80+ Seniors Living Life

80+ Seniors “Living Life”

•NEA TOWN COURIER •THE OSCEOLA TIMES

•POINSETT COUNTY DEMOCRAT TRIBUNE

Our mission is one that is simple. We want to help our clients regain a sense of independence with the help of a guiding hand We've been changing the way our clients and families think of onsite assisted living because we treat your family like our own We perform our services with a level of personalized care and compassion that is unmatched. From respite care to to general day to day services, we are here for you when you need us most.

“Li vi ng Li fe ”

From The Editor Sandra Brand

Taking a walk down memory lane may be one of life’s greatest adventures, especially if it’s a shared experience.

The NEA Town Courier, The Osceola Times and Poinsett County Democrat Tribune invite you to take a special trip with us as we share the stories of some of the most incredible people in the world - the senior citizens of our communities.

We spent the past few weeks sitting down and simply having a chat with seniors 80 years old and older. And, we now have the privilege of sharing their stories with you.

I’ve been in this business since I was 15 years old... that’s 45 years. And, my absolute favorite part of the job is sitting on the front porch and just simply listening as seniors share their experiences and offer advice.

I learned a long time ago although the years may pass, one’s heart and soul remains young forever. Seniors actually have the opportunity to enjoy life with a lifetime of accumulated wisdom. And, now they are living by their own rules. That’s why they have the very best stories to tell.

A special thank you to those who allowed us to capture that small glimpse of their lives with the written word. Your story is so very important and it needs to be shared... so others may learn and smile.

Welcome to 80+ Seniors “Living Life”, the magazine designed to inspire understanding, motivate strength, energize courage, inf luence compassion, and, most importantly, encourage adventure.

It was Walt Disney who said, “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.”

To be so blessed!

D AVID BURNETT ATTORNEY AT LAW

By Sandra Brand

At the distinguished age of 82, retired Circuit Judge and Prosecutor David Burnett works every day as Osceola city attorney.

“I love working,” he smiled. “It keeps me from getting old.”

Born in Blytheville August 18, 1941 to parents John D. and Marjorie Flo Burnett, he is an Eagle Scout and former high school football star.

Well, Burnett does admit the Chickasaws had terrible seasons the three years he played blocking back.

“Osceola beat us all three years,” he laughed. “Skipper George and Dickie Kennemore played for Osceola.”

Burnett is a 1959 graduate of Blytheville High School. He earned his undergraduate, graduate, and law degrees from the University of Arkansas.

In 1964, he spent one year of law school at Georgetown University, outside of Washington, D.C.

During that time, he worked as a doorkeeper for the U.S. House of Representatives with the legendary doorkeeper William “Fishbait” Miller.

Shortly after graduating law school in the summer of 1966, Burnett went to Vietnam to serve his country.

He completed his officer basic training at Fort Gordon, Ga. and served as a Milliary Police captain.

The boy from the Arkansas Delta met his future wife Sonja on a blind date in San Francisco on Chinese New Year’s Eve. “It was the year of the Monkey,” he smiled.

Their date was held at the Fountain Room of the Fontainebleau Hotel.

He then spent a year in Vietnam

before Sonja met him on an “R and R” in Hawaii in 1968.

In May 1969, Burnett came home with a Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Award, and several other military decorations.

When Burnett returned home to Blytheville, he contacted local attorney Oscar Fendler for a job. “He sent me to see Henry Swift in Osceola."

Five months later, on October 11, 1969, Burnett convinced Sonja, who was working at a prestigious advertising firm in California, to marry him and move to Osceola.

For the next six years, Burnett practiced law with Swift and Bill Alexander, who later became a U.S. Congressman. Burnett worked as a deputy prosector.

In 1974, Burnett completed a summer course for prosecuting attorneys at Northwestern University in Chicago.

He also received various training certificates from the University of Nevada Judicial College, and University of Memphis.

January 1, 1975, he took office as the District Prosecutor for seven counties which made up the Second Judicial Dis-

trict of Arkansas.

He served in this capacity for the next eight years.

In the fall of 1982, Burnett was elected as Circuit Judge. He took an oath of office on January 1, 1983 and served for the next 26 years.

In 1986, Burnett traveled to England and completed a summer study program at the University of Cambridge.

David Burnett, of Osceola, is pictured receiving his Eagle Scout award on June 17, 1957. He was a member of Post 153 in Blytheville at the time.

David Burnett left Vietnam with a Bronze Star.

Speaking about his career, Burnett said, “I will always be remembered as the judge who presided over the West Memphis Three trials.” Burnett, portrayed by the national media as a hard-nosed judge, told this writer he believes he only made one mistake during the West Memphis Three trials and that was letting the television cameras in the courtroom. “It distorted the entire case.”

December 31, 2009, Burnett retired as circuit judge and re-opened his private law practice.

Also, during 2009 and 2010, he served as a replacement judge in courtrooms all over the state of Arkansas.

Burnett then decided to run for “political” office. He was elected as State Senator in the fall of 2010 and took office January 1, 2011. He served in that capacity for the next six years.

His hobbies include traveling, hunting, fishing, playing golf, acting with the Historical Society and spending time with his dog. Burnett and his wife Sonja have also traveled all over the world including Norway, Sweden, Russia, Finland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (twice), Turkey (three times), etc.

He is past president of the Osceola Kiwanis and has been a member for 40-50 years.

He is past president of the ANC Foundation Board; a member of First Christian Church; and the Mississippi County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Burnett has served as president, Eastern Arkansas Boy Scout Council; secretary, Osceola Port Authority; and a member of Little Rock Boy Scout Council; Troop 222 of the Boy Scouts of America (scoutmaster), VFW of Osceola, American Legion Post 24 of Blytheville, National Eagle Scout Association, Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and the Governor’s DWI Commission.

During his legal career he served in several leadership positions including: Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association, president; Trial Judges Section of the Arkansas Judicial Council, president; Arkansas Judicial Council, president; Judicial Advisory Board to Department of Corrections, chairman; and Arkansas Supreme Court Commission on Criminal Practice, chairman.

Some of Burnett’s favorite memories come from scouting. He is a proud Eagle Scout, along with his father and son. He also earned the Award of Merit and membership in the Order of the Arrow.

The Burnetts have two children, U.S. Col. Jonathan Burnett and Amanda Karen Marsh.

David Burnett spends as much time as possible traveling with his bride Sonja and hunting with his buddies.

“I will always be remembered as the judge who presided over the West Memphis Three trials.”

-David Burnett

WILLIAM PIERCY

By Nan Snider

William Piercy’s life growing up on Northeast Arkansas farms has served him well during his 67 years as being a minister. He often reflects on his humble beginnings and how many times agriculture is used in Bible parables and references.

“I came from a long line of farmers,” Piercy, 89, said. “We knew how to raise our own gardens and animals for food, and how to make do with what we had. Our faith, family and community were very important to our lives. We all shared a common bond.”

William was the fourth child of seven born to John Edgar and Gracy Griggs Piercy, in the Childress Community north of Monette. His other siblings were Rufus, Ruth, Gaylon, Laymon, Billie Fern and Jewel Ann. He spent his early years living in the Childress and Macey Communities.

“Dad was a full time farmer and Mom was a full time wife, mother and homemaker,” Piercy said. “We were surrounded by relatives and knew our neighbors well. Dad had a small farm and very few pieces of equipment. I recall going to the field with my mother and riding on her cotton sack as she picked cotton. We grew up in and around agriculture and depended on crops and gardens for our living.”

“Even though I didn’t have a driver’s license, I managed to buy my first car at age 16,” he said.“It was a Model A Ford and I saved my whole earnings from picking cotton and gathering corn that year to pay $50 for it. It was the family’s first car

too.”

Piercy started Childress School at age six and graduated in 1952. He and his family first attended church at the Red Onion Church of Christ, in the Cockrum Community, and later at the Childress Baptist Church across the road from the school.

“I recall how excited we were when our school bought a bus to pick us up,” Piercy said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t expect it to come so early and missed the bus. Dad had to take us to school in a wagon. Dad was one of the last farmers in our area to get a tractor, so horse or mule pulled wagons were common back then. We even went into the town of Monette to get groceries by wagon, and to church.”

William’s father farmed 30 acres, with only 10 acres of cotton. The rest was for beans and corn. He cleared trees from the land by twisting stumps out of the ground with a circle device pulled by mules.

His mother would put up 300 to 400 jars of vegetables from the garden to last the winter.

“I dreamed of being a mechanic when I grew up, but then God called me in high school to be a preacher,” Piercy said. “I attended college at ASU in Jonesboro. I taught English classes at Childress later and did extra work as a bus driver.”

Piercy pastored his first church at Red Oak Baptist near Marked Tree. He met his future wife Lillie Mae Baker there and they married in 1954. He went on to pastor at West Ridge Church and teach at Lepanto as he completed college at ASU.

The Piercys have four children, which include Jo (Boyd), Allen, John and Michael.

Years were spent in Louisville, Ky., as William completed training at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. He went on to pastor at Bellmont Baptist Church in Louisville, First Baptist and Grace Baptist

Church in McCrory (18 years), First Baptist in Manila (22 years) and Black Water Baptist Church south of Manila (17 years).

The Piercys have always been active in the church, school and communities where they have lived. William wrote a guest column, called Reflections, for the NEA Town Crier newspaper for 17 years. He was a member of the Ministerial Alliance, the Buffalo Island Museum Board, the Childress High School Alumni Committee, and is active at the Monette Senior Life Center. He is a member of the Monette First Baptist Church, where he is an assistant teacher for the Men’s Sunday School Class.

Lillie Mae Piercy died 18 days after surviving the EF-4 tornado that hit Monette Manor, where she was residing, on Dec. 10, 2021. She and William have 16 grandchildren, 25 greatgrandchildren and 10 great-greatgrandchildren. William still resides in their family home on West Texie Avenue in Monette, accompanied by his dog “Dottie” and surrounded by good neighbors.

William said he is very thankful for his family, friends, and places of service in his community.

William Piercy

“The Preacher Man”

By Revis Blaylock

Carlean Chipman Evans of Manila was nicknamed “Chip” during her high school years at MHS. The name has stayed with her throughout her life’s journey. She is a member of the 1958 Manila Lady Lions state champion basketball team. She had a long career in nursing and is now enjoying her life as a retired senior citizen. She celebrated her 81st birthday in January.

Evans was raised in Manila and graduated from Manila High School in 1960.

She has fond memories of growing up in a small town and her high school years. Most of those memories revolve around the basketball team.

“We loved the game and the game gave me lifelong friends,” Evans said. “We spent a lot of time together and we were all friends. Maxine Whitney Stegall and Pat Bollinger Jolliff and I have stayed in touch all of these years.We won the state championship our sophomore year and then we were state runners-up the next two years. " She and Pat started playing basketball together in elementary school in the log gymnasium that was across from the present elementary school.

“We played half court back in those days and there was not a 3 point shot,” Evans said. “Maxine was one of the best long shooters around; I handled the ball and then we always had a good player under the basket. Our coach was Wanda Carroll and she played to win. The year we won the state championship, most of us had

never been out of this area. We didn’t even take a bus. We traveled in cars to Hope. The Monette team was there and they had a bus. They invited us to

part in her decision to become a nurse.

In between high school graduation and going to nursing school, she married classmate Edward Evans in 1961. He was in the military at the time. They moved out of state for a short time. When he got transferred, she came home to Manila and went to nursing school while he finished his time in the military.

“It was not easy but I knew I wanted to be a nurse,” she said. “I had to borrow a car from my sister to get to school.”

go with them to Texarkana for lunch one day. We ended up defeating them in the final game. When we arrived back in Manila, police cars and a lot of parents met us on the highway for a parade back into town. Mayor Tipton sent each one of us a rose. It was an exciting time for all of us. I am so glad the Manila boys won the state tournament this year and have those wonderful memories.”

She remembers all of the state tournaments. The Lady Lions lost to England her junior season losing by only one point coming up just short of back to back state titles. Her senior year the state tournament was held on their home court in Manila. They were defeated by Waldo by one or two points in the last minutes making them back-to-back runners-up. Evans was one of five on the Manila team that made All State. Evans has remained an avid Lion fan through the years.

One of her first jobs as a young adult was working in Dr. Shaneyfelt’s office. Working in the clinic played a

Evans went to work at Chickasawba Hospital in Blytheville. She said she saved up $500 and bought her first car from Dewey Rice in Manila.

“I loved working at the hospital but it was a lot of work,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of EMTs or extra help. We worked the ER and on the floor. Patient care was our priority. We were on our feet the entire shift.”

She laughs about being a pioneer in nursing attire.

“In those days we all wore our starched white dresses and caps,” Evans said. “I was looking in a magazine and saw nurses from New York dressed in white pants and tops with a sailor collar. I took the magazine to my neighbor who was a seamstress. She looked at the picture, cut out a pattern, and made me a uniform. When I wore it to work the first night, some of the older nurses gave me a hard time and told me that I would probably be told not to wear that to work. I got a call from the hospital director to come to the office. I was expecting to be told to go back to the standard dress uniform.

Carlean Evans (30) with the Manila Lady Lions.

1958 State Basketball Champions remain lifelong friends!

After looking at my uniform, he told me he thought it looked good and would be easy to work in. In a few weeks a lot of the other nurses started wearing white pants and tops.”

Evans worked for many years for Dr. Shaneyfelt when he had an office and a small hospital. The hospital was located in the former Dr. Fox’s hospital on Manila’s main street. During those years she helped deliver a lot of babies, stitch up cuts and take care of the sick. She also worked at the Manila Nursing Home for several years.

Later, she finished her nursing career working at Family Medicine in Blytheville. During an ice storm in 2007, she fell and broke her shoulder One of the doctors told her she would never be able to use her arm again and encouraged her to retire

“It was hard to retire,” she said. “It seemed I had always worked. I loved nursing.”

Her husband passed away in 2008 They had three children, Jackie Moore (deceased); Keith Evans of Leachville; and Scottie Reinhart of Manila She has seven grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Evans enjoys going to the Senior Citizen’s Center five days a week and watching basketball from the high school to the professional level.

“Lunch is served and we have a lot of activities to enjoy at the center,” Evans said. “We are very fortunate to have the senior center here,” Evans said. “We welcome new people. We have games, celebrate birthdays together, play bingo twice a week, exercise classes and more.”

Carlean Evans at graduation from nursing school

Carlean Evans with lifelong friends Maxine Whitney Stegall and Pat Bollinger Jolliff.

Linda Wall Donovan “The artist who loves horses”

By Revis Blaylock

Linda Wall Donovan of Manila is in her happy place when she is at Dunkin Farms caring for her horses. The ranch house, the barn and the country bring back lifelong memories of her grandparents, Riley and Ople Dunkin, who she called Big Daddy and Big Mamma.

Donovan was born in Manila, the daughter of Trigger and Jenella Wall, on June 14, 1940. Her family lived inside the city limits of Manila but most every day, she could be found riding horses, herding the cattle and enjoy-

ing the countryside around Dunkin Farms.

“We had a ranch house and it was our home away from home even though it was only a few miles out of town. Big Mamma had chickens and sold eggs.. we ran the cattle from here to the back of the lev y and I had my horses.”

Donovan’s love of horses goes back to the age of five when a carnival came to town. The owner of the ponies rented a vacant lot from Big Daddy and Donovan went every day to pet and feed the animals. When it

was time for the carnival to leave with the ponies, she cried. Big Daddy talked the owner into selling him one of the ponies. She is not sure what he had to pay for it but to her it was priceless.

“That was my first horse and his name was Tony the Pony and I loved that little pony and I took care of him and learned to ride,” she said. “I thought I was doing so well learning to ride but I didn’t know Big Mamma was walking in front of us feeding him treats to get him to follow.”

Big Daddy had a mule barn and ice house which is part of Manila’s early history The Donovan home is located on the same property with the ice house still standing today. The mule barn became unsafe and had to be removed just a few years ago.

Donovan said Big Daddy’s first job was at the stave mill in Manila where he lost a thumb in an accident. It did not slow him down. He trapped and graded hides which went to St. Louis. His mule barn and ice house were successful and he became a land owner ”

Donovan’s love of horses got her interested in barrel racing and rodeos. Her parents were supportive and active and was part of organizing a rodeo arena in Manila. Her father was an avid sportsman and through the years supported young people in sports including baseball and basketball. He also became a well known rodeo announcer.

“We had exciting times riding in the rodeos,” Donovan said.

Her brother, Randy, also rode and she called him a natural, but said he did not fall in love with the horses like she did.

Through the years, she has given riding lessons on the 80 acres surrounding the barn and ranch house. There are wooded areas, a pond, and riding trails

Her oldest horse, Little Gal, is over 35 years old.

“She is the one I used for riding lessons,” Donovan said “She is so gentle and we are best friends.”

She has three other quarter horses Rose who is 34 years old and Bonnie who is 17 years old. The youngest of the lot is Sky, a white arabian Sky became part of the family because his mother died and Donovan took him in and bottle fed him until he was old enough to eat on his own

“He thinks he is special,” Donovan said. “They all have registered names five miles long but I gave them all nicknames. When they hear my voice and hear me rattle the feed bucket, they come running.”

Donovan said she has taken some bad falls but never had a broken bone. The old saying about getting right back up and back on is true.

Donovan gets up every morning at 4 a.m. She feeds and cares for the horses

Several years ago, they built a new ranch house because the old one had lived out its life

She commends the manager, Terry Vassar, for caring for the farm

“He became part of our family and he does a wonderful job caring for the farm, keeping the equipment serviced and helping with the horses.”

Back to her teenage days, in addition to horses and riding, Donovan was a member of the 1958 Lady Lion State Championship basketball team. She graduated from high school in 1958. She went to college in Texas and graduated from Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas. She became an art teacher.

She taught in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri

“I taught at an Indian reservation in Arizona and I loved it,” she said. “We lived on the Continental Divide It was one of the few schools where kids lived in Hogans which are like teepees but made out of mud and grass ”

She and her husband, Dan, returned to her roots in Manila years ago. She finished her teaching career at one of the smallest schools in Missouri, Cooter. She started a photography class and Dan set up a dark room for the students. It was very popular and several of the students went on to become professional photographers.

Dan is an artist and has preserved so much of Manila’s history in his paintings The mural at the Main Street Museum is one of his creations. His paintings hang at the museum windows and the depot center

Donovan served on the city council for several years. She was instrumental in getting a senior center started in Manila.

“Donnie Wagner and I really saw the need for a senior center,” Donovan said. “The mayor gave us the green light and we worked making it happen We were hoping it would be welcomed and on that first day we had a full house We ran out of food and bingo cards It is still ongoing today and they have their own facility.”

Donovan said she has had an interesting life and made many wonderful friends she has stayed in touch with through the years.

She has a daughter, Tammy Daniel, who lives south of Manila and works for the city. Her son, Stacey, passed away several years ago.

Donovan is a member of Community Methodist Church and serves on the Manila cemetery board She stays active and even mows her own yard.

She has made a full circle and is happy to be back in Manila where her roots have always been. Being on the farm and caring for the horses is her paradise

Charles Sanders A true pioneer of the Blytheville Community

By Marcus McClain

In a number of ways, Charles Sanders is a pioneer of the Blytheville community. In addition to being the first black alderman in Northeast Arkansas, Sanders is a 1955 graduate of Harrison High and was one of the helping hands responsible for securing the new building in 1950.

Harrison High was Blytheville’s only school for African American students prior to integration. Despite the hurdles that were in place at the time, Harrison became the community’s staple.

“We picked cotton and raised money to buy the building. Around that time they had just started putting electric lights in the homes and buildings. After a period of time, we’d get back whatever we had paid to help get the building. Mr. Hollis, [high school principal], even went around to people’s houses to ask them to donate to the school, and they did it. That money and picking cotton is what built the Harrison School,” Sanders said.

“When it came time to move in, we marched from across the street to the new building because they put the grade-school kids in the old building. But out of all of it, what I remember the most is we had good teachers.”

That community-wide emphasis on education built a connection between households and educators that spread far beyond the classroom. Along with Mr. Hollis, Sanders recalled a number of teachers and administrators, including Robert Wiley, that played a role in shaping the city.

“These were old teachers who had spent all of their

time teaching. And not just in the classroom. Don’t get me wrong, they did their work in the classroom, but they did work in the neighborhood too. [For example] Mr Hollis, at that time, was the principal at Harrison. And you had to deal with him all week long,” Sanders said.

“But when you went to Sunday School that morning, you had to deal with him there too. Part of that relationship came about because parents expected teachers to participate in children’s lives. They were active and even more so than they are now.”

He continued, “We had a good school. The teachers were good but they would get you [if you weren’t acting right]. They always helped you and encouraged you. We had a good time at Harrison.

“The one thing you didn’t want was Mr. Wiley whooping you. One day we were down there in his room playing with the basketball. I was dribbling in between my legs, going behind my back. I had all the tricks,” Sanders laughed. “But I ended up turning the ball loose and it hit Mr Wiley in the face. And he sure did get me.”

In addition to becoming NEA’s first black alderman, Sanders also went on to become a supervision and financial aid specialist at Cotton Boll Vocational Technical School. His most cherished achievement, however, is his relationship with his son, and only child, Larry Guyton.

Sanders has been a resident at Heritage Square in Blytheville for the past five months and noted that Guyton has been by his side through the process and throughout their lives together.

“Of course, you’d like to be home, but you realize what’s going on with you. At almost 90 years old a lot is happening to you and getting ready to happen to you. But I’ve been blessed to have a son that has spent a whole lot of his time worrying about me and taking care of me.

“He’s a pretty good guy I told somebody down the hall the other day that he can preach pretty good too,” Sanders laughed. His son is pastor of United Missionary Baptist Church. “He’s the only one I got, so we got to make the best of that.”

He later continued, “One thing that’s in my favor for being here, even though I’ve been to two or three other nursing homes and hospitals, is that my mom used to be here. I remember she was in the hospital once and the doctor told me, ‘Charles, I’m going to do something for you that you won’t do.’ And he told me he was going to put her in a nursing home. I’ve even had some of my wife’s relatives live here too.”

Charles Sanders and son Larry Guyton

“The one thing you didn’t want was Mr. Wiley whooping you.”

-Charles Sanders

Picture are: from left, back--Kr ystal Glidewell, Jordyn Tucker, Kerri Thompson, Dina Swink. Front-Sandy Teague, Becky Bearden, Brooke Neal.

A casual chat with Doris Martin...

By Marcus McClain

Traveling is a part of everyone’s bucket list. Not just say you’ve been there, but to create memories that connect with each place you visit. Doris Martin, 92, a resident at Gosnell Health and Rehab, has placed those memories on full display for all to see.

As opposed to only photos of all the places she and her family have visited, Martin’s room decorations hold a bit of even more sentimental value. With one step into her room, the artistic touch of her family can be felt.

“When my mother and father retired, they went to Mallorca, Spain. So mom decided she was going to start

to do. And he finally had the time to sit down and do it,” Doris said.

The two met in Canada shortly after high school, but Doris had already become well-traveled even before their union. While on her early journeys, she had already built a tie to Blytheville although unaware of it at the time.

“I grew up in Connecticut, but I went to boarding school in Canada at 16. The reason I went, which I found out later, was my father was being transferred from New York to Toronto. After schooling, I went to work in North Canada, but it’s funny that the name of that city was Sudbury. Pretty Ironic,” Martin laughed.

ster Village and held our meetings there. I was always impressed. I thought they were great,” Martin said.

After being admitted into the hospital in his later years, George was then transferred to Gosnell Health and Rehab. And with visits to her husband being so constant, Martin chose to make one more move on her list of travels.

painting. These framed paintings were her pictures she did while there. My mother had all of the talent in the family,” Martin laughed. “She sang, she danced, she did horse-back riding and everything else. She even played the piano. When we had a record player, I would spend my allowance and go buy a record. I would go home and play it while my mother was busy somewhere in the house. But the next thing I knew, she’d come in, sit down and play the same song I was listening to.”

Aside from her mother’s creative touch, Martin also cherishes the paintings from her late husband, George. “At one point he thought he’d be an architect and he went to college for it. So, he learned the drawing from those architecture classes. I guess it was something he really thought he’d always like

“That’s where I met my husband. He started to move south like a snow bird and I loved it because every move south was warmer. We ended up going to Cincinnati and then Cedartown, Georgia which is about 15 miles south of Rome. And then we went to Memphis and retired here.”

The two shared 30 years in Memphis before making the shift to Blytheville. And despite the many destinations throughout their journey together, Doris marked Blytheville as one of their favorites.

“We loved it here. Honestly, we both felt that no matter where we lived before, Blytheville was fantastic. I mean with all the churches and people welcoming us... it was just great. We’ve lived in other places where the people were nice, but this was overwhelming,” Martin said.

Another standout feature of Blytheville for Martin was a previous staple in the community: That Bookstore. “We had a bookclub at Westmin-

“This is a great place. I came here to be with my husband. I visited him everyday. And then I got to the point where I thought, ‘This is silly. I should just move in.’ So I did and it was a good decision,” Martin said.

Together, they had four sons who are featured, on the side of Doris’ bed, in a quilt sewn by her daughter-in-law.

“That picture, which isn’t standing up to time, is my husband and the four boys. The one on the left had just died and she [daughter-in-law] made the quilt showing his interests. Trucks and guitar. She’s made all of these quilts in my room,” Martin said with a smile.

But Martin also noted that the spirit displayed on the walls is met with a similar passion in the hallways.

“There are a lot of people here that I’ve made good friends with. I’m not kidding. You can do what you want really. You don’t have to go out and talk to people, but if you want to you can. We have a lot of different events, like our cooking table with Annie. She also does pretty nails and pretty much anything for the residents. She’s fantastic. This is a good thing because it gets us together. Even if you’re here and don’t know anybody, it's easy to learn about people,” Martin said.

“I really am happy here.”

Jo Ann Card in: Still ser ving her community

By Revis Blaylock

JoAnn Cardin has very deep roots in Leachville. She was born Dec. 14, 1934, the oldest of 12 children born to Dee and Faye Puckett.

Her dad was a farmer and they all learned to work starting with picking and chopping cotton. Cardin said she was babysitting at the age of eight.

“I don’t remember my mom ever not being busy,” Cardin said. “She was always cooking and canning. In those days we did not have automatic washing machines. There was a lot of laundry for such a big family We really did walk two and a half miles to school every day. I attended Rocky School.”

Cardin graduated from Leachville High School in 1952. She loved school and learning. She actually graduated from Belleville Community College at the age of 60. She took computer classes. She said unfortunately, she did not keep up with all the changes through the years and it did not take her long to get behind.

“If I could have gone to college earlier, I would have been a lifelong student,” she said. “I really liked college.”

After leaving Leachville, she spent 25 years in St. Louis and then on to Florida. She worked in a bank.

She has always been a people person and she loved working with the public.

She is the mother of three boys, Dennis and the twins, Don and Ron. Dennis passed away in 2006.

Don and Ron are identical twins, one lives in Texas and one lives in Illinois.

“During their growing up years no one could tell them apart,” she said. “Sometimes I even had trouble.”

She has four grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Her great-great-grandchildren are two sets of twins, two boys and a boy and girl. The twin boys live in Florida and the girl and boy twins live in Illinois.

During her years in Florida she worked in restaurants. Again, she loved meeting the people and getting to know her customers.

“During my last year in Florida, we survived a bad tornado in 1998,” she recalled.

Following the tornado, three families were chosen to go to New York and appear on the Geraldo Show.

“It was an all expense paid trip and my son, Dennis, and I were among those chosen,” Cardin said. “We were guests on his last live show We got to see the Statue of Liberty Also, we saw the Twin Towers before they fell on 9-11-2001.”

Cardin has always loved to travel and see new places.

The New York trip was a highlight for her.

About a year after the tornado, Cardin decided to move back to her hometown of Leachville.

“They say not to make any major decisions for a year after a traumatic event,” she said. “I waited for a year and I came home to Leachville in 1999.”

She opened a business for a while before retiring. Retirement to Cardin has not included sitting down.

She is active in the First Baptist Church. She was instrumental in opening a food pantry in Leachville in 2015.

“If the Lord lays something on your heart, you better cotton pickin’ do it,” Cardin said. “I helped organize the Leachville Foundation, a non-profit group in 2014, and the food pantry came from that. We all work for the betterment of Leachville.”

Cardin serves as secretary and contact person for the pantry. The food pantry is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-noon.

“It is for anyone who needs food,” she said. “I don’t turn anyone away. We had an excellent egg hunt at the Adams Estate this year raising $1,600 in cash and 13 boxes of groceries donated. I had the Easter Bunny there for the children to enjoy ”

Some things never change with age and Cardin still wants to help others and still loves Leachville.

“I am so glad to see the buildings being restored on main street,” she said. “The new lights along main street are really nice. I remember when Leachville had a stoplight. We had lots of businesses and activities downtown.”

There are four of the 12 siblings still living and Cardin said they try to get together when they can.

“We’ve had some very big family reunions,” she said. “We also have a lot of cousins. I am the oldest of my family and all of the cousins. I am thankful for my good health and for all of my friends.”

JoAnn Cardin and her three sons, Dennis, Don and Ron.

JoAnn Cardin

“If the Lord lays something on your heart, you better cotton pickin’ do it. ”

- JoAnn Cardin

By Sandra Brand

When Willie Wilkins looks back on his life, he just smiles... and wipes away the tears.

Soon to turn 84 years old, Wilkins, of Osceola, has not always had an easy life, but he has always known God was in the driver’s seat. “My life has been a lot like a Blues song,” he shared.

Born July 8, 1939 on the Seagraves Farm, outside of Luxora, Wilkins was the oldest of 13 children born to Willie and Rosilee Wilkins.

His father was a carpenter who built all the houses on the Seagraves farm. His mother took care of the home and children.

“Mom had a beautiful garden,” Wilkins smiled with pride. “She canned all kinds of food.”

And, everyone in the family, of course, worked on the farm when they became old enough. Wilkins said he chopped and picked cotton; and fed the hogs.

Wilkins’ grandmother lived on Dixon Street in Osceola. One day she decided to move back to her hometown in Tennessee.

Therefore, the Wilkins family left the farm and moved into her home.

“I don’t remember what year it was, but I was still in school,” he recalled.

Wilkins’ father went to work building houses in Osceola. He even built himself a store called Blue Star Grocery. It was located near Heaton’s, off of Pearl Street.

Wilkins graduated from Rosenwald High School, joined the Nav y and headed to Long Beach, California.

He spent the next four years serving his country... traveling overseas.

When Wilkins first visited Hawaii, he was very impressed. “Wow! It was beautiful! It was a big deal for this Osceola boy,” he laughed.

After four years, Wilkins “got out” and returned home to Osceola. He went to work at American Greetings and less than a month later he re-enlisted into the Nav y.

“I went back overseas for three more years,” he stated modestly of his seven-

year service to his country

When Wilkins returned to Osceola the next time, he really never left again. “I spent a little time in Millington, Tenn., but I never really left.”

During the following years, he worked for Parsons Cabinet Company and Crompton. “Mostly, I did carpentry work.”

Wilkins was still a young man when tragedy struck his life. He and his first wife, Martha, had a total of nine children. One was stillborn and two died as infants from illness.

They were raising six children in a modest house, located on a corner near Randolph’s Grocery, when one day a fire broke out.

“I lost my wife and three of my children,” he explained, wiping away the tears, some 49 years later.

“I tried to save them, but I couldn’t get them all out. They died of smoke inhalation.

“Whatever happens in life,” Wilkins said, “you can’t stop it.

“I kept a job to take care of my other three kids, Rico, Margaret, and Trisha Ann. While I was working, my brothers and sisters would help. I kept them all in school and tried to teach them right.”

Wilkins admits he has made a few

mistakes in his life, just like most people. “I was in the old city jail a couple of times for stupid stuff.”

Former Police Officer Cliff Cannon was a great friend, and Wilkins stayed on the right side of the law most of the time. “Cliff Cannon was my man,” he smiled. “I used to do a lot of work for him... and catch a lot of crawfish.”

Brought up in a Baptist MB Church, out on the farm, Wilkins said he began reading his Bible as a young boy

“I’ve always believed in God and I have tried to honor Him,” he stated. “I am not perfect. No one is perfect.”

Wilkins said his life has gone “back and forth” throughout the years, but he has learned to accept God’s will for his life.

Wilkins did marry two more times, but neither worked out. “My second wife just up and left me and went up north,” he smiled. “My third wife told me to leave about nine years ago.

“I’m not crazy enough to do it a fourth time,” he laughed.

“I’ve been through a whole lot of stuff. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time.

“As I look back on my life, I smile and wipe the tears away.”

Wilkins as a young Navy man. Wilkins once helped carry the Olympic Torch across America.

WILLIE WILKINS

“The man Blues music is written about”

One could say, Wilkins’ life has been a lot like an old Blues song. After all, Osceola is the true birth of the Delta Blues and Wilkins’ life is a testimony to that.

“Blues music is all about the story the story of your life the tough times... the real pain.”

Wilkins knew M.C. Reeder, the owner of the T-99, Osceola’s once famous Blues club; he knew Blues legends Albert King and the Snake; and he still knows club owner Vollie Harris.

He not only spent his life listening to the Blues, but living it first hand.

“I can’t go back,” he said. “But I can go forward. That’s what I try to do every day ”

Life is actually pretty good these days, Wilkins, who has spent a great deal of his life trying to help others, counts himself blessed “I have everything I need and I am happy ”

He attends the Osceola Church of Christ on Semmes Avenue. For many years, he attended with the late mayor of Osceola, Dickie Kennemore... a man he considered a great friend.

It wasn’t that many years ago when Wilkins said Osceola was divided straight down the track, whites on one side and blacks on the other

“Out on the farm, it was not that way,” he explained “We would all work together, play together, and swim together Then we moved to town and everything was separated.”

Wilkins remembers one particular night when he took a Hispanic girl to Osceola’s once thriving Gem Theater. “The whites all sat in the bottom section and the blacks all sat in the top. They wouldn’t let me sit in the bottom with her and they wouldn’t let her sit in

the top with me

“I got in my truck and left.”

There was a lot of hate going on during those days and Wilkins said he would rather leave it in the past where it belongs

Continuing, Wilkins said, “My mom taught me to not judge people by the color of their skin God made one world. We all breathe the same air.

“God will have the last thing to say when that last breath leaves your body People need to understand God does not see color.”

“The question is who will have the most souls in the end, God or the Devil?”

Wilkins said he has never hated another man in his life. “I’m going to die that way,” he stated.

“Do onto others as you would have them do onto you,” Wilkins reminded us.

“We all breathe the same air, share the same sun, and walk on the same soil ”

When asked if he had any other advice for young people today, Wilkins, who has more grandkids than he knows, said to remember to be happy and content with what God gives you; and to remember being poor has nothing to do with money.

As for Wilkins, he spends a great deal of his time these days reading his Bible; sharing the word of God with others; working Word Search books; riding his bike; and relaxing on the courthouse benches.

Willie Wilkins not only spent his life listening to the Blues, but living it first hand.

“God made one world.” - Willie Wilkins

Norma Sue GathriGht

“a CouNtry

GirL at heart”

By Nan Snider

Norma Sue Gathright, 89, has spent her life in Northeast Arkansas, surrounded by several generations of family members and close friends.

Norma is one of three children born to Elvin and Lillian Pitts Woodsmall. She had one brother Rudy and a sister named Dorothy (Foss). The family farmed in the Macey Community, north of Monette.

“I went to Macey School until the eighth grade, then I started to school at Childress, further north on Highway 139,” Norma said. “We were able to walk up Macey Road and catch the bus to school, which we just loved to ride with our friends. I met Bobby Gene Gathright when he and his family had moved back to this area from Michigan.”

Gene was the son of Clyde and Rella Chipman Gathright. His siblings are Billy, Tommy, Patsy (Craig), Jackie and Johnny.

“Gene and I had a lot of friends in common,” Norma Sue said. “We took part in all the school activities and attended the Macey Methodist Church together. Before long we began to seriously date and decided to marry when we were still in our teens. We felt like we were real grown-ups.”

“We had made arrangements for the Monette Methodist preacher to marry us on Oct. 8, 1949,” she said. “When we arrived at his home, he had gone next door to get some eggs, and we were surprised to find no one home. We were determined that this was going to be our wedding day, so we drove to Leachville and asked the pastor of the Church of Christ to marry us, which he gladly did.”

Norma Sue and Gene made their home with his parents, living in the north section of the large Harrell house on Macey Road. Gene farmed with his dad.

Later Norma Sue and Gene struck out to make it on their own, and moved to the Nettleton area to farm. They lost their first crop farming that year, and decided to move back to Macey, just down the road from her grandparents, Sidney and Martha Ann Pitts. As their family was born they looked for more space and moved near Gene’s grandparents, Ode and Bobbie Chipman, in the Childress Community.

Norma Sue and Gene have four children, which include Karen (Hooks), Allen, Dennis and Larry.

“We loved our little four-room red bungalow house at Childress,” Norma Sue said. “We were delighted to have a phone, running water and an inside bathroom, which made life so much easier. When we had lived in Nettleton, I had to wash clothes outside, which was very cold during the freezing weather. One winter our parents came to visit us and found me washing our clothes in the back of the house on a rub board. My parents sold their player piano and Gene’s parents sold a cow to raise money to buy us a washing machine. I felt like our life was really looking up.”

The Gathrights moved again east of their four-room home, then on to the Delfore Community. Gene still continued to farm, and Norma Sue was a full-time homemaker, cooking three meals a day and taking care of the house, gardens and children. Despite the fact they had married young, they were determined to raise their children in church and Sunday school, and take an active part in their communities

They moved near Highway 18 East in 1968 and lived there until moving into Gene’s mother’s home on N. Edmonds Street, in Monette, in 1996.

“At first I didn’t want to live in town, as I had always lived in the country,” Norma Sue said. “But I soon grew to love it and am glad we made the change. We were close to the nice stores, the school, and Monette Methodist Church. Life seemed simpler in town, as so many of our friends were there by that time. Everything seemed so convenient.”

Norma Sue has been a room mother all the years her children were in school, watched countless basketball and baseball games, had regular family gatherings in her home, took up quilting with her mom, joined the Monette Garden Club, took part in the church card ministry group, and was active in the Methodist Women organization.

Gene passed away in 2017. Norma Sue remains active in family gatherings, church and the Monette Senior Life Center. She enjoys having 11 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild to love on and be loved by. She enjoys life to the fullest.

Norma Gathright with her late husband Gene.

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Patsy Gillmore

By David Pierce

Most evenings you can find Patsy Gillmore sitting in her dining area, holding a puzzle piece in one hand, while scouring the jigsaw puzzle lying on the table in front of her.

Just returning from Wednesday church services at Keiser Church of Christ, the 80-year-old has her twin great-granddaughters, who live with her, settled in for the night. Now, it’s time to continue working this puzzle.

“Nope, not there,” she says to herself as the tries to make one piece interlock with another.

The mother of four is not discouraged and she continues tackling the 1,000-piece puzzle with calm determination.

Her demeanor pays off on the second try as she fits that piece together with another.

“Well, what do you know about that,” Gillmore remarks as if to suggest it wasn’t expected.

Yeah, seems Gillmore has been putting pieces together her entire life and her puzzle, though not quite complete, is representative of a grand life.

It includes a childhood on the farm, a 58-year marriage to her late husband Floyd, mothering three daughters and a son, while holding down a full-time job and don’t forget her faith in Jesus.

Patsy Gillmore of Dyess sits at her dining table putting together a jigsaw puzzle, a hobby of hers. Gillmore has lived in Dyess most of her life and has never really entertained the thought of relocating. It always has been and will remain her home.

Amazingly, her puzzle and its pieces have all come together in and around the small town of Dyess.

Gillmore has never ventured too far away and she adamantly claims she has never had the desire to.

That itch to kinda stay close to home was passed to children, Rena, Pam, Mark and Stacy, too. All live or lived within 25 miles of mom.

“Dyess is home,” she states emphatically and though it may not offer all the amenities of the big city, “I’m happy right here.”

Yes, the water still may be “two feet high and rising”, family and friends may have moved or passed away, and the area may not be as attractive as it once was.

Yet, you couldn’t put Gillmore in another town ‘cause that puzzle piece ain’t gonna fit.

“This is right where I want to be,” she reemphasizes. “Water may stand but it’s home.”

Since the age of 13, Gillmore has lived in Dyess. Her father and mother, James Reavis and Dova Long, moved here from Caraway.

With farming the preeminent trade at that time, Gillmore was no stranger to the cotton fields. Towing her cotton sack from one end of the field to the other, she was quite the picker. It was common for her to pick 200

pounds or more earning $2.50 for every 100 pounds she picked.

“Momma would hold that cotton in her hand and try to pick all the trash out of it,” Gillmore recalled. “You can’t do that and expect to earn much.

“Nope,” she continued as she demonstrated her picking style as if she was back in the fields along Road 12. “Bend over, pick a handful, bend over, pick a handful and shove it in your sack.”

Despite having a knack at it, Gillmore was not too fond of picking or chopping cotton either, especially when it came to toting the sack.

“It took all my might to pick it up when it got full, throw it over my shoulder and carry it to the scale,” she remembers. “Then I had to dump it in the wagon.”

Gillmore probably thinks her life’s puzzle could have been just as complete without those cotton-picking pieces.

Her daddy would pool the family’s earnings and head to the store to buy the essentials – lard, sugar, meal, flour and pinto beans.

She confesses times were not easy considering the size of the family, even mentioning a winter of eating only watered gravy and cornbread.

“The pieces come together”

“Daddy got sick,” explained Gillmore, “and momma walked to Lepanto to work out something with the store owner. He agreed to carry us through the winter and by spring daddy was better.”

Despite the hardship, Gillmore was quick to note, “I wouldn’t change anything.”

In addition, being in a rural area on the outskirts of Dyess, seldom did the family, who had no transportation, stray too far from home – school and church mostly

“We were never ones to go a lot,” Gillmore acknowledged, mentioning she didn’t miss going to town because “ you can’t miss what you don’t know”.

So if Gillmore was mostly around home, how did her and husband Floyd meet?

Well, school put those two pieces

together.

Floyd, three years her elder, made it a habit to sit close to his soon-tobe-wife, but Gillmore admits she was a little naïve

“It took me a little while to realize what he was up to,” she said with a smile “Married the only boy I ever dated.”

The couple’s marriage did cost her something though Seems the school didn’t consider teenage marriage –she was 16 at the time – appropriate.

Gillmore, who always loved school, was forced to quit but doesn’t regret the decision.

“We just knew we wanted to be married,” Gillmore remembers. “That’s what was important to us at the time, not the education ”

She did earn her GED some time later and expresses a delight in a life with her carpenter husband and four “wonderful children”.

Of course, never shying from a hard day’s work, Gillmore worked full time for 46 years – Osceola Shoe Factory, Lepanto Garment, Viskase and American Greetings.

“Yes, we needed the money,” she admits, “ so I always worked.”

As much as she and Floyd did to keep the family together, her puzzle is without a couple of its most important pieces these days.

Sadly, her husband, an anchor piece, passed in 2017 as has son Mark. Her 56-yearold son lost his battle with lung cancer in 2021

Still, age aside, Gillmore would do just about anything for her family – even agreeing to be guardian over those twin great-granddaughters.

“They are able to do a lot for themselves,” she ex-

plained of their daily routine “The day may come when I’m not able to take care of them but we’re ok for now ”

When there is some downtime, she’s working those jigsaw puzzles.

“Don’t really care a lot for watching TV,” Gillmore says.

She’s putting those puzzles together about as fast as daughter Pam can bring her another one.

“Oh, we got a boxful in the back,” she said laughing knowing the puzzle supply is endless.

Floyd and Patsy Gillmore are pictured with their four children Rena, Pam, Mark and Stacy

Patsy married the only man she ever dated. She still carries this photo in her wallet

“We just knew we wanted to be married.”

- Patsy Gillmore

Mary “Minnie” Slack “Living life to the fullest”

By Revis Blaylock

Mary Slack, better known by her friends and family as Minnie, is 87 years old and has no plans to stop living life to the fullest.

Minnie was raised in the Bondsville area. She calls it the suburb of Etowah and is proud of her county upbringing. She is one of the 10 siblings born to Charles and Florella Ashcraft. Her family moved to Bondsville when she was 10 years old.

She went to school at Bondsville and married Wilburn Slack in 1952 at the age of 16. They moved to Memphis for a short time but soon returned home to Bondsville. Her husband worked as a foreman at Bondsville Gin until he retired and they moved to Lepanto in 1994. Wilburn passed away in 2013.

A Bondsville community reunion was held about 10 years ago and people came from far and near. Minnie said so many wonderful memories were shared.

Wilburn and Minnie were married for more than 60

ence consisted of chopping and picking cotton. He was from Illinois and was not all that familiar with a cotton crop. He asked me how much cotton I could pick a day. I was honest and told him 300 pounds. He said that was the kind of workers they were looking for and he hired me right then. The factory opened in July of 1959 and I went to work there in September of 1959.”

She was a bundler and worked for Bobbie Brooks for 30 years. She was even asked to model one of the new lines of clothing.

“I don’t know why they picked me to be a model, but I was taller back then,” she said. “It was fun even though we didn’t get to keep the outfits we modeled.”

years and were honored with several milestone anniversary parties including the 25th, the 50th and the 60th. Minnie said the same woman, a good friend, baked all three cakes for the three celebrations.

Minnie and Wilburn have two children, a son, Dale, and a daughter, Cindy. Cindy passed away in 2008. She has three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Minnie has lots of family and friends and has never let the grass grow underneath her feet. She stays busy and does not like to be idle.

She grew up working on the farm. At the age of 19, she went to work at the Bobbie Brooks factory.

“I went in for an interview and the manager asked me if I had any experience,” she said. “I said my work experi-

Minnie played on the Bobbie Brooks softball team in the 1960s. She now plays bean bag baseball with the senior citizens’ team. She loves it and one of her teammates, Kay Robertson, also played on both teams.

“We love competing in bean bag baseball,” Minnie said. “We took first place recently in Paragould and hope to go compete in the state competition again in Jacksonville. We have finished second place two years in a row. Hopefully, we will finish first this year.”

Minnie was a member of the Extension Homemakers Club. She has served on the Bookstore board, the library board, the museum board, the Painted House board, and is a Red Hatter.

She recalls the fun they had when the movie, The Painted House, was being filmed in Lepanto. She was not in the movie but enjoyed cooking for the crew and workers.

She is well-known for her baking expertise. She makes chocolate, coconut cream and pecan pies, along with coconut cakes and pineapple cakes. She actually makes 30 or so every Thanksgiving and Christmas. People sometimes call her the pie lady.

One of the highlights of her retirement years to date was the years she volunteered at Dyess as the home of Johnny Cash was being turned into the tourist stop it is today.

“The then Dyess mayor, Larry Simms, called me and asked me to volunteer,” she said. “I worked with him for 12 years and a total of 17 years as a volunteer. I loved all of the concerts and enjoyed meeting so many people. There was a tour group from Ireland that came every year. Some of them still stay in touch with me. They gave me a plaque in 2016.”

Minnie is a collector and has dolls, cookbooks and glassware.

“I have a lot of stuff and it is all sentimental,” she said. “Most were gifts from family or friends. Some of the cases were made by my father or my brother. “

She has one wall filled with family photographs and a wooden cabinet with the shelves filled with what she calls her “celebrity pictures”.

She is a western fan, a rodeo fan and a St. Louis Cardinal fan. She has pictures of many local artists including Buddy Jewell, John Grisham, Cory Jackson, John T. Wayne, Tommy Cash, and many more.

She made a trip to Illinois in February to visit her oldest brother, Jack. They had not seen each other in 15 years.

“He left the farm when he was 18 or 19 years old and went to work for John Deere,” she said. “He worked there for 50 years. My grandson, Jeffery, and his mother took me to Illinois and we had a wonderful three days of visiting. When I got there he said he could not believe I was there. I asked him how long it had been since he had a Florella pineapple cake. The cake, named for our mother, brought back a lot of memories. We got to visit with his kids and his grandkids. We made it home just before an ice storm came through. I am thankful I got to go for a visit.”

She loves Lepanto and the people there. The people are always ready to help each other.

“We were out of power during an ice storm and the fire chief brought me coffee,” she said. “I couldn’t get to my mailbox and I could not get my newspapers. I called the lady that works at city hall and told her my dilemma. She sent her son to my house to get my papers for me. People here are always willing to help others.”

Minnie is always involved in community events and was honored to be chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the 2013 Terrapin Derby. The derby is held in Lepanto every year and draws a lot of visitors.

Bean bag baseball team.

Minnie as parade marshal of the Lepanto Terrapin Derby.

Minnie has lots of family and friends and has never let the grass grow underneath her feet. She stays busy and does not like to be idle.

Magnol ia Mitchell

Cherishing The Good Ole Days

By Cosmo Cossey

Magnolia Mitchell, 91, grew up in a time when things were so different from today. It was a time, she thinks, in some ways, was better.

“It's much better in ways today, but I think it was better mentally back in the old days. There are lots of things happening now we didn't have to put up with back then,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has been a Trumann resident for 74 years.

She grew up in Tate County, Mississippi as one of nine children. She went to school through the eighth grade and said times were tough. “We had to walk to school every day, no matter the weather. We didn't have school buses like the kids have today. A lot of days we'd have to help work in the fields, instead of going to school,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell moved to Trumann in 1948 when she was 17 years old. She married Elbert Mitchell, who passed away in 1998. They had 13 children, 38 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Mitchell was a fixture at Trumann Schools while working there for 12 years before working at Parker-Hannifin for 15 years before retirement.

Though she doesn't get to fish much anymore, she said it is one of her favorite things to do. “Elbert and I fished quite a bit through

the years,” Mitchell said.

Magnolia Mitchell in her favorite chair.

Mitchell said times have changed so much. “We had no running water. We had to get water from springs and bring it to the house to wash clothes.” And, of course, there was no washing machine. She used a tub and wash board.

“We didn't have electricity either,” Mitchell stated.

The family also grew everything they ate and her mother canned a lot. “Now everything is out of a paper or plastic bag,” Mitchell said.

Reflecting on education, Mitchell said it is so much better today and the jobs are also better.

“It was good times back in the old days, and some bad times. We just didn't have the conveniences most have today,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said another big change is technology. “Kids now are all about cell phones and sitting around playing game systems all the time."

“Living on a farm, we played ball after church and we played with our kids and we taught them how to work and how to do chores,” Mitchell said. “Sometimes I sure miss those days.”

Magnolia Mitchell in her early years.

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By David Pierce

It seems to be accepted that as one ages, their life tends to slow down.

Don’t tell Lovonda Carter that, because this soon-to-be 84-year-old mother of two is in the fast lane, foot off the brake.

She works full time, volunteers, reads endlessly and heck, would even mow her own yard if it wasn’t for Millard Smith and Odell Bledsoe, “two of the best neighbors you can ask for,” Carter says appreciatively.

Yep, Carter is full speed ahead and enjoying the trip.

Make no mistake, the path hasn’t come without its potholes and obstacles – losing her husband John and a brother to cancer, and being a cancer survivor herself. Like Carter, her granddaughter is a survivor, too.

She credits her savior Jesus Christ for providing the strength she needed to endure life’s hardships.

“A whole lot of prayer,” replies Carter when asked how she has maintained a seemingly unwavering faith. “My love of the Lord is everything. Yes, my faith has been tested, but everybody’s has.

“I can say it’s much stronger since I have kept my trust in Jesus.”

Yes, with Jesus as her co-pilot, Carter broke through the doubts and uncertainty, providing the care John needed during his bout with small cell lung cancer.

His initial prognosis was just two and one half months, but remarkably he lived well beyond that. “Nearly seven years,” she says.

“Lost his battle?” asks Carter. “No, he won his battle. (John) got the ultimate reward – a life in heaven.”

She poured nearly every bit of energy she could muster into caring for her husband.

Lovonda Carter “A true survivor”

“I told both my sons before their dad died, that I didn’t want to look back and think I should’ve done more,” Carter explained, recalling how she read and researched trying to learn more about the disease.

“I can honestly say I don’t have any regrets,” she added.

Employed at American Greetings at the time, she balanced her work as the health insurance administrator with John’s care.

Carter praises Frank Richardson, her supervisor at the time, with recognizing her need to be at home.

“He allowed me to work from home so I could be with John,” she remembers. “(Frank) was the best boss.”

And she commends the support of friends and family for visits, cards and prayers for helping in prolonging John’s life.

“I’d tape the cards on the wall,” she recalls, “and that encouragement meant a lot to him and me.”

Though her husband passed away, it’s obvious, as she talks, she still recalls their courtship and marriage

fondly.

After relocating from Pougkeepsie, the Carters settled in Bondsville. Carter, one of seven children of Cliff and Katie Bryan, was a farm girl –daddy’s choice not hers.

“The days started way too early,” she recalls with a chuckle, “and we worked; every one of us who could.”

Despite the hard work, Carter recalls a happy childhood.

“We were happy,” she says. “We had clothes on our back, a roof over our head and plenty to eat. We didn’t know we were poor.”

And her life was enriched when she met future husband John

The couple, introduced by Carter’s brother R.J., began dating, before slipping off to Hernando, Miss , in early 1956 to get married.

Why Hernando?

“We didn’t have to wait three days for a blood test,” she boldly answered.

The couple returned to a lukewarm welcome from Carter’s father Cliff though.

“He didn’t approve,” said Carter of her dad who she mentioned was a man of few words “He didn’t have to say anything. Daddy had this look he’d give you.”

However, her dad found the words when the two returned home from their elopement. Carter was told to get in the house and John, who was serving in the U.S. Army, was asked to go home.

The couple was persistent though and eventually smoothed things over with her father. The relationship definitely improved when they announced the birth of their first child –Cliff ’s first grandson.

Carter was gainfully employed at American Greetings for 39 years, while John worked as service manager at the Ford dealer

The pair welcomed a second son and with two active boys, John and Gary, “times were busy,” she said

Upon her retirement, Carter decided she would like to travel and did so until her bout with cancer began

An avid walker, Carter began to notice a pain in her groin and after a visit to the doctor learned she had an unidentifiable form of cancer.

She faced cancer head on and ran smack dab over it.

Carter was persistent in finding the absolute best possible care and found

it at the West Cancer Clinic in Memphis. After surgery and ensuing treatment, she was cancer free.

Not wanting to continue with the travel, Carter instead chose to return to work and begin volunteering as well

Since 2005, she has worked as a hostess at Wilson Funeral Home and was welcomed as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary. She even did a stint as a substitute teacher. Oh and she still finds time to be a member of the Red Hat Society.

Busy, busy, busy.

Why?

“I just love people,” Carter answered “I cherish getting to know folks even in the most difficult of circumstances.

“You have to know when to listen, when to talk,” she described of her role as funeral home hostess, “while choosing your words carefully. But sometimes all someone

needs is a hug.”

Carter isn’t bashful when it comes to passing out hugs, embracing others with the love and compassion that was shown her in the most difficult times of her life

She has no plans to put her life in park soon, professing that she isn’t old, “just mature”.

“I’m content with my life,” she concluded “I’m happy here. I’d like to remain healthy and I have the same prayer for my family

“As long I have something to eat and a book to read, I am one happy lady,” Carter added

Obviously, slamming on the brakes isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Lovonda and John Carter are pictured with their two sons, John and Gary.

The Carters are Alabama fans and shout Roll Tide at every opportunity

“As long I have something to eat and a book to read, I am one happy lady.”

- Lovonda Carter

Jesse Coalt er

“The man who taught Blytheville to swim”

By Sandra Brand

If you grew up in the 1960s and 70s in Blytheville, Arkansas, more than likely Jesse Coalter taught you how to swim. He may have even saved your life.

Coalter and his wife, Roxanne, operated the swimming pool, located at Walker Park, from 1963-1980. During that time, the certified swimmer gave more than 5,000 private swimming lessons. He also served as an instructor for the American Red Cross and YMCA, teaching thousands of more kids to swim.

Coalter was born out in the country between Flat Lake and Yarbro to Bryon and Dora Coalter. He had two brothers and a half sister.

As a young boy, he attended school at Flat Lake. In the third grade, he transferred to the Sudbury School before attending East Junior High and High School in Blytheville. A year before graduation, the young man quit school and went to work on the Mississippi River.

However, it wasn’t long before his mentor, Coach Russell Mosley, discovered he had dropped out. He found the young man and told him to get back to school. Coalter did what the coach said and graduated in 1955.

In 1956, he was off to the Army, swimming competitively for three years in the Panama Canal Zone. Coalter swam the back stroke and free style on a relay team. And, yes, he won a few trophies.

The journey actually began some five years earlier, when he began sneaking into the Walker Park pool. He was soon sweeping the bottom of the pool for the privilege of swimming free.

Then, at the age of 14, Coach Mosley hired him as a lifeguard, and, as they say, the rest is history. Before long, he was spending the night at the pool to stop people from climbing over the fence and swimming at night.

“Coach Mosley was the best man I ever came across,” Coalter said, “He taught me to respect myself.”

Following the Army, Coalter took off for Illinois to work for Western Union before traveling on to California. “I found out the gold rush was over and came back home,” Coalter smiled.

He soon settled back down in Chickasaw territory. He married his wife, Roxanne, and the couple had one daughter, Leslie.

He took a job as youth director of the YMCA where he taught a variety of sports to the young people, including swimming. In 1963, he resigned and went to work for the U.S. Postal Service.

About the same time, he leased the swimming pool from the Fair Board and soon the Coalter Clearpool was open for business.

Jesse Coalter: A Blytheville Legend

“My dog has fleas... What about you and me?”

Coalter would deliver the mail in the morning and run the swimming pool in the afternoon. His wife, who the young kids at the pool nicknamed “Foxy Roxy,” would sell the tickets.

Somehow, Coalter found time to attend college courses at the local air base. He earned a degree from Southern Baptist College and Park College in business management and economics.

“I graduated college 25 years after high school,” he laughed.

In 1980, the Coalters turned the swimming pool over to the City of Blytheville.

The Myers brothers, Matthew and Doug, then decided the man who had taught them both how to swim and later hired them as lifeguards could not live without a swimming pool. So, they built one in his backyard. He will forever be grateful.

Around 20 years ago, Coalter also retired from the Post Office after 35 years of service.

Five or six years ago, the couple decided to move to Pecan Street. And, yes, there is a swimming pool in the backyard.... often enjoyed by the neighborhood kids.

And Coalter is still up to his old

ways. One of those neighborhood kids came over, but could not swim. Coalter told him to place his head under the water and say “my dog has fleas... what about you and me”... then start moving his arms.

Coalter’s beloved wife, Roxie, passed away Oct. 31, 2022. They had been married 58 years.

Coalter continues to be recognized just about every day “as the man who taught me to swim.” He is also a part of the Dixie Pig afternoon coffee group.

July 28, 1971

Note: The Blytheville swimming pool was opened for the first time June 30, 1936. It was part of a $100,000 WPA project. The pool was 100 feet wide and 200 feet long. The water was two feet deep around the edges and 10 feet deep in the center. An article in the June 27, 1936 Saturday edition of the Courier News reported children 12 and under were charged 10 cents to swim in the pool. Everyone over 12 was charged 25 cents.

By Sandra Brand

With Irish ancestors, who would expect Johnny Ewart Buchanan to be anything but full of joy, laughter and mischief?

A lifelong Chickasaw man, he was born in 1933 to Viola and William “Mike” Buchanan in a little wooden frame house on the corner of Missouri and Kentucky Streets. With three older sisters, little Johnny admits he was protected his entire life.

A product of the Blytheville Public School, Buchanan graduated in 1951. Following high school, he went to work for the Arkansas Missouri Power Company and the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company.

In 1953, Buchanan became a soldier with the U.S. Army. It was at the end of the Korean War and he was stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington.

He married his wife “Buttercup” that same year and they lived in the shadows of the state capitol. Ada Bradford was a rural girl from Keiser. She was the daughter of Solomon “Kay” and Maude Wofford Bradford.

The two were planning their wedding when Buchanan’s draft orders came in the mail. “Mom held my draft notice until after the honeymoon,” he recalled with a smile.

He was actually glad the news had not disturbed his honeymoon which began in Hardy… “that story is for another day.”

Although the couple began their married life in a small apartment in Tacoma, Buchanan said the view was breathtaking. The couple had a Murphy bed in the kitchen which pulled

JOHNNY BUCHANAN

out of the wall, but they could lay in that bed and look out the window at Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the country. “It was gorgeous,” he recalled.

And apparently a great start to a marriage which lasted 65 years before “Buttercup” passed away in 2019.

The couple had two children, Beverly and Mark.

Out of the Army and back in Blytheville, Buchanan went to work for Mississippi County Electric and a man named Napenburger. “His favorite thing to do was make all the girls in the office mad,” Buchanan shared.

During this time, “Buttercup” worked as an operator for the telephone company.

In 1956, Buchanan began a 34-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, working at the Blytheville Post Office.

On the side, he refurnished furniture, a trade he learned from his father. “My dad was a furniture man and I picked it up from him,” he said.

After leaving the post office, Buchanan began a second career, of sorts, with the Republican Party and the Mississippi County Election Commission.

“My wife was friends with Ann Bush and I had went to school with Allen,” Buchanan explained. “I found myself at a Republican meeting and the next thing you know Bobby Thornton asked me to work for the

Election Commission coordinator. I worked under Wayne Lewis for four years and then I became the coordinator.”

Buchanan worked for the Election Commission some 14 years before retiring five years ago at the age of 84.

“I really enjoyed it,” Buchanan said with a laugh, remembering all those hectic, long election nights.

“Just don’t take life too seriously,” Buchanan laughed.

Johnny Buchanan, age 14 or 15

When asked about the funniest thing that ever happened in his life, Buchanan went way back... and off the deep end.

"It happened in high school and it’s followed me around ever since," he laughed, leaning his arms on the table and settling in for the long tale.

To sum it up... Five BHS buddies, Johnny Buchanan, Donald Rice, Billy Edwards, Edwin Wallace and Billy Metheny were out one night “cruising the teenage strip.” Somehow they learned there was a monkey in a nearby cemetery. Now, the three foot tall monkey belonged to a man in Dell. Apparently, on this particular night, he had tied the monkey to his car hood ornament... the monkey was slung into the graveyard.

Ok, not funny at all. “Maybe not,” Buchanan agreed. “But us boys went and got the monkey. We paraded him around town in the back of Donald’s Buick. Then Billy Metheny said, "I have the key to my sister’s locker."

Monkey Business?

October 12, 1950 Courier News

The same monkey? We will never know.

Well, the plot just thickened... the five teenage boys broke into Blytheville High School through a window and put the monkey in the locker. When Metheny’s sister later opened the locker she, and the entire school, was in for a big surprise.

The boys, of course, were called into the office of W.T. Tommey. You guessed it! The high school principal.

"He asked, 'boys y'all know anything about a monkey,'" Buchanan recalled. “We said ‘no sir’ and he broke out laughing.”

January 19, 1950 Courier News

It appears the boys were always up to something.

The principal may have laughed, but they still got kicked out of school and the boys knew their parents would not be laughing. Therefore, they hid out in what is now called a “man’s cave” at the back of Price’s house.

Of course, they did later have to go home and face the music. “We were just having fun,” Buchanan laughed. “We missed the locker being opened, but we sure heard about it.

“Then I went on to become a respectable adult,” Buchanan continued, with a sly grin. “But I’ve been living that story down my whole life.”

Reflecting for a moment on that life lived in Blytheville, Buchanan said, “It’s been a lot of fun and it still is.”

Who’s The Most Mischievous Man in Blytheville?

The 89-year-old does miss the days when you could not walk downtown Blytheville without running into someone and have a social conversation. Serious for one moment, Buchanan said, “We do not have that anymore. We have been divided by race, economics and social status.”

Explaining, he said, “My mom and dad were working people.” His dad worked at a hardware store and was a rural mail carrier.

“We lived slightly above the poverty level and my family had a good social standing in the community,” Buchanan expounded. “We talked to everyone. It was a good life.”

His dad Mike smoked a corncob pipe and once replaced a fender on the family car with an old wash tub.

is mom Viola was a housewife who loved nature. She had lots of plants and raised canaries. “She would have sweet little conservations with them,” Buchanan grinned.

“That’s the atmosphere I grew up with... I guess it wore off on me.”

As a young boy, Buchanan’s days were free and careless. “I was told to go play and be home before dark,” he smiled.

Many days would find him down by the bayou, which at that time ran through the city. “My grandparents lived where John Logan’s office in now,” Buchanan explained. “Their house sat on the bayou. I have a picture of a boat tied up behind their house.”

With the water flowing, the fish flopping and the frogs jumping, what could be a better place for a mischievous little boy to play?

“I had so much fun,” Buchanan answered. “I’m still having fun. I see a little humor in everything!”

That apparently includes dollar store eyelashes worn by a partic-

ular worker at the Senior Citizen Center. “You bought them at the dollar store?” he asked her.

When she laughed “yes”, he said maybe she could help him put on a pair... after all, his are starting to turn a little gray.”

Johnny Buchanan wins the vote!

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Edward H ars hman

The young man whose roots run deep in Tomato, Arkansas

By Sandra Brand

Tomato, Arkansas was once a booming little town nestled on the Mississippi River. Although mostly abandoned today, its rich history dates back to July 1673 when Pere Jacques Marquette, a French explorer, first placed an Indian Village called Michigamias on a map. The site was the very location of the present day Tomato. Some 200 years later, a trading post, called Canadian Reach, was recorded in the area. As the story goes, in 1889 a postal representative came to officially record the name of the post office and somehow the town was named “Tomato”.

Now, Osceola’s own legend Edward Harshman was not in Tomato on that day, but his grandfather, Elmer Edward Elam, was a prominent leader of the community.

There is an interesting story involving “E.E.E.” Apparently, he used 200 geese as weeders for his fields. Those geese needed water so he decided to put down a well. He drilled 25 feet before noticing a funny odor. Elam lit a cigarette and “sat down to think it over.” That’s when the explosion happened. The hole burned for two years before water came bubbling out. Geologists claimed Elam had drilled into a pocket of vegetable gas caused by the constant changing of the river.

“It was my grandpa’s sister’s chicken house which housed the first post office in Tomato,” Harshman continued, sharing his family’s history.

The Elams also owned a grocery store with a sawdust floor. “Grandpa would hide coins in the sawdust and get us kids to smooth it out while he looked for the money,” he laughed.

It turns out the Elams were pioneers in Tomato.

“My grandfather (Elam) was born in Tomato. His parents and three sisters floated a raft on the Mississippi River from Tennessee and settled there.”

He’s come a long way from Tomato.

His paternal grandfather, Andy Harshman, was also from the small river town.

Following in those footsteps, Ed’s parents, Thomas Bud and Virgie Harshman, were living in Tomato when he was born in 1934. His mom, however, traveled to the more advanced area of Armorel for the actual arrival of her son.

Ed soon had two younger siblings, Neal and Debbie, and they had quite a time growing up in the Tomato community.

Tomato boy follows grandpa into farming...

Young Harshman attended a tworoom grade school in Tomato before graduating from Armorel High School. “Five or six of us rode in the back of a pick-up truck to Armorel,” Harshman explained. “Sam Tillman drove us there.

“When the river came up, we were glad because we didn’t have to go to school,” he laughed.

Flooding of the river forced the entire town of Tomato to move two or three times before the Corp of Engineers “fixed the bank” in the 1950s. “We would all sneak out and watch them work way into the night.”

Those were also the days when a group of kids would hold hands and try to reach around a giant Cottonwood tree, once used to tie up riverboats.

“When I was a kid, there were 300 people living in Tomato,” Harshman said. “There were four churches, four grocery stores, a grade school, barber shop, gambling joints...

Ed Harshman and his lovely bride of 66 years,

“There were about 12 of us boys Shirley Groves Harshman. running around,” he grinned. “Mom would tell us to stay away from the river... that was the first place we went every time.”

In the late 1940s and 50s several of the farmers moved to Chicago seeking other jobs. “The only jobs in Tomato were clearing woods, working at the sawmill or fishing,”

Harshman said. “The fishermen would tie their boats on the sandbar and stretch the nets out into the river. A guy from Blytheville would then come buy the fish.”

In June 1957, straight out of high school, Harshman borrowed $20 from Grandpa Elam “to run off” to Holly Springs, Miss. and get married. His lovely bride of now 66 years, Shirley Groves, had been raised in O’Donnell Bend, “a suburb of Tomato.”

Harshman did not have a job or a dime to his name and he had been seen a time or two playing poker and shooting dice.

The young man was scared of Shirley’s father, Pete. Therefore, eloping was the only option.

When the couple got back to Mississippi County, the young groom dropped his bride off in the middle of the road in front of her parents’ house. He didn’t go back for two days.

The couple moved in with his parents and he got a manufacturing job in Blytheville... working nights... earning a $1.05 an hour.

Before long, the couple moved into a two-bedroom shot-gun house on Semmes Street in Osceola with Shirley’s uncle, H.B. Williams, and family. “We slept on the couch for two or three months.”

Harshman then went to work at Osceola Foods, better known as the “butter factory.” “I was making a $1 an hour, but I got time and a half overtime,” he said. “I had hit the jackpot. I worked 72-95 hours a week.”

The couple were able to move into their own place - a four-plex apartment on St. John Street. “We had to keep the bread on top of the refrigerator to keep the rats out of it.”

They had one daughter, Pam. “We couldn’t afford more kids,” he stated.

Harshman worked at Osceola Foods from 1957-1968. He also worked for the U.S. Post Office for three months, carrying the mail door-to-door

Although carrying the mail was not for him, Harshman said, with a lop-sided grin, the women would feel sorry for him and give me a glass of tea.

Harshman admitted during those early years, he wasted money in the pool halls. “I spent 20 years playing nine ball for money. I was hooked.”

Harshman soon turned back to farming. He worked with his father and grandfather up until 1973. That year he formed a partnership with his father Until the 1980s, the Harshmans farmed in the Tomato, Lepanto and Shell Lake areas. They would drive their equipment all the way to Shell Lake and back to Tomato each day.

Several of those acres were owned by Alvin Wonderlick of Luxora. “He was a great guy to work with,” Harshman stated.

At one point, during his farming

days, Harshman’s head began to spin and he was placed in the hospital. “Jimmy Hart and Mike Ellison came over and planted my crop for me...

the end of the year I took it and bought a house. I invested $13,000 of my own and borrowed $25,000. I bought five houses on Bowen Street for $5,000 each, renovated and rented them out.”

Next, he bought a row of shotgun houses on Semmes Avenue.

The rest, as they say, is history Harshman Rentals had been born. He continued to buy houses which were not livable, rebuilt them, brought them up to code and provided homes for the residents on the east side of Osceola. He soon expanded his business throughout Mississippi County

free of charge,” he recalled. “I made more money that year than I have ever made.

“In the 1970s, farmers made beaucoups of money. Then in 1981-82 and 83 several farmers went out of business.”

In 1982, Shirley was selling Mary Kay cosmetics. The couple traveled to a convention in Dallas. “These girls were making big money,” Harshman told the story. “One of the speakers told them how to not pay it all in taxes. She said buy rental property ” Harshman returned home to Osceola with the thought stuck in his head. “We had $20,000 to live on until

Harshman is a strong supporter of the community and believes volunteerism is a responsibility and honor. He rarely, if ever, turns away anyone looking for help, especially children. Harshman is a strong supporter of local churches, the Osceola Heritage Musicfest and especially the Osceola Parks and Recreation program and the Osceola Seminoles.

The Osceola School District presented the “Seminole Spirit Award” to Harshman in 2017 for his generosity and support of the district’s students. “Education is the key to anything,” Harshman said at the time. “In sports, academics, everything comes back to education. Sports teaches kids to get along with and relate to others.”

Harshman is also a 32 degree Mason, the highest level a man can achieve. And, although he gives locally, behind the scenes, he gives to Mercy Ships, St. Jude and Operation Smiles (his favorite charity)... just to name a few

“We had $20,000 to live on until the end of the year. I took it and bought a house.”

- Ed Harshman

Harshman is also very vocal in the community when he believes in a cause. He led a campaign to save the Osceola hospital when it was threatened with closure as well as the Osceola courthouse. Recently, he has been fighting to save the quality and integrity of the courthouse dome.

Did young Harshman ever gain the approval of his father-in-law? “When I found Jesus,” he answered with a smile. “Lee Fergus (a fellow Mason) used to invite me to church every single week,” he told the story. “I had accepted Jesus when I was 13 years old. He was always in my heart, but I needed to go to church.”

In 1979, he joined the First Baptist Church in Osceola and has been putting his faith in God ever since.

First and foremost, Harshman tributes any success he may have acquired to Jesus Christ who is his savior. “The Lord has blessed me in everything I have done.” That includes keeping him safe during his gambling days and giving him an understanding wife 'who put up with a whole lot.'

“I didn’t know I was lost,” he reiterated.

Harshman then spent several years building churches in Mexico... a mission he loved and will never forget.

He also gives credit to his loyal employees. For example, Nelson Tacker began working for Harshman on the farm in 1973. “It is because of good employees like Nelson that we have succeeded,” Harshman said. “It’s not what I have done. It’s what my employees have done.”

Harshman said people ask him all the time why he has not retired. “I feel like I have retired,” he smiled. “The girls in this office handle everything and I do what I want to. Fishing is more work than what I do now.”

Backing up his point, Harshman was recently away from the office for three months with COVID. “I never had to worry because I knew things were being taken care of.”

He does still own 730 acres of hunting land on Island 35. And, although the Harshman Rental business is lined with deer heads, Harshman said it’s not much of a challenge anymore. He does travel to South Dakota once a year, along with several buddies, to hunt pheasant.

And, there is always enough energy for the beach. Harshman loves to vacation to the Virgin Islands, Hawaii or Mexico, etc. with family and friends. Then, of course, there is just enough energy to take a cooking lesson or two.

Following COVID, Harshman does have a few health issues, but contrary to what he just said, he is at work everyday taking care of business... and he has no plans to stop. “I will stop when the Lord tells me to,” he smiled.

Did young Harshman ever gain the approval of his father-in-law?

“When I found Jesus,” Ed Harshman answered with a smile.

“I will stop when the “I will stop when the Lord tells me to.” Lord tells me to.”

-Ed Harshman

Dr. Joe Thomas

By Sandra Brand

A man of many talents and even more hobbies, Dr. Joe Thomas, of Osceola, has quite a tale to tell.

Born in Tupelo, Miss. in 1940, Thomas is the son of Joe and Alice Thomas.

The family moved to Osceola in 1941. Then in 1942, World War II broke out and Joe Thomas joined the service.

“Mom and I moved back to Calhoun City, Miss. to live with her family,” Thomas explained. When the war was over in 1945, they moved back to Osceola.

product of the public education system, Thomas graduated from OHS in 1958. He later earned a bachelor degree from the University of Arkansas and graduated from dental school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

He married Pud White in 1963. She was the daughter of Faber and Mary Catherine White, of Osceola. The couple had three children, Mary Jo, Carter and David.

Thomas opened a dental practice in Osceola which he operated for 44 years before his retirement. From 1995-2000 Thomas worked for the American Dental Association in Chicago, Ill., as chairman of the Commission on Relief Fund Activities and also as chairman of the ADA Endowment and Assistance Fund, Inc.

He served his country during the Vietnam Conflict, working as a dentist in the U.S. Army. “I worked with the 1025 Airborne, First Brigade on the 4th Division Infantry, and the 91st EVAC Hospital,” said Thomas.

In his spare time, “Dr. Joe” has always kept very busy with his many interests. “The good Lord put so many nice things here on earth for us to enjoy,” he explained. “I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

This leads us to Thomas’ “workshop/man cave” complete with a separate section for each of his hobbies, which range from jewelry making to metal engraving to reloading bullets to woodwork to bee hives to restoring classic cars.

And, the list goes on to include his friend Bubba, a rare cymbidium orchid, which normally doesn’t bloom in this part of the country. Bubba is now 30 years old.

Thomas admits he has always been interested in experimenting in different fields.

As a teenager, he was quite the actor... hamming it up in school plays.

Of course, he still does a bit of acting, playing key roles in reenactments presented by the Mississippi County Historical & Genealogical Society.

By the way, he is also a member of the Single Action Shooting Society. He dresses like a real cowboy and attends shooting events, which explains why he reloads his own bullets.

Back in his day, he was also a boxer. He was a member of the junior and high school boxing club.

On Saturday nights, Thomas explained he would travel to Senath, Mo. to box. “They would pay us $3 to fight,” he recalled. “Then the fans would throw money in the ring. The winner would collect the money.”

Thomas said he will never forget his last boxing match. It was against Hot Rod Harrison. “He weighed 30 pounds more than me and he almost beat me to death. I’ll never forget that name.”

Dr. Joe Thomas, U.S. Army Dr. Joe Thomas and Bubba

“The good Lord put so many nice things here on earth for us to enjoy. I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

–Dr. Joe Thomas

Yet, “with age comes experience,” Thomas said. So, later he took up fishing. Noting the famous bass fisherman Bill Dance grew up in Osceola, Thomas said he gave it an effort.

Thomas got into fishing with Emmett “June” Chiles, Bruce Chiles’ father. “He was a professional bass fisherman and got me into it. We traveled all over the country.”

Then there was the jewelry business. In the 1980s, Thomas began collecting gem stones as an investment.

He wanted to know the business so be went to school and became certified in colored stones.

His wife then decided she wanted a

ring made, so Thomas went to jewelry school.

There was a time in his life when, Thomas said, he was just about working more hours making jewelry than he was in the dental office.

Therefore, that too had to slow down... just a bit. That’s when he started rebuilding hot rods.

He restored four “toys” including a 1957 MGA red sports car, a 1953 Studebaker, 1934 Ford, and a 1993 Cadillac.

Oh, and by the way, he flies his own airplane and restored a second plane.

You could also say he collects antiques such as the 1934 Craftsman drill press which once belonged to Dr. George M. Cone, Sr. “It still works great,” Thomas said.

Hanging on the wall and sitting in one corner of the workshop are 1950 kitchen cabinets which Thomas refinished. He also owns a spinning wheel once belonging to his great-grandmother and a 106-year-old heart pine porch swing.

Oh, he is also a great cook and about six years ago, he purchased a violin.

In this Historical Society Ghost Tour skit Dr. Joe is the patient.

Dr. Joe Thomas participates in a Civil War reenactment on the courthouse steps in Osceola. Dr. Joe Thomas appears in a Historical Society murder mystery play.

Oscar Williams Enjoying Life at 105 Enjoying Life at 105

By Cosmo Cossey

It was 1918, hundreds of thousands of American troops headed to Europe for the closing offensives of World War I. The “golden age” of agriculture, with high cotton prices, is in full swing. “Tiger Rag” by the original Dixieland Jazz Band is the number one song in the country followed closely by Charles Harrison’s “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows.”

And, Oscar Williams was born into the world. On April 14, he celebrated his 105th birthday. Even more amazing, Williams still lives on the same 40 acres, outside Trumann, his dad bought when he was young.

Williams grew up in Poinsett County near the Judd Hill. He has been married twice and has three boys and two girls, all but one of whom has passed away. Williams said he attended schools in Forfelt, Mo., Marked Tree, Tulot, Judd Hill and Trumann. He finished his 11th grade year in Trumann, which was his last year of school.

Williams said he's been working since he was 10 years old when he began cutting firewood and helping clear new ground. He worked for his daddy until he was 19 doing farm work and then worked as a general laborer for three years.

He was working for the Singer Sewing Machine Company when World War II broke out. Williams enlisted and went to machine shop school before being sent to Bristol, Connecticut to help make ball bearings. He then went to Detroit, Michigan and worked in the cutting tool industry.

Williams said he moved back home after the war and finished clearing the land he started on before he went into the military. He farmed for 11 years, then quit and went to work for Colson, while they were still building the plant. He also worked for Crane and Jonesboro Tool and Die for a total of 31 years.

“I then went on vacation,” Williams said.

Williams said one of the biggest changes in his lifetime has been the increase of automobile and airplane traffic. He also said the improvements in farming operations are overwhelming.

Fishing, hunting, trapping for furs and playing baseball were just a few of the hobbies Williams had growing up and over the years of his life. “I don't get to do any of that stuff anymore,” he stated.

Williams does still drive himself to town when he needs things and still has a pretty sharp mind.

When Williams was asked how he has managed to live to be 105 years old, his answer was pretty simple. “I talk to myself. Everyday at sunset I say ‘Oscar, you just lived another day.” Then with a joyful voice and a smile on his face he added, “Lets get up and do it again tomorrow.”

Oscar Williams serves his country in World War II.

Lets get up and do it again tomorrow.”

- Oscar Williams

O desther Young

By Sandra Brand

Thomas Alva Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

And, Colleen C. Barrett said, "When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers."

When this writer first interviewed Odesther Young 15 years ago, she had just turned 80. She was standing in the kitchen, wearing a beautiful hand sewn apron... curlers in her hair. And, she was frying up a big skillet of the best smelling southern fried chicken in the world.

As we recently sat down for a chat on a comfy bench, outside her current Osceola home, with the sun shining and the cool breeze blowing, “Mama Madea”, who will soon turn 95, smiled and said she is through with cooking.

The woman who worked hard her entire life said it is time to slow down, relax and let the kids take care of themselves.

Born July 4, 1928 in Marianna, Young learned, from the beginning, life was not always easy, but it was well worth the hard work.

Young was only 10 when her mother died and she was sort of raised by everyone in the small farming community. "Growing up without a mom was hard, but I was raised in church and that made things easier.”

As a child and throughout most of her life, Young chopped and picked cotton. She washed her family’s clothes on a rub board, using a hand pump in the yard for water. Of course, she had an outhouse and sewed her clothes by hand.

At the age of 18, Young married her husband, Bo, on June 10, 1946. The story of how they met is quite sweet. Odesther Kelley was on the porch of a friend’s house when she saw a man walking up the road. She quickly asked, “Who is that man?” The two were quickly introduced and he asked her out on a date.

Although, Young refused to share the details of that first date, she admits to falling in love with the handsome 22-year-old. At least that is what she thought! It was not until her wedding day, Young learned her husband was actually 32 years old, 14 years her senior. With a grin, she

said he was afraid if he told the truth she wouldn’t marry him.

The couple had 16 children, including three miscarriages.They reared their children on the Seagraves Farm and later at 410 Buckingham in Osceola.

Bo, who spent his life working on the farm and at the oil mill, passed away Oct. 5, 1987.

Young has lived to see eight of her children also pass away: Bobbie Young-Lowery, Elizabeth Young-Dabney, Baby Brother, Vera Mae Young, Frank Young, Willie T. Young, Tommie Lee Young-Davis and Sammy T. Young.

Young has five daughters living, Exie Young-Webb, Dorothy Williams, Willa Greene, Ira Proctor and Vanessa Young-Byrd. She also raised four of her grandchildren as her own: Elizabeth Washington, Tamela Gladney, Princilla Scott and Bobby Lowery.

“It’s been a good life, but a hard one,” Young admitted. “I managed to make it by the grace of God.”

When the Young family moved from the country to Buckingham Street, many years ago, things did get easier. For one thing, the family had indoor plumbing. "The east side of Osceola was a good place to live in those days," said Young. "Everyone helped each other raise their kids. Now, if you tell someone something about their kids, they'll get your neck.”

“Mama Madea”

Odesther Young fries up chicken in 2008.

Putting all of her faith in God, Young served as a church usher for more than 50 years.

She raised her children in church and taught them to show respect. “They learned how to say ‘yes ma’am and no ma’am.'”

When asked what was the best advice she ever gave her children, Young answered, "Learn how to obey and listen.

"I told them to get with somebody who is trying to go somewhere... do something productive with their lives.

"I was trained to obey all older people," she continued. "Today, young people do not respect the elderly."

In fact, many of them don't respect themselves, according to Young. "If they did, they would pull up their pants. I can't stand sagging pants." She’s also not too fond of boys wearing their hair “long like a girl.”

As a child, Young said she carried water from a pump to the fields for 50 cents a day. "In those days, everyone had a job," she explained. "We would go to school, do our homework, and then do our chores. We didn't have time for trouble."

Those were also the days when parents took the time to sit down and talk to their children, Young added.

"You have to talk to your child in order to teach him," Young advised. "If that doesn't work, the Bible says, 'spare the rod, spoil the child.'"

Today, Young has more grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren than she can count. And, she loves them all.

“There are a lot of nice, young people,” she smiled. However, their music is usually too loud and they can’t cook real food.

There’s only one thing in Young’s life she was not able to accomplish once she set her mind to it... drive an automobile. Her husband Bo once attempted to teach her to drive... to no avail. “I ran out in the field,” she laughed. Young got out of the car and never got back behind the wheel again. “I didn’t try no more.”

That’s one of the reasons she truly misses the “old Osceola” busy with retail and grocery stores. “I could walk downtown and buy anything I needed,” Young continued. “The town looks terrible now. They might as well tear downtown Osceola down. There ain't nothing there.”

Young was very happy to hear Hays will soon be opening a new grocery store in town... not that she’s going to start cooking once again. After 90 years of cooking for a slew of children, Young is not about to come out of retirement.

However, if young kids today want to know how to make the best fried chicken in the world, Young will share just one secret. “It’s all in the seasoning,” she stated. “You have to season it, then let it sit.”

As for the rest of life, Young said it’s pretty simple. “Work hard, respect yourself and turn it all over to God.”

“Work hard, respect yourself and turn it all over to God.”

-Odesther Young

“

"You have to talk to your child in order to teach him,"

-Odesther Young

Rosie Willis

Retired teacher, advocate for women’s health and a true fighter for her hometown of Luxora...

By Steve Knox

Rosie Willis, of Luxora, has spent her life making a difference in the lives of those she touched. The retired educator spent 43 years as a teacher, impacting the lives of literally thousands of students.

In fact, Willis says, “To read about the success of my students, who were in my class years ago, is one of the greatest joys of my life.”

Willis graduated from Rust College in 1964 with a bachelors of science degree. She later married husband Dr. Willie J. Willis, Sr. The couple are the parents of six: five sons, Willie J. Willis, Jr., Timothy Willis, Gregory Willis, Frederick Willis and Jonathan Willis; and one daughter, Dr. Sherita Willis.

Willis is active in many different organizations such as Rosenwald Reunited and the Gospel Temple Church in Luxora. She is a noted advocate for women’s health issues and is a tireless advocate of civil rights for all people.

Willis attributes her parents for her fierce advocacy and success in her career “My Christian principles taught to me by my parents, shaped my life and have given me good success,” said Willis.

Being retired, Willis is “free to give back to my community, without the restrictions of a time clock.”

Willis considers volunteerism to be a huge part of the growth of any community. She also knows that you cannot always depend on others to make things happen. “I am the change I want to see in my community,” said Willis.

This often leads to Willis standing on a street corner or the courthouse yard, with hands raised praying for the community and the people she loves.

Willis is a huge advocate for her hometown. Seeing Luxora make a comeback is one of her priorities. “One of my goals is to see my hometown brought back to life. I want to see beautiful flowers planted all over town. I want to see the streets repaired,” said Willis. “ I want to see a new water tower and I want to see new sewer lines installed.”

While Willis is proud of the success of those she taught in school, her greatest joy lies somewhere else. “The greatest joy of my life has been to see my children become successful.”

Willis was honored by the Osceola High School in March 2020 as an “Outstanding AfricanAmerican educator” in South Mississippi County. She was presented the award by principal Toshiba Pugh who said Willis and the other two awardees, Annette James and Roy Pugh, had a big impact on her personal life.

Always an advocate of women’s health, as she reached her 70s Willis became even more active taking part in 5K races. In January of 2022 she took part in the Wolf River 5K race in Germantown, Tenn. She completed the 3.2 mile course in 50 minutes. More recently, in celebration of her 80th birthday, Willis helped organize and took part in a 5K race in her hometown. She proudly completed that event.

Willis is famous for her sayings about health. As she has proclaimed on more than one occasion, “All you have to do is move. If I can do it, you can certainly do it as well.”

Carry on Rosie Willis! Carry on!

Lind a Mill er “The Mother of Luxora”

By Marcus McClain

The qualities of a mother are often the roots of a family tree. And with the giving spirit placed inside Linda Miller, 90, of Luxora, those roots have helped produce an entire forest

Miller noted that this spirit was groomed by her own mother, as she was one of eight children. Attending the Victoria School as a child, Miller said that despite the hardship placed against them, joy was always kept close

“We didn’t have much We didn’t know about the finer things in life at that time, but we were still happy,” Miller said.

Miller turned her time at school into a 53-year career at the cafeteria, keeping children fed; an aspect of schooling which was not always extended to every child in the past.

“I started working there [officially] after I got out of school But while I was in school, and they finally started fixing lunches for us everyday, they would have a student to help in the kitchen. The students who helped could eat free. Lunches back then wasn’t but a dime, but sometimes we didn’t even have that,” Miller said.

“I would season the food We were always supposed to go by the regulations and whatnot, but I did it the way I knew,” Miller laughed.

Ensuring children were fed didn’t just stop there however Her daughter, Eloise Moore, recalled the infinite occasions that community members would knock at Miller’s door in a time of need.

“Momma fed a lot of kids in Luxora. She helped parents with a lot of kids here She fed everybody and even bought clothes and shoes,” Moore said. She even went on to recount a time that this giving spirit was implemented in her.

“One year, my best friend's house had burned And all I wanted for Christmas was to go ‘Uptown’ like we used to call it. They had a store with a gold colored corduroy skirt with a plaid blouse. I’ll never forget... it was a size 12, but I was just this big,” she laughed referencing the size of her pinky “And momma told me ‘ you need to give that to your best friend, she can wear it.’ “Being young, I was thinking well what am I going to have,” Moore laughed. “But I went on and gave it to her because that’s how my mom is.”

Miller, ref lecting on her mom, later added, “My mother used to be that way. She just always wanted to help people out. She couldn’t always do a whole lot, but she was always willing to do what she could.”

Miller and her husband, Linzell, had a total of eight children, adding more branches to their family tree.

“[Motherhood] was just fine for me. I enjoyed taking care of my children. I didn’t ever want to leave them or put them off on anybody,” Miller said “My husband used to want to take me with him when he went on temporary

duty At the time, he was stationed at the air force base I would get up there and just worry about the kids so bad. He would have to send me home on the train because I just couldn’t take being away from them. The kids were staying with my mom and I would call her everyday She started saying ‘please don’t keep calling me. These kids are ok,’” she laughed.

Along with her desire to care for other people, Moore also recalled her mother’s love for animals. Miller noted that at one point, the family had 13 dogs and 13 cats

“Momma always loved animals. My daddy said the back porch was nothing but a vet hospital,” she laughed. “I remember once, there was a bird with a broken wing. Momma took out a popsicle stick on it until it mended Another time there was little baby kittens out there after somebody had ran over the mother. And momma would nurse the kittens with a baby bottle. Dogs, cats, anything momma would take care of it ”

“That’s just the way she is ”

She continued, “My sophomore year in college, I was home and still had to be in by 12. So somebody was knocking on the door around maybe 1. And momma yelled out, ‘Eloise, open up the door for Cookie!’ I’m thinking who in the world is Cookie coming in at 1 in the morning. I get to the door and it’s the cat beating at the door,” Moore laughed. “The cat could stay out later than me!”

But these examples of care for all forms of life helped Miller build the nickname as the Mother of Luxora. And it also helped build a family tree, forest and village of others prepared to display those same qualities. It also led to one of Miller's most proud accomplishments; each of her children graduating from college.

Carl & Jonell Counts

By Revis Blaylock

Carl and Jonell Counts are finding Manila a nice place to spend their retirement years. They are relatively new to Mississippi County moving to Manila in 2014. They are originally from south central Missouri near Van Buren.

Carl and his brothers farmed. Mostly, they had cattle and hogs. They would have any where from 300 to 500 head of cattle. Taking care of animals is a seven day a week job but with the three brothers, they managed to share the work and have time off. Carl said they liked to fish in the summer and hunt in the winter Through the years they have kept 80 acres and a cabin at Mountain Home.

For more than 20 years, Carl raised and trained coon hounds. It seemed he had the gift for it and it was something he enjoyed doing.

Carl retired in 2006 at the age of 72. They later moved to Mountain Home and bought a large home overlooking the lake.

Jonell had always enjoyed needle work including knitting and crocheting. While in Mountain Home, she started an in-home quilt-

ing business. She had her quilting machine on the third f loor of her home. She could quilt and enjoy the beautiful view People would bring their quilt tops and she put them together using the quilting machine. She had customers from as far away as California.

After high school graduation, Jonell worked for the state of Missouri for five years before going to California. She went to college and took a position in civil service working for the Army. One of her first assignments was with the 8th Army Headquarters giving her the opportunity to go to Korea. In her career, she traveled to many places including Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, and Germany She said differences in the food always caught her attention. She met many missionaries in her travels and made many friends.

Carl and Jonell Counts in 2008.

The Counts Wedding

“Making life one adventure after another.”

Her mother’s health was failing and she came home to Missouri to care for her Her mother passed away in 1976

She had plans to return to her career but before she left, she met her future husband, Carl, and the rest is history. They married in 1978. They have one son, C.A. Their son’s work brought him to Mississippi County and C.A. and his family were the draw for Carl and Jonell to move to Manila.

“One day our son asked why we didn’t just move to Manila to be closer to them,” Carl said. “There was no reason for us not to and we are where we need to be ”

They are enjoying living near their son, daughter-inlaw and granddaughter

Several years ago, they bought property on the outskirts of Manila and built homes next to each other. C.A. has a large shop on the property. Carl enjoys his hobby of working with wood. He has made many sets of wooden utensils out of sassafras wood. He is generous with the utensils and has given away about 20 sets He also makes boat paddles and walking canes He has probably made 100 walking canes. Many have been given away and others donated to fundraising events.

The Counts have joined the senior center in Manila and have made lots of friends.

“The center is a good thing for the community,” Jonell said “It gets us older people out with people our own age for a hot meal, exercise and camaraderie. It helps us meet people. We go every day we can to the center. Just since we have been here, we have seen Manila grow. When our son first came

here, housing was hard to come by but there has been a lot of construction since then ”

The couple attend the Assembly of God Church in Manila where they have made many friends

Carl and Jonell love their home which is near town but has the country feel. They like to spend time in the sunroom in the back of their home where she has many of her plants. Jonell has a green thumb and shares cuttings with friends.

Jonell is 83 and Carl is 89 but they are still enjoying life to its fullest As they said earlier, they are right where they need to be and right where they want to be

Home is where you make it and life continues to be one adventure after another

Ja n ice Co l bert

By Steve Knox

Antique expert and avid collector, Janice Colbert, 80, is a bit of a sweetheart with a sense of humor.

Born at the Dyess Hospital, Colbert grew up in the Whitton Community... picking and chopping cotton. She used an outhouse, pumped water, and lived without electricity.

Colbert attended elementary school in Whitton and high school in Wilson.

“I was raised in a cotton patch,” quipped Colbert. “I am thankful I was raised on a farm and I learned how to take care of myself. We raised a garden... made, washed and ironed our own clothes... it was a good life,” said Colbert. “ We didn’t lock our doors. We walked down the road and hitchhiked everywhere. We went to church; often we opened the church doors. It was a simpler time,” said Colbert.

“I rode the bus to school everyday, 17 miles one way to Wilson. I played basketball, although the school discontinued the girls team while I was there. I was a member of the homecoming court and a cheerleader. We enjoyed school.”

In 1964, she married Wallace Colbert and moved to

town. “Wallace and I were raised at the same time. I was in the country and he was in the city. But our parents raised us both the right way,” said Colbert.

The couple had two sons, Bruce and Rob.

From 1977-1987, Colbert worked as a secretary and substitute teacher for the Osceola School District.

Colbert spent many years going to yard sales and auctions before forming her own company, Colbert Antiques, in 1976. “It fascinated me,” she smiled. “I love antiquing.”

In 2010, she moved back to “the old homeplace” in Whitton.

It was also 1976, when Colbert was presented the Osceola Outstanding Citizen Award by the Chamber of Commerce. Her fellow nominees were Bruce Young, Louis George, and Tommy Groves. Before Covid hit, Colbert was a dedicated volunteer at the Mississippi County Historical and Genealogical Society Museum Coffee Shoppe.

Colbert is still involved in the estate sale business although she has slowed down some due to her health. “I am not quite sure what the future holds for me,” said Colbert. Lately, she has spent time visiting her son Rob in Brookland, in part due to her health. “It is good to have a loving family. Family always has and always will be everything to me,” said Colbert.

“The Antique Expert”

Juanita Wils on: An avid reader

By Marcus McClain

Juanita Wilson, 80, is living proof of the fact that barriers are meant to be broken. Her life’s journey is filled with different bullet points, and proves the idea that everyone is running their own race.

Wilson has lived a life with many different passions, but nearly none are stronger than her love for reading. She noted that this love has always been a part of her life dating

book and found information on a pair of massage schools A few months later, she saw an article in the newspaper about a school being built closer to her home at the time

She stated that during the time, women were mostly expected to only be teachers and nurses. But those professions were not in the cards for her. So after seeing that the massage school was on the way, she took a chance at something new

pick up the line and someone else would be talking on it They still had a different number though. So they may be talking on the phone for an hour and you’d have to wait until

back to the earliest stages. When making the transition to Stonebridge in Blytheville, she made sure to bring her collection along with her. And the library at Stonebridge has only added to her stockpile

“My love of reading came from my aunt. She always had lots of books. She had a knotty pine living room with a whole wall of books,” Wilson said

It’s safe to say that reading likely played a major role in Wilson pursuing a higher education, even several years after finishing high school.

“I went to school when I was 50. I got my two-year degree 20 years after high school. I graduated from high school in ‘60,” Wilson said

After previously working in 4-H in Washington state, Wilson stated that she was going through the phone

“I’d always wanted to go to school. I had fun with the kids when I went back to get my degree. Of course, there was a lot of kids that were 20 years younger than I was, but we had fun,” Wilson said. “We communicated a lot and did a lot of studying together I would go back to school right now if I had the chance.”

After finishing the program, she began working with children with disabilities

She went on to marvel at the way barriers have been broken down as time has continued

“Of course it’s different now. We just got a new male aide here [at Stonebridge], we had our first one about a year ago,” Wilson said.

“Technology is the biggest difference now though. I grew up with a party line, where more than one house is on the line at once So you’d

they got off. It’s way different now. You can go out into nowhere and still take a phone call,” she laughed.

She also touched on how she believes even more barriers will be broken in the future, especially by women.

“Did we ever think we’d see a female vice president? And we’ve come awfully close to having a woman for president It will happen before long Just look at the female supreme court justices and other officials we have now, it’s amazing.”

THE SCHO OL SECR ETARY Mary Ann Minton: retiring at 80

By Revis Blaylock

It was with mixed emotions that Mary Ann Minton of Milligan Ridge announced her plans to retire at the end of the school year She has worked in the Manila School District for 46 years. She started out as a teacher’s aide in 1977. After a couple of years working in the classroom, she moved to the junior high office as secretary.

She has watched several generations of young people go through the halls at MHS.

“I will miss the kids,” she said. “I do think 80 is a good age to retire.”

Minton said she has made a small

Michael, who also graduated from Manila High School. Justin and his wife Michele live in St. Peters, Mo. Michael and his wife Valerie live in Manila. They have three grandchildren and two bonus granddaughters who are students at Manila High School. They also have three greatgrandchildren.

The Minton’s country home has always been the gathering place for family and friends. Their door is always open.

She has worked for nine principals during her years with the school district.

years. They have supported the FFA, the band and other organizations. At one time, they went to all of the games but now they go to the home games and when they can’t go they watch the games as they are live streamed.

circle in her life but she would not want to change a thing. She grew up in the Milligan Ridge area. She has been married to Bennie Minton for 62 years; lived in the same house for 60 years; had the same job at MHS for 46 years; and attended the same church, Milligan Ridge Baptist, for 80 years.

“Church has always been a big part of our lives,” she said. “Bennie and I attended the same church growing up. One day when I was leaving church, he asked me for a date and the rest is history. We were also school classmates.”

She and Bennie both graduated from Manila High School in 1960.

They have two sons, Justin and

“They were all good to work for,” she said. “Mr Wayne Marshall taught me about computers. He actually built computers and we were the first office in the school to use programs for scheduling, attendance and grades. He was a pioneer in computers and was smart and loved technology. He told us that someday the schools all over the state would be connected on the internet before it came about. As I have watched the technology come into the school, I often remember his words.”

One of the highlights of her career was moving into the new high school. Another one was when the basketball gymnasium was built.

“Both facilities are so nice and something we should all be proud of,” Minton said. “We have a wonderful school and I am thankful to have been a part of it throughout the years.”

They have always been Manila basketball fans and have enjoyed watching the teams through the

The Mintons were once in the AmWay business. They took some very great trips, including one to Hawaii, during their years with AmWay.

“As we have gotten older, we enjoy staying home more,” she said. “I am looking forward to the future and not having to set the alarm every morning. I am looking forward to attending the state mission meetings and spending more time with family and friends. I will miss the kids at school and my co-workers. I have never dreaded coming to work. Every day was a new day and I looked forward to each one.

Mary Ann enjoys cooking and still prepares three meals a day when she is not working. They still enjoy Sunday dinners after church with family and friends. They have always raised a large garden and have the ground ready for planting this year.

Bennie is a retired farmer and still loves to work in the soil and watch things grow. They enjoy their homegrown fresh vegetables.

Mary Ann and Bennie Minton with their sons, Justin and Michael.

Mary Ann Minton said one of the highlights of her career was moving into the new high school. The library is one of her favorite rooms in the facility.