Delta Magazine March/April 2024 by Delta Magazine

Delta

MARCH/APRIL 2024

The

$5.95US

25274 24724

Wedding ISSUE

Your Day, Your Canvas.

Reigh Walker Photography

Bring your vision to life in a stunning Museum setting.

arkmfa.org

501 East Ninth Street / Little Rock, Arkansas / arkmfa.org

DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC

Scan the QR to book a PROM presentation for a school near you! Partnership with:

mdrs.ms.gov/prom Email: prom@mdrs.ms.gov

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Friday live art demonstrations Grace Bowers

Conner Smith Flatland Cavalry

saturday 100+ Art vendors, local food vendors Kenny Brown Billy allen and the pollies jaime wyatt bass drum of death

charlie mars neal francis

christone “kingfish” ingram brittany howard April 26 & 27 Oxford, ms doubledeckerfestival.com @doubledeckerart DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Delta m

Publisher: J. Scott Coopwood Editor in Chief: Cindy Coopwood Managing Editor: Taylor Armstrong Director of Special Projects: Kelli Williams Director of Production: Pam Parker Contributing Editors: Maude Schuyler Clay, Lea Margaret Hamilton, Jim “Fish” Michie, Brantley Snipes, Roger Stolle Digital Editor: Phil Schank Consultant: Samir Husni, Ph.D. Graphic Designers: Sandra Goff, Maggi Mosco, Denton Reed Copy Editor: Suzanne Durfey, Camille Walker Contributing Writers: Jim Beaugez, Terri Glazer, Chatham Kennedy Hatcher, Joey Lee, Sherry Lucas, Jim Pullen, Faith Strong, Marilyn Tinnin, Kelli Williams Photography: Madeleine Beck, Austin Britt, Greg Campbell, Johnny Jennings, Patrick Remington, Anna Satterfield, Taylor Square Account Executives: Joy Bateman, Melanie Dupree, Cristen Hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy Mize, Ann Nestler, Cadey True Circulation: Lyndsi Naron Accounting Manager: Holly Tharp 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

deltamagazine.com Subscriptions: $28 per year 6 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

from the editor

Seasonal Signals he late January snow and ice added insult to injury to my yard after the freezes of the past couple of winters, followed by the subsequent drought of last summer. So,

when I saw my daffodils shooting up through the dead grass, piles of rotting leaves, and disintegrating pine straw—the condition of my yard at press time—I was pretty impressed. Tough as nails, they show up every year as one of the first signs of spring. In full disclosure, I get really tired of them once the shoots are turning brown and flopping over in my flower bed (an annual reminder that I planted them in the wrong place), but still, I really appreciate the effort. It’s no secret that I love winter and cold weather best, but the truth is I’m glad to live somewhere that actually experiences all four seasons. Spring has a lot going for it—St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, blooming Japanese magnolias and Dogwood trees, Easter gatherings, festivals of all types—and weddings, bridal showers, bridal brunches, couples’ showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners—need I go on? As daffodils usher in spring, spring ushers in wedding season. In this issue, we are excited to bring you pages and pages of our newlyweds’ spectacular wedding celebrations of the past year. If you are planning or helping to plan a wedding soon, we hope you’ll be inspired by some of the ideas presented in our Wedding Showcase. With a focus on trends and traditions, we curated photos that point to the endless options and unique details of each ceremony, venue, and reception, no matter the size of your wedding or your budget. One favorite wedding story is about a fun-packed bachelorette weekend—right here in the Delta town of Greenwood! And we always love seeing our iconic nontraditional venues—from Hopson’s Commissary and the Stovall Gin in Clarksdale to a restored farm store in Carter to Dunleith in Indianola— have a glow-up for wedding events, proving once again there is nothing like a Scott and me with Mary Helen Varner, Mimi Delta wedding. Dossett, Rogers Varner, and Bill Dossett at the St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and our updated corned beef and wedding reception of the Varner’s daughter other green-themed recipes, from apps to cocktails, page 223, are perfect for parade Frances at The Warehouse in Cleveland. parties and other Gaelic gatherings—whether you’re Irish or not! The story of the late William R. French of Indianola, page 226, will tug at your heartstrings as you read of his commitment to keeping local soldiers up-to-date with news from home while stationed all around the world during World War II. His treasured newsletter, which he regularly mailed to them, and many of their responses are archived in the Indianola Public Library. Lastly, if you have an appreciation for the eccentricities of Southern culture and happen to be on social media, chances are you’ve come across Landon Bryant’s channel, @landontalks. Bryant celebrates Southern colloquialisms and customs by opening the floor to “discussions” about topics that are relatable (and comical) to almost anyone living below the Mason-Dixon Line. Don’t miss our Q&A with the Laurel native and his re-telling of a recent trip to the Delta! In closing, the Delta Magazine team wishes you a happy Spring full of fun holidays, family gatherings, and, of course, wedding celebrations!! DM Adding a flourish of green garnish behind the scenes at the St. Patrick’s Day photo shoot.

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Cindy Coopwood Editor @cindycoopwood | editor@deltamagazine.com

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contents MARCH/APRIL Volume 21 No. 5

226

departments

30 BOOKS Reviews of new releases and what Deltans are reading now

34 SHOPPING Hosting Gifts and Elevated

Accessories for every wedding event

36 HAYDEN ART R. HALL

223

Portrait artist called to create

ANNA SATTERFIELD

220

48 A Tale of Resilience Di Rushing’s new book about Mississippi’s first winery 54 Goodbye to Juke Joint Legend Remembering Red Paden owner of Red's Lounge in Clarksdale 58 Landon Talks Q & A with Landon Bryant, accidental social media star 76 DM’S WEDDING SHOWCASE

A Delta Bachelorette Trip, page 78 Rustic Elegance: A special rehearsal dinner in a favorite Clarksdale venue, page 84 A Sort of Homecoming: A very “official” Mississippi bridal photo shoot, page 92 A Family Affair: General store in Carter restored for rehearsal dinner, page 98 Curated Wedding Photo Showcase, page 104 Formal Announcements, page 164 Engagement Announcements, page 212 Wedding Registry, page 219

ON THE COVER: Pure joy: Greenwood bride, Suzanne Flautt, shares a happy moment with her bridesmaids on her wedding day. Photo by Ashley Upchurch Photography 10 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

PEYTON ALDRIDGE Cleveland’s Road Warrior

64 HOMES

Newlyweds greeted with a big surprise upon returning from their honeymoon

220 3FOOD updated recipes for Corned Beef ANNA SATTERFIELD

features

42 MUSIC

Go Green: Verdant recipes for St. Patrick’s Day, page 223

226 Dear HISTORY Mr. French… News from home during World War II

in every issue 12 Letters 18 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

22 Off the Beaten Path Roaming the real and rustic Delta

26 Hot Topics 234 Events Spring Historic Home Tours, page 240

242 Delta Seen 248 The Final Word by Jim Pullen

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LETTERS DUST in the ROAD RECOLLECTIONS OF A DELTA BOY ~ A Collection of Stories from Delta Magazine HANK BURDINE COOPWOOD PUBLISHING, INC.

To editor Cindy Coopwood, Sherry Lucas, and the Delta Magazine team. Thank you so much for sharing my Santa story in your recent November/December holiday issue. It was so fun to share the memories behind my collection and to pass our traditions on to your readers and your family. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year! Tinka Bruton Hollandale, Mississippi

When finding a place to stay in New Orleans, it’s almost always a choice between Uptown and the French Quarter. We love both areas but have never found a central hotel between the two. After reading about the Terrell House Bed and Breakfast in January/February issue of Delta Magazine, I knew we had to give it a try. It exceeded our expectations: the location was perfect (we walked to the World War II museum), the Delta-born owner welcomed us with open arms and we truly felt like we were in the heart of the city. Not to mention the beautiful suite we stayed in very comfortably, clean, and safe! And finally, the homemade breakfast was incredible! We are definitely going back! Thank you to Delta Magazine for turning us on to The Terrell House! Carolyn Dent Yazoo City, Mississippi

DUST ROAD in e th

RECOLLECTIONS OF A DELTA BOY

Foreword by

JULIA REED

ij Epilogue by

RICHARD GRANT

A Collection of Stories from Delta Magazine

HANK BURDINE

I was lucky enough last April to be a tourist in Greenville, and met the late Hank Burdine. I bought his book Dust in the Road, and in reading it, came across his marvelous May/June 2016 article in Delta Magazine about Mary Mahoney’s Old French House restaurant in Biloxi. Beginning with a Viking cruise last spring up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis, including the Greenville stop, and a recent trip back to New Orleans in January—specifically so we could drive to Biloxi and dine at Mary’s place—my eightyyear-old “Northerner’s” perception of your state has been radically altered. As a result, I am writing an essay which I hope to share with you some day, about the whole experience, beginning with my lifelong friend’s pre-Covid urging to sign up for the river trip, the chance meeting and follow-up email communications with Mr. Burdine, reading his wonderful collection of stories, and finally—on my return trip— driving east on Interstate 10 to Biloxi. These experiences have been a re-education for this octogenarian, who was born and raised in Los Angeles and lived through the Civil Rights era of the early 1960s, lived and worked in Chicago, and was a graduate student in Washington, DC, when James Meredith led his march at Ole Miss for university integration. In closing, I was deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Burdine’s untimely death, as I know you were, and am so thankful to have met. Thank you for the excellent job you all do with Delta Magazine, and for being a part of this new life-journey. Richard Nemec Los Angeles, California

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO: editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine, PO Box 117,Cleveland, MS 38732 12 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Y’all Said

SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS @deltamagazine

We Asked... If the groundhog was right this year, we are in for an early spring! What are your favorite signs of Spring?

Turkeys! – T.C. Marley Blooming azaleas! – Taylor Walhood My favorite signs of spring are sunshine, blooming flowers and pastels! – Lizzie Hannon Crawfish boils. – Jon Walhood These are not my favorite signs but I know it is spring when there is pollen in the air, mosquitos come out & our allergies flare up. – Rod Freeman My favorite sign of spring is the beautiful blooming flowers, especially hydrangeas! – Abbey Hanks Daffodils and dogwoods! – @nonna6kids The daffodils for sure! – Louise Word Sunshine – Ruth Robinson

CLASSIC AMERICAN QUALITY.

The greening up, spring blooming flowers, and fruit trees. – @kmoon56 Daffodils! – @plflynn

The Lenten season has officially begun—from fish fries, to fasting, to small-town Lenten luncheons, do you have a favorite tradition you observe for Lent?

Grilled Simmons Catfish Fillet By Cock Of The Walk Restaurant Ridgeland, Mississippi

I give up sweets for Lent every year. – Bo Armstrong I attend Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday at our church every year, and I also deleted my social media accounts in honor of Lent this year! – Caroline Shaffett The dessert from the Catholic church fish fry—a donated sheet cake. – Robert Skrmetta

FRESH FROM THE POND TO YOUR PLATE. SIMMONSCATFISH.COM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Rocky Mountain High

PHOTO BY ABBI PITTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

To celebrate their nuptials, Alexis and Joseph Tranum asked their closest friends and family to travel to Durango, Colorado, for their destination wedding. Enduring a high of twelve degrees, the couple shared their first look at Molas Pass with a stunning panoramic mountain view of the San Juans as a backdrop. DM

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ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

BELZONI

A new mural by Gavin Bird for Delta Wind Birds that includes species found at their nearby nature reserve on the shore of Sky Lake. – CHANDRA HINES

BENTONIA

PHOTO OPS BENOIT

A view from inside the iconic Blue Front Cafe. – CHARLES E.SULLIVAN

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Planting season is coming, and dirt roads like this one will soon be hopping. – ANNA SATTERFIELD

SUNFLOWER COUNTY

CLEVELAND

Full of nostalgia, collectibles, vintage signage, and other Southern treasures, Airport Grocery provides more than just great food! – DELTA MAGAZINE

BOLIVAR COUNTY

Cormorants roosting near a catfish pond north of Indianola. – LARRY HENDERSON

& FUNKY STOPS GREENWOOD

The beautiful Leflore County Courthouse bell tower. – THOMAS GREGORY

Lights Out: The Piggly Wiggly in Rosedale is a longtime riverside staple. – MECHELLE WILSON

ARKANSAS

A one-row cotton picker mounted on a tractor—the beginning of the end of picking cotton by hand. On display at the Agriculture Museum at Scott, Arkansas. – LARRY HENDERSON Instagram users, follow @deltamagazine

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Spring Market Market March 8 - 10 MEMPHIS, TN

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL 7777 WALNUT GROVE RD. - MEMPHIS, TN

March 22-24 JACKSON, MS MISSISSIPPI TRADE MART 1200 MISSISSIPPI STREET - JACKSON, MS

Grab the Girls! Head to Spring Market FOOD*GIFTS*ART*HOME DECOR’ FASHION*JEWELRY*CHILDREN ENJOY SHOPPING MORE THAN 170 SHOPS FROM ACROSS THE SOUTH FOR THIS ONE OF-A-KIND SHOPPING EVENT!

SHOP SMALL WWW.THEMARKETSHOWS.COM

OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

DESOTO COUNTY MUSEUM A whirlwind trip through time

he Desoto County Museum in Hernando stands as a living testament to the rich history of North Mississippi. Visitors embark on a journey through time—from sixty million years ago to the present. Curator Robert Long has made it his mission to bring history to life for their 26,000 annual visitors. Visitors can view fossils from the Cretaceous period, a working model train from 1938, and artifacts from prehistoric Native Americans, among many others. Artifacts from various musicians add a musical note to the historical narrative, including one standout exhibit that features Jerry Lee Lewis’s “comeback” piano, a testament to the musician’s life, fifty years of which were spent in Desoto County. Another unique collection includes intact artillery shells from Fort Sumter. These 160year-old items are so rare they have drawn the attention of such prestigious institutions as the Smithsonian and The Citadel. The Unknown Child Foundation Exhibit honors the memory of 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust with stunning photos and interactive images. An accompanying exhibit about the cultural impact of DeSoto County’s early Jewish settlers is also on display. The museum’s mission endeavors to teach and to entertain simultaneously. A more than 100-year-old helmet from a doughboy in WWI, a recording of FDR announcing the Pearl Harbor attack, and Civil War exhibits with lifesized mannequins contribute to the museum’s immersive and educational atmosphere. Some of Long’s future plans include transforming the Crumpler-Ferguson Cabin into a craft center, and creating a virtual passenger train car for kids using a hallway that leads to the Thomas the Train exhibit. “I try to take every person who comes through on a guided tour,” he said. “We also ask visitors what they would like to see in the museum.” The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 5. Admission is free; however, visitors can contribute to the museum’s donation box. 111 East Commerce Street, Hernando 662.429.8852 desotomuseum.org 22 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Curator Robert Long has made it his mission to bring history to life for the 26,000 annual visitors from all fifty states and around the world.

SMALL TOWN MUSIC The cotton gin at the tracks in downtown Canton

usic stores are disappearing at a rapid pace across the country thanks to the internet. However, there is still something

Located in an old cotton gin in downtown Canton, Small Town Music offers a variety of musical items such as guitars, drums, keyboards, and other instruments.

special about walking inside of a music store, browsing the inventory, picking up an instrument and playing it, and asking questions to those who work there. All of this the internet cannot offer. One music store that has been in business for almost three decades is Small Town Music in Canton owned by Frazier Riddell who has been a musician for most of his life. Located in his family’s old cotton gin in the historic section of downtown Canton, Small Town Music offers a variety of musical items that include guitar strings, drums and drum sticks, unique harmonicas, guitars, basses, horns, various keyboards, guitar amps, and many other items. “I’ve been in business almost twentyseven years, and for the last fourteen years, we’ve been located inside an old family property, which is a cotton gin,” says Riddell who is also a renowned singersongwriter and has released his own records over the years. Small Town Music is officially open only on Fridays and Saturday. However, Riddell can often be found at the store during the week. In addition to the musical instruments he sells, an abundance of albums and CDs can also be found at Small Town Music. Riddell is also doing a brisk business selling his 45s and LPs in Canton at a booth inside of The Emporium. 436 West Peace Street, Canton 601.859.8596 smalltownmusic.com

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HOT TOPICS THE DELTA TAP On the move with new mobile bar What could be cooler than having one’s own personal bar? And, what if that bar could travel to the most amazing parties, weddings, and events happening across the Mississippi Delta? The mother-daughter team of Annie Parker and Kelley Blalack is doing just that with the creation of a unique traveling tap room, The Delta Tap. The duo, who also own Scoops Ice Cream & Grill in Greenville, wanted to expand their business horizons and came up with the idea of a mobile bar. This mobile marvel includes a fully equipped trailer which offers beverages on tap for any occasion, from private events to local festivals. Kelley explains that while not many trailers like theirs exist in the region, The Delta Tap is the only one that supplies beer. With other traveling services, customers must supply both the beer and the alcohol themselves. The trailer is also completely self-sufficient with no additional electricity source needed. The menu is only as limited as a customer’s imagination, with

almost any type of beverage available, from tap beer, to wine, to mocktails, explains Kelley. While The Delta Tap’s license does not permit the serving of liquor, the owners compensate with creativity, mixing up tasty mocktails or mixers—and running them through the tap. However, customers are allowed to bring their own liquor to add to the mixers. For each, unique event customization of the drinks menu includes a price range for almost any budget. Planning well in advance is advised: a temporary permit must be obtained, and this approval process can take up to three weeks. The Delta Tap brings a refreshing option for events of all sizes, offering a delightful experience for all ages, from a mobile tap at a child’s birthday party, serving up homemade root beer and lemonade to wedding receptions, to a favorite microbrew for the adults. Greenville; 662.822.7791 Email: Kelley.thedeltatap@gmail.com; Facebook: @thedeltatap

OH MY SUGAR! A BAKERY Greenville’s new bakery offers decadent delights The treats offered by Cathryn Kilgore at Oh My Sugar bakery in Greenville are so tempting that even the most disciplined health enthusiast has a hard time resisting them. A Greenville native, Cathryn began her journey with baking in 2018. While working as a radiologic tech, Cathryn discovered a passion for baking while making delightful desserts for family and friends. Fueled by her newfound love, Cathryn decided to turn her passion into her livelihood. With the support of her parents and husband, Cathryn opened Oh My Sugar bakery, creating a world of decadent delights for her enthusiastic customers. Always an artistic person, Cathryn was initially drawn to decorating sugar cookies. Completely self-taught, she honed her skills through countless hours of practice and instructional videos. She quickly moved from cookies to cupcakes, macarons, and more. “Cakes were intimidating,” she said. “Once I started, though, I couldn’t stop. The list of treats I make now is a mile long and continues to grow. The possibilities are endless.” Customers of Oh My Sugar can expect to find a wide array of sweet treats, including cookies, cupcakes, macarons, brownies, and any type of cake (cookie, cheese, pops). “My favorite items remain the decorated sugar cookies,” she explained. “They’re the perfect addition to any event, wedding, bridal shower, baby shower, or birthday.” Cathryn’s main goal is to please her customers. “I let the

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customers tell me what they want; then I try to exceed their expectations,” she said. The shop now offers cookie-decorating classes in which students learn different decorating techniques and build a solid foundation in baking. “I can’t imagine a more rewarding profession than owning my own bakery,” she said. “I pray that I can show my children how they can achieve their goals through hard work and dedication.” The bakery is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Oh My Sugar bakery is closed on Mondays. 1447 Highway 1 South, Greenville; 662.820.6761 Facebook: @ohmysugar; Instagram: @ohmysugar_abakery

PAINTING WITH FRIENDS Creating art and making memories in downtown Greenwood Painting With Friends, a local art studio, offers a unique opportunity for budding artists of any age. This gathering place serves as a venue for a fun and creative afternoon of art. Judy Nail owned Painting With Friends for ten and onehalf years but recently sold it to her friend, Brandice Brown. “My husband and I purchased Painting With Friends because we understood how important it is to Greenwood. It is the only one of its kind in the Mississippi Delta!” explains Brandice. Brandice Brown “Painting With Friends began as a wonderful place for people of all ages to book private events for paint parties,” Nail adds. “We wanted people to grab a friend, grab a snack, grab a Judy Nail drink, and come in and paint. It’s relaxing and a whole lot of fun.” Selling the business was not an easy decision for Nail, but being an paint, canvases, brushes, and instruction artist herself, she wanted more time to concentrate on her oil for the afternoon art sessions. Clients have a choice between painting paintings. And it couldn’t have landed in better hands—Brandice was a canvas or making a door hanger. The party host makes that a perfect fit. decision when booking an event. “I am an artist and a theatre teacher so it was surely destined for Brandice also plans to offer painting classes, so be sure to check me. God placed it right in our laps and we've been going strong since Facebook for more information about those and other events. we bought it. Judy has been an amazing help as well. I wouldn't have 214 Howard Street, Greenwood; 662.299.3386 wanted to purchase it from anyone else,” says Brandice. Facebook: @paintingwithfriends-Greenwood, MS Painting with Friends is only open for private events, providing the

THE FIELDING L. WRIGHT ART CENTER GALLERY Delta State’s art center updated with museum quality gallery walls Delta State University first renovated the Fielding L. Wright Art Center on its campus in 1997. The art center offers studio classrooms for the Art Department and features two galleries: one for the exhibition of hanging art and another for the display of the permanent collection of the University Art Department. Over the Christmas break this past year, the gallery was renovated. Michaela Merryday, Ph.D., is a professor of Art History and the present director of the art gallery. Merryday explains that the current update involved the fortification and security of the gallery walls. “We chose the Christmas holiday because most of the students are off campus,” says Merryday. “The gallery was first renovated with the installment of self-heating walls made of fabric-covered wooden panels. Over time, the walls had begun to deteriorate, so much so that the nails could be pulled out by hand. “The walls had also begun to warp due to high humidity. I took over the gallery in 2014; subsequently, we put wall renovation on our budget wish list each year. Unfortunately, something else, like a leaky roof, would invariably require funding, so this project never got any money. Then, the Mississippi Arts Commission announced this past summer it had a round of grants for renovating art spaces. I partnered with the Foundation to attain nonprofit status, and then we applied for the grant. We

finally received a grant that was fully funded by the Mississippi Arts Commission.” Merryday says the old walls were then replaced with sturdier, standard-issue museum walls. “The new walls hold up much better for hanging artwork,” she says. “We put out calls for new exhibitions every year, and then we select three outside exhibitions. Now, the walls will finally be complementary to the art.” 1003 West Sunflower Road, Cleveland; 662.846.4720 Facebook: @deltastateartdepartment; Instagram: @fieldingwrightartcenter DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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BOOKS

Buzzworthy Comments

The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James (Simon & Schuster) Elizabeth Gonzalez James has created the most compelling Western novel, reminiscent of Gabriel García Márquez with its touch of magical realism and Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men. Set in two different time periods, 1895 and 1964, this family saga tells the story of Antonio Sonoro, a ruthless bandido in Mexico on a quest for riches and then revenge, and his grandson, Jaime Sonoro, Mexico’s most famous singer and actor, who discovers a book that tells the whole truth of his cursed bloodline and his treacherous ancestors going all the way back to Cain and Elizabeth Gonzalez Abel. Will Jaime have to pay for the sins of his ancestor? James Amid such gorgeous language and setting, with all the heartpounding action, within the depth of its complex history, it’s hard to put this book down. (Liza Jones)

We asked Facebook friends and the Delta Magazine fan page group members to share their favorite book genre. o Pearman Smith, retired Cleveland, Mississippi

The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Press) Kristin Hannah is the queen of satisfying, transporting novels, and some are saying The Women is her best yet. When Frankie McGrath’s brother is drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, she decides to enlist as a nurse because why can’t women be heroes too? What follows is not the glory and honor she was hoping for, but a traumatic time of her life ﬁlled with needless suﬀering. Frankie, along with the other women she comes to know, will be tested and educated in ways she could never have imagined. Little does she know, the struggle continues when she comes home. Hannah’s characters are so rich, and her story is so detailed, reading this novel was not like watching a movie, but living the story itself and feeling its complicated emotions. (Liza Jones) Wellness by Nathan Hill (Alfred A. Knopf) After the breakout success of his debut novel, The Nix, Nathan Hill somehow tops his own work, showcasing his layered talent in his latest novel, Wellness, a story about a couple navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Jack and Elizabeth meet in Chicago while in college during the ‘90s, both seeing themselves as outsiders eager to leave their families behind. So they make each other family, get married, and have a child. With flashbacks to the big and small traumas of their childhoods, the reader is immersed in the relationship from both points of view, following the couple from their grunge youth to their midlife yearnings for comfort, money, status, and novelty. This is an extremely intelligent novel, ironic and satirical, mixing subtle dry humor with intimate tenderness and emotion, perfectly balancing and timing its moving and hilarious doses. (Liza Jones)

Historical fiction is my favorite, but I like other genres as well. o Otis Goodwin retired Franklin, Tennessee

History and biography are my favorites. I love history of all kinds and enjoy reading about interesting people who accomplished great things. o Hunter Twiford, attorney Kristin Hannah

Clarksdale, Mississippi

I prefer fiction. Non-fiction is fine occasionally, but fiction is the ultimate escape and develops imagination. There’s also so many useful themes and lessons running through fiction. I particularly have been into the crossover sci/fi and fantasy novels like Dune and the Warhammer 40K novels. The genre really puts the authors’ creativity on display. o Sandra Perry, retired Mentone, Alabama

I like historical fiction because often it’s a close rendition of the truth of our past. Nathan Hill

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading o Holly Halliburton Ray All Good People Here

o Tracey Renfro A Flicker in the Dark

o Annie Hill Frazier Moonshiner’s Daughter

by Ashley Flowers

by Stacy Willingham

by Donna Everhart

o Lee Ann Moore Rich People Problems

o Anne Ceranti The Covenant of Water

o Leslie Smith Shellman The Tilted World by Tom Frankin and Beth Ann Fennelly

o Libby Gammill Swain The Delta in the Rearview Mirror by Di Rushing

o Steve Bowlan Dollar Cotton by John Faulkner 30 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

by Kevin Kwan

o Anita Grossman Horn The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

o Walter Herbison The Land Where the Blues Began by Alan Lomax

by Abraham Verghese

o Carol Tutor Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flag

o Carol Jean Robertson The Great Disappearance by Dr. David Jeremiah

Conversation with Orhan Pamuk edited by Erdag ğ Göknar and Pelin Kivrak (University Press of Mississippi)

In over thirty interviews conducted between 1982 and 2022, Conversations with Orhan Pamuk reveals a writer of intense literary and political engagement. Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk is a foremost practitioner of the global novel today. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and sold over fifteen million copies globally. The interviews in this volume open windows onto Pamuk’s everyday life, craft, and process, constituting an alternative literary history that provides insights into the novelist’s influences, method, form, and content. These conversations reveal that a Pamuk novel is predicated on methodical research, at times archival and scholarly, investigative and journalistic, or ethnographic. They are necessarily instructive and edifying as much as they are entertaining, providing a discursive space of literary history where writing, politics, and the everyday intersect and where the politics of literature can be located. (University Press of Mississippi/DM Staff )

Oscar Goes to the Vet by Sam Baker (Sam Baker Books) Even a mouse needs to go to the doctor sometimes! When poor Oscar gets a tummy ache, his friends Mimi and Keisha rush him to the vet. Will Dr. Casey know what to do? Will he be able to make Oscar feel better? Clarksdale native and author, Sam Baker, brings us yet another heartwarming and funny story featuring vibrant illustrations from Lisa Morris and Ayan Saha. This is Baker’s the third book in the Oscar series, which takes your favorite mouse on a new adventure, teaching him all about the power of sharing, forgiveness, friendship, and, as always, hugs. (Sam Baker Books/DM Staff ) Southern Light, Oxford, Mississippi by Eileen Saint Lauren (University Press of Mississippi)

Eileen Saint Lauren is a native Mississippian who identifies so closely with William Faulkner that she is willing to break the laws of the probable to include Faulkner as a character in her Southern Gothic Literary Fiction novel, Southern Light, Oxford, Mississippi. Southern Light, Oxford, Mississippi is a story of the blended real and the fantastic set in the town of Oxford, Mississippi, near Faulkner’s long-time home of Rowan Oak, now located on the property of the University of Mississippi. It spans from the American Civil War 1861 to Christmas Eve 1960. The tightness of the setting and the façade of small-town peacefulness deny the tormented souls who live within the houses and in the revered moss-hung environment where everyone—knowingly and unknowingly—is intimated by the recurrent appearance of the Southern light. In addition to William Faulkner himself being caught up in the plot of tortured people, there are many other troubled individuals--a historic Confederate American Civil War ghost, an imprisoned man-child, an eccentric German caretaker who is a Holocaust survivor, and a tormented old woman— but only one is privy to a twenty-five year old secret. A secret born of rage and silent suffering. Together, the haunted characters and plot seal the message of this timeless novel: “Truth can stand alone in any light but more so amid the Southern light.” (University Press of Mississippi/DM Staff ) DM

We’re Here for

New Beginnings.

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AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS Presented by National Guitar Museum

Feb. 10 - May 11, 2024

See How Mississippi Shaped American Music 6 Strings at a Time If all of history’s musicians formed a band, Mississippi bluesmen would play lead guitar. So where better to see a new traveling exhibit of 40 amazing instruments than the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in historic downtown Meridian? The exhibition’s very name – America at the Crossroads – nods to the legend of Delta bluesman Robert Johnson selling his soul at a Mississippi crossroads for otherworldly guitar mastery. The museum’s permanent exhibits tell more about Johnson and other Mississippi guitar-playing greats: Bo Diddley, Charley Pride, Jimmy Bu昀ett, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Marty Stuart, Jimmie Rodgers, and, of course, Elvis. Bring your soul to this Crossroads, and feed it the joy of music.

Downtown Meridian | msarts.org

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Turtlebox speakers are the ultimate upgrade for your groomsmens’ gifts!

7. 8. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ART

“I want to glorify God in everything, especially in my art, to leave a legacy for my kids, and [to paint] portraits that bring joy to the clients that will be passed from generation to generation.” – Hayden Hall

Called to Create More than just a likeness, Hayden R. Hall portraits capture the essence of his subjects

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BY TERRI GLAZER • PHOTOGRAPHY BY AUSTIN BRITT

ollege student and athlete, Bible teacher, massage therapist, club bouncer. Hayden Hall’s life is a book with many chapters. The overarching theme of the story, however, is the Clarksdale native’s love of art and his gift for creating it.

Hall’s talent became evident early on. He was fourteen when people started to notice that his drawings of famous people were remarkable likenesses. He earned “professional” status as a freshman at Delta State when fellow students paid him fifteen dollars for a pencil sketch of their boyfriend or girlfriend. “They’d give me one of those little wallet-sized photos, and I’d draw it up. I always had spending money,” he recalls. Along the way, Hall enrolled in a series of colleges, pursuing education in majors that varied from physical education to religion to nursing. But, his thoughts always turned to his first love—art. Hall says he never forgot a pivotal conversation with renowned Mississippi portrait painter Marshall Bouldin III, a lifelong friend of Hall’s mother and his eventual mentor. Then, as a young man in his thirties, Hall was consumed by his desire to create art. “I was almost in tears. I said, ‘Marshall, I want to be an artist so bad!’ He told me, ‘Hayden, you’re not an artist because you paint; you paint because you’re an artist. You can’t not be an artist.’” A health crisis in his forties led to Hall’s first sustained, successful venture into the art world. A bodybuilder and “the epitome of health” at the time, Hall suffered a massive stroke after having blood vessels to his brain stem accidentally damaged. In what he describes

A recent portrait of one of Hall’s favorite subjects—his grandson, Eason. He looks forward to painting many more of him as he grows up. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Hall sees children as gifts from God and he seeks to capture the unique nature of each one he paints.

Dr. James Warrington of Marks.

United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith 38 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

One of Hall’s latest works in progress, a family portrait for his friend Dr. Perry Rothrock.

as a miraculous recovery, Hall walked six days later and was back in the weight room after six weeks. Around that time, he started working with clay and decided to have a go at selling his creations. “I thought if it didn’t work, I could always go back to painting,” Hall recalls. Over the next ten years, he made over forty thousand pieces of his Mississippi Mud Pottery and sold it all over the South. Eventually, Hall realized that his first love was his true calling and made the decision to pursue painting full-time. “I started when I was seventeen. I’m seventy-seven now. I’ve done so many other things, but I always come back to my painting,” says Hall. Hall credits Bouldin for mentoring his developing career, but not through technical instruction. “He taught me more just by talking and getting me to look, rather than telling me how to hold the brush or mix colors.” Looking carefully at the subject is important in all figurative art but particularly crucial in portrait painting. The ability to capture not only a likeness but something extra that speaks to the subject’s personality is the talent that sets a portrait painter apart and why Hall loves painting people. “I’d rather do portraits than anything,” he explains. “You’re painting people who are made in the image of God. It’s a tremendous responsibility.” He explains, “I paint in oils. As for my process, I always pray that God gives me ‘painting grace’ and guides my hands and my eyes. I start with a very minimal sketch that only I can really see.” Although Hall also creates award-winning wildlife paintings, the portraits are a unique challenge and one of which he can’t get enough. “When I painted a white Labrador retriever, I had ten people say that it looked exactly like their Lab. When I did a little girl, no one else could say it looked exactly like their little girl. It’s a whole different challenge. And I just can’t quit the challenge. I’m constantly learning.” Asked whether he prefers painting children or adults, Hall says he enjoys working with subjects of all ages. His goal is to use the talent God has given him. “I know He’ll send me what I’m supposed to do,” says the artist. While portraits of children comprise most of his body of work, the artist also holds a special love for immortalizing older subjects. “I love

Chester Kossman’s larger-than-life persona shines in Hall’s portrait of the late Delta businessman and philanthropist. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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painting older people because they’ve lived so much,” says Hall. He realizes that behind each line or wrinkle is a story, and he likes nothing better than a story behind a painting. Hall is especially proud of one of his most recent works, one with a story that hit close to home for him. Late last year, he received a photo of a father and a little boy lying in a hammock. The man asked Hall to paint the picture as a wedding gift to his now-grown son. “I thought, ‘I can’t paint this! You can’t even see his face, and the little boy is all squished up.’” When the man told the story of how he’d raised his son as a single father, just as Hall had been a single dad to his son growing up, he knew he had to give it a try. He also knew he could rely on help from above in the process. “I pray every time before I sit down to paint, and I thought, ‘Oh, Lord, I’m not going to be able to do this.’ But it turned out to be really amazing.” The artist is quick to describe his talent as a gift from God rather than a skill he developed, having never taken a painting class. Bouldin once praised his mentee, saying, “Hayden, I don’t understand it. You immediately get the essence of a person.” Even now, Hall shows no sign of slowing down. He is booked for 2024 and taking commissions into next year. The lifelong ﬁtness enthusiast still loves working out and traveling, often heading to the Gulf Coast, where he lived before moving home to the Delta twelve years ago. “It’s kind of a second home for me,” he says. “I go several times a year, and I do a painting workshop at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport.” Hall is also busy encouraging the next generations of artists in his family. His son, Hayden G. Hall, is a chef turned painter of Southern landscapes with a studio near Clarksdale and works sold across the Delta and beyond. “Being a new painter, I don’t think he really knows how good he is,” says the elder Hall. “He’s my toughest critic, too, and we critique each other every day when we’re in the process.” One of Hall’s favorite subjects of late is his two-year-old grandson. He’s already completed what he hopes to be the ﬁrst of many portraits of the boy he believes just might be the next in the line of Hall artists. Says the proud grandfather, “He already knows his colors and is painting.” It’s the next chapter in the epic saga of Hayden Hall. DM 40 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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MUSIC

Road Warrior After two stints on reality TV, country and Southern rock musician Peyton Aldridge is putting in the miles to make it in Music City

BY JIM BEAUGEZ

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Aldridge performing in the Battle Rounds of The Voice against fellow contestant, Kara McKee.

alking Lower Broadway in Nashville, the city’s famed honky-tonk strip where would-be country stars jockey for stage time at venerable venues like Tootsie’s and Robert’s Western World, it’s easy for newcomers to feel overwhelmed. Just ask Cleveland country musician Peyton Aldridge.

“If you think you’re the best singer or the best songwriter, all you gotta do is walk downtown Nashville,” he says. “On every corner, there’s songwriters, there’s artists, and when you hear them sing, it’s like, ‘How are they not making it?’” Instead of resigning to the odds stacked against him, though, Aldridge is doubling down on his prospects in Music City. After all, this isn’t his first rodeo. Aldridge’s stints on glitzy reality television shows “American Idol” in 2020 and “The Voice” in 2022 gave him a taste of what’s possible, and the friendships and influence of peers who are already doing it. “The biggest takeaway from doing ‘The Voice’ is that I made some really good friends, and those friends are big in the music industry in Nashville and doing really good right now,” he says. Aldridge, 26, grew up in Marks in a musical family in which nearly everyone

Aldridge with his manager, Bubba Cole. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Aldridge singing with John Legend on The Voice.

Aldridge in front of The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, where prominent singers and songwriters often test and debut their songs.

Performing in front of his hometown crowd at the Bologna Performing Arts Center on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. 44 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

sang, played an instrument, or both. He occasionally played piano at Faith Baptist Church in nearby Lambert, where his grandfather was pastor, and the congregation was loose enough to appreciate the Jerry Lee Lewis-style boogie he put into his piano playing. “People are shouting and clapping anyway, and once you put a little boogie twist on it, you might get a few looks from certain people, but you see them stomping their feet,” he says. Now he’s pouring that experience and talent into music full time, making regular trips to Nashville to write songs and pursue a career as a songwriter and an artist. “At this stage of my life, it’s about being in Nashville, being there making connections, writing,” he says. “I’m at the bottom of the ladder, trying to work my way up, grinding every day, trying to do the little things that’s going to make a big difference later down the road.” As Aldridge works toward his breakthrough, he’s candid about his experiences in the national television spotlight. His main caveat: No matter how much Hollywood producers want viewers to believe all the dramatic narrative arcs are real, and that the artists are always presented honestly, their “reality” often strays from the truth. When the show’s Hollywood Week aired, he found himself edited to appear vindictive, or at best inconsiderate, against his duet partner, Madison Paige. The storyline for the episode suggested Aldridge suddenly decided to switch their song—a cover of the 2010 Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson hit “Don’t You Wanna

Aldridge performing with his lifelong friend, John Michael Balducci, on guitar.

Stay”—from piano to guitar to throw off Paige, when it was actually suggested to him by one of the celebrity judges. And the rehearsal he supposedly bailed on? That was actually a scheduled four-hour break, which he used in the most genuinely Mississippi way—by tracking down some chicken wings at a nearby gas station. Even then, he returned and was ready ahead of schedule. When his luck on the show ran out, Aldridge came home to Cleveland, and normal life resumed. He and his wife of seven years, Lauren, set about raising their first child, then added a second. He played gigs and had a handyman business with his best friend, John Michael Balducci, who still plays with him today. Before long, though, he was willing to give reality TV another shot. “I know [music] is what I wanna do for the rest of my life,” he says, “and I was like, ‘Well, I’m trying to do everything I possibly can to get out there.’ And that’s why I took a chance on ‘The Voice.’” The experience provided the spark he needed. On “The Voice,” Aldridge found a champion in singer John Legend, one of the four celebrity judges, after Legend blocked country singer Blake Shelton from picking him. Some were surprised when Aldridge joined Legend’s team, given Aldridge’s country music background, but he actually grew up loving pop singers like Legend and Adele as much as he loved the country music he sang in bars. “Honestly, I was a John Legend fan before I was Blake Shelton fan,” he says. “I know that’s crazy being a country singer, but I knew when [Legend] came up there and

Bus rehearsal with the band.

wanted me to sing a song, and we did it, it was a no-brainer who I’m going with.” Aldridge didn’t win that show, either, but he left with a new friend in Legend and the momentum he needed to get started in Nashville. During his early visits to town, he would find songwriters’ nights to play, or look for other ways to network among the musicians. Eventually those connections led him to Stone Aielli, who he says “changed the game” for him by inviting him to write songs at Warner Chappell Music. Another connection brought him to Sony. “It’s just crazy how important connections are, and how just being nice can lead to one thing, and then I’m writing at every major publishing company.”

As he builds his reputation, Aldridge is keeping his eye on the ultimate goal—to become the artist performing the songs, no matter if he wrote them or not. “I’m an artist first, and a songwriter second,” he says. “There’s people out there, [who] if they didn’t write the song, they ain’t putting it out. I’m totally opposite of that. I do want [to record] songs that I wrote—absolutely. But my biggest thing is, I want the best song possible. I don’t care if Adam and Eve wrote it.” Recently a song came his way that made him consider how far he’s come down that path already. “I’ve always been a Chris Stapleton fan, [and] I’ve always wanted to write with him,” he says. “And literally last week, my buddy at Sony wrote a couple of songs with him, and I actually got pitched a song [they] wrote. So, I’ve got a song that Chris Stapleton wrote that I’m cutting in the studio next week.” In between his collaborations with Nashville hitmakers, the comforts of home and family give Aldridge balance. But his enthusiasm and drive keep music on his mind whether he’s at home or crashing after a session. “As a songwriter, once you get done with a writing session, you go take care of what you gotta take care of, but you’re always thinking, ‘What can I do next?’” he says. “I can call Stone in the middle of the night and say, ‘Man, I’ve got an idea,’ and he’ll jump right up, and we’ll start a song and finish it the next day. That’s really what I do.” DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Sam and Di Rushing, standing in the vineyard their first year in business, 1977.

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A Tale of Resilience

In her new book, Di Rushing looks back at a challenging time in the Delta BY SCOTT COOPWOOD

uray, Colorado is 1,329 miles from Merigold, Mississippi. But, for Di and Sam Rushing, it is a world away from the life they left behind thirty-four years ago. That is when the Rushings were forced to flee their home by a former employee, who stalked and terrorized them for nine months after his employment was terminated.

Now, Di has shared those dark days in her new book, The Delta in the Rearview Mirror: The Life and Death of Mississippi’s First Winery, published by University Press of Mississippi. “I started and stopped working on the book several times over the years,” she says. “And, COVID had a lot to do with picking it back up. One day while rummaging around in the attic, I stumbled across several boxes that contained photographs, newspaper articles, and national awards from the winery days. I knew then that I needed to make sense of it for my children and grandchildren.” Through the years, Di had shared bits and pieces about that terrifying period of their life with her Colorado friends. However, she knew that no one had really heard the whole story. Now, she says, it is time. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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During its time in operation, the Rushing Winery received many accolades. Here, Sam and Di are pictured after receiving several national awards.

“Our children were so young when the events at the winery and tea room occurred back in 1990,” she says. “They don’t remember much, if anything, of what happened back then. It was a traumatic time for all of us, beginning with the murder of our dogs and then living under constant threat from the people who lived just across the Sunflower River. For a while, I was afraid to write about it, but I finally found the courage to tell the story.” That story begins shortly after Di and her husband, Sam, graduated from Mississippi State University and moved back to their family farm east of the small Delta town of Merigold, Mississippi. In 1977, they built the Rushing Winery, Mississippi’s first, on 350 beautiful acres overlooking the Sunflower River. Six years later, they opened a small lunch place next to the winery, Top of the Cellar Tea Room. People from all over the state dined in their finest on McCarty Pottery plates, bowls, and tumblers. After lunch, they often 50 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

toured the winery’s tasting room and thirtyfive-acre vineyards. By 1990, the Rushings were well on their way and life was good. Then, they discovered one of their employees, Ray Russell, selling drugs late at night in the parking lot of the winery. Sam confronted Russell, fired him, and a month later, Russell began a path of revenge that lasted for the next nine months. About a month after he was fired, Russell returned to the winery late one night and opened all the valves on the wine vats, draining the entire contents of the previous year’s wine into the Sunflower River. In a matter of moments, a quarter of a million dollars of wine was lost. Next, Russell broke into Di’s tea room and ransacked the place, breaking every pane of glass in the windows, as well as much of the dishware and furnishings. After emptying the cash box, he made his way into the kitchen, where he opened the gas line behind the stove, hoping to blow up the entire premises.

Fortunately, the broken windows allowed the gas to escape, saving the building from total destruction. “So, who’s mad at you?” the sheriff asked after surveying the damage in the winery and tea room the next morning, adding that the vandalism and release of wine seemed “personal.” All of the evidence seemed to point to Russell. A few hours later, after visiting the Russells’ home, the sheriff returned to the winery, spilling the incriminating contents of a black bag onto the bar in the tasting room. Among the items was a ledger that contained invoices from hundreds of liquor stores that carried Rushing wines. The ledger had been missing for two years— about the time Russell began working for the Rushings. A pair of his blue jeans soaked in wine was also there, along with several well-worn dog collars from the Rushings’ dogs that had gone mysteriously missing over the course of the past two years, found in Russell’s dresser drawer. Cash from the

Di’s popular cookbook, House Specialties of Top of the Cellar Tea Room, sold out in six months.

winery and tea room was also included in the stash. Russell confessed to the crime and was taken into custody. He was released the following day, returning to his home, located less than half a mile from where the Rushings’ young family lived. However, to the shock of the community, nine months later, a jury at the Bolivar County Courthouse delivered a notguilty verdict, and Russell was free and clear of all charges. Pure and simple, the justice system had failed the Rushings. “I experienced the proverbial gut punch when the verdict came back in that courthouse,” Di recalls. “I knew he would either view this as a lucky break or as a green light to continue to terrorize us. It took only five days to learn that it was the latter.” Now a free man, Russell—along with his father, Emmitt—once again began stalking and terrorizing the Rushings in earnest. Over the course of the nine months preceding the trial, Russell’s favorite tactics had included following Di as she drove her children home from school on the lonely road between Merigold and Drew. He would pass her, then slow down to a stop in front of Di before quickly speeding up again. Other times, Russell would be sitting close by in his car just off the school grounds, watching and waiting to follow her home. “It was absolutely terrifying,” says Di. Russell’s harassment ranged from shooting into the Rushing’s home to killing three of their beloved pets and placing them in plain sight to be found. Di appealed to the authorities for help. However, it seemed there was little they could do.

Sam and a student from Delta State University working in the vineyard.

Despite it all, the Rushings persevered and did their best to rebuild their businesses and their lives. “It was a community effort,” Di remembers. “Three days after the vandalism in May, we came to work to find a large pallet of building supplies sitting on the parking lot, marked “paid in full.” We still have no idea who did that. It could have been any of our beloved customers. Everyone was just devastated and eager to help us get back on our feet.” To help recover from the loss of income from that past season’s wine harvest, Di released a cookbook entitled House Specialties of Top of the Cellar Tea Room, published in November of 1990. Within six months, all six thousand copies had been sold. However, the final blow came just a month later. Sam went to work at the winery and found their black lab puppy, Sassy, shot through the heart and stuffed into the trash can. Traveling to Memphis later that

morning for an appointment, Di blurted out, “Sam, we’re moving.” Before that moment, the thought of leaving the farm had never entered her mind. “And,” she added, “we’re moving to Colorado, not just down the road where he can find us. I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives swapping licks.” They chose Colorado because the Rushings had vacationed there, and, as Di says, “It seemed far, far away.” Two weeks later, Di and Sam closed the winery and restaurant, left their home for the last time, and headed west. As they crossed over the Mississippi River, Di breathed a sigh of relief. “I felt as though we had outrun the devil himself.” Soon, they arrived in Norwood, Colorado, pulling up into the front yard of a small house they had rented sight unseen. And, at thirty-eight years old, they did not have a clue as to how they were going to earn a living. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Sam introduces The Tangents (Charlie Jacobs and Duff Dorough) at the 1984 Wine and Crawfish Festival.

“We felt we were pretty much running for our lives at that point,” says Di. “We knew we were going to have to be very industrious to make it out here.” And, while they were several states away, she still wondered at times if Russell might pay them a visit out in Colorado. “There was a period of time when we looked over our shoulders a lot,” says Di. Shortly before leaving the Delta, Sam had begun learning how to blow glass as he awaited his new grape crop to ripen. With his old dream in jeopardy, he entertained thoughts of a new one. As time passed, opening a shop where Sam could sell his creations became a real possibility. Slowly, the pieces of their new life began falling into place. “One morning when I was visiting my children’s school, I overheard a teacher mention they needed substitute teachers,” says Di. She had almost forgotten she had a teacher’s certificate she earned at Mississippi State twenty years earlier. Di soon landed a substitute teaching position, which became full-time at Ouray High School the following year. Sam opened his small shop, Ouray Glassworks and Pottery, where he began his new career as a glassblower. 52 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

One day that first summer, a dozen boxes of McCarty pottery appeared on the Rushings’ doorstep of the shop. Sam and Di had no idea why they were looking at thousands of dollars worth of the beautiful dishes and woodland creatures created in their hometown of Merigold. Di picked up the phone immediately. “Lee, we can’t afford to pay for all this,” she told Lee McCarty. He laughed and said he and Pup had sent the pottery as a gift. “I knew you didn’t have much to sell until Sam gets his glass inventory up, so we wanted to help out,” he told her. Lee then instructed them to sell the pottery in the new shop and to keep the proceeds. Di says that while they did eventually pay for it, it took several years. “They did all they could to help us rebuild our lives, and it was clear that Lee and Pup never cared whether they were repaid,” she says. “The love and support behind that gift was immeasurable as they helped us write a new chapter in our lives.” The Rushings went on to create new careers, with Di teaching English and psychology at Ouray High School for twenty years, and Sam blowing glass at his studio for twenty-seven years. Their

children, Lizzie and Matt, have their own careers today, with Lizzie working as a human rights lawyer for the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, and Matt employed in the tech sector near Vail, Colorado. “Now they finally know the whole story,” says Di. Asked if they ever considered moving back to Merigold, Di says, “It’s not that we didn’t want to go back home. It’s that we couldn’t go back home. That’s a big difference.” But, it took a long time to stop referring to Merigold as home, she says. And, was writing the book somewhat of a closure to a dark chapter in their life? “I thought it might be cathartic, but it really wasn’t,” says Di. “We moved on from that horrifying year a long time ago. We recently celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary, our children and grandchildren are doing fine, and life has been good to us out here in Colorado. Of course, we still miss our friends in the Delta. We’ll never forget the love and support we received from them during that time and ever since.” She pauses, then adds, “I think there’s something special about Delta love.” DM

Goodbye to Juke Joint Legend

RED PADEN BY ROGER STOLLE

“THE GAME IS FOR LIFE. Whatever you do in this lifetime is going to follow you. You can’t get away from your trail. Somebody’s gonna know what you done. That’s for life. That’s till the day you die. And when you’re dead, somebody’s gonna be able to speak about that there.” – Red Paden (We Juke Up in Here! ﬁlm, 2012). 54 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

On December 30, 2023, blues music and the state of Mississippi lost a great friend—the self-proclaimed “King of the Juke Joint Runners,” Cornelius “Red” Paden. Paden and his Clarksdale juke joint, Red’s Lounge, were legendary. It’s no wonder he was honored with The Blues

Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award in 2012. And, it’s no wonder that global media regularly called on him— including 60 Minutes (CBS), PBS NewsHour, NPR, CNN, BBC, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Economist, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Travel+Leisure, AAA

RORY DOYLE/ VISIT CLARKSDALE LOU BOPP

Top left, Red Paden. Top, local blues guitarist Anthony Sherrod, also known as “Big A,” performs with his band at Red’s Lounge. Above, outside of Red’s Lounge located in the old LaVene Music Center on Sunflower Avenue in downtown Clarksdale.

Magazine and SPIN magazine. And, it’s no wonder his visitors included such notables as Robert Plant, Morgan Freeman, Dan Akroyd, Tom Waits, Jessica Lange, Ty Pennington, Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and Steven Segal. So, what made the person and his place so special? Red Paden once told TV personality Ty Pennington that folks came to him for a “walk on the wild side.” Red’s Lounge was one of the last long-running, live-music juke joints on earth. He ran it more like a house party than a club, since he didn’t want you at his actual house. His joint was a home away from home for

homegrown and intercontinental blues fans alike—often sipping beers the size of their heads, bathed in a dim red light, surrounded by a not-quite-up-to-code aesthetic. Paden started working jukes as a young man, back when gambling and moonshine still made tempers ﬂare. And, he lived long enough to watch his customers evolve into smiling, cameratoting vacationers. As he explained in the book Mississippi Juke Joint Conﬁdential (2019), “There used to be lots of cuttin’ and shootin’. Now? It’s like goin’ to church.” And he would know.

Prior to the current Sunflower Avenue location in downtown Clarksdale, Red ran a smaller juke joint called The Tin Top around the corner on what’s now Martin Luther King Drive. He also ran an afterhours joint out in the country, just off Highway 6, called Red Wine for several years. But it was his final, long-running Red’s Lounge that truly struck the loudest chord with fans. Despite uptrends in disco, rock, and hip-hop, despite downturns in the economy, despite competition from corporate casinos, despite major building repairs, and despite the passing of many DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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RORY DOYLE/ VISIT CLARKSDALE

of his friends, musicians and customers, Paden soldiered on. He fought the good fight—the blues fight—as he liked to say, “backed by the river and fronted by the grave.” (His venue is backed by the Sunflower River and fronted by Grange Cemetery.) Paden could come across as cantankerous and stubborn. And maybe he was. But, he was also the definition of “authentic.” As he once told a West Hollywood reality TV show producer, “It’s

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my way, or it’s no damn way!” He saw himself as one of the last bastions of genuine, culturally-connected blues. As he noted in We Juke Up in Here!, “In my heart, I know I’m the only real ‘blues man’ in this town. And, the people who know about blues know this, too. So, you know, I don’t have to pretend.” In recent years, Red did his best to run blues shows at his place from Wednesday through Sunday nights—every week, year-round. Sometimes to packed crowds.

Often to just a handful of the faithful. His place was so beloved by musicians that many wrote songs about it—from Big Jack Johnson and Terry “Big T” Williams to Louis “Gearshifter” Youngblood and Charlie Musselwhite. The list of blues acts who played there through the decades is too long to list but included James “Super Chikan” Johnson, Bilbo Walker, Christone “Kingﬁsh” Ingram, Duck Holmes, Big George Brock, Robert Belfour, James “T-Model” Ford, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, R.L. Boyce, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod and Lucious Spiller. Paden is survived by a family that includes his son Orlando, who plans to reopen his father’s Clarksdale juke this spring as well as continue Red’s OldTimers Blues Fest on Labor Day weekend. (Watch music calendar at cathead.biz. Support fest at gofundme.com/f/redsoldtimers-festival.) In the ﬁlm M is for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues (2008), the elder Paden summed up his commitment to blues this way: “We juke up in here. We go beyond the call of duty!”DM

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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.

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Let’s Discuss…

LANDON BRYANT Mississippi-native and social media star talks accidental fame, his love of the Delta, and affection for all things Southern BY KELLI WILLIAMS PHOTOS COURTESY OF LANDON BRYANT

F YOU’VE COME ACROSS THE ACCOUNT LANDON TALKS ON INSTAGRAM OR TIKTOK, it’s likely that his reels resonated with you on some level. Landon Bryant’s calm, Southern drawl will pull you in, but it’s his take on Southern culture and our vernacular that will have you giving him a follow. Hailing from Laurel, this former art teacher simply brings up topics to “discuss” such as the pronunciation of “pecan” to the classic “Southern goodbye” to more controversial topics such as “the best mayonnaise.” And the comments pour in. Not only does Landon speak directly into the hearts of those living below the MasonDixon Line, but he gives us all a huge dose of reality—with a lot of humor—by holding a mirror up to the fabled lingo and colloquialisms of our daily lives. I had the opportunity to visit with him about his love of the South, the famous faces that follow him, and the impact of kindness in his corner of the internet.

Southern is such a big part “ofBeing me, it has navigated my whole approach to this journey!” 58 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

First, tell me about your background. I am from Laurel and have lived here my whole life, except college. I moved back to Laurel after college, and my wife and I are raising our ten-year-old son here. It has just been such a journey. I’ve been an art teacher for the past almost ten years here in the public school. I taught 4K up to 6th grade, which was quite an experience, and now I’m doing whatever it is you call this—which is mind- blowing to me. How did the @landontalks platform originate? Was it organic? This definitely started organically. I talk too much, and my wife has been hearing me talk since second grade. We’ve been friends since second grade. One day I was just talking to her…talking and talking…and she kindly said “what if you talk to the internet? What if you told all your stories to the internet?” So it was very organic. As I told stories about life here in Laurel, people started asking me questions about things that I said, and it turned into “well, let’s discuss that” and that’s what we did. And it’s kinda blown up. Of course I’ve made some decisions along the way to help move it along, but it started by just having these discussions. I think that’s the key to it, that it’s still very genuine. What has been the most surprising thing that’s happened from all of this popularity? Well, I made the front page of the The New York Times, and that

was something I would have never thought would happen, even when I thought “Oh, I hope this does take off” I didn’t think it would go that far. I’ve recently signed a book deal with Hachette Publishing, and I actually had an interview with ABC News recently—but the book deal is definitely the most life-changing. I’ve gotten to work with incredible brands. Every day I wake up and look at my phone, and it’s like a whole different world. There are so many people saying the kindest things from this community we’ve built. It’s grown so fast that it honestly is head-spinning, so it’s hard to point to just one moment. The internet can be such a harsh place. Kudos to you for putting yourself out there because that can be scary at times—but you landed on the softer side. The comments are all fun and respectful. I agree. That’s one thing I noticed when I started doing this. I set out to speak from a place of kindness, and that comes from teaching four-year-olds—we are just tryin’ to stay on our stools and not mess with each other! So that’s where it began, and it sets the tone for the channel. I realized very quickly that people are looking for community on the internet. They are looking not only for a place that’s not divisive, but also for a place where they can share their opinions and experiences without fear of being attacked. So, it seems there was a void for spaces like this. It’s entertaining to see how people are so invested in the posts and have full-on discussions about the subject. I do think that the comment community of my posts is what’s so valuable. I talk a lot and that’s fine…but the comment section is just gold. It’s solid gold.

Above, Savannah and Alexa Engel with Kate Bryant on the banks of the Mississippi River

It’s interesting that no matter where you live in the South, most of these phrases or sayings are so common. I grew up in several places in Mississippi and Alabama, and they basically resonate across the board. We sprinkle these little nuggets in our conversations and don’t even realize it. Exactly. The first time it happened to me, I said I was “fixin’ to” do something, and someone asked what that meant. It kinda broke my brain that they didn’t know what that meant. Like, how do you express that meaning without saying “fixin’ to?” I think that was the one that started it. I love to see the things that we, as Southerners, do that are particular to us. It’s changed my perspective on my own conversations—now I listen to everything people say, and it’s turned into a treasure hunt. There are so many common things that we say that people from other places don’t. I recently had to go through what “cut the lights on” means and found that some people don’t “cut” the lights on. They “turn” them on. And people don’t “mash buttons” or “crank the car,” and I didn’t even realize that. Yes—now you can crank the car by mashing a button from inside your house! That’s so funny. Yes, now that sentence would really confuse a lot of people. What were the top three phrases or topics you were surprised about that really took off? Well, I’ll tell you, the ones that have really gone viral are the grandma and grandpa names. There are about six or seven million views on those, which blew me away. Of course, people love “y’all”

Landon and Kate Bryant

and the nuances of “bless your heart”—you know it can be a good phrase or be a negative one. People have really taken to “might could,” which surprised me. I have a line of merchandise with that phrase that’s been really popular. And when I looked it up grammatically, it’s even proper grammar, which was so fun to discover. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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You recently made a trip to the Delta with PR extraordinaire Savannah Engle, who is from Greenville. Was this your first time in the Delta? I was thrilled to be invited by Savannah—she is so great! I was like, we will do whatever she wants to do forever. But, it was not my first time to the Delta. I was a competitive swimmer growing up, and all through high school, so we went to the Delta State Aquatics Center to compete. We went to Airport Grocery in Cleveland and a few other places, so I’ve done some of those things. But I’ve never been there with people who live there and not as a tourist, so it was such a fun experience. We came the day after Thanksgiving and were

invited to a party at her parent’s house, which was beautiful, and we had the very best time. Then, we met Matthew Burdine, went out to his property, and ended up on side-by-sides going out to the sandbar on the Mississippi River. It was really low, which was extraordinary, and we had a wonderful time. It showed me how special the Delta is, and it also made me understand all the literature more. After being here, what do you think may have inspired our writers? It was such a beautiful trip and time of the year—it all just felt so literary. The way people responded to each other, the way they treated each other, and the environment itself is just so vast—like it’s just waiting to be described. Every moment felt that way. You could just see how authors would have so much to say about it. Yes—and the characters who live here. It’s like there is something in the water. Yes, absolutely, and you are exactly right about the characters. So, here’s a very funny thing I noticed in the Delta, especially now that I’m learning to live this life of going from place to place and being somewhat of a “public” figure. I get invitations to stuff all the time where the attire is “business casual” or whatever, but to Savannah’s party, it said “Delta Casual”—luckily, we were dressed ok. But, through the weekend, I noticed that Delta Casual has its own meaning, and it goes far beyond attire! With all the interesting characters, there were so many times, without a lick of being pompous or bragging because it just was, that someone would say something wild like “Well, when Lyndon B. Johnson was here,” or “When Eudora was holding her as a baby” —just the wildest things, that are such a big deal, but were so casual to everybody there, but that are absolutely not casual at all. Or “I studied under Bob Fosse for a while.” Literally, it seemed every moment I heard someone say something unbelievable like that, while just being regular people who are so cozy and feeling like home. So, I think we should add a definition of Delta Casual, which also means you are just “casual” about the very extraordinary things in your past that you didn’t even think it was a thing to note. That’s why the Delta is often called the Cradle of American Culture. With our history, experiences like that are just ingrained in us. Nothing is that far removed. And there is not a spirit of any hoity-toity at all, everyone is so welcoming and kind. When they talk about those things, it’s just how they lived. There are some really, really great people in the Delta, and some very special things going on there. Switching gears back to the wild world that is the internet, which of your platforms has the most interaction? Well, my largest following is on Instagram. We have a little over 400,000 there. On TikTok, I’m right at 100,000, and YouTube and Facebook are popular. The different responses are interesting because, on Facebook, I’ll get these almost letters written by people. On TikTok, you never know what you are going to get, and Instagram is full of these nice little comments—so it’s fun to go across all the platforms and see the engagement. You have quite a few famous faces engaging with you. What’s it like to have all these celebrities following and commenting on your channel? I have a little mini heart attack every time someone like that

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engages with me or messages me. Justin Timberlake was following me for about three weeks before I realized it. I think it was the first time I found out someone really big was following me, and I panicked. I was thinking, I’ve got to delete everything and get off the internet. But it finally came down to having to decide—do I really care that he sees it and it can be embarrassing? Or do I just continue to make content that I like and put it out there? That’s when I realized I just need to keep doing what I am doing regardless. But yes, the celebrity side of it is just wild. You realize that they are just people. LeAnn Rimes has been really kind to me, and Miranda Lambert has, too. Jennifer Garner is just the nicest person that you could meet. They’ve all been so supportive and helpful. In regards to kindness, what do you think is the best part about being from the South and from Mississippi, as it relates to your content and how you interact with people? Well, I think it has to do with what we do subconsciously and consciously. We want to keep this a kind space, right? So, it’s become a way to get us all to the table together so we can have conversations. That’s what I keep in mind when I choose the topics to discuss. I try not to be very divisive because I think, at this moment, it’s important for us to all be here together, whether we agree on something or not. Maybe if we argue about mayonnaise, and we can disagree nicely about mayonnaise, we can learn to navigate this world we live in, which can be very divisive. The South is so vital to who I am I can’t imagine being from anywhere else. My core setting is Southern— and hospitality—which is such a big part of how we treat people and the way we look at people. Being Southern is such a big part of me— it has navigated my whole approach to this journey. The South is so nuanced. How has this platform given people a window into life here? There are preconceived notions about the South, which I understand—and there are things in the past we have to address— but there are so many beautiful things here. It’s really special, and I think it’s an important thing to show life as it really is. You know,

people think we are backwoods and barefoot—but we aren’t because there are ants and stickers in the yard. Nobody’s barefoot. You can’t walk in the yard! My weekend in the Delta was a great example of the broad range of experiences you can have in the South. How it makes you wellrounded as a person, because there are so many cultures you can experience and so many opportunities. We went from basically mud riding on the sandbar to a very fancy dinner in suits and ties, and then the next day we were at an art gallery opening. And that’s what you find when you come here—a range of experiences. Do you think you’ll ever run out of phrases to discuss? Or, can you keep coming up with off-the-cuff Southern topics? When I first started, and we landed on these Southern discussions, I was worried that I might at some point run out of these colloquial phrases, so I told myself that I would go an entire year without repeating these phrases in my posts and we are right about there. I’ve learned that if you give me anything to talk about, I can pretty much talk about it. What’s really great is that a lot of the new content is being guided by the community itself. Daily life gives me content, and the people in my comments give me content, but I’m almost to that year mark, so I’m going to allow myself to revisit some topics and expand more. And I’m going to have to apologize for a grits video that I made that was incorrect, and I just got eaten up about it. I’m going to have to go on a grits apology tour! And my book will be out in March of 2025, which will kind of be an extension of this and we will see where it goes. I’m really excited about the future! DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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h t i w Style Substance Unique ﬁnds and family treasures come together in delightful decor at the Davis home in Jackson

BY SHERRY LUCAS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL

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Artworks by Melissa Abide Griffith (Anagrace’s aunt and an artist with deep Delta roots) add a lovely accent to the living room and provide a pretty palette that is picked up in the rest of the furnishings and decorative touches.

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rom the moment Anagrace and Ken Davis crossed their Belhaven threshold as newlyweds, they felt right at home.

What greeted them wasn’t the “bachelor pad” decor Ken had left behind on their wedding day. In its place was a home befitting a young couple with a penchant for distinctive touches and a love of entertaining. The only things they had to unpack after a fabulous honeymoon in Italy were their bags from the trip. “Why don’t we surprise them and have the house decorated?” Anagrace’s mom’s best friend had pitched the idea. The two of them—her mother, Dawin Salem, a Jackson Realtor with Greenville roots, and Cordelia Capps of Cleveland—feathered the nest during the couple’s blissful trip abroad. Gone was the sprawl-worthy sectional passed around from one 66 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

guy to the next. “It was the comfiest sectional, but it was so loved. And you could see it and tell,” says Anagrace. “We loved that sofa, but it was totally a frat house sofa.” It was replaced with a welcoming arrangement of chairs and a sofa, crisp with white linen slipcovers and a fresh neutral hue, all stylish atop a blue antelope rug. A spotlight painting of blooming branches—bright with blues, greens, and dashes of peach—hangs above the mantel. Painted by Anagrace’s aunt, artist Melissa Abide Griffith, the artwork was her special gift to the couple. A couple more Griffith paintings, soft and atmospheric, add even more to the room’s natural ease. The Davises weren’t entirely in the dark about the project. Anagrace’s mom kept her abreast of comings and goings, as did Ring alarm notifications. “I was so tempted to just check, periodically, what

The built-in bar is both an attractive showcase and a handy storage cabinet for glassware and beverage options. The portrait by Anagrace’s father, Nameh Salem, pictures her cousin Dina in Lebanon, one of many family touches throughout the home. French doors from the kitchen bring in additional warmth and distinction.

A farmhouse table (above and lower right) was the perfect fit for the long, narrow dining room. The mustard yellow lamp on the sideboard at one end was a Goodwill find that also inspired the fabric choice for the chairs. The starburst convex mirror at the other end is one of many consignment shop finds. In the entryway (upper right), a turquoise lamp picks up on the soothing hues in a Griffith painting.

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Kitchen shelves pull double duty as showcase and storage. The 1941 home’s sleekly updated kitchen is a welcome treat for the newlyweds. They adore the unique character of Jackson’s historic Belhaven neighborhood but also appreciate modern conveniences.

they were doing, what they were bringing in,” says Anagrace. “The whole time, I had to put my phone down and say, ‘Okay, let me enjoy Italy and let it be a surprise!’” “We had the best time doing it. … We thought it would be the most perfect gift,” says Anagrace’s mom. Their only purchases were a twenty-dollar, mustard yellow lamp from Goodwill, two houseplants, and fabric to recover the dining room chairs. Her dad handled the chairs and hung paintings and mirrors. Anagrace agreed it was the perfect gift, especially considering their busy work schedules. She’s in medical device sales and often on the road. Ken, who grew up in Cleveland, is a lawyer with Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush in Jackson. “We work early mornings and get home late at night,” says Anagrace, “and we laugh all the time and think we would still be moving in if it weren’t for my mom and Cordelia!” House shopping, with her mom as their Realtor, had seen its share of high hopes and close calls. They’re thrilled with this find—a wellmaintained, updated 1941 house that checked all the boxes. “It had so many qualities that we wanted and a lot of the space for all the 68 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

A MacKenzie-Childs teapot (left) puts a whimsical stamp on the cooktop, while tabletop greenery echoes shapes and hues in another fine Griffith painting in the dining room (above). Below, a suite of framed intaglios, a DIY project by Anagrace, brings a classic element to foyer decor.

ideas that we had,” says Anagrace. The era and historic neighborhood reminded Ken of where he grew up in Cleveland. Anagrace’s fondness for the warmth of wood finds good company in the wood details throughout the home and in furnishings that tie into Southern tradition. The living room’s tall Oriental cabinet, a favorite find, adds depth and height to the room and makes an attractive companion for the large pencil cactus in the corner. It’s one of several pieces sourced from estate sales or resale shops that add a unique statement to the decor. “We don’t have anything that everybody else has, which is fun,” says Anagrace. Ken added that they also like to shop the boutiques in downtown Cleveland when they’re there. Her uncle and grandfather’s furniture store in Arkansas is another great source. In the guest bedroom, a pair of antique twin beds nestle foot to foot beneath big windows, maximizing the space and showcasing the leopard-patterned rug. Pretty chinoiserie pillows perk up the bed linens and offer a stylish tie-in with the inlaid, Chinese motif, semicircle bedside tables. While the guest room is a restful retreat, their home office is a DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Southern tradition is celebrated with a four-poster bed in the master bedroom. A suite of antique prints enhances the classic charm.

The walk-in shower and luxurious tub in the updated master bath are welcome touches.

wake-up call. Splashy red, frond-fantastic wallpaper and rose-red built-ins with lion-head hardware spur the energy needed to get work done. The simple lines of a clear acrylic desk barely register in all that visual excitement—a wise choice that’s there when it’s needed and practically invisible when it’s not. “When we first moved in, we thought, ‘This wallpaper has got to go,’” says Anagrace. But, they decided to live with it awhile and 70 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

ultimately opted to keep it. “It’s obviously very unique,” she said. “Very Delta,” Ken dubbed it. Now, they love it. A pair of muted gold swivel chairs from The Real McCoy Thrift Store and Boutique fit right in for a warming touch that softens the room. A Peloton bike stands ready to ride between calls and meetings. Decorative old gold lamps have their own backstory, Anagrace said, starting at her uncle’s furniture store and progressing to her parents’ home and then hers. “I hated them. Every time I’d get rid of them, they would somehow make their way back into my life.” So, when her mom said she had the best lamps for her home office, Anagrace knew what was up. Crisp, new satin lampshades from Ye Olde Lamp Shoppe was all it took. Now, “I don’t know how I ever lived without them.” Grasscloth, painted a warm and earthy mushroom hue, pulls subtle texture into the room that functions as their foyer, where a circular table under the chandelier is the perfect place to park the mail or serve hors d’oeuvres. A bold floral painting (another by Griffith) brings in the brightness, and a trio of framed intaglios adds a classic touch. “They’re so easy to make,” said Anagrace, who ordered the intaglios, painted on gold trim, backed them with card stock, and found some pretty, gold frames. Their long, narrow dining room begged for a farmhouse table, which they finally found at a Jackson estate sale and bought from the doctor who built it. Along with seat covers in yellow with big white polka dots—Anagrace likes to call it a “bubbly fun fabric”—the look combines comfortably classy ease with a dash of whimsy. A deep teal, quartz-top built-in is an enviable touch, as is the built-in bar that’s a showcase for pretty glassware and a stowaway for funkier college

Twin beds In the guest bedroom, arranged foot-to-foot, make the most of floorspace spruced up by a leopard-patterned rug.

remnants. “Business in the front, party in the back,” Anagrace kidded. Personal touches include a portrait her dad, Nameh Salem, painted of her cousin Dina in Lebanon. The china cabinet was a family piece that came their way via her sister-in-law’s parents, and the sumptuous sideboard anchoring the room’s end came from her parents’ stash. Consignment shopping yielded another treasure, a starburst convex mirror from Hunt the Shop in Jackson. In the master bedroom, a pair of rattan armchairs enjoy an attractive reprieve. “My dad found them in the trash. Somebody was throwing them away,” says Anagrace. With the style coming back around, rescue and recovery was the way to go. Now, spring green cushions and velvet and silk pillows give the chairs prettiness and purpose anew. The king-size four-poster (“the perfect Mommy-Daddy bed,” Anagrace said, found on Facebook Marketplace) provides a traditional base for a room accented by personal flair in the details. More intaglios mix with an Addie Louis painting (a gift from her sister-in-law, the artist’s niece) and a suite of antique prints of fashionable French women from the Victorian era that she found at the consignment shop Bloomingdeals. The spacious master bath offers an oasis in marble tile, a walk-in shower, and a nice, deep tub. That’s a real win for Anagrace, who grew up with three siblings sharing a single bathroom. Ken’s man cave tucks neatly into a room in the back, where Oxford prints recall Ole Miss days, pennants hail favorite teams, and a big TV delivers games, movies, and more. An aerial view of a rice field by Les Torrans (aptly named “Delta Fingerprint”), a display of

The built-in cubbyhole cabinet, left, is yet another spot to showcase favorite finds and family pieces.

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Gold lamps, once hated but now newly shaded and loved, find their perfect spot in the home office’s built-in cabinets. In Ken’s man cave, another built-in provides ample storage and display space for his memorabilia and collections, including golf clubs.

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The screened porch provides a bright and cozy hangout spot, thanks to the swing bed and high-top table.

arrowheads his grandfather found, and a Ski Mississippi print all nod to Ken’s Delta roots. The wall-sized built-in has cubbyholes for Ken’s golf clubs and plenty of shelf space for books and knickknacks. A screened porch and deck extend the area for entertaining and offer a relaxing respite for just the two of them. The swing bed’s splashy saffron Indian print adds vibrant color, and the high-top table with barstools, the pergola, patio lights, and more boost the hangout potential. They’re tickled to show off their kitchen’s attic fan—a wondrous touch for young cooks. Sentiment and style combine in the MacKenzie-Childs teapot, Ken’s Christmas present to Anagrace, that brightens up the cooktop, and a charming Drew McKercher watercolor of Walker’s Drive-In, a Valentine’s Day gift from Ken that commemorates their first date. Two framed newspaper clippings feature The Palm Tree, a restaurant her parents ran in Ann Arbor, Michigan, early in their marriage. “They had that in their home, and I had always wanted it. So, that was like a little move-in present,” says Anagrace. She thought back to the day they returned from Italy and the surprise that greeted them here. “I was so excited! It looked like a totally different house—how we left it and how we came back to it. I had butterflies.” And Ken, overwhelmed at the outset, quickly came around once he found all his stuff. Dawin and Cordelia had followed Anagrace’s suggestion, “Let’s add some zhuzh to it,” and she was on Cloud Nine with the results. As they approach their first anniversary this May, she and Ken are in a home filled with personal touches that resonate with meaning, memory, family connection, and newly forged love. DM Ken and Anagrace with their beloved Goldendoodle, Howie, DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Delta Magazine’s

WEDDING S H O W C A S E “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” French novelist Alphonse Karr wrote in 1849, and nothing truer was ever spoken— especially when it comes to weddings. Each year, the pendulum swings, seemingly bringing new styles and ushering out tired customs, but we’ve noticed that every few years, the old customs tend to re-emerge, proving Karr’s point. So whether you opt for a smaller celebration or blow-out weekend, traditional bridesmaids dresses or a rainbow of mismatched gowns, an array of stunning white blooms or a mass of every color and type of ﬂower imaginable, black tuxes or white dinner jackets—this is your day and there’s no wrong way to celebrate it! On the following pages, we present the 2024 Delta Magazine Wedding Showcase—a beautiful blend of new trends and old traditions from this year’s newlyweds, along with the season’s formal wedding and engagement announcements.

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England-DeGuenther, Karla Pound Photography

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A Delta Bachelorette Trip BY CHATHAM KENNEDY HATCHER

Itinerary

offer. The day was young, considering the nhurried—that’s the word I would use summertime sun stayed up longer each day, to describe life in the Mississippi so we spent the remainder of the afternoon Delta. I can always expect a FRIDAY getting ready for dinner at Fan and Johnny’s. slowness to the day, an eagerness to breathe in We brought brown-bagged wine and feasted every moment. I was formally introduced to Arrive at The Alluvian Hotel on their dinner specials of chicken parmesan life in the Delta when I attended Greenville’s Happy Hour Cocktails at Hotel Bar and salmon piccata. After dinner, we went 2018 Delta Debutante Ball. I basked in the Dinner at Fan and Johnny’s back to the hotel where we talked and played evanescent glow of the Mississippi sun while Late night Gossip & Games games, eager for the next day’s festivities. feasting on an endless array of appetizers. With food and dancing at the forefront of my I went into my bachelorette weekend SATURDAY nineteen-year-old mind, it never occurred to unaware of the itinerary, a nuance I enjoyed Breakfast on The Alluvian Terrace me that I might meet my husband that night. since it allowed me to stay present in every Private Yoga Class at Studio A Surprisingly, though, one dance led to three, moment. The morning began with a Afternoon Bridal Tea and by the end of the weekend, we were Southern breakfast buffet on the hotel’s planning our first date. Three years later, my terrace. My friends and I indulged in sweet Shopping Downtown dance partner, Shawn Hatcher, proposed at the and savory breakfast foods and probably one Dinner at Giardina’s Eudora Welty House, and as we prepared for too many cups of coffee. We then moved to the big day, I celebrated my bachelorette trip The Alluvian’s Studio A for a private yoga where it all began—in the Mississippi Delta. class. We sweated, stumbled, and power-posed our way through the class, grateful for every unhurried moment. Following yoga, we I chose to celebrate my bachelorette trip in the Delta for several donned our best sundress and loaded into The Alluvian’s reasons, the first of which was simplicity. I wanted to be able to spend complimentary private bus for a bridal tea at my soon-to-be sisterquality time with my girls without the hustle and bustle of hurrying in-law’s home. to the next location. Since the majority of my bridesmaids lived in When we arrived at Lindsey Uithoven’s home, we were greeted the Jackson area, traveling to Greenwood was a quick one-hour and with a full tea service. Colorful flower bouquets and mismatched forty-five-minute drive. On a toasty July afternoon, we packed china lined the dining table, creating an array of picturesque frivolity. ourselves tightly into our Honda CR-Vs and braced for a weekend A two-tiered charcuterie board, packed with various meats, cheeses, of lighthearted leisure. and fruits, served as the table’s centerpiece. Annieglass bowls, We arrived at The Alluvian and reveled in all the hotel had to

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brimming with macaroons and vegetables, adorned two sides of the table. We filled our teacups with Earl Grey tea, coffee, or a refreshing green tea cocktail. The kitchen was accented with a hand-painted banner from local artist Lainey Harreld that read, “Let’s Have Tea with the Bride to Be.” The afternoon tea quickly became the highlight of my bachelorette trip. For several hours, we talked, laughed, reminisced, and nibbled on macaroons, a gentle reminder that sipping on gin-infused tea surrounded by one’s closest friends is more than enough. We spent the afternoon shopping downtown, spending most of our time browsing the shelves of Turnrow Books and looking for whipped honey at the Viking Cooking School store. My bridesmaids and I changed for the third time that day, making our Southern mommas proud that we dressed for each occasion. After we walked downstairs for dinner at Giardina’s, we climbed into our elegant, private booth and toasted with wine before consuming Giardina’s sought-after steak and lobster mac and cheese. We went to bed that night a little overfed but a little closer for having spent around tables together. The following morning looked like the previous as we admired the beauty of the Delta sunrise. We stood on The Alluvian’s terrace, surrounded by cups of coffee and the humid summer air. We hugged the necks of those we would not see for several days with the same fervor as we did those we would not see for several months. As we waved goodbye to the Mississippi Delta, I could not help but relish the simplistic, unhurried joys of the weekend, passing budding cotton fields along the way. DM

Chatham Kennedy and her bridesmaids enjoyed an activity packed weekend in Greenwood celebrating her upcoming nuptials.

Maclain, Chatham, and Sara Michael Kennedy in The Alluvian courtyard.

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Ann Gray and William with their parents enjoy the special evening and unique setting at Hopson Commissary for their rehearsal dinner.

Rustic Elegance

IN CLARKSDALE

BY TERRI GLAZER • PHOTOS BY MADELEINE BECK PHOTOGRAPHY

hen planning the rehearsal dinner before his wedding last March, William Hardy had one request. “He wanted something that had that true Clarksdale vibe,” says his mom, Vicki Hardy of Columbus. After scouting a few venues in the area, the Hardys found a clear winner. “Hopson Commissary is classic Clarksdale,” says LeAnn Flowers, mother of William’s bride, Ann Gray Flowers. The building has plenty of history, having served as a store for the Hopson Farm for over fifty years, and having a personal tie to the wedding couple. Ann Gray’s father, Mattson, and the Flowers family farm the land adjacent to the building. Today, the Commissary hosts live blues performances weekly and is available for private events. The room’s decor is as eclectic as expected in a place with such a rich past; scarcely a square inch of wall space isn’t covered with antique license plates, vintage signs, and memorabilia. Even the ceilings are embellished with flags and banners hanging from the front door to the back.

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Tasked with hosting her son’s rehearsal dinner, Vicki knew just where to start. She called on Bridgett Harding of Harding Catering in Columbus and Scott Reed, owner of Petal Pushers in West Point, to provide the food and flowers for the evening. The two team up frequently for events and had worked on the rehearsal dinner for the Hardy’s older son a few years prior. Reed helped Vicki overcome her initial doubts about whether the off-beat ambiance of the Commissary could accommodate the elegant feel she and her husband, Kirk, wanted for their son’s special event. “Thank goodness for Scott!” she says. “He is so creative. He kept telling me it would work.” And work, it did. On the big night, about one hundred guests entered the Commissary to find it transformed into a beautiful setting that conveyed the romance and elegance befitting a rehearsal dinner but with the Clarksdale vibe still intact. Reed had the room decked out with countless strings of lights, fresh greenery, and a garden of flowers—effortlessly combining dressedup formality and juke-joint cool.

Ann Gray Flowers Hardy

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Vicki says they kept the color palette simple, sticking with white, blue, and green, accented with touches of gold. Reed’s lavish arrangements featured traditional Southern flowers, including snapdragons, delphinium, hydrangeas, and roses. Candles in various sizes, from votives to tall tapers, brought warm light to the tablescapes. The evening started with a cocktail hour, and appetizers were passed, including mini crab cakes with remoulade and fried pimento cheese balls with pepper jelly. After a seated dinner featuring grilled Caesar salad, filet mignon with crawfish sauce, and chocolate pecan cobbler with ice cream for dessert, the brideand groom-to-be were toasted by members of the wedding party, family, and friends. Ann Gray recalls her overwhelming gratitude with so many loved ones gathered to wish her and William well. “There was lots of laughter and lots of tears…so much emotion,” adds her mother. Elegance, funkiness, and love. The perfect Delta evening. DM 86 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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A Sort of Homecoming AT THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION BY TERRI GLAZER PHOTOS BY TAYLOR SQUARE PHOTOGRAPHY

“I

n the journey toward planning a wedding, there are often moments when we yearn to include our loved ones who are no longer with us.” Recent bride Adair Brock Brooks began her submission essay to Delta’s wedding issue with a sentiment that surely rings true for everyone who has ever planned a special day. Brooks wanted to honor the memory of her late grandmother, Henrietta Burnham, and did so in a very personal and memorable way. Mrs. Burnham, a lifelong Jacksonian, held a deep love and appreciation for Mississippi, which she shared over many years as a docent and eventually as administrator at the Governor’s Mansion. She served under four governors and was a beloved member of the staff at the state’s official residence. So beloved that Gov. and Mrs. Kirk Fordice hosted engagement parties at the mansion for both her son and daughter before their weddings in the 1990s. Fast forward to 2023, when Mrs. Burnham’s newly engaged granddaughter wanted a formal backdrop for her bridal portraits. Her mother, Romney Burnham Brock, of Greenwood, knew immediately that the mansion would be the perfect setting. She contacted the current mansion administrator and her mother’s longtime colleague, Cora Gee, who was thrilled to help arrange the photo session. “My mother was overwhelmed with emotion as we drove past the guard house and through the gates of the mansion on that November afternoon—and as I stepped into the mansion, I could feel my grandmother’s presence all around me,” Brooks recalls. She gives special credit to photographer Mackenzie Rue of Taylor Square Photography in Oxford. “Each click of her camera not only captured this exciting time in my life, but also the love and connection I shared with my grandmother.” The photos not only captured the stately setting, but highlighted the details of the gown the bride-to-be started planning only days after her engagement to John Madison Brooks. Inspired by the wedding dresses worn by model Jasmine Tookes and Catherine, Princess of Wales, she was set on a lace gown with long sleeves and a high neck. Starting with a Monique Lhuillier strapless gown from Elle James Bridal in Ridgeland, she added a lace bodice and a removable satin skirt with an extra-long train to provide the “ballgown moment” she had dreamed of since she was a little girl. Brooks had plenty of time to envision her wedding—she and the groom met in fifth grade at Cotillion in their hometown of Greenwood. “I immediately thought he was the cutest boy I’d ever

Stunning bride Adair Brock Brooks.

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seen!” she recalls. The pair became a couple in junior high and, apart from a yearlong pause while students at Ole Miss, have been together ever since. They married on December 16, 2023, with a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood and a reception at the Carl Center, formerly the Historic Elks Building. The newlyweds currently reside in Madison. In a wedding journey filled with special moments and heartfelt emotions, Brooks says her bridal portrait shoot stands out. “For my mother and me, having my portraits taken at the mansion evoked a sense of family and familiarity. The location brought back a flood of memories and allowed us to feel my grandmother’s love enveloping us. It was a tribute to the legacy of a woman who had touched the lives of many and whose spirit continues to inspire and guide us.” DM 94 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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Newlyweds Nettie and Zac Watts

A Family Affair in Carter BY TERRI GLAZER • PHOTOS BY PATRICK REMINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY

amily tradition was front and center at the rehearsal dinner for Nettie Hines Watts and Zac Watts the evening before their November 4, 2023, wedding. The setting for the event was the bride’s family’s place in Carter, including her late grandparents’ home and grounds, as well as the building that formerly housed the Hines General Store. Nettie’s father and grandfather both grew up in the home and her grandfather operated the store, originally a commissary for workers on surrounding farms, until the late 1990s. The engaged couple decided to include the building in their wedding celebration and undertook a labor of love that included cleaning out and rehabbing the building. For months leading up to the wedding, Nettie and Zac, along 98 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

with their close friends and wedding party members, worked hard to go through decades of original records and items that had been stored there, and their efforts turned up some treasures. “We found years and years of log books, even back to the 1920s, newspapers from when the Japanese surrendered in World War II, all kinds of stuff,” says Nettie. They hung the “Carter” sign from the town’s former railroad depot above the store’s entry and painted a “Hines General Merchant” sign to replicate the original one they found in vintage photos of the property. The team, led by Trish and Louis Coleman, used items found in the store and its vault to decorate the shelves, making a museum of sorts that their rehearsal dinner guests could look through during the cocktail hour and afterparty.

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Guests enjoyed an evening of great food and fellowship, celebrating the bride and groom.

Hosted by Zac’s parents, Sue and Ned Currie, the dinner took place on the grounds. Twinkling lights hanging from stately live oaks created a romantic atmosphere around a tent placed between the store and the home. Elegant, nature-inspired floral arrangements from Gina Diamond’s Flower Co. in Madison set the mood. Diamond chose a variety of greens interspersed with ornamental cabbage, white roses, bells of Ireland, larkspur, thistle and feverfew. Nods to Zac’s affection for duck hunting appeared in the decor, including a special gift from the Curries, two antique mallard decoys made in 1939 by Animal Trap Decoy Company of Pascagoula that graced the head table. Sue recalls that when Melissa Ridgway with Unlimited Ducks in Jackson showed her the matched pair, she knew they had to be part of the wedding 100 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

weekend. The decoys’ almost eighty-five-year history side by side as rigmates embodied the family’s wishes for a long and happy future together for the bride and groom. A book on decoy making doubled as a guest book for attendees to sign and leave well wishes for the couple. The fifty guests were treated to a plated dinner of pork tenderloin and grilled shrimp catered by Ingrid Taylor. Brady and the Bunch, a band fronted by Nettie’s cousin, provided afterdinner entertainment. The couple married the following day at First Methodist Church of Yazoo City and returned to the Hines family property in Carter for the reception. The newlyweds currently reside in the Jackson area. DM

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& s d n Tre s n o i t i Trad

Trend Alert: Dramatic color seems to be on the upswing! This year we are definitely seeing more bold colors—in everything from bold florals to richly saturated mother of the bride dresses to bridesmaid dresses in a rainbow of hues.

COLOR! COLOR! COLOR!

FLOWERS-HARDY, Madeleine Beck Photography

FLAUTT-WILSON, Ashley Upchurch Photography

VARNER-HARDMAN, Delta Love Photography 104 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

IVY-BYRD, Madeline Beck Photography

FLOWERS-HARDY, Madeleine Beck Photography

KINNEY-MARTIN, Photography by Miranda Stallings

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Sheppard-Miller, BN Creative Photography

Alford-Shupe, Mary Kate Steele Photography

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Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

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VENUES & LOCATIONS

Tradition: Unique locations are now the norm. Planning destination weddings and choosing a rustic or unique venue for rehearsal dinners and receptions may have started as a trend years ago, but we think it’s become a custom that’s here to stay.

Peabody Hotel, Memphis; Sheppard-Miller, BN Creative Photography

Cutrer Mansion, Clarksdale; Rankin-Sandridge, John Clemmer Photography

Second line in downtown Oxford; Flautt-Wilson, Ashley Upchurch Photography

Rehearsal dinner, Stovall Gin Co.; Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography 110 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Keesler Bridge, Greenwood; Goodman-Hanks, Patrick Remington Photography

Cotton House Hotel, Cleveland; Bowen-Peak, B. Flint Photography

Reception, Nopsi Hotel, New Orleans; Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Reception,The Lyric in Oxford; England-DeGuenther, Karla Pound Photography

Marquee at The Ellis Theater, Cleveland; Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography

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Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography

FLORAL FORM & FUNCTION

Trend Alert: Architectural florals are having a huge moment. Stunning arches, massive creations suspended from the ceiling, mounded around cakes, massed above the food tables and bar, and framing doorways, are being incorporated in the overall aesthetic—from the rehearsal dinner to the reception!

Kincade-Janis, Patrick Remington Photography 114 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Crowe-Belvedresi, Christa Robey Photography

Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography

Rankin-Sandridge, John Clemmer Photography Turner-Fancher, Blake McCollum Photography DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Wise-Klutts, Aura Lake Photography

Varner-Hardman, Delta Love Photography 116 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Nelson-Tranum, Abbi Pittman Photography

Say “I DO” in the Delta

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Goodman-Hanks, Patrick Remington Photography

CAKES & MORE CAKES

Beautiful Blend: Cake customs are a mix of trends and traditions. Whether classic creme vanilla or layers of flavors, funky-themed grooms’ cakes, confections adorned with ribbon, custom crests or flowers, or barely iced “naked” cakes—the options are endless. Bramuchi-Shannon, Patrick Remington Photography

Jarman-Whatley, Masa Kathryn Photography 122 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Tyner-Kreis, Staci Lewis Photography

Alford-Shupe, Mary Kate Steele Photography Crowe-Belvedresi, Christa Robey Photography Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography

Jarman-Whatley, Masa Kathryn Photography

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Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography

Flowers-Hardy, Madeleine Beck Photography

Brock-Brooks, Taylor Square Photography Woods-Dickson, Eye Of The Tyne

Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Wise-Klutts, Aura Lake Photography 124 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Morris-Killebrew, Megan Elizabeth Photography

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Trend Alert: The pendulum has swung again. As popular as the “first look” has TO LOOK OR become in recent years, some are opting for a no-peeking “first touch” instead—a special moment for couples to share before the ceremony. Others still embrace the NOT TO LOOK joy of sharing a glimpse with their groom, fathers, and friends before the festivities!

Rankin-Sandridge, John Clemmer Photography

Crowe-Belvedresi, Christa Robey Photography

Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography

Bramuchi-Shannon, Patrick Remington Photography Brock-Brooks, Taylor Square Photography 128 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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Leech-Acosta, Mary Craven Photography DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Tradition: College-themed details remain staunchly ingrained in COLLEGIATE reception planning. From groomsmens’ socks to trucker caps to cookies, cakes, and even a visit by your favorite mascot, team loyalty abounds..

Bramuchi-Shannon, Patrick Remington Photography

Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography 130 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Turner-Fancher, Blake McCollum Photography

Leech-Acosta, Mary Craven Photography

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Designs: Set the tone of your big COME Door day from the moment guests arrive ON IN with beautiful door embellishments

Brock-Brooks, Taylor Square Photography

England-DeGuenther, Karla Pound Photography

Kincade-Janis, Patrick Remington Photography

Flautt-Wilson, Ashley Upchurch Photography DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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The look you would expect

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Happy and Handsome: Guys just want to have fun and look sharp too. GROOMS & Although faced with fewer choices, modern grooms definitely want to make a GROOMSMEN mark with options such as boutonnieres, tux details, cummerbunds, and more.

Jarman-Whatley, Masa Kathryn Photography

Flautt-Wilson, Ashley Upchurch Photography,

Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography 136 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography

Plunk-Pillow, Kelly Ginn Photography

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Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography

Alert: Bridal gowns have been GOWNS aTrend moving target in fashion through the Satin, lace, high-necked, & GIRLS decades. off-the-shoulder, mermaid, or full skirt are all evident in these pages.

Flautt-Wilson, Ashley Upchurch Photography

Nelson-Tranum, Abbi Pittman Photography

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Phillips-Hodges, Marlana's Photography

Crawford-Winters, Kayla Minyard Photography

Sheppard-Miller, BN Creative Photography

Tyner-Kreis, Staci Lewis Photography Bowen-Peak, B. Flint Photography

One trend we love is the convertible dress, with detachable overskirts, lace jackets and other options for two looks in one.

Kincade-Janis, Patrick Remington Photography DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Bramuchi-Shannon, Patrick Remington Photography

Nelson-Tranum, Abbi Pittman Photography

Alexis Tranum’s bridal purse was made from her grandmother‘s wedding dress. 144 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Plunk-Pillow, Kelly Ginn Photography

Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography Varner-Hardman, Delta Love Photography

Flowers-Hardy, Madeleine Beck Photography Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography

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Gagliano-Moak, Lexie Vaccaro Photography Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography

Picture perfect: A mix of some of our FRIENDS, favorite photos from the ceremony to the reception, the smallest details, candid FAMILY shots, late-night snacks, music, dancing, & FUN and special people, big and small!

Wise-Klutts, Aura Lake Photography

Goodman-Hanks, Patrick Remington Photography 150 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Kinney-Martin, Photography by Miranda Stallings

Flowers-Hardy, Madeleine Beck Photography

Alford-Shupe, Mary Kate Steele Photography Ivy-Byrd, Madeline Beck Photography

Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography

Varner-Hardman, Delta Love Photography

England-DeGuenther, Karla Pound Photography

Sheppard-Miller, BN Creative Photography

Kinney-Martin, Photography by Miranda Stallings DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Woods-Dickson, Eye of the Tyne Photography

Ivy-Byrd, Madeleine Beck Photography

Crowe-Belvedresi, Christa Robey Photography

Rankin-Sandridge, John Clemmer Photography 152 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography

Hines-Watts, Patrick Remington Photography

Nelson-Tranum, Abbi Pittman Photography

Davis-Arbuckle, Patrick Remington Photography Wise-Klutts, Aura Lake Photography

Alford-Shupe, Mary Kate Steele Photography

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Sheppard-Miller, BN Creative Photography

Tillman-Fuller, Sara Williamson Photo

Leech-Acosta, Mary Craven Photography

Tillman-Fuller, Sara Williamson Photo

Flowers-Hardy, Madeleine Beck Photography

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Wise-Klutts, Aura Lake Photography

Leech-Acosta, Mary Craven Photography

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FROM HERE TO THERE Trend Alert: Second lines, carriage rides, vintage cars, and tricked-out golf carts will get you there in style—from ceremony to reception or for an unforgettable exit.

Hill-Carithers, Allyson Norton Photography

Nelson-Tranum, Abbi Pittman Photography

Jarman-Whatley, Masa Kathryn Photography

Brock-Brooks, Taylor Square Photography

Rankin-Sandridge, John Clemmer Photography 160 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

visitcarroll.org Cruisin’ Cotesworth Car Show Sat., April 13 | Starts @ 9:00 a.m

Turner-Fancher, Blake McCollum Photography

Varner-Hardman, Delta Love Photography

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALFORD

SHUPE

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Madeline Grace Alford Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location 164 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

& Christian Eden Shupe December 9, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Swayze Alford Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Scott Shupe Monique Lhuillier Isom Place Oxford Floral A&N Catering Ellen Morgan Baxter Debbie’s Cakes The DMP Band Dallas Nutt, La Rousse Salon Fresh Ink Jamaica

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PEAK

First Baptist Church • Cleveland • B. Flint Photography

Laurel Hayden Bowen Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery

& Cody Andrew Peak

March 4, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Daniel Bowen Mr. and Mrs. William Andrew Peak Elle James Bridal Ellen Thomas Event Design The Warehouse Fresh Cut Catering & Floral Elizabeth Heiskell Catering Karyn Burrus Krystal Jenkins Al Paris and the Heartbreakers Madelen Brister Rivers Countiss Keyes Fresh Ink and The Image Specialist of MS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRAMUCHI

SHANNON

Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church • Cleveland • Patrick Remington Photography

Mari Micci Bramuchi

& Daniel Wager Shannon

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location 166 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

April 22, 2023 Dr. Lisa Hardy Bramuchi and Mr. Larry Joseph Bramuchi Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Jack Shannon Martina Liana from Low’s Bridal Mary Parker Redditt Cleveland Country Club Grande Design Cleveland Country Club Alice Chow Sweet Annie’s Cupboard Groove Factor Madelen Brister Erin Higgins Delta Party Rental Antigua

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CRAWFORD

WINTERS

The Baby Doll House • Benoit • Kayla Minyard Photography

Caroline Chilton Crawford

& James Ricky Winters, junior

June 10, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Ray Chilton Crawford Mr. and Mrs. James Ricky Winters Allure Bridal from Engagements Angie Crawford and Tammye Durham The Baby Doll House Design by Tracy Proctor with Drew Williams Taylor Grocery Special Events Catering Alice Chow Jessica Ray The Mike Ellis Band David Joseph Browman Lauren Coleman Aldridge Pepperite Printing Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

BROCK

BROOKS

First Presbyterian Church • Greenwood • Mackenzie Rue with Taylor Square Photography

168 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Anne Darrington Brock

& John Madison Brooks IV

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Grooms Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

December 16, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Donald Brock, junior Mr. and Mrs. John Madison Brooks III and Mr. and Mrs. John Miller Bush II Monique Lhuillier from Elle James Bridal Pryor Hackleman, A Pryor Engagement The Historic Elks Lodge A Pryor Engagement, Mississippi Flower Co. Sookie’s Catering Ellen Cookies Grapevine Cakes, Catering and Floral Compozitionz The Collective Salon Rivers Countiss Keyes Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper St. Lucia DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

CROWE

BELVEDRESI

The French Farmhouse • Collinsville, Texas • Christa Robey Photography

170 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Gracen Elizabeth Crowe

& Christopher Harden Belvedresi

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Wedding Planner Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

May 12, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. David Crowe Mrs. Caroline Ainsworth and the late Mr. Andy Belvedresi Coco by Jane Hill The French Farmhouse Kendall Loft with Treasured Heart Events Blooms by Brooke Bancroft Catered Roots Legacy Cakes LeForce Entertainment Tease to Please Hair & Makeup Minted Excellence Oyster Bay, Jamaica

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

DAVIS

ARBUCKLE

First Presbyterian Church • Cleveland • Patrick Remington Photography

172 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Ana Parker Davis

& Nicolas Chantz Arbuckle

October 21, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Lex Cashell Davis Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Arbuckle, junior Elle James Bridal Amanda Cottingham The Cotton House The Pantry Inc. Cole Ellis, Delta Meat Market The Turquoise Chandelier Sweet Annie’s Cupboard, LLC Big Night Dynamite BATA Beauty Company Rivers Countiss Keyes and Lauren Aldridge Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Barbados

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ENGLAND

DEGUENTHER

Virginia Hughes England

& William Patrick DeGuenther

Paris-Yates Chapel • Oxford • Karla Pound Photography

December 2, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. John Frederick England Mrs. Lauri Grogan DeGuenther and Dr. and Mrs. Mark Stephen DeGuenther Elle James Bridal Katie Naron The Lyric Deedra Stone Designs Elizabeth Heiskell Catering Alice Chow Bremma’s Cakery & Confections Groove Factor The Studio Amy Head Anne-Murray Cotten, High Cotten Mexico

ANNOUNCEMENTS

GAGLIANO

MOAK

St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church • New Orleans, Louisiana • Lexie Vaccaro Photography

Courtney Anna Gagliano Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations Honeymoon Location

& William Sykes Moak

May 20, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Joseph Gagliano, junior Mr. and Mrs. Robert Warren Moak Allure from The Bridal Path Barbara Fortier NOPSI Hotel Meade Wenzel NOPSI Hotel Culinary Team The Sweet Life Bakery The Tip Tops Glam on Location United Print Services St. George’s, Grenada

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

FLAUTT

WILSON

Oxford University United Methodist Church • Oxford • Ashley Upchurch Photography

176 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Suzanne Alline Flautt

& Alexander Hughes Wilson

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Wedding Planner Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

July 29, 2023 Dr. and Mrs. Frank Henry Flautt, junior Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Farris Wilson Maggie Louise in Memphis, Tennessee The Lyric A Pryor Engagement Katherine Webb, Farmstead Florals A&N Catering Karyn Burrus Lisa Whitehead 1-900 Band The Studio Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Saint Lucia

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

FLOWERS

HARDY

The Flowers Chapel • Clarksdale • Madeleine Beck Photography

178 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Ann Gray Flowers

& William Stephen Hardy

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

March 11, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. David Mattson Gregory Flowers Mr. and Mrs. Kirk David Hardy Custom Martina Liana from Ivory & White Bridal Boutique Anne-Claire Allen Clarksdale Country Club Silks A Bloom Heritage Catering Alice Chow Musical Fantasy Katelyn Boman Rivers Countiss Keyes By Invitation Only Sugar Beach Resort, St. Lucia DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

GOODMAN

HANKS

Episcopal Church of the Nativity • Greenwood • Patrick Remington Photography Abbey McCulloch Goodman and William Brandon Hanks were

reception at the Historic Elks Lodge in Greenwood. Karyn Burrus,

united in marriage at half past six o’clock in the evening on

cousin of the bride, with Grapevine Catering provided the food.

February 11, 2023, at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in

Live music and entertainment were provided by Paul Brown

Greenwood.

downstairs during cocktail hour, and then upstairs by Dr. Zarr’s

The bride is the daughter of Tish Bowie Goodman of

Amazing Funk Monster. Grapevine Catering also created the

Greenwood and the late Paul Lumpkin Goodman. She is the

wedding cake and chocolate groom’s cake, which included a cake

granddaughter of Curtis Doty Bowie of Greenwood and the late

topper signifying his love for flying and their dog, Quiver.

Rose Marie Bowie, and the late Reverend and Mrs. Herbert Raymond Goodman of Tupelo.

The couple was honored with several parties prior to the wedding including a New Year’s Eve engagement party held by

The groom is the son of Ms. Belinda Dilworth Pinckard of

Greenwood friends at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, and

Shelby and the late Carl Hayden Hanks. He is the grandson of Mr.

an engagement party held by Clarksdale friends at the beautiful

and Mrs. Lyle Dilworth of Shelby, and the late Mr. and Mrs. William

home of Tony Clay and Kalynn Marley. The bachelorette party was

Floyd Hanks of Memphis.

a wonderful winter trip to New York City; the groomsmen enjoyed

The ceremony of Holy Matrimony with Eucharist was officiated

a fishing trip in Cabo San Lucas.

by the Reverend Don Chancellor. The ceremony was directed by

On the Friday before the wedding, the bride was honored by

Caroline Colquett. Music was provided by organist David

her mother’s friends with a bridesmaid’s brunch at the home of

Williamson, along with vocalist Cissye Meeks Gallagher, a lifelong

Stick and Shawna Young. The groom was honored with a “BBQ

friend of the bride’s family. Scripture readers were Mari Brian Crick

& Skeet Shoot” lunch at Tallahatchie Flats by the bride’s uncle,

and Anne Craig Melton of Greenwood.

Mark Bowie.

Escorted by her grandfather, Abbey wore a Stella York classic

On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s grandparents and

gown with a sweetheart neckline and open back featuring a lace

bride’s mother hosted a rehearsal dinner at the Museum of the

and beaded bodice with a ballerina-inspired tulle skirt. The gown

Mississippi Delta also catered by Karyn Burrus of Grapevine

and matching veil were chosen at Amelia Grace Bridal of

Catering. Following the rehearsal dinner, a post toast after-party

Greenwood.

was held in the lobby of The Alluvian, where Stephen Pillow

Mary Holly Lott attended the bride as maid of honor, while Erin

provided entertainment.

Goldberg Bryant attended as matron of honor. Bridesmaids were

The coordinator for the wedding weekend was Pryor

Shelby Malouf Barret, Neely Young Ellis, Merritt Belk Harris, Kaitlin

Hackleman of A Pryor Engagement. Flowers were created by Kim

Bunch, Jane Mortimer Nicholson, Elizabeth Costa Farris,

Kellum, cousin of the bride, of Grapevine Florals. Matthew Moore

McKenzie Amis, and Laine Wilson Vandevender. The proxy bride

of Third Bird Films was the wedding videographer and Patrick

was Mary Shelton Bond. The bridesmaids wore floor-length

Remington served as photographer for the weekend. Décor was

dresses of various styles, each in a different shade of blush,

provided by Details of Oxford. Angie Cole was the live painting

champagne, and pewter, and all individually chosen.

artist at the reception.

Lyle Dilworth served as his grandson’s best man. Groomsmen

Following the wedding, the couple enjoyed a week’s stay on

included Tony Clay Marley, Caleb Dodson, Gage Long, T.J.

the island of St. Lucia. Mr. and Mrs. Hanks reside in Greenwood

Russell, Jon Walhood, Rod Freeman, Seth Vance, Trippe Pilgrim,

where Abbey is the marketing director of The Mississippi Gift

Barrett Johnson, Cody Britt, and Bo Armstrong.

Company and Brandon continues to farm in the Doddsville area.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s mother hosted the

180 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HILL

CARITHERS

First Methodist Church • Indianola • Allyson Norton Photography

Brantley Williams Hill

& Andrew Thomas Pepper Carithers

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Calligrapher 182 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

March 4, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Brantley Hill Mr. Steven Thomas Carithers and Mr. and Mrs. Victor Quinn Zepponi Amelia Grace Bridal A Pryor Engagement by Pryor Lott Hackleman The Gin at Dunleith Buds & Blooms by Felecia Montgomery Sookie’s Catering Mardan’s Cakes by Margaret Stowers Groove Factor Hartley Sanford Anthology Custom Print Mary Mitchell Hill

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IVY

BYRD

New Covenant Church • Clarksdale • Madeleine Beck Photography

The nuptials of Mary Evans Ivy and Alec Bruce Byrd were held on April 29, 2023, at half past five o’clock in the afternoon at New Covenant Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Pastor Lawrence Blades officiated the ceremony with New Covenant Church providing music. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Christopher Ivy of Clarksdale. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Billy Nathaniel Strohm and the late Lillie Strohm, and William Edward Ivy, all of Clarksdale. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Phil Byrd of Clarksdale. He is the grandson of Mrs. Mary Katharine Byrd and the late Mr. Darrel Byrd of Helena, Arkansas, and Mr. and Mrs. Randall Frankie Wardlow of Counce, Tennessee. Escorted by her father, the bride carried a bouquet featuring white peonies, ranunculus, and garden roses with a charm passed down by friends with Proverbs 17:17 attached. The Flower Bouquet of Clarksdale designed the bouquets and placed the ceremony florals in antique silver candelabra. The bride wore the Nanelle gown from the Blue by Enzoani collection from Maggie Louise Bridal. Her bolero was from Romona Keveza. The long ceremony veil was replaced with a birdcage veil from Amanda Judge during the reception. Jewelry worn for both the ceremony and reception were compliments of Jeweler’s Choice of Memphis. Following the ceremony, the reception was held at the Clarksdale Country Club. The couple started the night off by

dancing to “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers. Tables adorned with florals and candles by John Mark Enterprises were complemented by Tempaper & Co. chinoiserie wallpapered bars and seating by White Door Events. Florals by John Mark featured white hydrangeas, Phalaenopsis orchids, pink peonies, Majolica spray roses, peach stock, peach Juliet roses, ranunculus, pink Mondial roses, and white O’Hara garden roses. Delicious food, including an outdoor oyster and seafood bar, was served by Elizabeth Heiskell Catering. Guests were entertained by Groove Factor Live out of Memphis, Tennessee. Alice Chow of Clarksdale provided the bride’s cake which featured a strawberry cake covered in a buttercream frosting with floral appliques surrounding each layer. The groom’s chocolate cake, provided by Crave Sweets of Arlington, Tennessee, was in the shape of a hog, a nod to the groom’s summer hobby of hog removal from local farms. The wonderful evening was planned by Jordan Proctor Scarleski and Mallory Lightman Lester of Ashley Lang Events, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The bridesmaid luncheon was hosted at the Clark House in Clarksdale, followed by dinner and dancing hosted by the groom’s parents at the Stovall Gin outside Clarksdale. Florals and food were also provided by John Mark Enterprises and Elizabeth Heiskell Catering. Blackwater Trio of Clarksdale provided music. Following their honeymoon in Mexico, the couple is at home in Clarksdale. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HINES

WATTS

First Methodist Church of Yazoo City • Carter • Patrick Remington Photography

184 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Nettie Rainer Hines Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& Zachary John Watts November 4, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Desha Hines Mr. and Mrs. Ned Currie Bride’s mother’s gown, circa 1975 Erin Stubbs Carter, Mississippi Holly Coleman The Party Girls The Turquoise Chandelier Moonscapes; The Chill Caroline White Janna Travis Fresh Ink Nassau, Bahamas

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

JARMAN

WHATLEY

First Presbyterian Church • Greenwood • Masa Kathryn Photography

Mary Hannan Jarman

& Benjamin Tanner Whatley

April 22, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. George Garland Jarman Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lee Whatley Rivini from Maggie Louise Bridal Pryor Lott Hackleman, A Pryor Engagement Greenwood Country Club Kim Kellum, Ashley Farmer, Catherine Dunn Greenwood Country Club Karyn Burrus Unfazed Show & Band Legends Salon of Greenwood Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Barbados

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KENNEDY

HATCHER

Fondren Church • Jackson • Karla Pound Photography

Chatham Rayne Kennedy Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& Shawn Michael Hatcher

January 14, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Vernon Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lee Hatcher Low’s Bridal The Country Club of Jackson Magpie Floral Design & Creative Consulting The Country Club of Jackson That Special Touch Groove Factor Felicia Sellers Emma Dyess ASAP Printing St. Lucia

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

KINCADE

JANIS

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church • Clarksdale • Patrick Remington Photography

Anne Elizabeth Kincade Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery 188 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

& Kyle Richard Janis

December 2, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Lofton Kincade Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mark Janis Olia Zavozina Bridal Clarksdale Country Club Oxford Floral Sasha Monty Alice Chow Detra Williams The DMP Band Allen Tubbs Hayley Hood Carlson Craft

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KINNEY

MARTIN

Miramar Beach • Miramar Beach, Florida • Photography by Miranda Stallings

Katherine Ann Kinney Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& William Clayton Martin September 29, 2023 Mr. Wesley Kinney and Mrs. Carol Kinney Mr. and Mrs. Russell Martin BHLDN RaeBird Weddings + Events Gray Whale, Miramar Beach Forget Me Knot Event Florals & Rentals Artistic Catering Sweetly Sisters B-Boy Productions Kendra K Beauty Minted Oyster Bay, Jamaica

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

LEECH

ACOSTA

Mary Magee Leech

& Avery Alan Acosta

Christ Presbyterian Church • Oxford • Mary Craven Photography

November 5, 2022 Mrs. Wesla Sullivan Knef and Mr. William Hollis Leech, senior Mr. and Mrs. Cary James Acosta Anne Barge from Maggie Louise Bridal Lesley Morton The Country Club of Oxford Lisa Kelly The Country Club of Oxford Lisa Whitehead Memphis Soul Revue Jessica Mathias Walnut Square Gifts & Stationery

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PHILLIPS

HODGES

Bainfield Farm • Ethelsville, Alabama • Marlana’s Photography

Margaret Chatham Phillips Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design and Catering Wedding Cake and Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& James Dalton Hodges

June 10, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. John Alan Phillips, junior Mr. and Mrs. Stacy Hodges Milly from Morilee Bainfield Farm Angie’s Catering and Floral Design Paige Godfrey Speed DJ E-Jay JBA Entertainment Carly Hollowell Zazzle Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

MORRIS

KILLEBREW

Monet Monet 30a • Grayton Beach, Florida • Megan Elizabeth Photography

192 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Hannah Kendell Morris Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& Nathan Wade Killebrew April 15, 2023 Dr. and Mrs. Jason K. Morris Mr. and Mrs. Robert Raiford Killebrew Morilee Jackie Ward Monet Monet 30a Our Greenhouse Curated Floral Grayton Beach Catering and Events Kimberly Austin Darrin Symphony Trio Destin Mobile Makeup Box Truly Engaging Rosemary Beach, Florida

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NELSON

TRANUM

Black Diamond Lodge Meadow • Durango, Colorado • Abbi Pittman Photography The celebration and blessings of the marriage of Alexis

friend of the groom, Howard Summers of Chattanooga,

Kathleen Nelson and Joseph Sloan Tranum III, was held on

Tennessee. The niece of the groom, Madeline Sanders of

December 9, 2023, during golden hour at the Black Diamond

Cleveland, Mississippi, was flower girl. The nephew of the bride,

Lodge Meadow situated south of Purgatory Resort in Durango,

Lincoln Nau of Denver, Colorado, was the ring bearer.

Colorado.

A reception was held in the banquet hall at Black Diamond

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Nelson of

Lodge. The wooden tables were illuminated with candles and

Richmond, Illinois. She is the granddaughter of Dr. William Nelson

decorated with gold-lined glass chargers, English rose velvet

and the late Mrs. Alva Colleen Nelson of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and

napkins, and gold cutlery. Chandeliers decorated with greenery

the late Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sven of Richmond, Illinois.

covered the banquet area. Guests were entertained by an acoustic

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sloan Tranum,

guitarist, Rob Webster of Durango, Colorado.

junior, of Cleveland, Mississippi. He is the grandson of Mrs.

Durangourmet catered the reception and served garlic-herb

Margaret Hargett and the late Mr. Herbert Hargett and the late Mr.

rubbed beef tenderloin with a basil aioli and a rack of lamb with

and Mrs. Joseph Sloan Tranum, senior, of Ruleville, Mississippi.

rosemary-cilantro mint salsa for the main course. A small cutting

The ceremony site for the intimate wedding was a snowy winter

cake topped a tri-layered wooden cake stand with lemon, vanilla,

meadow with a panoramic view of the San Juan Mountains. Guests were seated on fur-lined aspen benches towards an Aframe, floral-decorated altar.

and chocolate cupcakes for the guests. The couple’s first dance was a choreographed upbeat dance to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” where the dance ended by a

Escorted by her father, the bride wore a white fox fur stole with

turning lift. Guests continued to surround the dance floor for the

her couture wedding gown designed by Paloma Blanca of Toronto,

next two dances, the father-daughter dance to “My Little Girl” by

Canada. The design of the dress was a lace bodice with capped

Tim McGraw, and mother-son dance to “Her Little Man” by Jami

sleeves, a jewel-laced neckline, and a velvet bow around the waist

Grooms.

that led into the organdy skirt with a horsehair hem. The back of

The night before the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted the

the bodice was lined with buttons. The veil was waist length and

rehearsal dinner at EsoTerra Ciderworks in historic, downtown

pinned into the back of a half-up, twisted hairstyle. Her bouquet

Durango for all guests invited to the wedding. Guests enjoyed a

featured anemones, roses, and dahlias.

variety of gourmet hors d’oeuvres and several rotating small

Attending as matron of honor was her twin sister, Andi Maza, of Cambridge, Wisconsin. She wore an English rose velvet gown

courses with a selection of meal choices, while toasts for good wishes to the bride and groom were made.

with a cashmere wrap, white fox fur muff, floral hairpin that

The bride and groom reserved the Black Diamond Lodge for

matched the bridal bouquet, and cowgirl boots. Bridesmaids in

the entire weekend, so all guests could stay and enjoy the

order after the matron of honor were Ashley Lingle of Bozeman,

amenities of the onsite spa before leaving on Sunday. Finally, the

Montana, Piper Regan of Gulfport, Mississippi, and Hailey Fong of

bride and groom invited the immediate family to join them on the

Southaven, Mississippi.

Cascade Canyon Winter Train for a roundtrip view of the Animas

Attending as best man was Hayden Pearson of Cleveland, Mississippi. Groomsmen in order after the best man were Zachary Pinkerton and Taylor Summers of Cleveland, Mississippi, and Daniel Koepp of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The officiant was a

194 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

River and Colorado Rocky Mountains, as a goodbye adventure before departing on their honeymoon. After a honeymoon to the French and Swiss Alps, the couple is at home in Cleveland, Mississippi.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

PLUNK

PILLOW

The Isom Place • Oxford • Kelly Ginn Photography

Ansley Rayne Plunk

& Walter Reese Pillow V

December 2, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stacy Plunk Mr. and Mrs. Walter Reese Pillow IV Lea-Ann Belter Bridal Anna Haley Purvis The Isom Place Oxford Floral Tallahatchie Gourmet Lisa Whitehead Bakery Grapevine Cakes, Catering and Floral Groove Factor Dallas Nutt, La Rousse Salon Libby Kyle Ragland Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Antigua

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RANKIN

SANDRIDGE

Clarksdale Methodist Church • Clarksdale • John Clemmer Photography

Abbey Elizabeth Rankin Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery

& Kirkland Scott Sandridge January 7, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Earl Rankin Mr. and Mrs. Jason Scott Sandridge Sareh Nouri from Elle James Bridal Kendall Poole Event Planning Norman Brown Commons Building Lavish Fleur Elizabeth Heiskell Catering The Turquoise Chandelier Compozitionz Anna Catherine Hester April Epps Tori Frey Art + Design

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SALEM

DAVIS

Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle • Jackson • Patrick Remington Photography

Anagrace Sharron Salem and Kenneth Bruce Davis III were

Attending the groom as best man was Michael Oleis of Nashville,

united in marriage at seven o’clock in the evening on Saturday, May

Tennessee. Dr. Kenneth Bruce Davis, junior, served as best man in

20, 2023, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in downtown

spirit. Groomsmen were James Bellipanni, Will Edgecombe, Will

Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Nameh and Dawin Salem of Jackson. She is the granddaughter of Sharon Abide and the late Mr. George Victor Abide of Rogers, Arkansas, and the late Dr. and Mrs. Yacoub Salem of Amioun, Lebanon.

Brown, George Inmon, Andrew Ables, Jake Griffin, Nelson Duke, Marshall Fratesi, Patrick Salem, and Jacob Salem. Ushers were William Vaughn and Will Jarrett. Robert Salem and David Houff, junior, served as ring bearers,

The groom is the son of Mary Anna Davis and the late Dr.

and Nell Salem and Sharron Ritarose Abide served as the flower

Kenneth Bruce Davis, junior, of Cleveland, Mississippi. He is the

girls. Father Joe Tonos, of Saint Richard Catholic Church in Jackson,

grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bruce Davis of

officiated the wedding Mass.

Texarkana, Arkansas, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus Jones Davis, junior, of Marion, Alabama. Attending the bride as matron of honor was her sister, Marjorie Salem Houff of Spring Hill, Tennessee, with Catherine Blake Jernigan of Nashville, Tennessee, serving as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were

Following the ceremony, the reception was held at The Capital Club in downtown Jackson. The rehearsal dinner was held on the eve of the wedding at Char Restaurant in Jackson. After a two-week honeymoon in London, England, and Sorrento, Italy, the couple is

Kaela Smyth LeDoux, Natalie Smyth, Mary Catherine Morrison,

at home in Jackson’s Belhaven neighborhood. The bride works in

Malorie Luckett Salem, Rachel Wirtz Salem, Emma Crosby, Lexie

medical device sales with Intuitive Surgical, and the groom is an

Hill Grisanti, Catherine Wohner, Allie Jones, and Gabby Cannon

attorney with Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A.

McDonald. 198 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SWINDLE

BRANTON

Saint Joseph Catholic Church • Greenville • BN Captures

Elizabeth Chandler Swindle and William Lindsey Branton, junior, were united in holy matrimony at half past three o’clock in the afternoon on March 19, 2022, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Greenville. Father Aaron Williams performed the ceremony. Drew Turberville provided a special marriage prayer. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Scott Swindle of Pearl. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Chandler of Greenville and Mrs. Tommie Swindle and the late Mr. James Swindle of Greenville. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Lindsey Branton, senior, of Leland. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Allen Buchanan, senior, of Greenville and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Thomas Branton, senior, of Leland. The weekend began with a bridal luncheon at Sherman’s on South Main. A rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom’s parents at Vito’s restaurant in Leland. The wedding party was treated to a brunch by the groom’s family friends at The Thompson House on the morning of the wedding. The bride wore a white satin gown featuring a pearl encrusted belt and a lace-trimmed cathedral-length veil. She held a bouquet of white roses and soft greenery wrapped in white satin ribbon. The bride was escorted by her father while a string trio played the wedding march. Attending the bride were matron of honor Mia Mascagni Branton, maid of honor Caroline Alderson, and bridesmaids Katherine DuBard, Karlie Topper, Elizabeth Cheek, Molly Jackson, Hannah Ainsworth, Mollie Buchanan, and Allison Wood. Blake and Vaughn Brown served as flower girls. Attending

the groom as best man was his father, William Lindsey Branton, senior, and groomsmen Carson Branton, Dean Arnold, Nicholas Denley, Gabriel Bernardi, Richard Word, Owen Jackson, Connor Kelly, and Bailey Carson. Collum, Hayden, and Carter Washington and James Shparago served as ring bearers. The day was coordinated by Lauren Messina of LGM Weddings. Following the ceremony, the bridal party was whisked away by trolley car to Greenville Golf and Country Club. Guests enjoyed a buffet of the couple’s favorite Delta foods. The bride’s five-tier wedding cake sat atop a table covered with the bride’s mother’s wedding gown train and an elaborate floral display at the entrance to the club. The groom’s table featured an assortment of cheesecakes served on McCarty pottery, surrounded by red roses and golden Okra to pay homage to the groom’s fraternity Kappa Alpha Order and Delta State University where the couple met. The wedding party and guests danced the night away in the club ballroom under chandeliers decorated with smilax and white orchids, with music provided by Solid Steele Sounds. The newlyweds departed the venue under a tunnel of sparklers to the getaway car, a remodeled 1957 Ford Fairlane, provided by the groom’s brother. After a honeymoon in Saint Lucia, the couple is at home in Cleveland. The groom is the owner of Branton Record Search, and the bride is the assistant director of student life at Delta State University.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SHEPPARD

MILLER

The Peabody Memphis • Memphis, Tennessee • BN Creative Photography

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Mimi Abbott Sheppard Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Bride’s Hair Bride’s Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

& J Grady Pacifici Miller

June 10, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. William Merritt Sheppard Mrs. Theresa Pacifici Biro and Mr. Eric Dodd Miller Theia from Maggie Louise Bridal Charlie Vergos Rendezvous Michelle Sheppard and Cissye Gallagher Charlie Vergos Rendezvous PattiCakes Bakery Angela McCaleb from Salon Haven Elizabeth Gallagher Ménage Fine Stationery & Gifts Rosemary Beach, Florida DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

TILLMAN

FULLER

First Baptist Church • Greenwood • Sara Williamson Photo

Bethany Lynn Tillman

& Robert Montgomery Fuller

April 1, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Collier Tillman, junior Mr. and Mrs. Brian Lamar Fuller Allure Bridals Pryor Hackleman, A Pryor Engagement Home of the bride, Schlater Pryor Hackleman, A Pryor Engagement Bob Wilbanks Cups-N-Cakes Bakery Groove Factor Brynn Chesney Hodum Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Sandals Barbados

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TURNER

BEARD

Latrobe’s on Royal • New Orleans, Louisiana • Sully Clemmer

The celebration and blessing of the marriage of Sara Jean Turner and Thomas Fount Beard, junior, was held on November 19, 2022, at six o’clock in the evening at Latrobe’s on Royal in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reverend Robert Patin officiated the double-ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Allen Turner of Vicksburg. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Joe Noe, junior, and the late Mr. Joe Noe, junior, of Clarksdale and Mrs. Homer Allen Turner and the late Mr. Homer Allen Turner of Belzoni. The groom is the son of Mr. Thomas Fount Beard, senior, of Vicksburg and Ms. Rebecca Ann Conatser of Eureka, California. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Fount Henry Beard of Vicksburg and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Carmon Conatser of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the late Mrs. Virgie Lee Conatser of Mena, Arkansas. Honorary mother and father were Dr. and Mrs. James Wesley Cook of Vicksburg. Nuptial music was provided by harpist Rachel Van Voorhees of New Orleans, Louisiana. Scripture readers were cousins of the bride, Camryn Kestenbaum of Memphis, Tennessee, and Robert Noe of Clarksdale. Escorted by her father, the bride wore the couture Max gown by Australian designer Georgia Young. The distinctive design was an ivory matte finish with corseted bodice and sculptural off-theshoulder straps. It had clean lines with modern paneling through the skirt with a fit-and-flare design. She wore a Toni Federici cathedrallength veil with embroidery and small beads. Her bouquet featured blush peonies, pink ranunculus, white and blue anemone, white

garden roses, blue tweedia, white astilbe, burgundy roses, blush spray roses, lavender lisianthus, silver dollar eucalyptus, pennycress, and an orchid cascade. Tied to her bouquet were pins and medals of her late grandfathers. Her bouquet wrap and garter were handmade from her mother’s wedding dress. The bride wore sapphire and diamond stud earrings gifted by her parents on her wedding day. Attending as matrons of honor were Clara Grace Shirley, sister of the bride, of Ridgeland and Megan Cook Vincent, sister-in-law of the bride, of Naples, Florida. They wore forest green dresses by BHLDN. The groom’s father served as best man. Groomsmaid was Ashton Lee Beard, sister of the groom, of Vicksburg. The usher was Peter Jeffrey Vincent II, brother of the bride, of Naples, Florida. Boutonnieres featured blush and blue flowers with greenery. The program attendant was Carys Turner, cousin of the bride, of Dallas, Texas. A reception was held at Latrobe’s. Tables were illuminated with candles and flower arrangements. Food tables were adorned with antique gold candelabras with flowers and greenery. The cake room featured a hanging arrangement with flowers and greenery accented with clear candle orbs. Guests were entertained by Sugar Shaker of New Orleans, Louisiana. The evening ended with a Second Line by Kinfolk Brass Band of New Orleans, Louisiana. After a honeymoon to South Africa, the couple is at home in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

TURNER

FANCHER

First Presbyterian Church • West Point • Blake McCollum Photography

Olivia Palmer Turner

& Michael Graham Fancher

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parent Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location 204 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

November 11, 2023 Dr. and Mrs. John Leander Turner IV Ms. Terry Fancher Allison Webb from Elle James Bridal The Pantry Inc., Amanda Cottingham Old Waverly Golf Club The Pantry Inc. Old Waverly Golf Club When It Really Matters – Custom Edible Art by Natali Compozitionz Brynn Chesney Hodum McCollum Made St. Lucia

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TYNER

KREIS

St. George’s Episcopal Church • Clarksdale • Staci Lewis Photography

The marriage of Anna Carson Tyner and Nicholas Kern Kreis was celebrated at half past five o’clock on June 3, 2023, at the bride’s home church, St. George’s Episcopal Church in Clarksdale. The intimate ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Charles Deaton and attended by the bride’s and groom’s family and friends. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Michael Tyner, junior, of Clarksdale. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Michael Tyner, senior, of Moon Lake, and Mr. James Carson Brents and the late Mrs. James Carson Brents of Clarksdale. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kern Kreis of Walland, Tennessee. Organ music for the ceremony was provided by Mr. Jay Westfaul of Batesville, the bride’s choirmaster. Excerpts from the Song of Solomon were read by Mrs. James Flowers Humber IV of Clarksdale. Mr. David Ogden Mullens of Clarksdale, the bride’s godfather, served as acolyte. The bride wore a simple and elegant square neck gown with a full skirt and minimal train. The V-cut back was accented with covered buttons down the length of the train, and a shoulderlength veil. Both the gown and the veil were from The Barefoot Bride in Memphis, Tennessee. She accessorized with blue kitten heels from Alohas, a vintage diamond pendant gifted by her parents, her mother’s antique diamond studs, and a vintage Whiting & Davis purse. The bridal bouquet was designed by Craig

Gaddy of Gaddy Designs in Marks. It was secured with a handkerchief belonging to Mrs. James Carson Brents, late grandmother of the bride. The bride and groom were attended by their siblings, Chloe Burns Tyner, of Clarksdale, served as maid of honor and best man was Joshua Michael Kreis of Walland, Tennessee. The maid of honor wore an emerald green floral dress from Reformation. A reception following the ceremony was held at the Travelers Hotel in downtown Clarksdale, with catering by Sasha Monty. Light jazz music was provided by Alphonso Sanders. The ceremony and reception were captured documentary-style on film and digital by Staci Lewis Photography. Sculptural ceremony and reception florals were designed and arranged by Craig Gaddy of Gaddy Designs. After the three-tiered chocolate-almond, carrot, and Italian cream cake was cut, the bride changed into a vintage beaded dress she sourced from Century Girl Vintage in New Orleans, Louisiana, on her bachelorette trip. Prior to the wedding, an engagement party was hosted at the home of Mrs. Edward Peacock Connell, senior, of Clarksdale. A bridal brunch was hosted by Mrs. David Ogden Mullens and Mrs. James Dickerson of Clarksdale. The rehearsal dinner was given by the groom’s parents at Hooker Grocer and Eatery in Clarksdale. The couple traveled to Willemstad, Curaçao for a relaxing honeymoon, and returned home to Hattiesburg and their three cats, Zander, Muffin, and Little Man. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

VARNER

HARDMAN

Merigold Methodist Church • Merigold • Delta Love Photography

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Frances Elizabeth Varner

& William Christopher Hardman

November 4, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers Varner, junior Mr. and Mrs. Louis Christopher Hardman The Bridal Path Delta Party The Warehouse Delta Party Karyn Burrus, Grapevine Cakes, Catering and Floral Sweet Annie’s Cupboard Alice Chow The Lions of Autumn Melissa Lovan Betsy Rush Delta Party St. Lucia

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

WATTS

JOHNSON

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church • Clarksdale • Morgan Newsom Photography

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Olivia Marie Watts

& Oney Shaw Johnson IV

Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Groom’s Cake Entertainment Bride’s Hair and Makeup Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location

December 16, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bernard Watts Mr. and Mrs. Shaw Johnson III Turner from Pronovias Hollywood Glamour Collection Ellen Thomas Event Design Clarksdale Country Club Oxford Floral Sasha Monty Alice Chow Detra Williamson Memphis Soul Revue The Studio Rebekah Caraway Design & Paper Sandals Grande Antigua DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

WISE

KLUTTS

The Farm at Old Edwards • Highlands, North Carolina • Aura Lake Photography

Allison Elizabeth Wise Wedding Date Bride’s Parents Groom’s Parents Wedding Gown Wedding Planner Reception Venue Floral Design Catering Wedding Cake Entertainment Videographer Invitations and Stationery Honeymoon Location 210 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

& Chadwick Jacob Klutts

July 28, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wise Mr. and Mrs. J. Earl Klutts Martina Liana from She Said Yes Bridal Tracy Fink, Weddings by Tracy The Farm at Old Edwards: Pavillion Petal and Fern WNC Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Executive Chef Chris Huerta Ingles Market and Bakery Ascension Party Band Heartline Films Webster Printing Company Africa: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOODS

DICKSON

The Alnwick Garden • Alnwick, England • Eye of the Tyne Photography

Hannah Catherine Woods

& Alexander Dimitrios Dickson

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

October 5, 2023 Mr. and Mrs. William Summers and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Woods Ms. Peggy Dickson and Mr. and Mrs. Dimitrios Dickson Martina Liana from Elle James Bridal The Alnwick Garden Wild With Love The Alnwick Garden The Master Cakesmith Arco String Quartet Wonderland Hair & Beauty by Alice Molly Chain Collectiv Positano, Italy DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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ENGAGEMENTS

Juliana Catherine Fletcher & Coleman Maddox Allen IV

Mr. and Mrs. Brice Fletcher of Forrest City, Arkansas, are pleased to announce the engagement and wedding of their daughter, Juliana (Jules) Catherine Fletcher to Coleman Maddox Allen IV, son of Mr. Coleman Maddox Allen III of Lyon, and Mrs. Lesley Ann Melton of Tunica. The bride-elect is a graduate of University of Arkansas where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing and served as a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity. Jules is currently the owner of Building Character, LLC, a marketing management and graphic design company she created to help local businesses build their brands and grow their social media presence. Jules is also a professional organizer with Overholl’d: Home Organization by Kelli Hollingsworth, where she assists in organizing homes throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The prospective groom is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and agronomy and served as a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Maddox is currently a certified crop advisor employed by Helena Agri-Enterprises throughout the counties of Tunica, Coahoma, and Tallahatchie. The couple met and developed mutual crushes on each other in middle school, though they would not officially become a couple until they returned to the Delta following their college graduations. The two were engaged on March 11, 2023, in Forrest City, Arkansas. Jules and Maddox will exchange vows on March 16, 2024, at the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

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ENGAGEMENTS

Alexandria Payne Parker & William Ashton Ouzts Mr. and Mrs. Michael Couch Parker of Drew announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexandria Payne Parker, to William Ashton Ouzts, son of Mr. Brad Ouzts and Ms. Valerie Ouzts both of Cleveland. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Judy Meeks of Senatobia, the late Mr. Willie Shaw of Holcomb, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Travis Estes “Red” Parker of Drew. Alexandria is a graduate of Mississippi Delta Community College where she received her associate degree in nursing. She is currently employed as a nephrology nurse at Fresenius Dialysis in Cleveland. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Dr. Johnny Drew Ouzts of Cleveland, Dr. and Mrs. James Preston McKeown of Cleveland, the late Ms. Betty Louise Jardine of Cleveland, and the late Manuel Paul Jardine of Rhode Island. Ashton is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the owner of Ouzts Crop Consulting. The two were engaged on September 21, 2023, at Lookout Point in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The marriage and reception will take place on October 26, 2024, at the bride’s parents’ home in Drew.

Morgan Elizabeth Parker & Landon Lewis Bagley Mr. and Mrs. Michael Couch Parker of Drew announce the engagement of their daughter, Morgan Elizabeth Parker, to Landon Lamar Bagley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jefferson Bagley of Madison. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Judy Meeks of Senatobia, the late Mr. Willie Shaw of Holcomb, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Travis Estes “Red” Parker of Drew. Morgan is a graduate of Delta State University and is a licensed insurance agent with Rusty Healy Agency in Madison. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ira Jefferson Bagley, junior, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Renon Eugene Vanlandingham, all of Houston. Landon is a graduate of Mississippi State University and works for Warren Excavation LLC in Madison. The two were engaged on November 25, 2023. The wedding and reception will take place November 23, 2024, at Sterling Hall in Canton.

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ENGAGEMENTS

Anna Grace Quinton & Tanner Wyatt Tidmore Dr. Neil Quinton and Mrs. Crystal Quinton of Oxford are proud to announce the engagement of their daughter, Anna Grace Quinton, to Tanner Wyatt Tidmore, son of Mr. and Mrs. Art Tidmore of Merigold. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Quinton of Cleveland and Ms. Patricia Coleman of Oxford. Anna Grace is a graduate of Bayou Academy and the University of Mississippi. Anna Grace is currently completing her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology at Faulkner University. The prospective groom is the grandson of the late Mr. A.C. Tidmore and Mrs. Louise Tidmore of Drew, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Wyatt of Holly Bluff. Tanner is a graduate of Bayou Academy and Mississippi State University. Tanner is currently employed as a salesman at Morgan Steel in Memphis, Tennessee. The two were engaged on August 4, 2023. The marriage will take place on May 25, 2024, at The Lyric Hotel West End, with a reception to follow at the Cleveland Country Club in Cleveland, Mississippi.

Hanna Marie Teevan & Almero Fourie Mr. and Mrs. Neil Bernard Teevan of Memphis, Tennessee, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Hanna Marie Teevan, to Almero Fourie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Francois Fourie of Kranspoort, South Africa. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Gail Hanna Koestler of Oxford, and the late Mr. William Downing Koestler and the late Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Philip Teevan of Memphis, Tennessee. Hanna is a graduate of White Station High School and the University of Mississippi, where she earned her degree in integrated marketing communications and became a member of Delta Delta Delta fraternity. She is currently employed at Visit Oxford. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Maria Magdalena Grobler and the late Mr. David Petrus Grobler, and Mrs. Johanna Fourie and the late Mr. Louis Fourie of Pretoria, South Africa. Almero attended Sol-Tech College where he studied and trained in welding. Almero is currently employed at Gen 4 Farms. The couple met in Cleveland in August 2022. Hanna visited Almero and met his family in South Africa on a whirlwind two-week holiday in January. The two were engaged July 29, 2023, at McEwen’s Oxford. The couple will exchange vows on February 24, 2024, at White Pillars in Biloxi with a reception to follow. Biloxi holds a special place in the couple’s hearts as it was their first weekend away with family, and later, where the groom asked Mr. Teevan for the bride’s hand.

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ENGAGEMENTS

Olivia Marie Watts & Oney Shaw Johnson IV Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bernard Watts of Clarksdale announce the engagement of their daughter, Olivia Marie Watts, to Oney Shaw Johnson IV, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oney Shaw Johnson III of Clarksdale. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James William Youngblood of Clarksdale and the late Mr. and Mrs. John Frank Watts. Oliva is a graduate of Mississippi State University. She is employed by KPMG accounting firm in Nashville, Tennessee. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mrs. Shirley Shelton Bennett of Oxford and Mr. Marshall Goodloe Bennett, junior, of Jackson, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Oney Shaw Johnson, junior. Shaw is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and is employed by Amwins in Nashville, Tennessee. The two were engaged on January 27, 2023. The marriage will take place on December 16, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with a reception to follow at Clarksdale Country Club in Clarksdale.

Kennedi Christine Pass & Jeremy Taylor Morgan Mr. J.D. Pass and Mrs. Brandi Pass of Brandon are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kennedi Christine Pass, to Jeremy Taylor Morgan, son of Mr. Gary Morgan and Mrs. Jennifer Morgan of Jackson. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Pulley of Huntington, Indiana, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Pass of Ardmore, Oklahoma. Kennedi is a graduate of Jackson Preparatory School and the University of Mississippi, earning her Bachelor of Arts in biology. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Following her time at Ole Miss, she earned her master’s degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is currently a first-year medical student at William Carey University in Hattiesburg. The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James Fortner of Sledge, and the late Mr. and Mrs. William Morgan of Pensacola, Florida. Jeremy is also a graduate of Jackson Preparatory School and the University of Mississippi, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. He will graduate from the University of Mississippi Medical Center with his medical degree in May 2024, pursuing a residency in internal medicine. Jeremy and Kennedi are high school sweethearts boasting a nearly decade-long relationship. The two were engaged in October 2022 in Oxford. They will exchange vows on June 8 at Fondren Church in Jackson, with a reception to follow at the Old Capitol Inn.

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FABRICS FOR every HOME CUSTOM PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, BEDDING, and CURTAINS

premierprintsinc.com MADE IN THE USA

JACKSON, MS: 601.899.8850 • GERMANTOWN, TN: 901.758.0090 216 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

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1 Tenth St. I Augusta, GA 30901 I 706-724-7501 | www.themorris.org Image credit: Joseph H. Sulkowski, Apokalupsis, 2019. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

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2023

wedding registry S Madeline Grace Alford & Christian Eden Shupe ......................164

Mary Hannah Jarman & Benjamin Tanner Whatley................186

Olivia Palmer Turner & Michael Graham Fancher................ 204

Laurel Hayden Bowen & Cody Andrew Peak ..........................165

Chatham Rayne Kennedy & Shawn Michael Hatcher ...................187

Anna Carson Tyner & Nicholas Kern Kreis .........................205

Mari Micci Bramuchi & Daniel Wager Shannon.....................166

Anne Elizabeth Kincade & Kyle Richard Janis ...........................188

Frances Elizabeth Varner & William Christopher Hardman.........206

Caroline Chilton Crawford & James Ricky Winters jr.....................167

Katherine Ann Kinney & William Clayton Martin....................189

Oliva Marie Watts & Oney Shaw Johnson IV ....................208

Anne Darrington Brock & John Madison Brooks IV ..................168

Mary Magee Leech & Avery Alan Acosta............................190

Allison Elizabeth Wise & Chadwick Jacob Klutts.....................210

Gracen Elizabeth Crowe & Christopher Harden Belvedresi.........170

Margaret Chatham Phillips & James Dalton Hodges .......................191

Ana Parker Davis & Nicolas Chantz Arbuckle..................172

Hannah Kendell Morris & Nathan Wade Killebrew ...................192

Virginia Hughes England & William Patrick DeGuenther ............174

Alexis Kathleen Nelson & Joseph Sloan Tranum III ..................194

Juliana Catherine Fletcher & Coleman Maddox Allen IV ...............212

Courtney Anna Gagliano & William Sykes Moak.........................175

Ansley Rayne Plunk & Walter Reese Pillow V ......................196

Alexandria Payne Parker & William Ashton Ouzts ......................213

Suzanne Alline Flautt & Alexander Hughes Wilson ................176

Abbey Elizabeth Rankin & Kirkland Scott Sandridge.................197

Morgan Elizabeth Parker & Landon Lewis Bagley.......................213

Ann Gray Flowers & William Stephen Hardy....................178

Anagrace Sharron Salem & Kenneth Bruce Davis III ...................198

Abbey McCulloch Goodman & William Brandon Hanks...................180

Elizabeth Chandler Swindle & William Lindsey Branton jr ..............199

Brantley Williams Hill & Andrew Thomas Pepper Carithers ...182

Mimi Abbott Sheppard & J Grady Pacifici Miller......................200

Mary Evans Ivy & Alec Bruce Byrd ...............................183

Bethany Lynn Tillman & Robert Montgomery Fuller...............202

Nettie Rainer Hines & Zachary John Watts .........................184

Sara Jean Turner & Thomas Fount Beard jr ....................203

Hannah Catherine Woods & Alexander Dimitrios Dickson ...........211

ENGAGEMENTS

Anna Grace Quinton & Tanner Wyatt Tidmore.....................214 Hanna Marie Tevan & Almero Fourie ..................................214 Olivia Marie Watts & Oney Shaw Johnson IV ....................215 Kennedi Christine Pass & Jeremy Taylor Morgan .....................215

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FOOD

Corned Beef 3 Ways

GIVE YOUR CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE A MUCH-NEEDED UPDATE with a few simple tweaks—like roasting the vegetables until crisp—that will make a big difference in this traditional Irish meal. Then, think beyond a Reuben and try these amazing appetizers to take your corned beef leftovers to the next level. BY CINDY COOPWOOD • PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA SATTERFIELD

CORNED BEEF AND GARLIC-ROASTED VEGETABLES Take your corned beef and cabbage up a notch by skipping the traditional boiling method and slow-roasting in the oven instead. 1 4-pound flat-cut corned beef with seasoning packet 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1½ teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks 1¼ pound small red potatoes halved 1 very small green cabbage, cut into wedges chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven the to 325 degrees. Set one oven rack in the middle position and another in the bottom position. Rinse the corned beef several times under running cold water to remove some of the saltiness. Place the corned beef, fat side up, in a roasting pan. Pour about ⅛-inch of water around the meat and sprinkle the contents of the seasoning packet into the water. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast on the middle rack for about 3 hours. Arrange the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage on a rimmed unlined baking sheet. (Use two baking sheets if necessary to allow space so as not to crowd vegetables.) In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Generously brush the garlic-butter

mixture over the vegetables to coat evenly. When the corned beef has roasted for about 2 hours, place the pans of vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven. Roast vegetables and continue cooking the corned beef for the remaining hour until the meat and vegetables are tender. The cabbage will brown first, so watch closely and give it a toss when the bottom pieces look golden. When ready, transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and let cool about 5 minutes. Cut off and discard the layer of fat, then slice the meat against the grain into ¼-inch slices. Arrange the meat on a platter with the roasted vegetables and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.

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REUBEN PINWHEELS If you love a Reuben sandwich, this viral recipe by Diane Morrisey is perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It has all the things—corned beef, swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and sauerkraut, but they are rolled up in puff pastry, cut into spirals, and baked until golden. Delicious with Thousand Island or homemade Russian dressing! 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or to taste 1 cup sauerkraut, squeezed to get excess water out 1 pound sliced deli corned beef 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese Everything bagel seasoning

Dust a flat work surface lightly with flour. Unroll puff pastry sheets and roll each sheet out into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over puff pastry. Cover with a layer of pastrami slices, followed by a layer of Swiss cheese. Sprinkle evenly with sauerkraut. Roll puff pastry up tightly like a jelly roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice puff pastry rolls into 1-inch slices and lay on the baking sheets. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with Everything bagel seasoning. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve with Thousand Island or Russian dressing.

RUSSIAN DRESSING More tangy than Thousand Island dressing and not as sweet as distant cousin Comeback sauce, Russian dressing is a classic combo with a Reuben sandwich. It’s also delicious as a salad dressing and with fried seafood. ½ cup mayonnaise (we love Duke’s) ½ cup sour cream ½ cup ketchup ⅓ cup dill relish 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 heaping tablespoon finely minced shallot

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup (or chili sauce), relish, horseradish, and shallot. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 4 days.

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In true Irish fashion, serve ice-cold Guinness beer with these corned beef-inspired appetizers for a flavorful St. Patrick’s Day spread!

HOT REUBEN DIP This dip is warm, melty, and delicious—whether you love Reuben sandwiches or not! Best of all, it can be made in the oven or your slow cooker. 8 ¼ ¼ 1 1¼ ½ ½ 2 ½ ¼

ounce cream cheese, softened cup mayonnaise cup Thousand Island dressing cup corned beef chopped cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry teaspoon Worcestershire sauce tablespoons chopped fresh parsley teaspoon salt teaspoon black pepper

Mix softened cream cheese and dressing in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve warm with crackers or chips. May be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Tip: To keep warm and serve from a slow cooker, mix it directly in the crock and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours.

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Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day From apps to drinks to dessert, get your Irish on with these verdant recipes for St. Patrick’s Day!

KEY-LIME TARTS Generously topped with bright green citrus curls and lime zest, try this simple hack for a beautiful dessert for any spring event. 1 large, ready-made Key Lime pie 2 cups sweetened whipped cream fresh lime zest and twists for garnish

Spray a 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter of your choice, depending on your desired serving size. Press the cutter into the pie and twist gently to cut out tarts. Gently remove tart from cutter and place on serving dish. Re-spray cutter between uses if needed. The size of your pie and your cutter will determine how many servings you can get from each pie, most will make 4 to 6. If the pie has whipped topping on it simply spread over pie in a thin layer before cutting. To serve, add additional whipped cream to each tart and generously garnish with lime zest and twists. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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SPRING PEAS AND ASPARAGUS Gorgeous and green, this dish could not be simpler to prepare and is bursting with the flavors of the season. ¼ cup finely chopped shallots 3 tablespoons butter 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 10-ounce frozen peas, thawed or fresh peas, shelled ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¾ cup rough chopped basil leaves

Saute’ shallots in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just tender. Stir in asparagus, peas, salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; place cover on skillet. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender but still somewhat firm, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste. May be served warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

MASHED PEA CROSTINI Impress your guests with this colorful and unexpected riff on hummus. 1 ¼ 3 2 2 1 1 ¼

garlic clove, roughly chopped cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for toast cups frozen peas, thawed tablespoons chopped fresh chives tablespoon grated lemon peel, divided tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 baguette slices, toasted and drizzled with oil

In a small saucepan, combine garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon 224 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

oil, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup water. Add peas and cook over medium heat until peas are tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash mixture until it is the desired consistency. Mix in chives, ½ tablespoon lemon peel, lemon juice, pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in the reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls until mixture is still thick but spreadable. Season with salt, black pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. Spread crostini with mixture. Sprinkle with remaining lemon peel and more pepper. Drizzle with extra olive oil to finish. Makes 6 servings.

GRASSHOPPER COCKTAIL The Grasshopper may be old-fashioned, but it never goes out of style—and it’s just right for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations or any spring gathering. ⅓ cup creme de menthe ⅓ cup creme de cacao 10 to 15 ice cubes 4 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream

In a large blender, combine liqueurs, ice, and half of the ice cream. Pulse until well blended. Add remaining ice cream and pulse until creamy. When ready to serve, scoop (pour, if freshly made) into four glasses and top with another small dash of creme de menthe. Garnish with a sprig of mint and chocolate shavings. Enjoy!

Tip: Make several batches, store in a Tupperware container, and keep frozen for several weeks until ready to serve. Thaw slightly to scoop out for a tasty frozen dessert cocktail!

LIME SHERBET FIZZ What can we say? This is like a grown-up version of a Coke float—but prettier! It’s a refreshing, creamy springtime treat. Champagne coups or your favorite cocktail glass Scoops of lime sherbet Chilled Prosecco or Champagne

Place a scoop of sherbet into a champagne coup and top with your favorite bubbly. Enjoy! DM

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HISTORY

Dear Mr.French... An Indianola man’s mission to send news from home to World War II soldiers around the world

BY MARILYN TINNIN • PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

uthor Marie Hemphill’s 1980 comprehensive history of Sunﬂower County, Fevers, Floods, and Faith, describes the “something special” that sets the Delta apart. She attributed its uniqueness to a “rare

quality involving the soul of its people—their generosity, their friendliness, their willingness to accommodate, and a never-failing optimism that can survive such problems as ﬂoods, droughts, labor shortages, high taxes, and crop failures.” Marie was my mother, and I was privy to many conversations she and my father had during the ﬁve years she spent researching and writing her book. A name she often mentioned was Willie French, an Indianola leader who had been something of a mentor

226 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

to her through the years. Frequently called “the dean of local history,” Mr. French had also dreamed of writing a history of Sunﬂower County. He spent decades exploring musty courthouse records, traversing forgotten paths around the

W.R. French indexed everything he could find about Sunflower County and kept it in scrapbooks anticipating the day he would write the history of Sunflower County.

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the opening paragraphs of her book. For nearly sixty years, Willie French was one of the Delta’s most prominent movers and shakers and his name is attached to nearly every worthy civic cause from those years. Whether a goal was building a bridge across the mighty Mississippi between Greenville and Arkansas, securing funds for capital improvements in Indianola public schools, rallying support for a superb city library, bringing to fruition any project for the First Baptist Church, or overseeing the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors, Willie French was essential in getting the task accomplished. However, Mr. French’s most selfless act was encouraging those Sunflower Countians— members of the Greatest Generation—who served in the United States military during World War II. For 236 consecutive weeks, his four-page The letters and the memorabilia Mr. French’s “boys” shared with him during their mimeographed newsletter, “Spoke and Page,” deployment all over the world fill seven scrapbooks in the French Collection at the Henry kept over 500 men and women around the globe informed of news from home. Although some M. Seymour Library. kind citizens frequently contributed to the effort, helping with postage or paper expenses, the editor’s unbending rule Sunflower River, collecting ancient letters and timeless artifacts that was that he would never solicit funds, nor would he accept a nickel had survived Mother Nature’s unpredictable events often visited upon from the families of his subscribers, to whom he repeatedly referred the area’s determined residents. Mr. French’s papers were invaluable as “my boys.” to my mother, and upon publishing, she dedicated her finished 850William Richardson French was not a Deltan by birth. He was a page masterpiece to him. Jackson, Tennessee, native who came to Indianola in 1904 as a His life epitomized that generous spirit my mother described in twenty-one-year-old fresh out of business college. French took a cashier’s position at The Bank of Indianola, one of the area’s four banks that failed during the Great Depression. The incorporated town of Indianola was barely past its infancy in 1904, but historical records reveal an enthusiastic civic spirit and an impressive esprit de corps. The city was inhabited by “doers” and “givers,” with a shared sense of calling to create a welcoming town primed for industry, business, education, and cultural growth. Willie French fit right in with those optimistic visionaries who inhabited

Many newspapers carried stories about French’s newsletter and the impact it had on the morale of the hometown military men and women. Jackson Daily News ran this lengthy story in anticipation of the French’s European trip which never happened. 228 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Grateful servicemen sent French their patches and badges as tokens of their appreciation. He had them all embroidered into this afghan. It now resides at the Henry M. Seymour Library in Indianola.

the flatlands of the day. He embraced Indianola, and Indianola embraced him. Right away, he became a member of the First Baptist Church. At the time, the congregation met in a small frame structure that was eventually replaced by an impressive neo-classical red brick building. Mr. French would serve as the finance chairman when the time came to initiate a building program. He had been in his new hometown only a short time when he became smitten with one of Indianola’s most prominent young ladies, a recent graduate of Blue Mountain College. Miss Estelle Carothers’s family was active in the blossoming civic life of Indianola, with her father, W.H. Carothers, serving more than one term as mayor. In that day, the term “serving” was literal. Salaries were minute, and the word “public servant” meant precisely that. The young couple was married in the First Baptist Church on March 22, 1906, and moved right down the street into the sprawling Victorian Carothers family home at 207 East Percy Street. They would live there for the rest of their lives, raising two sons, and taking in countless boarders over the years. Several outstanding business leaders began their lives in the Indianola community as residents of what Mr. French called “The French Peabody,” a humorous nod to Memphis’s grand hotel. Mr. French left his position at the bank to enter the insurance business in 1912. In those initial Indianola years, he found himself saying “yes” to serving on countless boards in Indianola and across the Delta. It is not surprising that politics eventually came into the mix! He was elected to the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors in 1926 and was re-elected eight times, serving as board president for thirty of those years. During his tenure, made it his mission to create a thriving network of roads through the primitive patchwork of dust or mud depending on the weather. The Mississippi Association of Supervisors also chose Mr. French four times as their president. As president of the U.S. Highway 82 and Bridge Association, he

French kept every piece of correspondence he received from the men and women in service. Their letters, in beautiful flowing script, fill many of the scrapbooks preserved in the library, telling a side of the war no history books could ever convey.

headed up a distinguished committee of fellow leaders who recognized the value of a bridge linking Highway 82 at Greenville to Lake Village, Arkansas. The bridge opened in 1937 with patriotic fanfare and celebration, making Highway 82 a major thoroughfare of signiﬁcant commerce ever after. And then came World War II. As my mother wrote in her chapter on “Sunﬂower County at War,” “Practically every phase of living seemed to revolve around the war. Patriotism was high, and

Above: The bill of sale for the new Dodge sedan the grateful veterans gave to Mr. French in January, 1946. The whopping sum of $1699 was collected, largely as $1 and $2 donations, from the boys themselves. Right: Arthur Clark, a long time representative in the Mississippi legislature presented French with the keys and title to his new car. Looking on are a few of Mr. French’s “boys.” Left to right, Jimmy Spencer, Posey Brown, Curtis Buchanan, and Hollis Rogers. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Estelle and Willie French celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in 1956.

The big Victorian Carothers-French house still stands regal and well-kept on the corner of Heathman Avenue and Percy Street in Indianola.

U.S. Senator Jim Eastland discuss Sunflower County priorities in the early 1950’s.

everybody wanted to help in some way. There was speculation as to what serious emergencies might arise as a result of the country’s participation in the hostilities, and Civil Defense, which was headed in Sunflower County by Supervisor W.R. French, became an important matter” (Hemphill 1980, 708). The Draft Board offices in Indianola, Ruleville, and Moorhead were bustling. Men between the ages of eighteen and thirtyseven were heading off to active duty. So many Delta recruits who had rarely been more than fifty miles from home in their lifetimes were called to hard-to-pronounce places all over the globe. The soldiers’ morale was uppermost in the minds of the folks back home. Indianola’s Rotary Club was already W.R. French and his soon-to-be- publishing a weekly newsletter, “The Spoke,” bride, Estelle, pictured in their and W.R. French just happened to be the courting days around 1905.

French had two sons who served in the military in WWII. He is pictured here with his eldest son, “Snookie.” 230 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

A letter from a local soldier stationed at Camp Barkeley in Texas clearly demonstrates his deep appreciation for the Spoke and Page. “Dear Mr. French, I have been intending to write you for a long time, but I don’t have much time down here at O.C.S. I have been receiving the S and P regularly, and it really helps a lot. Even though I don’t have much spare time, I always find time to read the S and P as soon as I receive it. It is really a big morale booster.”

editor in late 1941. Several Rotarians, who, like Mr. French, were too old for the draft, suggested the club organize a letter-writing project to see that every Sunflower County service member received news and thanks from home. Mr. French took that idea and ran with it. He expanded “The Spoke” to include a column of his own called “My Page,” and he made a concerted effort to pack it with humor, news from those in the military, local news of weddings, births, sports scores, and folksy stories of familiar places and colorful townspeople in quasi-vignettes. Within six months of the “Spoke and Page’s” first issue, Mr. French wrote, “This week’s edition of the “Spoke” is being mailed to boys in twenty-three different states, four foreign countries, and one ship at sea.” By the end of the war, the “Spoke and Page” had made its way to thirty-six states, Africa, Trinidad, Bermuda, Alaska, New Guinea, Fiji Islands, England, Panama, Guadalcanal, Hawaii, twenty boys at sea, and fifty-three soldiers with A.P.O. addresses via San Francisco and New York City. (French scrapbooks—newspaper clipping) After the war, when Jackson Daily News reporter Harold Turnage interviewed Mr. French for a lengthy feature, Mr. French explained, “Well, I was writing to my own two boys in service and using a carbon copy for one of them because I was telling them both the same thing when I decided, ‘why not just send a copy to all the boys from the county who were in the service?’” (February 10, 1946— Jackson Daily News clipping—French scrapbook) By the war’s end, Mr. French had sent out 748,800 copies of his newsletter. Letters, postcards, Christmas cards, and interesting gifts frequently made their way to Mr. French’s mailbox in return. Grateful service men and women faithfully kept Mr. French up to date on their whereabouts. To be included in his weekly newsletter meant that friends could keep up with friends. He preserved every piece of mail from “his boys,” filling nine scrapbooks with over five thousand pieces of correspondence. Those scrapbooks reside now at the Henry M. Seymour Library in Indianola in a special archives room in a section called “The French Papers.” Fragile as they age, it is moving to read their newsy epistles and see their signatures. Many are men I recall from my growing up years in Indianola, and some names I recognize as legends who lost their lives in combat. There is something almost holy in reading these letters and realizing the writers were still young, but they demonstrated courage and every good virtue in circumstances of enormous danger. W.R. French was their hero. News of Mr. French’s “Spoke and Page” traveled by word of mouth everywhere. Articles on W.R. French’s unique way of boosting morale for his county service members appeared in newspapers in Birmingham, New Orleans, and Memphis. Rotary clubs across the country made mention of Indianola, Mississippi’s, newsletter to the boys on the front. The boys’ frequently sent souvenir tokens to Mr. French including grass skirts from Hawaii, a headhunter’s knife from Fiji, a Gurkha battle knife from India, and a hand-carved ivory letter opener from Burma. Almost every “Spoke and Page” subscriber sent service emblems which Mr. French displayed on a specially made afghan. The four hundred symbols, each one worn by one of “his boys” represent all branches of the military, several rare ones such as the 20th Air Force and the Atomic Bomb force that raided Japan. The afghan offers an awe-inspiring glimpse of how far and wide the “Spoke and Page” traveled in those war years. The fortunate soldiers who returned from their distant posts in

Barbara French Hughes, Mr. French’s only granddaughter, is the keeper of his personal scrapbooks. She recently introduced a few of his greatgreat-grandsons to French’s beloved Indianola. Left to right, Barbara French Hughes, Harry McHenry, William McHenry, and Hughes McHenry, all of Jackson.

1945 wanted to do something tangible to show Willie French how much his weekly news had meant to them while far from home. Their first thought was to give him and Mrs. French a trip to Europe so that he could see all the places he had only read about in the letters “his boys” had sent him. The sum of $1700 came in quickly, mostly in one or two-dollar contributions. After the Frenches’ initial excitement over the prospect of a trip abroad, the advice came back from those in the know that world conditions were not stable enough to embark on a European holiday. There was yet much healing and rebuilding to take place. It might be years before that trip could happen. The “boys” who were eager to honor their chief encourager, W.R. French, made a quick pivot. In a public presentation on the front lawn of the Indianola Courthouse, a committee of “his boys” presented him with a brand-new Dodge sedan complete with all the bells and whistles of the day. An adoring crowd of citizens were on hand to applaud. Mr. French drove that car proudly for at least twenty years, a reminder of his particular contribution to the war effort and the strong cords of love and respect that would remain forever between him and “his boys.” DM Photography of documents and memoribilia: The W. R. French collection; photography by Johnny Jennings, Sunflower County History Room and Archives, Sunflower County Library System, Indianola, Mississippi. DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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EVENTS

Mrs. Doubtfire, March 12–13

We Them Ones Comedy Tour, March 1

Steven Curtis Chapman, March 3

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO DO March 1

Southaven

March 4

We Them Ones Comedy Tour

Run Thru History

Landers Center landerscenter.com

Vicksburg National Military Park nps.gov

Vicksburg Golden Girls, March 17 and 28

March 8, 6:30 pm March 1, 8 pm

Memphis

March 4

Rumours ATL: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute

Pickin’ on the Porch

Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

Levee Street Marketplace visitvicksburg.com

Vicksburg

Museum of Science & History moshmemphis.com

March 8–24 March 1–2

Southaven

March 5, 2 pm

Mid-South Military & Civil War Show

Bridal Open House

Landers Center landerscenter.com

Southern Cultural Heritage Center southernculture.org

Vicksburg

Tunica

March 5

Bruce Bruce

Disney Princess – The Concert

Fitz Casino & Hotel fitzgeraldstunica.com

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Vicksburg

Gold in the Hills Parkside Playhouse e-vtg.com

March 9 March 1–2

Memphis

Science of Wine

Cleveland

Memphis

The Blue Jeans Ball Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

March 9, 7:30 pm

Jackson

Black Girl Therapy

Foreigner

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Concert Alluvial Soundscapes

Halloran Centre orpheum-memphis.com

Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

March 2

March 2, 10 a.m.

Memphis

Jackson

March 5

March 7

Cleveland

Jackson

March 9–10

Fossil Road Show

Spring Farm Days

Brick Fest Live

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum msagmuseum.org

Jackson Convention Complex jacksonconventioncomplex.com

March 2, 6 pm

March 7–10

March 9–10

Jackson

Southaven

JXN Food & Wine Festival

Disney on Ice: Find Your Hero

Mississippi Anime Fest

MS Museum of Art Art Garden jxnfoodandwine.com

Landers Center landerscenter.com

Ms Trademart visitjackson.com

March 3

Cleveland

March 8

Memphis

March 11–16

Anne-Gaëlle Ravetto

Brandon Lake – Tear Off the Roof Tour

Vicksburg’s Classic ‘Sip Fest

Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Various Locations visitvicksburg.com

March 3, 7:30

Memphis

March 8, 9 a.m.

Jackson

March 12–13

Steven Curtis Chapman

Science Makers

Mrs. Doubtfire

Graceland Soundstage graceland.com

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

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Jackson

Vicksburg

Memphis

March 13, 10 a.m.

Jackson

Pollinator Day Mississippi Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com/museum

March 14

Memphis

Memphis Songwriters Series Halloran Centre orpheum-memphis.com

March 15

Memphis

Extreme & Living Colour

March 16–17

Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

GTKC of MS Dog Show

Sunset Concert

Mississippi Horse Park mshorsepark.com

Vicksburg Convention Center vicksburgconventioncenter.com

March 15

Memphis

Starkville

March 22

Vicksburg

WWE: Friday Night Smackdown

March 17, 7 pm

Fedex Forum fedexforum.com

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue

One Hallelujah

Thalia Mara Hall jacksonbroadway.com

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

March 15, 7:30 pm

Oxford

Jackson

March 23

Memphis

Lafayette County PRCA Rodeo

March 21

Lafayette County Multipurpose Arena oxfordarts.com

Travis Tritt

Viking Half Marathon 10k & 5k

Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Historic Cotton Row District vikinghalfmarathon.raceroster.com

March 16

Memphis

Cleveland

March 23

Greenwood

Jeffrey Osborne and Peabo Bryson

March 21–24

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts thecannoncenter.com

Oxford Film Festival

Arthur Trace – The Artful Deceiver

Various Locations ox-film.com

Halloran Centre orpheum-memphis.com

March 16, 2 pm

Memphis

Oxford

March 23

Memphis

Silky’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade

March 22

Silky O’Sullivan’s silkyosullivans.com

WinterJam

A.J. Croce

Landers Center landerscenter.com

Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

Southaven

March 23

Memphis

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March 29–30

Memphis

Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

March 30

Memphis

April 11–14

Juke Joint Festival

April 12–14

Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum msagmuseum.org

Annual Pilgrimage Tour

Memphis

April 13

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts thecannoncenter.com

Cody Johnson

March 23, 10 a.m.

Southaven

Oxford

April 13, 9 a.m.

Center for the Study of Southern Culture oxfordconferenceforthebook.com

Naturefest!

April 3–21

Silo Square silosquarems.com

Wicked

April 13, 2 p.m.

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Harlem Globetrotters

Jackson

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science mdwfp.com

Silo Square Arts Festival

March 23, 1 p.m.

Memphis

FedEx Forum fedexforum.com

Oxford Conference for the Book

Memphis

Holly Springs

Holly Springs Garden Club hollyspringspilgrimage.com

Home Free

April 3–5

Clarksdale

Downtown Clarksdale jukejointfestival.com

Easter at the Ag Museum

April 2

Theo Von, March 26–27

The District at Eastover stewpot.org

Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

Jackson

Taste of Mississippi Benefitting Stewpot Community Services

Dave Mason

March 30, 10 a.m.

Kountry Wayne, March 24

April 8, 7 p.m.

Southaven

Landers Center landerscenter.com

41st Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade & Festival

April 5, 7:30 p.m.

Downtown Jackson halsstpaddysparade.com

Riley Green

April 13, 7:30 p.m.

BankPlus Amphitheater bankplusamphitheater.com

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Concert Ultimate Fusion

March 23, 7 p.m.

Southaven

ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd

April 5–6

Landers Center landerscenter.com

Grind City Music Festival

March 23–24

Starkville

Southaven

Memphis

Grind City Brewing Co grindcitybrew.com

Travis Outlaw Center starkvilleparks.org

Crosstie Arts and Jazz Festival

Cleveland

Court House Lawn crosstiefestival.com

Jackson

World Ballet Series: Swan Lake

April 6

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

48th Annual World Catfish Festival Jackson

Cat Head Blues and Folk Art jukejointfestival.com

April 15, 7 p.m.

Kountry Wayne

March 26–27

Clarksdale

Cat Head Mini Blues Fest

April 6

Memphis

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

April 14

Starkville Guns, Knives, & Ammo Show

March 24

Jackson

Belzoni

Downtown Belzoni catfishcapitol.com

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

April 19, 7:30 p.m.

Jackson

Moonlight, Music & Meteors

Theo Von

April 6

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

Wheels & Wings Fest

Lefleur’s Bluff Education and T Tourism Complex mdwfp.com

Olive Branch City Park desotodreamcenter.org

April 19-20

March 27

Memphis

Olive Branch

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance

April 6, 8 p.m.

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

Memphis Comedy Festival

Landers Center landerscenter.com

April 19–21

March 28

Memphis

Golden Girls – The Laughs Continue

April 8

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

J. Cole & Lil Durk

March 29

Memphis

April 6–June 23

Graceland Soundstage gracelandlive.com

Thank You Please Come Again Mississippi Museum of Art msmuseumart.org

Memphis

Ballet Memphis Presents American Roots Crosstown Theatre balletmemphis.org

FedEx Forum fedexforum.com

Ari Shaffir

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Southaven

Extraordinary Women Conference 2024

Jackson

April 20

Melissa Etheridge Gold Strike Casino goldstrike.com

Tunica

April 20, 7:30 a.m.

Cleveland

April 24–28

Starkville

April 27

Memphis

Downtown Historic Cleveland

“Pippin” Presented by Theatre MSU

KEM

Run4Zoe 5K and 1 mile Jerry Can Race zoemeanslife.org/run4zoe

McComas Theatre msstate.edu

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

April 20, 9 a.m.

April 25

Hernando

Greenville

April 27

Olive Branch

DeSoto Arts Council Spring Arts Fest

Inherit the Wind

7th Annual Brewfest

DeSoto Arts Council desotoartscouncil.com

Delta Center Stage deltastage.com

Mississippi Alehouse & Brew Pub mississippialehouse.com

April 20, 6 p.m.

Hernando

April 25

Memphis

20th Annual Mudbug Bash

Celtic Woman – 20th Anniversary Tour

Panola St. Courtyard palmerhome.org

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

April 20–September 22

Jackson

April 25, 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland

April 27

Jackson

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Concert Vibrant Echoes Woodworth Chapel Tougaloo College msorchestra.com

What Became of Dr. Smith

LeAnn Rimes

April 27, 11 a.m.

Mississippi Museum of Art msmuseumart.org

Bologna Performing Arts Center bolognapac.com

Overton Square Crawfish Festival

April 21, 3 p.m.

Jackson

Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Symphony in the Community Concert Cade Chapel MB Church cadechapel.org

April 23–27 Snowden Grove Park southaven.org

Brit Floyd P-U-L-S-E Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

April 28

BankPlus Amphitheater bankplusamphitheater.com

Rain – A Tribute to the Beatles Jackson

April 30

Thalia Mara Hall operams.org

Shen Yun Oxford

Memphis

Orpheum Theatre orpheum-memphis.com

The Magic Flute

April 26–27 Memphis

Southaven

Overton Square overtonsquare.com

Hozier – Unreal Unearth 2024 Tour

April 26, 7 p.m. Southaven

44th Annual Springfest

April 24

April 25, 8 p.m.

Memphis

Jackson

Thalia Mara Hall thaliamarahall.net

Double Decker Arts Festival The Square doubledeckerfestival.com

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mcmmeridian.org 403 22nd Ave. Meridian, MS 238 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

LITERARY EVENTS Maurice Carlos Ruffin with Jamey Hatley

The American Daughters March 1, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis Ben Wynne

A Hound Dog Tale: Big Mama, Elvis, and the Song That Changed Everything March 2, 12 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Emyo

Light + Life March 5, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis Gerry Wilson

That Pinson Girl March 7, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Beto O’Rourke

We’ve Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible March 8, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford March 9, 2 pm: Novel, Memphis Di Rushing

The Delta in the Rearview Mirror: The Life and Death of Mississippi’s First Winery March 9, 4 pm: Wetherbee House, Greenville March 14, 5 pm: Lemuria Books, Jackson Anna Marie Valentine

Simply Begin March 30, 5 pm: Lemuria Books Jackson Shelia Sundar

Habitations April 2, 5:30 pm: Off Square Books, Oxford Lora Chilton

1666: A Novel April 9, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis Sara Koffi

While We Were Burning April 16, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis Hampton Sides

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and The Fateful Voyage of Captain James Cook April 18, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis Clare Mackintosh w/ MJ Wassmer

A Game of Lies & I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This April 24, 6 pm: Novel, Memphis

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TRAVEL

Spring Historic Home Tours MISSISSIPPI’S SPRING HISTORIC HOME TOURS will soon be underway in many towns across the state. A historic tour is a journey into the past to experience the architecture, works of art, and lifestyle of times long gone by. Many towns also offer additional

festivals and educational demonstrations that explain the craftsmanship, culture, and history of the day. Not just for history and architecture buffs, book a tour for the whole family in one of our historic towns to explore and learn more about our past.

Holly Springs Holly Springs would like to extend a warm invitation to all visitors as we open our lovely and historic town for its annual Pilgrimage April 11–14, 2024. The festivities begin on April 11 with the Unity Bank Montrose Classic Golf Tournament at Kirkwood National Golf Club, followed by a Nineteen-Hole BBQ open to golfers and non-golfers alike. The opening ceremony of Pilgrimage will take place on Friday morning to launch the 2024 Bank of Holly Springs Tour of Historic Homes, Museums, and Churches. Throughout the weekend, delightful luncheons will be held at the Holly Springs Train Depot. Artists, artisans, and authors will be featured on the grounds of the beautiful Montrose Mansion. Educational walking tours will wind through Hillcrest cemetery, where costumed actors portray several notable “residents.” Visitors will have the rare opportunity to enjoy a recital of beautiful music flowing from an enormous early 1800’s organ. Visitors may also enjoy a complimentary mint julep upon arrival at “Mint Juleps at Montrose.” As a selection of beverages and food are served, visitors may mingle with historical characters and listen to period musical selections. The brave-hearted may even delight in an evening ghost tour at Hillcrest Cemetery.

The weekend will close with two fabulous events, a Southern Sunday Brunch—with a touch of Nola Jazz at Montrose—and a museum and gallery crawl through College Avenue. During the “College Avenue Crawl,” visitors can walk at their own leisurely pace to enjoy beverages and refreshments at each gallery and museum on the street. They will also hear the history of many homes as shared by enthusiastic, knowledgeable guides. Emily Eubanks; 662.544.3254 hollyspringsgardenclub.com; Facebook: @hollyspringsgardenclub

Columbus The Historic Home Tours Spring Pilgrimage of Columbus celebrates a town steeped in history, tradition, and hospitality. The town embodies the same small-town gothic elements found in stories written by Mississippi’s own Faulkner, Williams, and Welty. Founded in 1821 as a river town, Columbus attracted adventurers and planters determined to find their fortunes. Cotton crops from the famed Black Belt Prairie were shipped down the Tombigbee River each winter. The sale of those crops financed the building of mansions and townhouses that still line the streets of Columbus today. Most of these architectural gems serve as their owners’ primary residences, having been lovingly restored and preserved. Exquisite examples of Federalist, Greek, Gothic Revival, and Italianate-style houses adorn the landscape of this town. Spared from the destruction of so many Southern towns near the end of the Civil War, Columbus and its beautiful homes present a time capsule of the varied architecture of that era. The Historic Home Tours Spring Pilgrimage (April 2–13) presents a rare opportunity for visitors to experience the unique antebellum architecture and hospitality of Columbus, a small Southern town in northeast Mississippi on the Black Belt Prairie. Rachel George; 662.848.3484; Website and Tickets: historichomes.tours Facebook:@historichometoursofcolumbusmississippi 240 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Natchez Experience the enchanting allure of the American South at the Natchez Pilgrimage Tours 2024 Spring Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Pilgrimage Garden Club, an event that promises to transport visitors back in time. From March 9 to April 9, immerse yourself in the rich history, natural beauty, and captivating culture of Natchez. Embark on a journey through time as you explore the meticulously preserved historic homes, estates, and gardens that span over one hundred years of architectural splendor. From elegant eighteenthcentury founders’ homes to ornate nineteenth-century mansions, each property tells a unique story of the city’s storied past. Be transported to a bygone era as knowledgeable guides regale you with tales of the families who once called these stately residences home. In addition to the captivating house tours, the Spring Pilgrimage offers a variety of special events. From lively musical performances to informative lectures and workshops, every visitor can find something to enjoy. Delight your taste buds with authentic Southern cuisine at the many local restaurants and browse unique crafts, antiques, and souvenirs in the walkable downtown historic district. At the end of the day, relax and take in a magnificent sunset on 200-foot bluffs overlooking Old Man River himself. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic of the Natchez

Pilgrimage Tours 2024 Spring Pilgrimage. Book your tickets now and prepare to be swept away by the charm and beauty of this historic Southern gem. Book your tickets online or call for information. Natchez Pilgrimage Tours; 601.653.0919 @natchezpilgrimage.com; Facebook: @natchezpilgrimagetours

Carrollton Exploring the town of Carrollton, in Carroll County, is like stepping back in time. A remarkably well-preserved example of a prosperous 1900s rural county seat and trading center, Carrollton is the home of award-winning Mississippi author the late Elizabeth Spencer and was just what CBS was looking for when scouting locations for the 1968 movie The Reivers starring Steve McQueen, Rupert Crosse, and Mitch Vogel. Viewers who stream the movie today and then visit Carrollton will recognize many of the locations featured in the film. The town’s quintessential charm is a big draw for the annual Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival. Each year, five historic homes, four churches, and other prominent buildings are open for visitors. A walking tour highlights the varied architectural styles of twenty-six sites representing private and public architecture. The “Walking Tour of Carrollton” is found in the App Store and on Google Play. In addition to these activities, the Merrill Museum features exhibits with Native American artifacts, movie memorabilia, and Carroll County musicians, just to name a few. Two of the newest exhibits are interactive, highlighting the music of early bluesman Mississippi John Hurt and the King of Rockabilly, Mack Allen Smith.

Make plans now to be part of this exciting weekend October 4–5, 2024. Find more about the event online and on Facebook. Pamela Lee, 662.392.4810, visitcarrolltonms.com Facebook: @carrolltonpilgrimageandpioneerdayfestival DM DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Keith Fulcher, Ann Lamar, Patrick Willis, Stacye Trout, Natasha and Scott Hollis

Liz and Michael Bellipanni

Rev. Willie and Renee Williams

Ana and Jason Banks

Kit Teeter and Wendy Almon

Alan Salt, Patrick Willis and Dr. Sarah Crain

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The 24th Annual Crystal Ball Gala sponsored by the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi on January 20 at The Arena in Southaven

Chelsea Shepherd, Jana Thompson, Rayanne Kent Hollis and Natasha Hollis

Dr. Stephen Joe, Patrick Willis and Helen Joe

Katie Culbreth and Karen Mitchell

Jeremy and Meredith Park

Jill Lamar, Patrick Willis and Representative Trey Lamar

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Amanda Quinn and Jesse Anne Lipscomb

Denson Hollis, Patrick Willis and Scott Hollis

Chelsea Shepherd and Bryan Johnson

Leigh Pegram Myers, Patrick Willis and Billy Myers

Will Brown, Karis Chambliss and Davis Jackson

Dwight Mosley and Sheriff Thomas Tuggle

Rhea WIlliams Bishop and Patrick Willis

Ashley Pollan, Helen Joe, Alicia Spencer, Lauren Golden, Linda Worsham and Stephanie Williams

Curt and Alicia Spencer

Sandy Lipscomb, Patrick Willis and Mat Lipscomb DELTA MAGAZINE 2024

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Johnnie Smith

Don Conger and Ron Koehler

Don and Nancy Joe

Blake U'Ren and Pierre Lau

Euphus Ruth, Pat Brown and Dave Alford

Camille Walton and Bib Belenchia 244 | MARCH/APRIL 2024

Opening Reception on February 9 at The Ellis Gallery in Cleveland showcasing the work of Johnnie L. Smith

Chastity Burns, Rosie Wright and Caliceya Burns

Debbie Powell with Marsha and David Walt

Bill, Debbie, Ben and Lauren Powell

Amanda and Jill Mahaffey

Hilda Povall, Anne Koonce, Pat Farr and Lee Aylward

Chiquikta Fountain and Mattie Vinson

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Mississippi River Marathon & Half Marathon on February 3 beginning in Lake Village and crossing the finish line in Greenville

Mac Hamilton, 1st Place Men Half Marathon

Jamie Murrell and Holly Wade

Campbell Jenkins, Eva Wade, Maggie Birdsall, Mary Nelson and Mia Carter

Mary and Charles Hardy

Lea Margaret Hamilton, Karen Kelly and Chris Hamilton

Milton Lubin and Catherine Copell

Avery Doolittle, Lawton Poole and Maggie Wade

Mia and Will Branton

Janet and Nathan Benzing

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St. Elizabeth Catholic School’s 24th Annual Mardi Gras Draw Down Fundraiser on February 9 at Hopson Hospitality in Clarksdale

Ashley Freeman, Kristy Presley, Cassie Ruscoe, Taylor Armstrong, Rachel Ware, Anna Claire Luster and Sarah Talley

Joyous Sbravati and Shaun Leigh Freeman

Taylor and Bo Armstrong

Daniel and Mari Micci Shannon

Val Agostinelli and Wendy Hood

John Andrew Agostinelli and Teresa Camponova

Patsy and Donald Malatesta

John Andrew Agostinelli, Jarett Coats, Chase Middleton and Joseph Noe

Rachel Ware and Cassie Ruscoe

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Leslie Dooley and Ashley Freeman

Taylor Armstrong, Cassie Ruscoe, Kristy Presley, Ashley Freeman, Mileah Williams and Rachel Ware

Katherine Willis, John Andrew Agostinelli, Ryan Willis, Gabby Martinez, Beau Ryals, Jarett Coats and Nancy Flowers

Shaun Leigh Freeman

and

Keith

Tommy Walton

and

Bridgette

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers

Anna Tyner and Lisa Melton at the Orpheum in Memphis for the recent production of Les Miserables

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John Alden Meade, Mimi Dossett, Mary Helen and Rogers Varner and Bill Dossett in New Orleans

Janice Fitzgerald, Eleanor Braswell, Kimme Hargrove and Pryor Lott Hackleman

Tracey Bell, Aslan Buckner and Gracie Kovac in Breckenridge, Colorado

Tony Clay, Anna Margaret and Kaylynn Marley in New York City

Merry Anne Jones, Sue Seratt, Eloise Smith, Patricia Coward and Janelie Johnson

Duane and Stephanie Case in New Orleans

Rhonda Bagby, Kim Buehring, Susan Morgan and Lisa Cooley enjoying Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Rhodes and Rhett Shaffett in Cabo San Lucas

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Thefinalword

Thumbing a Ride M

Jim Pullen is a native of Indianola and has been a Dallas resident for over forty-five years. Now retired from a varied career that included stints with JC Penney, Federal Express, and Amazon, Jim has been married to his wife, Alison, for fortyone years. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

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y childhood days growing up in Indianola in the ‘60s were a perfect slice of American life in the South, full of escapades shared with friends whom I treasure to this day. The memories still bring a smile to my face, and although we came through it mostly unscathed, sometimes I’m still surprised we survived it all. One of my favorite memories involved my friend Art Dempsey, a co-conspirator of the best sort, with whom many shenanigans were planned and executed. Since the moment we first met in the ninth grade, Art and I have been fast friends. We have been on many “adventures” over the years. One favorite activity in which we often found ourselves engaged was hitchhiking. Thumbing a ride came in handy whenever we wanted to go someplace but had no automobile available—which seems unimaginable today! One day, when our Indianola Indians baseball team was playing in a regional playoff in Clarksdale, we had no ride. But, we were not to be denied. A friend gave us our initial boost by dropping us off at the intersection of Highways 82 and 49 West in Indianola, and from that point, we made haste in sticking out our thumbs. We soon had a ride and started on what was possibly our longest journey. Heading north on Highway 49, we made pretty good time, having caught only two or three rides along the way, aiming for Clarksdale. At the time, I had a girlfriend who lived in Sumner, which was just a little off our track, and, as it was, I just wanted to “drop in” and surprise her. Which we did. However, time was slipping by, and we soon returned to our purpose—that baseball game in Clarksdale. Well, more time slipped by, and needless to say, we missed the game that day, although we did make it to Clarksdale. By then, it was about mid-afternoon, and just to test our skills, we decided not to go back the conventional way down 49. Instead, we decided to take off down Highway 61 and veer over to Highway 1, going through Gunnison and then Rosedale. The sun was getting lower in the sky. Standing

BY JIM PULLEN

on Highway 8, just a little east of the intersection with Highway 1, we began to worry. It was damn near dark. A couple of older ladies happened by and looked closely at us—but cruised right on. We waved in a friendly fashion and a “we understand” knowingly way, and in a complete stroke of luck, their brake lights came on, and the backup lights followed. We made it those eighteen long miles to Cleveland. From there, somehow we managed to get to Shaw and along Highway 448 back into Indianola after thinking we had just about screwed up. It was a close call that we did not want to repeat! On another occasion, I “went it alone,” heading to Lake Cormorant to visit my great friend, Tommy Jefcoat, whose family had farming interests there. I asked my mother, of all people, to drop me off at the intersection of Highways 82 and 49 West. I doubt she liked the idea, but she knew I was accustomed to doing this, so unbelievably, she agreed. For the first fifteen or twenty minutes, not even a single driver looked at me, and I was starting to wonder if this endeavor was a good idea. Just as I was about to begin trekking back to my house in disappointment, a big tractor-trailer rig slowed to a halt, and the driver said to hop in! I cannot recall much about this man or the topics we must have discussed, but this ride was the “big one.” All the way from Indianola to Walls, Mississippi, in one truck ride. I am pretty certain this trip was much quicker than if I had taken a Greyhound bus—and decidedly less expensive. My all-time favorite story involving hitchhiking did not have anything to do with me but was legendary among my friends who often thumbed a ride. A man traveling Highway 82 east of Winona and near Kilmichael had his thumb out when a large black Cadillac pulled over for him. After settling in and settling into his seat, he realized he immediately recognized the driver—it was Bear Bryant! Times have changed, and I cannot in good conscience recommend hitching rides with strangers in this day and age, but what glorious memories these adventures were for this boy from Indianola. DM

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