHEARER & Henry Rogers VARNER III .....................207

Jessica Brooke ELLIS Sawyer Alexis SMITH & Matthew Kyle MONTEATH.............173 & Coleby Logan HUTCHINSON .........192 Katherine Merrill FLAUTT Katherine Anne TERRACINA & Jon Brighton Childs RUSSELL........174 & Ryan Howard NICHOLSON............194 Sarah Alexander GALBREATH Laura Elizabeth TURNER & Chase Mason KELLEY....................176 & Reed Holder DOWNS ......................195 Anna Douglas GOODE Ann Elizabeth WALKER & Randolph Jefferson TALLEY II .......178 & Andrew Edward LOCICERO...........196

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Elizabeth Chandler SWINDLE & William Lindsey BRANTON, junior........208 Neely Elizabeth YOUNG & Adam Parker ELLIS...............................208 Bernadette Maria ZRENNER & William Kethley DOSSETT, junior .........209

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FOOD

Crisp, Colorful Crunchy and

FOUR MAIN-COURSE SALADS FOR SPRING BY CINDY COOPWOOD AND CORDELIA CAPPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

rom mixed greens topped with chicken and chickpeas to those finished with steak and asparagus, these colorful salads are filling enough to serve as your entrée, but light and bright enough to suit the arrival of spring. Maincourse salads are a great option for a lighter Easter luncheon, a wedding brunch, or an al fresco dinner party.

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MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD Delta Magazine 2021

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MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD DRESSING MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD This colorful Mexican shrimp salad is loaded with flavor from the herbs, peppers, lots of veggies, and seasoned shrimp! 1 2 1 1 ½ 1 ⅛ 2 1 ½ ¼ 1 1 1

pound shrimp, peeled and deveined tablespoons salted butter, melted teaspoon lemon zest teaspoon paprika teaspoon garlic powder tablespoon Mexican hot sauce teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste large avocados, diced 8-ounce container cherry or grape tomatoes, halved red onion, minced cup chopped cilantro cup kernel corn, may use frozen or canned cup black beans jalapeño, seeded and finely minced

in a medium bowl, stir together the lemon zest, garlic powder, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes. add shrimp and toss to evenly coat in the marinade. Marinate shrimp for about 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the shrimp and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes, flipping it halfway through until they are pink. remove from heat and set aside.

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3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon ground cumin pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste salt and pepper

add the lemon juice, olive oil, ground cumin, and cayenne with a big pinch of salt and pepper to a lidded jar. Shake well until the dressing is emulsified. taste and adjust all seasonings as desired.

in a large salad bowl, add the avocados, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, corn, black beans, and jalapeños to a large bowl. add the cooked shrimp, drizzle the dressing over the top, and toss to combine. taste and adjust with additional seasonings as desired. garnish with lime wedges and additional jalapeño slices if desired. NOTES: Be sure to chop the red onions, jalapeños, and the cilantro finely. this will help the flavors incorporate much better than if they are left in larger pieces.

STEAK SALAD DRESSING 4 4 4 1 1 ¾

cloves garlic, minced tablespoons dijon mustard tablespoons balsamic vinegar teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper cup olive oil

in a small bowl mix first five ingredients well. incorporate oil blending until well emulsified; adjust seasonings to taste. Double recipe if needed for additional servings. Set aside.

STEAK SALAD 1½ pounds ribeye steak 1 bag of mixed greens 1 8-ounce container of petite tomatoes, sliced and salted 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and blanched ½ pound of new potatoes, halved and boiled ½ cup Kalamata olives 3 boiled eggs, sliced Goat cheese, for garnish

Season steak generously with salt and pepper to taste. add steak to grill, searing both sides, flipping once, until desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium rare. let rest 5 minutes; thinly slice against the grain. When potatoes are done, immediately toss with some of the dressing to absorb the flavor. to serve, assemble salad on a platter spreading greens and topping with all ingredients grouped as desired. Drizzle generously with dressing. place warm steak on top and sprinkle with goat cheese, to taste. Delta Magazine 2022

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Taheip:aTdheofotrizmoesaandladkecapnt iben tmadehe fridge. 218 | March/april 2022

GREEK ORZO SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN For extra crunch and color, we seasoned our chickpeas and tossed in a skillet before adding them to the salad! 1 2 1 2 2

pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts tablespoons olive oil teaspoon smoked paprika teaspoons dried oregano cloves garlic, minced or grated zest and juice of 1 lemon salt and black pepper

in a small bowl mix the smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. coat the chicken with the seasoning mix, front and back. add olive oil to a skillet and bring to mediumhigh heat. pan sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side allowing to brown well on each side. check for doneness. Slice when ready to serve. Salad 1 1 2 1 1 ½ 4 1 4 1 1 1

cup orzo pasta roasted red pepper cucumbers halved and sliced zucchini shaved into ribbons cup cherry tomatoes halved cup marinated artichoke hearts cups of salad greens of choice large handful fresh basil radishes, sliced ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed (toasted if desired) block feta cheese crumbled avocado sliced

cook the orzo according to package directions. in a large bowl, add the cooked orzo, roasted red pepper, cucumbers, zucchini ribbons, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, greens, basil, radishes, crumbled feta, and chickpeas. gently toss to combine. add a little of the dressing and toss once more. plate the greens on a large platter, drizzle with additional dressing. top with the orzo salad mixture. arrange the grilled chicken and sliced avocado on the side, and garnish with additional veggies. Served with a dollop of hummus and pita bread.

GREEK ORZO SALAD DRESSING ¼ 2 ⅓ ½ ½ ½

cup olive oil tablespoons red wine vinegar cup finely chopped Kalamata olives teaspoon oregano teaspoon salt teaspoon black pepper juice from half a lemon pepper + crushed red pepper

combine all ingredients in a bowl or glass jar. Shake or whisk till emulsified. adjust seasonings to taste.

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⅓ 1 1 2 1

SOUTHERN NIÇOISE SALAD DRESSING

SOUTHERN NIÇOISE SALAD Fried chicken tenders, deviled eggs and pimiento cheese finger sandwiches, add a Southern flair to this classic lunch salad. Keep it simple and pick up ready-made chicken tenders. 1 1 2 4 1 ½ 6 1 ½ 4

pound mixed baby potatoes bunch tender green beans, ends trimmed tablespoons extra virgin olive oil cups fresh chopped greens, such as romaine or arugula fried chicken tenders of choice cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large cup mixed Greek olives, pitted radishes thinly sliced or quartered avocado, sliced cup mixed fresh herbs of choice dill and parsley stuffed deviled eggs

place potatoes in a large pot of generously salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the to heat to medium, simmer until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. place the potatoes back in the hot pot, allowing to keep warm until ready to use. additionally, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil. add beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain. While still warm, cut the potatoes in half and toss them with half of the dressing. On a large platter, arrange the salad greens, green beans, tomatoes, olives, radishes, and avocado around the potatoes, flank sides with chicken tenders and deviled eggs. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad. garnish with fresh herbs.

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cup olive oil, plus more as needed tablespoon anchovy paste, optional garlic clove, grated tablespoons lemon juice teaspoon dijon mustard salt and black pepper to taste

combine the olive oil and anchovy paste in a small bowl, add the garlic, stirring to combine. Mix in the lemon juice, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, and oil as needed. TIP: If not using anchovy paste, an additional tablespoon of wine vinegar and pinch of salt will add extra flavor.

Tip:Serve pi m i e nt o chees e f i n ger s a ndwi c hes on the side for an extra Southern twist. BASIC DEVILED EGG RECIPE 6 ¼ 1 2

boiled eggs, peeled cup mayonnaise teaspoon grated onion teaspoons dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste

Slice eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. Set whites on a platter. Mash yolks with mayonnaise, onion, mustard, and seasonings. Spoon yolk mixture evenly into whites and garnish with toppings of your choice.

HISTORY

“It would be a sleek, black-hulled vision of grace in the water, trimmed out in brilliant mahogany, and it would occupy most of Ernest’s free time for the rest of his life.” James McClendon concerning Hemingway’s boat, Pilar.

PAPA and PIGGOTT

HOW A SMALL ARKANSAS DELTA TOWN HELPED CHANGE THE COURSE OF AMERICAN LITERATURE BY HANK BURDINE

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HEMINGWAY/PFEIFFER MUSEUM, PIGGOTT, ARKANSAS THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION, JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY LIBRARY, BOSTON FROM BOOK HEMINGWAY IN CUBA BY HILARY HEMINGWAY

The Paul Pfeiffer barn in Piggott, Arkansas was converted into an apartment and writing room for Hemingway during his visits to the Arkansas Delta. In this barn he wrote a large portion of A Farewell to Arms dedicating the book to Uncle Gus Pfeiffer.

Captain Ernest Hemingway at the helm of Pilar. The boat was named after the secret code name his future wife Pauline Pfeiffer used in correspondence while he was still married to Hadley. Pilar is also a bullfighting area in Spain.

It was cold in Paris in the winter of 1924-25. Ernest Hemingway was living in an apartment with his wife Hadley and young son, John (Jack, aka Bumby), at 113 rue Notre-Dame des Champs. He was eking out a living while writing for periodicals, having published several books including Three Stories and Ten Poems and Men Without Women, and was finishing up The Sun Also Rises. He had begun working on his book A Farewell to Arms. The Hemingways had become friends with the bohemian literati group of authors living or spending time in Paris: John Dos Passos, Archibald MacLeish, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Ford Maddox Ford, and Gertrude Stein, among others. They later became known as the “lost generation of American expatriate writers.” Gertrude Stein would state, “Paris is where the twentieth century was.” During the Spring of 1925, at a tea given in paris by friends, the hemingways were introduced to pauline and ginny pfeiffer, two charming sisters from piggott, arkansas. the older of the two, pauline, was a fashion writer for Paris Vogue and quite nattily dressed. the two sisters, through other gatherings and ski trips to Schruns, austria, and bullfighting soirees in Spain, became close friends with hadley; all the while, pauline was keeping a very special eye out for ernest. and as well could be imagined, a break-up and eventual divorce of ernest and hadley came to pass. ernest hemingway and pauline pfeiffer were married in the catholic church of passy in paris on May 10, 1927. With pauline’s six-thousand-dollar annual stipend from her family, ernest hemingway no longer had to worry about food on the table or heat in his apartment. So with Bumby safely tucked away with his mother and pauline pregnant, it was soon time to leave paris. the newly wedded hemingways booked a cabin in april of 1928 on the Orita from Marseilles, France, to havana, cuba, and then on to Key West, Florida, where they were to pick up a brand-new yellow Model a Ford roadster given to them as a wedding gift from pauline’s rich Uncle “gus” pfeiffer. From Key West, after vacationing for about six weeks, they were to ferry themselves in their new sports car up-keys to Miami and on to piggott, arkansas. Once there, pauline could show off her new prize, the writer ernest hemingway, and her own noticeably bulging belly. as the ferry approached Key West, with the smoke from its smoldering garbage dump visible and the radio towers emerging out of the sea, which would later become instrumental in ernest’s navigation to and from Bimini and cuba, the low-slung unpainted wooden conch houses became noticeable. Was this the place that Delta Magazine 2022

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FROM HEMINGWAY’S GUNS BY CALDIN, HELSEY, SANGER PAPA, HEMINGWAY IN KEY WEST BY JAMES MCLENDON

Pauline on safari with Hemingway, kneeling beside a trophy gazelle she had just taken on the Serengeti plain of Tanzania. Uncle Gus Pfeiffer financed the safari at a cost of $25,000 in the middle of the Depression. From this safari came the best-selling book Green Hills of Africa and the short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, along with numerous articles. The promise of these articles financed the down payment on Hemingway’s boat, Pilar.

Hemingway on the spiral staircase to his second-floor writing room atop the carriage and pool house at 907 Whitehead Street in Key West, Florida. In this room, Hemingway finished his books To Have and Have Not and A Farewell to Arms, while beginning and working on For Whom the Bell Tolls, Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, The Fifth Column, and The Spanish Earth. The house in Key West was a gift from Pauline’s uncle, Gus Pfeiffer.

John Dos passos had recommended his friend hemingway to go and spend some time in order for “Old hem… to dry out his bones”? it was hot; ernest was sweating in his starched collar and necktie, and pauline was quite uncomfortable in the heat. What made ernest really hot was the fact that there was no car waiting for them on the docks once they cleared customs. a delay in shipment of the car from Miami caused the dealership to put the couple up in an apartment above their showroom. When the car from Uncle gus arrived a week later, ernest began venturing out to fish off of piers and soon met local luminaries who realized he wasn’t just a bum on the run in his cutoff canvas shorts, dirty tennis shoes, pull over cap, and smelly fish-stained shirt or another bootlegger waiting on a boatload of illegal whiskey to come ashore from cuba to be unloaded. in a book by Stuart Mciver titled Hemingway’s Key West, charles thompson, a member of one of Key West’s most prevalent 224 | March/april 2022

and influential families, told his wife, lorine, “george Brooks (prosecuting attorney) sent him by. Says he likes to fish and that i might take him out. Says he’s written a couple of books.” By april of 1928, the twenty-nine-year-old hemingway had published six books and was beginning to like the very laidback easy-going lifestyle of Key West. pauline’s father, paul pfeiffer, came down to meet his new sonin-law and was ensconced in the town’s predominant skyscraper, the seven-story Key West colonial hotel. it was hot and soon pauline began trying to get them all to leave and go to piggott where it was at least not as hot! ernest resisted and eventually let pauline take the train homeward to piggott. paul pfeiffer stayed, and ernest invited a gang of friends down to join him and a local bunch of cronies he had termed the “Mob.” Once gathered, they began carousing about, drinking at the local hangouts and speakeasies, eating in local diners, and fishing around the islands. ernest hemingway was really beginning to like what he saw in what he later called the “St. tropez of the poor.” But it was time to go north with his new friend and father-in-law paul pfeiffer riding shotgun in a new Ford roadster. Before he left, ernest asked lorine thompson to find him and pauline a house to rent for the next season. patrick hemingway was born in Kansas city and that winter the hemingways returned to Key West with ernest writing in the mornings and fishing or carousing in the afternoons. they liked the pace of Key West and began looking around for a permanent house, as ernest told charles thompson, to “hang my hat.” “You don’t have a hat,” replied his good friend. “Well by god, i’ll buy one the day i move in.” By that time, pauline and lorine thompson had already been looking for a house to buy. returning to a dilapidated old stone house at 907 Whitehead Street that lorine had once called “a miserable wreck of a house,” pauline soon saw potential in what she had once described as “a damned haunted house.” escaping the heat of Key West in the summer, the hemingways would travel to piggott, arkansas, on the way back and forth to the Wyoming lBar-t Dude ranch where ernest would write in the mornings and hunt in the afternoons. During these forays, ginny pfeiffer decided to fix up the barn at their family home in piggott for her sister’s new family to stay in and to allow ernest a quiet place to write. the hemingways second child, gregory, was born in november

PAPA, HEMINGWAY IN KEY WEST BY JAMES MCLENDON

ARKANSAS PBS SERIES, HEMINGWAY’S ARKANSAS CONNECTION

Uncle Gus Pfeiffer aboard Pilar. According to John Dos Passos, “Ernest fascinated him, hunting, fishing, writing. He wanted to help Ernest do all the things he’d been too busy to do while making money.”

Toby Bruce from Piggott, Arkansas, with brothers Patrick and Gregory Hemingway. Toby was with Hemingway for most of his productive literary life. He took care of his boys, his boat, his writings, his money, his houses, and on many occasions Papa himself. After Hemingway’s death in 1961, Toby retrieved boxes of priceless manuscripts, guns, and memorabilia that he had stored earlier in a back closet at Sloppy Joe’s Bar in Key West.

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY AS PUBLISHED IN ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A BIOGRAPHY BY MARY DEARBORN

opportunity. the pfeiffers began accumulating land and real estate eventually owning about sixty-five thousand acres of prime cotton ground, the piggott custom gin company, the local bank, and most of the town. the pfeiffer’s fiefdom reached far and wide, and their family’s desire was to take care of one another. gus pfeiffer and his wife lost one child and bore no more children, so he lavished his extended family with gifts of houses, cars, and money. Uncle gus, as he was known, took a liking to the swashbuckling, hard drinking, acclaimed, world-renowned writer and devoted hunter and fisherman that had married his niece, pauline. regarding Uncle gus, John Dos passos wrote, “ernest fascinated him, hunting, fishing, writing. he wanted to help ernest do all the things he’d been too busy to do while making money.” he admired him so much that when hemingway The Key West years talked about an african safari he would like to put together, Uncle gus financed it to the James Mcclendon states in his book tune of about twenty-five thousand dollars in Hemingway in Key West, “it is my belief that the middle of the Depression (around five these years, 1928 to 1940, the dozen years hundred thousand to six hundred thousand ernest hemingway spent as a permanent or in today’s dollars, if not more). From that somewhat resident in the small seaport town of safari, guided by one of africa’s most famous Key West, Florida, were the most important Pauline Pfeiffer from Piggott, Arkansas, years of his life.” Whether it was his literary was a fashion writer for Paris Vogue when hunters, phillip percival, and including pauline achievements accomplished during this time or she first met Ernest Hemingway at a party and charles thompson, would come several best-selling books and numerous magazine the building and solidifying of the “papa in Paris in the Spring of 1925. articles, Green Hills of Africa and The Snows of Myth,” those years made him who he turned Kilimanjaro included. out to be. and not much of it could have happened, or happened immediately upon returning to new York from africa, after a as easily, without the support and backing of the pfeiffer family. stopover in paris, hemingway went to the offices of the newly rooted in the pharmaceutical business, the pfeiffers were major formed gentleman’s magazine Esquire and received an advance of stockholders in the hudnut cosmetics company and other related three thousand dollars for future articles mostly based on his recently businesses. During a train breakdown in piggott, arkansas, paul completed safari. he then went directly to the Wheeler Shipyards pfeiffer decided to get out and walk around. he saw fields of lush arkansas Delta dirt being cleared and farmed, and he saw and placed his advance as down payment on a thirty-eight-foot of 1931, again in Kansas city. that same year they had decided to buy the “damned haunted house” on Whitehead Street because it had potential with a large living space, a big yard for two children, and a secluded location. Built in 1851 in the style of a large Spanish estate, it had a two-story carriage-house outbuilding that could be converted into a writing workroom. Uncle gus wrote a check for eight thousand dollars, paying off several past due mortgages to the local bank and conveying the property to ernest Miller hemingway, 4 place de la concorde, paris, France c/o guaranty trust co. of new York city. ernest hemingway’s paris days were over, and with a new address, 907 Whitehead Street, he now had a place to hang his hat in Key West, Florida. american literature was about to change.

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TO HAVE AND HAVE ANOTHER BY PHILLIP GREENE

Ernest Hemingway and Toby Bruce, with an unknown admirer and bartender, at Papa’s favorite bar—the Floridita, in Havana, Cuba—in the late 1950s. Toby Bruce was by Hemingway’s side as his majordomo, factotum and go-to man through three wives (and numerous affairs) during a span of almost thirty years, the most productive years of the great writer’s life.

trades; he could fix most anything and was at hemingway’s beck and call as major domo, chauffeur, factotum, and go-to man. he handled his money, oversaw the remodeling of his houses, and built the first swimming pool in Key West while also building a brick wall around the Whitehead Street house to keep out prying tourists. toby took care of hemingway’s boys, took care of his boat, bought his cars, built his bookcases and furniture, hauled his guns and ammunition to and from cuba, and helped edit “Cap, I hear you are looking for a driver.” “Me, I like it better out on the and have typed his numerous manuscripts, even designing and drawing the cover of For Whom During one of the return trips from out ranch, or in Piggott, Arkansas, the Bell Tolls. as a stand-in, he negotiated and West, while staying in the newly refurbished barn in piggott, a fire started in a damper, and in the fall, or in Key West, and closed on hemingway’s house in cuba, the manuscripts and guns and belongings were very much better, say, at the Finca Vigia. he shared whiskey with, caroused with, and was beside ernest hemingway tossed out the windows amid the flames. a Dry Tortugas.” Hemingway through three wives, always going with the man. young furniture maker named toby Bruce from When hemingway left pauline and Key West piggott, whom ernest had previously met, wrote in a 1933 letter to for cuba and his third wife, Martha gellhorn, showed up to help collect and dry out the Esquire magazine during a toby Bruce loaded boxes of manuscripts, guns, manuscripts. they became friends shooting trap three-week stay in and memorabilia and stored them in a back and hunting together. a few years later on a gloomy Paris. room at Sloppy Joe’s Bar where they remained dusty hot drive up from Florida, ernest almost totally forgotten. later, the priceless hemingway put word out in piggott that he items were retrieved after hemingway’s death by Mary Welsh was looking for someone to help drive. Showing up in a pinstriped hemingway, the three boys…and toby Bruce. suit, black shoes, and a fancy tie and sporting a homburg hat, toby So, in the end, did the little arkansas Delta town of piggott and Bruce said, “cap’, i hear you are looking for a driver.” looking up its most prominent family make an impact on the life, times, and and down, while concentrating on the homburg, hemingway literature of nobel and pulitzer prize winning author ernest replied, “i am, but do you always dress like that?” When he replied, hemingway, one of the most celebrated novelists of the twentieth “well…no,” toby Bruce got the job at sixty-five dollars a month, century? Say what you want, but it sure made his life and his ability room and board if wanted, and, according to James Mcclendon, to concentrate on his work, along with what little peace of mind he “all the booze and cigarettes you can stand.” thus began a ever had by knowing toby Bruce was close by to take care of things, relationship that was endeared to ernest hemingway for the rest of his life and long after he was gone. one hell of a lot easier. DM toby Bruce was a carpenter and cabinet maker, a jack of all power yacht built to his own specifications to cost him $7,400. James Mcclendon stated, “he would name the craft Pilar. it would be a sleek, black-hulled vision of grace in the water, trimmed out in brilliant mahogany, and it would occupy most of ernest’s free time for the rest of his life.” how much of this would have been possible without the financial support of good ole Uncle gus and the pfeiffer family?

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EVENTS

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, March 7

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO DO March 4

Tunica

March 8, 7:30 pm

Tupelo

The Mavericks: En Espanol World Tour

Cody Johnson with special guests Easton Corbin and Kylie Frey

Horseshoe Casino caesars.com/tunica

BancorpSouth Arena

March 10, 7 pm March 5, 10 am

Jackson

Fossil Road Show Mississippi Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

March 5

Tunica

Tunica Monster Truck Chaos

Southaven

WinterJam 22 Landers Center Visitdesotocounty.com

March 7, 7:30 pm

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Duling Hall ardenland.net

March 13

Memphis

New Edition “The Culture Tour”

Thalia Mara Hall ardenland.net

FedexForum fedexforum.com

March 10-12

Southaven

March 19, 7:30 pm

Jackson

Reo Speedwagon

Disney On Ice

Thalia Mara Hall ardenland.net

March 11

Tunica

Aaron Lewis: Frayed At Both Ends, The Acoustic Tour

March 11

March 19, 8 pm

Jackson

Elizabeth Cook Duling Hall ardenland.net

Horseshoe Casino caesars.com/tunica

Cleveland

Jackson

The Wild Feathers

Swan Lake

Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

Tunica Arena & Expo Center tunicatravel.com

March 6, 6 pm

Jackson

March 11, 8 pm

March 19-20 Tunica

Steve Trevino Gold Strike Casino Resort goldstrike.mgmrestors.com

Memphis

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks FedexForum fedexforum.com

March 21, 9 pm

Memphis

Incubus Graceland incubushq.com

March 21, 8 pm

Jackson

Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group Thalia Mara Hall ardenland.net

March 23-27

Oxford

Oxford Film Festival Oxfordfilmfest.com

March 24, 7 pm

Cody Johnson Swan Lake, March 10

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Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

Brandon

MATERIAL PULSES: 7 VIEWPOINTS

CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS Triangle Cultural Center

332 North Main Street

•

Yazoo City, MS

AN EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE ART OF QUILTMAKING

1608 Highway 82 W Greenwood, MS 38930 662-453-0925

April 12 - May 28

HOURS: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM TUESDAY - SATURDAY

MUSEUM OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA PRESENTS

ART • BOOK SIGNING • BALLET • MUSIC Friday, May 6, 2022-6:00 pm -10:00 pm Saturday, May 7, 2022-10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tickets required for “The Tribute To Louis Armstrong” For tickets call 662.746.7776 or visit visityazoo.org $15 Adults, $5 Students & Seniors Free admission to all other events.

Proceeds will bene t The Yazoo Arts Council Community Arts in Education Programs Delta Magazine 2022

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April 2

Tunica

Travis Tritt Gold Strike Casino Resort Goldstrike.mgmresorts.com

April 2

Belzoni

World Catfish Festival Downtown Belzoni www.belzonims.com/catfishfest.htm April 7, 7:30 pm

Jackson

Griffin House Duling Hall ardenland.net

April 7, 7:30 pm

Cleveland

Leanne Morgan Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

April 8, 8 pm

Jackson

David Wilcox Disney On Ice, March 10-12

Duling Hall ardenland.net

April 8-9

Leland

The Mockingbird Songwriters Festival The Spectacular Gin @ Dunleith steveazar.com

April 9

Tunica

Tom Segura - I’m Coming Everywhere World Tour Horseshoe Casino caesars.com/tunica

April 8-10

Southaven

Monster Jam Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

April 22, 7 pm

Brandon

Koe Wetzel Brandon Amphitheater brandonamphitheater.com

April 23, 1 pm

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, April 28

Olive Branch

5th Annual Brewfest March 25, 8 pm

Memphis

March 26

Jackson

Mississippi Ale House mississippialehouse.com

Maxwell Night 2022 Tour

Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival

FedexForum fedexforum.com

April 23, 6 pm

Hal & Mal’s halsstpaddysparade.com

18th Annual Mudbug Bash

March 26, 6:30 pm

Cleveland

March 31, 7 pm

Southaven

Hernando Courthouse Square Visitdesotocounty.com

Big Band Bash with Delta State University Jazz Ensemble

For King and Country ‘What Are We Waiting For?’

April 21-24

clevelandcc.net

Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

Downtown Clarksdale jukejointfestival.com

March 26, 7:30 pm

North MS Symphony Orchestra presents Radiant Beauty Link Centre Tupelo.net

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3 Doors Down concert with special guest Seether BancorpSouth Arena

Clarksdale

Juke Joint Festival

Tupelo April 1, 7 pm

Hernando

Tupelo

April 23

Crosstie Arts & Jazz Festival Downtown Cleveland www.crosstiefestival.com

Cleveland

April 24

Tunica

Delta Gospel Music Festival Tunica Arena & Expo Center April 28, 8 pm

CLASSIC AMERICAN QUALITY.

Jackson

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Thalia Mara Hall ardenland.net

April 29-May 1

Tupelo

Blue Suede Cruise BancorpSouth Arena bluesc.com

April 30, 7:30 pm

Tupelo

North MS Symphony Orchestra presents Florence Price Violin Concerto and Choral Spectacular Link Centre Tupelo.net

April 30, 8 pm

Southaven

No Cap Comedy Tour Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

LITERARY EVENTS Lee Cole

Groundskeeping

Spicy Cornmeal Crusted Simmons Catfish By Chef Steven Goff at the Delta Supper Club at Hopson Plantation - Clarksdale, MS.

FRESH FROM THE POND TO YOUR PLATE. SIM M ONSCATF ISH.COM

March 1, 6 pm: Square Books, Oxford Margaret Atwood with Judy Blume

Burning Questions: Essays and Occasional Pieces March 1, 7 pm: Square Books: Oxford, Virtual event via Zoom Eli Cranor

Don’t Know Tough March 8, 6 pm: Square Books, Oxford March 10, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Jack E. Davis

The Bald Eagle March 11, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Alex Kershaw

Against All Odds March 24, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Tara Stringfellow

Memphis April 6, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson

Delta Magazine 2022

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232 | March/april 2022

YOUR LIFE...STYLED

F U R N I T U R E Inside Miskelly Pearl & Miskelly Madison | 601.939.6288 | Miskellys.com

Delta Magazine 2022

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DELTA SEEN

Daniel Boyd, Isabelle Boyd and Alex Patterson

Liz Edwards, Beth Edwards, Melissa Lessley

The 79th Annual Delta Debutante Ball at the Greenville Country Club in Greenville on December 29

John Handy, Haley, Missy and Lloyd Hewitt

Rogers Varner, Cindy Coopwood, Mary Helen Varner, Thomas Coopwood and William Dossett

Shelby Edwards IV, Jim Paterson, Marion Walcott, Gates Walcott, Linda and Nolan Branton and GeGe Sinclair

Dr. Joe Street and Susan Street with Bronwynne, Betsy Gray, Shannon, and Jason Barrett 234 | March/april 2022

Rob, Margaret and Lauren Hayden

Mac Hamilton Evelyn Fratesi

and

Jane Ellen Warlick, Nolan Farmer and Travis Coopwood

James, Lydia, Betty and Haden Robbins

Katie

Betty Robbins, Julie Yoste, Missy Hewitt and Sloan Hunter

DELTA SEEN

Clint, Drew, Sydney, Shae and Clinton Davis

McKenzie, Bailey and Stephanie McGarrh

Mary McLean Edwards, Sara Evelyn McClintock, Sydney Guy and Gigi Yoste

James, Maria, Richard, Melanie and Richard Word

Tom, Stephanie, Julia and Harrison Tann

Bernadette Zrenner with Mimi, William and Bill Dossett

Machelle Williams, Elizabeth Heiskell, Missy Hewitt and Joyce Tucker, Lauren Head, Leigh Tucker, Mike Tucker and Anna Sledge Tucker June Goza

Seated, John and Lucy Shackelford; back row, Parks, Julie Anna, Ella, Duke, Olivia and Lucy Parks Shackelford

Jackson Pool and Mary Harkins

Maria Word, Lea Margaret Hamilton, Mikelle Perry and Melanie Sanders

Sarah Bennett Smith, Travis Coopwood, Jane Ellen Warlick and Mary Paxton Heiskell Delta Magazine 2022

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DELTA SEEN

Exhibit Opening for Reuben Hale at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta in Greenwood on January 14 Photos by Andy Lo

Roxanne Hall and Charlotte Ray

Brad Swanzy and Mateo Panas

Johnny Barrett, Susie Tackett and James Johnson

Charles Bowman, Linda Nowell and Billy Whittington

Aubrey Whittington and Rose Bowman

Amy Carroll and Drew McDowell

Irma Hale, Jerrod Barner, Erin Rose, Mateo Panas, Naomi Panas and Brad Swanzy

Jeffie Chatham, Henry Flautt and Joanne Branham 236 | March/april 2022

Holly Brazil and Hugh Warren

Ida Smith, Irma Hale and Christopher Dotson

Sandy Lamb and Holly Brazil

Karyn Burrus and Katie Mills

The 2022 Chamber Meeting and Taste of Greenwood Event at the Leflore County Civic Center in Greenwood on January 20

DELTA SEEN

Augusta Ratliff, Travett Witehall, Amber Burrough, with A & T Seafood

Spensia Jones and Karyn Burrus, with The Vine Bistro

Chief Marcus Banks and Chief Terrence Craft

Frankesha House, Deborah Winston-Harris, Brenda Moore and Dr. Jackie Brownlow

Cassie Davis and Kelly Castle, with the Alluvian Spa

Lisa Smith and Courtney Kimmel

Holley Poe and Brandi Rosa, with Delta Roots Takery & Catering

Debra Hibbler and Barbara Arnold

Angela Bigbee and Laura Rutherford

Ben and Caleb Cox with Hugh Warren

Jackie Davis and Bryan Thronhill, with Bank of Commerce

Jere and Gene Stancel Delta Magazine 2022

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DELTA SEEN

A Night with Charlie McAlexander & the Misssissippi Magic at the Tunica National Golf and Tennis Club on January 28 Photos by Myra Pitts

David Graves with Bethanne and Chuck Graves

Gerald Chatham and Sterling Withers

John and Jean Owen

Lilibeth Withers and Stephen Pitts

Charlie Mac singing lead vocals

Lonnie and Betty Shannon

Lilibeth Withers, Sterling Withers and Myra Pitts

Nell and Victor Wyatt

Pat and Mickey Johnson

Sterling Withers and Chuck Graves

Victor Wyatt with Cecelia Johnson and Pat Johnson

Wes and Harriette Bailey

238 | March/april 2022

DELTA SEEN

Opening reception of Southern Spaces by Jamie Tate at E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center in Greenville on February 4 Photos by Mary Catherine Brooks

Deep Roots Live Event at Delta Arts Alliance in Cleveland on February 4 Photos by William Powell Photography

Jack Jackson, Dede Gibson and Linda Haddock

Bland Shackelford, Anne Shackelford and Joy Haddock Davis

Gail and Robert Andrews

Joe Nash, Lisa Cowart and Terri Lane

Kenner and Stephanie Patton

Tara Smith and Shelia Parker

Harold McGarrh, Betsy Bostic, Lauren Bostic, Margie McGarrh, Pimwadee Limsirichai and Tony Winters

Beth O’Reily, Linda Guin, Jamie Tate and Marcia Vanlandingham

Bill Hunter and Tommie Jack

Ben Powell and Tricia Walker

Zach and Jessica Hardy

Tommie Jack and Bill Hunter, with Suzanne and Mark Jordan

Nona and Vance Boudreaux

Becky and Chris Young Delta Magazine 2022

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Thefinalword

Seasons of Life

Tricia Walker is a Grammy award-winning artist and spent over twenty-five years in the music industry in Nashville before returning to her native Mississippi to develop the Delta Music Institute entertainment industry studies program at her alma mater, Delta State University. She retired from that position as Director Emerita in 2019 and now, as Music Ambassador for Cleveland, she is focusing her creative energies on developing and promoting the Deep Roots music project through a partnership between the City of Cleveland and her company, Big Front Porch Productions.

Eccl. 3:1 (KJV) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven... e first seasons i remember were as a kid growing up in a beautiful old pre-civil war home built in a clearing among ancient hardwoods. My mother was the editor of our small-town newspaper, so my love affair with words and writing began early. She always said she had ink in her blood, and i suppose she passed some of that ink along to me. i was twenty-seven years old when i heard ‘the call’ in my heart to go try and see if i could ‘make it’ in music. is was before the advent of the digital age we know today, so answering that call meant packing a Uhaul truck and driving five hundred miles away from my hometown of Fayette, Mississippi, (population 1600) into the mysterious, unknown world of the entertainment business in nashville, tennessee (closer to home than new York or los angeles). a one-bedroom second floor apartment (no elevator) for $235 a month was where i began my quest, having made the move with no steady employment and no personal or business connections— and remember, no cell phones or computers. it was a scary and exciting season, but it was also a great time to be in Music city. i was afforded amazing opportunities over the years to meet and work with both legends and wannabes, crafting songs with pen in hand, standing behind a microphone in a studio or on a stage, and traveling to places near and far with some of the most gifted musicians on the planet. Eccl. 3:4 (KJV) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance... a quarter century went by, and, after hurricane Katrina, i began to hear the call in my heart to come home to Mississippi, no big lightning bolt but rather a slow revelatory ‘parting of the curtains’ over time,

240 | March/april 2022

BY TRICIA WALKER

which, with confirmation from trusted friends and counselors, was undeniable. e opportunity of this season was in the form of a new entertainment industry studies program at Delta State University into which i could sow all that i had gleaned from my time in nashville. as i drove that U-haul south down highway 61 through those fertile flatlands, headed to my new position, i remember experiencing an immediate familiarity in the natural beauty of the land and sky along with what seemed to be an invitation coming from the sheer expansiveness of the Delta. Eccl. 3:2b (KJV) A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted... e Delta carries a constant reminder of the seasons in the law of the Farm—the necessary process of planting, watering, fertilizing, and cultivating in order to be able to produce a crop of any kind with no short cuts. after working the ‘field’ of the Delta Music institute for a season of thirteen years, i went through a yearlong discernment process and came to see that, for me, another season was on the horizon, so i announced my retirement from Delta State with plans to spend more time engaging in creative pursuits related to community building through music. and what better place to do that than right here in the Delta? e roots of music and community run deep in the dear hearts of the good people who live here and who took me in, and even in this age of uncertainty, i find that one of my greatest sources of comfort continues to be found in the faithful and relentless repetition of the seasons. and for all the seasons away from the beautiful Delta and my beloved Mississippi, given the circular nature of seasons, in many ways i feel like i was never even gone. Eccl. 3:1 (KJV) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven... DM

men’s bands