Leflore Illustrated Summer 2020

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From the editor Food Calendar

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PT Shopping page The Back Page

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Albert Harrison has given young musicians a foundation for success Larry Kelly enjoys cooking what people like to eat — catfish Jack Stuckey has used the extra time at home to become an expert gamer Civil War buff uncovers case of ship’s mistaken identity New Church of God building will be “very functional for ministry” The Rev. Michael Mooneyham has come “full circle” Turn your summer vacation into a fun-filled staycation Couple took their time settling into their Grand Boulevard home I’m So Greenwood creator loves where he comes from Ugly Mugs artist’s whimsical designs have people talking Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club was more than a fundraiser

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Summer camp at Grandpa’s

s the coronavirus spread across the world, little did we know that it would cut us off from our three grandsons.

Betty Gail had gone to Nashville to see them over spring break. When she hugged them goodbye, she didn’t expect it would be three months before she would see them in person again. For me, it was even longer, dating back to last Christmas.

Even though neither one of us had any health conditions that worried us about possibly being infected by Timmes, who turned 5 this summer, 2-year-old Bett or baby Kip, Nashville was shut down even tighter than Greenwood and travel to there was discouraged.

After hearing, though, that most of the summer camps that Timmes might have attended had been cancelled, we asked our daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband if they would consider sending Timmes and Bett to a week of “Camp Kalich” in Greenwood. They didn’t hesitate. “How about all three?” they asked. Apparently, three months of shelter in place had exceeded the family togetherness limit.

Sorry, we said. Campers have to be at least 2 years old.

Betty Gail and I know our limits. There’s a reason that God designed human beings to stop having babies once their bodies start to creak.

With the date for camp established, we had to get busy. Two weekends were spent on indoor painting projects. A list of activities was drawn up. We recruited Betty Gail’s sister and her husband to host a daylong field trip to their home in the country outside of Batesville. We even ordered a customized banner to hang near our front entrance welcoming the boys to camp.

Early on the morning of their

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scheduled arrival, we got a text from Elizabeth that made our hearts sink. She had a sore throat and it was getting worse.

Timmes had briefly run a fever two days earlier. They were going to the health clinic when it opened and get checked out.

We imagined the worst.

Thankfully, it was a false alarm. Timmes was fine, and Elizabeth had only a sinus infection.

Camp Kalich was still on.

The week exceeded our expectations. Neither brother got homesick. They took their naps and went to bed at night without fussing, although usually later than their parents would

have wanted. (It was camp, after all.) And they seemed to have a lot of fun, no matter what we did — swimming, playing football, drawing pictures or having a dance party in the kitchen.

The Batesville excursion — dubbed “Camp Redneck” — included rock painting, bird watching, Bad Boy Buggy riding, badminton and a watermelon-seed spitting contest. I won the adult division, Timmes the children’s.

The two boys can be like peas in a pod. Whatever Timmes is doing, Bett wants to do the same. Most everything is bought in twos, as sharing is a concept on which they’re still

working. They both love books.

We frequently had to negotiate with them how many had to be read at bedtime. We started at four, but by the time the week was out, they had gotten us up to six or seven. Sometimes Betty Gail or I would conk out before they did.

But the two also have their own personalities.

Timmes is particular about his clothes. He knows exactly what he wants to sleep in and to play in. For both occasions, it’s usually some variation of gym shorts and a T-shirt, the latter of which he always tucks in. He’s strongwilled, but he’s reached the age where he can be reasoned with — a wonderful development.

He’s quick to help with cooking or with chores. He’s big on rules.

Before a game of football in the backyard, he informed us there would be three of them: No cheating, no crying and no running with sharp objects in your hand.

Bett is apparently the inspiration for the “sharp objects” rule.

He is fearless around dogs, around swimming pools, around about everything. He requires a much closer eye than Timmes.

Elizabeth equipped us with safety covers to prevent Bett from opening the exterior doors in our house. He had not jumped off a diving board until his week in Greenwood. You would have thought, how he did it the first time without hesitation, that he had lots of prior experience. He likes to have something in at least one of his hands at all times — a ball, a book or a snack.

By the time we returned the boys to their parents, Betty Gail and I were both tired, but we also felt the week had gone by too fast. The boys say they definitively will come back.

Pandemic or no pandemic, Camp Kalich could become an annual tradition. — qáã=h~äáÅÜ

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Giving the gift of music

or well over 50 years, Albert Harrison has been an influential figure in music education in Greenwood.

He taught music for more than 40 years in the Leflore County public schools, started the Harrison Delta Singers and helped give many young musicians the foundation for success later in life.

Now 80 years old and retired, he still hears often from former students about the impact he had on their lives. He said the chance to have that impact made it a joy to go to work every day.

“The worst day of the week used to be the weekend, because I didn’t get to be with the kids,” he said. “I guess that’s why I stayed in it so long.”

Harrison, who is originally from Heidelberg, faced some physical challenges as a child.

“I was told that when I was 6 months old, my brothers were playing with me and pulled my hip out of place,” he said. “At that time, my father didn’t take me to have X-rays, and when I was 14, I had to have a rebuilt hip because my hip had grown out of place.”

He stayed in a body cast for six weeks and seemed to recover well afterward, but the hip started giving him trouble again after he finished college, so he had it replaced.

“That operation was not a complete success, and since then I’ve had to have two operations on that same hip,” he said. “But through it all, I recovered.”

The first instrument he played was the guitar, which he learned to play by ear when he was about 12. He started taking piano in seventh grade, learning to play by ear from a teacher named James Bradford, who was born blind. In ninth grade, he began studying with another teacher, Glenneth Berry, and “it was through her guidance that I was able to get several scholarship offers,” he said.

He opted to go to Rust College, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1963 and sang baritone in the choir under the leadership of Natalie Doxey. He was recruited to work in the Leflore County schools by Dr. Amanda Elzy, who was assistant superintendent.

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“At that time, I had several scholarship offers to continue my studies, but I chose to come to Greenwood and work,” said Harrison, who later earned a master’s degree from Delta State University.

He ended up teaching in the Leflore County district for more than 44 years. Starting as a music teacher and choir director, he built a choral program — “almost from scratch” — and made it a successful one.

He did most of his teaching at Amanda Elzy High and eventually added duties at Leflore County High before asking to combine the schools’ choirs. The resulting group was good enough that he was able to take the students to festivals at Sea World in Florida, Six Flags over Georgia and other places.

“At that time, Mr. Otis Allen was superintendent, and he got a letter from one of the hotels saying that my group was the bestbehaved group of all the children there,” he recalled.

His students included Mulgrew Miller, who studied with him from age 8 through high school. Miller went on to

become a very successful jazz pianist, composer and bandleader who appeared on more than 400 recordings.

“When his father passed, I told him he didn’t have to pay; I would still continue to teach him at no cost,” Harrison said. “But he chose to pay. At that time it was $2 per lesson.”

Miller died in 2013 at the age of 57. In a 2006 interview with the Commonwealth, he said Harrison was “a very, very devoted and dedicated teacher and, needless to say, a huge inspiration — maybe my biggest.”

Harrison also taught Ezekiel McCall, who went on to study opera and succeed in musical theater.

After retiring from Elzy, Harrison spent seven years teaching at St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School, which he also enjoyed.

He said his voice “went through some trials and tribulations” early in his teaching career.

“A lot of my students didn’t read music, and at first I was teaching them by rote, and I was having to sing falsetto a lot,” he said. “That kind of took its toll

on my voice. I don’t sing, but I think I do a pretty good job of teaching the basic fundamentals of singing.”

Those fundamentals include proper breathing, tone quality, diction, posture and expression as well as appearance. “If they performed, they had to be dressed right,” he said.

He had a reputation as a demanding teacher with high expectations, and he said many former students have returned to see his choirs’ concerts and express their appreciation to him.

College choir directors knew about him, too.

“When I was teaching, the choral directors would just ask me for a list of my students, and they would give them scholarships based on my recommendation,” he said. “And all of those students have constantly said to me that I made it possible for them to live a good life, because they were able to get an education through music and do singing.”

At one time, frustrated because “people were not placing enough emphasis on music,” he left Greenwood for Michigan,

spending one semester in Flint before moving to Muskegon.

But after finding students there were not as disciplined, he returned to Greenwood.

“I did like the prodigal son; I said, ‘I’m going back home.’ And the principals and the superintendent did not replace me,” he said, adding with a laugh, “They gave me a waiting period to come back. So I was welcomed back with open arms.”

He said he received offers over the years to teach elsewhere, including an offer to lead the choir at Rust, but was happy where he was. Also, the experience in Michigan taught him an important lesson.

“I found out that people are people everywhere you go, and there are going to be problems,” he said. “You can’t run away from them; you just have to learn how to deal with them. ... It was easier to counsel the kids in Greenwood as opposed to those in the big cities, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the kids and the parental support that I got here in Greenwood.”

Twenty years ago, Harrison started a community choir, the

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Harrison Delta Singers, which became a popular concert draw. He said at one time that he would lead them until he was 80, and the group was invited to perform at Rust this year and record a CD, with proceeds from CD sales going toward scholarships at Rust. The coronavirus pandemic put those plans on hold, but Harrison is determined to lead the group again.

“As soon as the pandemic gets under control, I will try to get together and have a final concert,” he said.

In retirement, he also has stayed active as minister of music at DeCell United Methodist Church, which didn’t have a music program when he joined. But he has enjoyed the challenge, which included starting a choir that initially had only three or four people. Now it has 10.

“They are so eager to learn,” he said. “I enjoy working with them, and they have done extremely well, based on the comments from the audience. ... It’s a small church with a big heart, and the congeniality is just phenomenal.

They are so caring.”

He said he thought about giving private lessons again but, he added with a laugh, “after 80 years, I deserve some time for myself.”

Harrison said he wants to keep working as long as he feels like it. He is a prostate cancer survivor and also is diabetic, but he said he has received good care from a number of local doctors over the years.

“Music is a part of my life,” he said. “When something becomes a part of your life, if you take it away, you take part of your life away.”

For more than 56 years, he has been married to Beverly Harrison, who also is a retired educator. They have a son, Keith, and a daughter, Neidra, as well as two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In his spare time, he enjoys growing vegetables in a raised garden. He has never traveled much, and “due to the conflict in the world today, traveling is on the back burner,” he said.

“And I just enjoy being at home, doing as much as I can for my community.” LI U / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

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Serving up catfish

or several decades, Larry Kelly’s life has revolved around catfish.

“I eat catfish seven days a week,” said the owner of Larry’s Fish House. “I enjoy cooking it because I like to see folks eat what they like. Evidently it worked.”

Indeed it has, as Kelly’s restaurant is beloved by many in the Delta.

But before he opened up his restaurant in Itta Bena in 1996, for 20 years Kelly ran a food catering business on the side that served — you guessed it — catfish for church functions and family gatherings.

He decided to open a catering business because at the time there weren’t many establishments serving catfish, he said.

Now 69, Kelly continues to reside in Itta Bena, the town in which he was raised. The house where he lives with his wife of 47 years, Diane, is 50 feet away from the site of his childhood home, which would later be destroyed by a tornado.

When Kelly turned 12, he started working with his father, a carpenter, and continued that work until he turned 29. In between, he graduated from Leflore County High School in 1969.

As things slowed down with his father’s carpentry business, Kelly recalled attending a Lion’s Club meeting in which the guest speaker talked about the farm-raised catfish industry, which was just getting firmly established.

Mesmerized, Kelly wanted in

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on the money that farmers were making from the whiskered fish.

“I decided I wanted to try it,” he said.

In 1965, Mississippi began to produce farm-raised catfish on a commercial level, following Arkansas’ lead in 1963, according to the Mississippi Historical Society.

The state’s catfish industry began to hit it “big time” in the early 1980s, Kelly recalled.

That’s when he began work as a catfish harvester, a job he’d stick with for 24 years.

“We did the same thing every day but at a different place,” Kelly said.

He’d travel within a 75-mile radius of Itta Bena, hopping from pond to pond harvesting catfish for farmers.

On average each year, Kelly said, he’d harvest about 6 million pounds of catfish.

One year, he hauled in 10 million pounds.

That operation is now being run by one of Kelly’s two sons, Larry Jr. The other son, Bradley, is an attorney in Madison.

vvv When the coronavirus reached Leflore County in March, Kelly closed his dine-in, buffet-style restaurant in compliance with restrictions imposed by the state in an effort

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to curb the spread of the disease.

Even though by early May restaurants were allowed to resume dine-in service at half of their normal capacity, Kelly kept his restaurant closed and stuck with the food-

truck operation he had set up on Greenwood’s West Park Avenue.

Initially, the food truck was located on the parking lot of Greenwood Market Place, then later in the Highland Park Shopping

“We watched their

family grow over the 20 years, they’ve watched our family grow over the 20 years. It’s like a family thing. It’s a family restaurant.” i~êê ó=hÉääó

Center, before settling on another location on the busy commercial strip.

“I like the food truck because we meet so many different people,” Kelly said.

Yet, at the same time, he missed the interactions he had had with his customers at the restaurant. Because workers of Kelly’s would be cooking, he’d have more time to visit with his customers — developing a special relationship that worked both ways.

“We watched their family grow over the 20 years, they’ve watched our family grow over the 20 years. It’s like a family thing. It’s a family restaurant,” he said.

In July, while also keeping the food truck going in Greenwood, Kelly reopened his restaurant in Itta Bena, but with some pandemic-required modifications. He had to rearrange the layout to limit seating to 50 customers. Previously he could seat 200, and even squeeze in an extra 50 to 100 on Friday nights, the restaurant’s most popular time.

Also, the serve-yourself buffet has been replaced with workers doing the serving.

“We’re going to do what we need to do to stay safe and keep our customers feeling safe,” he said.

Even though his business has been hampered by the coronavirus outbreak, Kelly said it’s remained profitable.

“We’ve done OK. I’ve worked twice as hard as I was working,” he said.

And despite the recent challenges, Kelly continues to appreciate the friendly people in the Delta and the Southern hospitality they offer to outsiders.

One personal example Kelly recounted was feeding the families of the servicemen who died in 2017 when a military transport plane in which they were riding crashed while flying over Leflore County.

During his first meeting with the family members, Kelly said that he had them joking and laughing. He later asked them about their perceptions of the Delta.

They responded that it had been different from what they had been told, he said.

“We taught them how to eat catfish, how to drink sweet tea.” LI

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D

uring everyone’s recent time spent at home, I think we have all watched a lot of television.

With television, we watch a myriad of commercials, with at least 90% of them showing delicious food.

I love Italian food, and that genre of restaurant is in my top favorites. One of the best parts of an Italian meal is the delicious bread with dipping oil that is served as you peruse the menu to decide what to order. Many times, I have said, “this piece of bread will be my last,” as not to spoil my appetite.

Yet, there always seems to be just one more.

Whether you need a delicious appetizer or a great bread addition to your meal, this Italian Dipping Oil is delicious. I hope you will give it a try. You’ll be glad you did. Thanks for reading. fq^if^k=afmmfkd=lfi 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried rosemary ½ teaspoon garlic powder Extra virgin olive oil Grated Parmesan cheese

Mix first 11 ingredients together in a small bowl; refrigerate. When ready to use, mix 1 heaping tablespoon with ½ cup olive oil and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with your favorite warm bread. The mix will stay fresh in the refrigerator for one week. LI

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Expert gamer

ack Stuckey has been using his extra time at home to sharpen up his video game skills.

The 10-year-old, who recently celebrated his birthday in June, is now quite the expert at Fortnite, which he plays “almost every day” since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Fortnite “is basically this game that started out from you running from zombies, trying to save the world,” he said. “But the actual Battle Royale that I play came out in 2017.”

Right now, Jack and his older brother, Sullivan, are on Chapter 2, Season 3 of the game.

Jack has also picked up some dance moves from the game, such as “flossing” and the “worm.”

In Fortnite Creative, where players can create maps, battle arenas, race courses, platforming challenges and more, Jack helps out the other players.

“I’ve gotten really good at building, so basically every day I try to build better and better, and sometimes I teach people how to build,” said Jack. “Some people who are bad at the game are called bots. I help bots — people who are bad at the game, newbs — learn the basics of Fortnite.”

Besides playing the game, Jack has spent time growing watermelons in his backyard.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said.

He already has many small watermelons growing on the vine and is excited for them to get ripe and ready to eat.

Jack, the son of Dr. Ward and Caroline Stuckey of Greenwood, recently completed

third grade at Pillow Academy.

He is anticipating August and the beginning of his fourth grade year. ^êÉ=óçì=êÉ~Çó=Ñçê=ëÅÜççä=íç ëí~êí=Ä~Åâ=çê=~êÉ=óçì=ëíáää ÉåàçóáåÖ=ëìããÉê=î~Å~íáçå\=I want school to start. tÜó=Çç=óçì=ï~åí=ëÅÜççä=íç ëí~êí\=So I can get all of this corona stuff over with and see my friends. tÜ~í=Ü~îÉ=óçì=ÄÉÉå=ÇçáåÖ ~í=ÜçãÉ=íÜáë=ëìããÉê\ Well, I’ve been able to play a lot of video games. It’s really nice outside, so I’ve got a new hoverboard and a new bike. I’ve gotten to ride those outside. tÜ~í=~êÉ=óçìê=íÜçìÖÜíë ~Äçìí=íÜÉ=Åçêçå~îáêìë\=I hate it; I want to kill it. ... I hate that we have to stay home. aç=óçì=Ü~îÉ=~=Ñ~îçêáíÉ ëìÄàÉÅí=áå=ëÅÜççä\=Yes, science. It’s just really fun for me.

I mean, I like math but not as much as I do science, because science just helps me with things I’m going to have to do later on in life. _ÉëáÇÉë=éä~óáåÖ=cçêíåáíÉI ïÜ~í=~êÉ=ëçãÉ=çÑ=óçìê=çíÜÉê Ñ~îçêáíÉ=ÜçÄÄáÉë\=Eat and sleep. ... I am (in Boy Scouts). I like to make forts out in the woods with my friends. aç=óçì=Ü~îÉ=~=Ñ~îçêáíÉ ëéçêí\=Tennis and baseball are favorite sports. tÜ~íÛë=óçìê=Ñ~îçêáíÉ=Äççâ íç=êÉ~Ç\=I read the whole thing of the f=pìêîáîÉÇ=series. tÜ~íÛë=óçìê=Ñ~îçêáíÉ ãçîáÉ\=I don’t know which one is better, ^ÅÉ=sÉåíìê~W=mÉí

bîÉå=íÜçìÖÜ=áíÛë=ëìããÉê=ÄêÉ~âI=g~Åâ=píìÅâÉóI=NMI=áë=êÉ~Çó=íç=Öç=Ä~Åâ=íç ëÅÜççäK=tÜáäÉ=ëéÉåÇáåÖ=íáãÉ=~í=ÜçãÉ=ÇìêáåÖ=íÜÉ=Åçêçå~îáêìë=é~åÇÉãáÅI ÜçïÉîÉêI=ÜÉÛë=ÄÉÅçãÉ=~å=ÉñéÉêí=~í=íÜÉ=çåäáåÉ=îáÇÉç=Ö~ãÉ=cçêíåáíÉK

tÜ~í=Çç=óçì=ï~åí=íç=ÄÉ ïÜÉå=óçì=Öêçï=ìé\=A pickle ... I’m going to be a YouTuber. fÑ=óçì=ÅçìäÇ=áåîÉåí=~åóJ íÜáåÖI=ïÜ~í=ïçìäÇ=áí=ÄÉ\=A source of electricity that always runs on water or grass, because those are natural resources. fÑ=óçì=ÅçìäÇ=ÅÜ~åÖÉ=~åóJ íÜáåÖ=~Äçìí=dêÉÉåïççÇI ïÜ~í=ïçìäÇ=áí=ÄÉ\=Take everybody who didn’t treat their pets well, and I would blow them out of Greenwood and slap them into Mexico.

You should treat everybody the way you would want to be treated. LI

aÉíÉÅíáîÉ=or máñÉäëK=I don’t have a favorite between those. aç=óçì=Ü~îÉ=~=éÉí\=Yes, Belle (a goldendoodle). aç=óçì=äáâÉ=ÄÉáåÖ=íÜÉ óçìåÖÉëí=ÄêçíÜÉê\=I think I like being the younger brother.

The only down side of my life is my sinuses are horrible. aç=óçì=~åÇ=óçìê=çäÇÉê ÄêçíÜÉê=ÖÉí=~äçåÖ\=Most of the time. aç=óçì=Ü~îÉ=~=Ñ~îçêáíÉ ÑççÇ\=Steak. ... I know how to cook steak. aç=óçì=Ü~îÉ=~=Ñ~îçêáíÉ Å~åÇó\=Jolly Ranchers (the gummies kind).

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Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / NP

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S

Sunken treasure

teele Robbins IV grew up on the rivers that surround North Greenwood.

He and friends floated on tubes, boated and learned to water ski on the Tallahatchie and Yazoo rivers that cut a path through his hometown.

The exposure created in Robbins a longtime fascination in the history of sunken ships in and around the Fort Pemberton area, but it wasn’t until about seven years ago that his interest became nearly obsessive.

He began researching Civil War history as it relates to Greenwood and found that what many locals considered to be the Acadia, on the muddy bottom where the Yalobusha River flows into the Tallahatchie to form the Yazoo, was in fact the Edward J. Gay. “Once the water started getting so low in the summers, I was able to get down there to it and check it out, and using Google, which obviously wasn’t around when people first learned about the ship, it was easy to tell that it wasn’t the Acadia,” said Robbins, a 47-year-old precision agricultural consultant and amateur local historian. “Oh, the Acadia is in there but more down toward Viking Road, probably about a mile down river from this spot.”

The Gay, unlike the Acadia and the more famous Star of the West, wasn’t scuttled and burned to impede the Union Army’s advance toward Vicksburg, Robbins said. It was sunk on July 17, 1863, a couple of weeks after the fall of Vicksburg, in order to keep the ship from falling into Union hands. So were several other Confederate vessels that were waiting for orders near Greenwood.

“Now, this ship was the Ritz Carlton of the Mississippi River,” Robbins said. “As soon as it was realized that the river system was lost, the Gay and the other ships that were hidden in Greenwood were ordered to be scuttled. They were ordered to be sunk, and anything that was above the water line was then burned.”

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pqlov=_v=_fii=_roorp=n melqlp=`lroqbpv=lc=pqbbib=ol__fkp=fs NQ / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

The elegant ship was built in St. Louis and was converted to war use as a troop transport. It was used by the Confederacy to haul soldiers into the area to build Fort Pemberton, a hastily constructed fortification just west of Greenwood on the banks of the Tallahatchie River.

The sidewheel wooden-hull steamer measured 177 feet long and 39 feet wide and was first launched in 1859.

Part of the Edward J. Gay lies directly at the mouth of the Tallahatchie and Yalobusha, close to the eastern bank of the Yazoo, Robbins said.

Because it was sunk parallel to the bank, rather than at a 90degree angle to block the channel,

it was spared when other wrecks were later demolished in order to allow commerce to return to the river.

“That’s why a lot of the Gay remains and is fairly intact,” Robbins said. “It never had to be destroyed for the river to be navigable.”

History tells us control of the mighty Mississippi River was of vital national interest to both the Union and the Confederacy, with the conflict spilling over into the Yazoo River and its tributaries and leaving a wide wake of littered military and civilian vessels.

When the war ended, the armies went away, but the vessels lost during the fighting still remain in their watery graves today. LI

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Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / NR

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A blessed building

W

ith more than 17,000 square feet of newly built space, the Rev. Michael Mooneyham, pastor of Greenwood Church of God, says the church’s new building will be “very functional for ministry.”

Now centrally located on Sgt. John Pittman Drive, the beautiful 17,537-squarefoot church is separated into three sections.

When looking directly at the church, the left section of the building contains a half-court gym with finished concrete floors and a spacious children and youth room with a functioning kitchen.

The right section of the building houses an opened area that will serve as the church’s fellowship hall along with a large kitchen containing stainless steel appliances.

The center section of the building will serve as the church’s main use. It houses the sanctuary, which is able to seat 225 people.

When first entering the church, members and guests are greeted in an open foyer area.

The space contains a hospitality room on the right, which will have coffee, snacks and finger foods available, and a large nursery with its own bathroom on the left side. Also within this center section of the church are three Sunday school rooms.

To enter the sanctuary, members and guests must walk through a giant set of double doors that stand 9 feet tall.

The sanctuary has many special features, including a covered baptistery that is built into the floor of the stage. There is also a sound booth upstairs overlooking the sanctuary that will control lighting and sound.

Plans for the church began in November 2018 and were finalized in March 2019.

Construction began in June 2019 by Mike Rozier Construction Co. and was set for completion in July 2020.

Many individuals have been involved in the church’s creation, such as Paul Mitchell and Ashley Bankston, architects of the project; George Beckwith, who drew the landscaping design; Adam Strehle, owner of Quality Turf Services, which is handling the landscaping; and Kathryn King, a designer based out of Oxford who has worked with the church to help with decisions such as paint colors and door knobs.

“The church is beautiful,” said Mooneyham. “We’ve already had people ask about renting the building.”

He said, however, its elegant features and color schemes are not the most important aspect of the building.

“It is also welcoming,” Mooneyham said.

“You don’t feel like you can’t be present; you can touch it. You don’t want to scuff things up, but if it does happen, at least it is from using it. We want our church to be attractive, but, more importantly, we want it to be ministry-minded.”

Moving from the church’s current location on Brentwood Avenue off of U.S. 82, near the Greenwood Country Club, was a tough decision for the church, but ultimately a decision that had to be made, Mooneyham said.

“It was necessary for us to be in a central location in order to reach more people. We want to reach everyone, and we feel as if this new location will do just that.”

The church’s new location will open opportunities for it to do more community outreach, which Mooneyham described as “spiritually promising.”

“You have lots of opportunity being located in the middle of Greenwood to reach many people,” he said. “There is a possibility for growth in everything, from church to community outreach and even after-school

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Summer2020 ibcilob Illustrated / NT

activities. There is just a lot of potential.”

Within the building’s design is also a plan for future growth. Mooneyham and his wife, Amber, who serves as the church’s secretary, discussed several ways the church will be able to accommodate more people if necessary.

“There are still several acres available behind the church if needed,” he said. “We are also able to expand by adding seating at the back of the sanctuary, and we could even add a second floor in the foyer and kid’s church area if we need to.”

Even though the church already draws members from a wide area, Mooneyham and his wife hope to see even more growth in the future.

“We have members from Carrollton, Itta Bena, Greenwood and Schlater,” he said. “I am hoping we are going to be a great vessel at our new location to be able to attract more people. We want everybody from every walk of life.”

The church was anticipating that worship services would begin in the new facility by mid-July.

Prior to the church’s official opening, Jack and Jordan Westerfield were able to hold their wedding ceremony and reception at the new location on June 13.

Since she was a little girl, Jordan had always wanted to get married at her home church, surrounded by family and friends. The ceremony became even more special once she learned she would be able to have her wedding at the church’s new location. As their big day approached, Jordan and Jack became worried about their plans due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ultimately, they were able to have their wedding ceremony in the church’s sanctuary and hold their reception in the fellowship hall.

“My entire life I have gone to Greenwood Church of God,” said Jordan. “I care for my church family just as much as my biological family. When Jack and I got engaged, I knew there was no other place I wanted to have our wedding than in my home church. We picked a summer afternoon for our special day, hoping and praying the church would be completed by that time. Despite all of the scares of COVID-19, construction continued.

“I am so thankful we were able to have the ceremony in our church, which will go down in our church’s history as the first event in the new building. With humility and honor, I get to say that, and I can’t wait to be a part of future events at this beautiful place I get to call my home church.”

Mooneyham said the new church building would not have been possible without God’s help.

“The Lord has really blessed us to be able to do this,” he said. “We’ve seen no financial setbacks during the pandemic. The people in the church have been very faithful and hard-working.”

The church will hold a dedication ceremony at its new location one month after its first service.

There will be several guest speakers at the dedication, including its former pastor, the Rev. James McElroy, who is the current pastor at Grenada Church of God. “We are going to dedicate the church, hopefully toward the end of August, and we know the Lord is going to continue to bless us as he always has,” said Mooneyham. LI NU / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

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Full circle

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he Rev. Michael Mooneyham says he has come “full circle” ending up as the pastor at Greenwood Church of God.

At a young age, Mooneyham said, he “felt the Lord tugging at (his) heart” to preach. He began his

preaching career at his home church, Thorn Church of God, in Houston, Mississippi. By the time he was 15,

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“Wherever you go, your church becomes your family.” ^ãÄÉê=jççåÉóÜ~ã

he was traveling the state to preach as an evangelist. One church he attended as a guest evangelist during the beginning of his career in 1997 was Greenwood Church of God, where he has now been the pastor for six years.

“God is a God of strategic planning,” Mooneyham said. “In 1997, I was given the opportunity to preach at Greenwood with two of my closest friends, David Mason and Dennis Laughlin. Then, 18 years later, He brought me back to pastor this wonderful congregation.”

Michael met his wife, Amber, at the age of 13 at Thorn Church of God, where Amber’s father, Charles Powers, was the pastor. After a two-year friendship, the pair began dating at 15 years old. The couple wed in July 2000 and are celebrating 20 years of marriage this year.

After graduating from Houston High School in 1997, Michael and Amber attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. At Lee, Michael furthered his pastoral career by majoring in pastoral ministry and minoring in Bible. He graduated in 2001 and immediately began his ministry career.

Michael and Amber had their first child, Sarah, in 2001 while at Lee University.

Sarah is a 2020 Pillow Academy graduate.

She will also be attending Lee University in the fall.

Shortly after Sarah’s birth and Michael’s graduation from Lee, the new family of three moved to Mount Airy, North Carolina, where Michael and Amber became the youth pastors at Mount Airy Church of God for the next three years.

The couple had their second child, Matthew, in 2002. Matthew is an upcoming senior at Pillow.

In 2005, Michael and Amber had their youngest daughter, Faith, while serving as the pastors at Fayetteville Church of God in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Faith is an upcoming freshman at Pillow.

Michael remained the pastor at Fayetteville Church of God for six years before relocating to Roanoke Rapids Church of God in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, where he pastored for four years.

It was in 2014 that Michael and his family made the move to Greenwood to be the pastor at Greenwood Church of God. In 2019, the church began construction on a

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new building in a more central location on Sgt. John Pittman Drive. He said he never dreamed he would be a part of such an honor.

“I never thought I’d be a part of something like this,” he said. “Within this time, I have seen the same God that was present in 1997,” when Michael first preached at Greenwood Church of God, “still moving

and strategically leading my life today.”

To Amber, the most difficult thing about their constant moving in the early years of their marriage was being away from their families.

“The most challenging thing is going to a new environment and living somewhere without your family,” she said.

But, even if their relatives were not near, they had their church family to lean on.

“Wherever you go,” Amber began, “your church becomes your family.”

Amber has many roles at the church. Not only does she serve as the church’s secretary, but she also helps with children’s church, watches children on Sundays in the nursery, cooks supper for the Wednesday night crowd, and takes care of anything else that needs to be done.

“I really just help out anywhere I am needed,” she said.

Since Amber serves as the cook for Wednesday night service, she is especially looking forward to the large kitchen in the fellowship hall of the new building.

Michael and Amber have always believed it is important for their children to understand the importance of having a relationship with the Lord. This is why they take time to do Bible studies and pray with them.

“We enjoy doing Bible studies and praying as a family. The most important thing you can teach your child is how to have a relationship with the Lord,” Michael said.

The Mooneyhams say they, and the entire congregation at Greenwood Church of God, are excited about using the new church building to serve others in the community of Greenwood. LI

Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / NV

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his year, if your summer vacation plans are sounding more like the title of the popular 1982 song by The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” here’s an alternative to consider: a staycation.

In fact, one in four Mississippians have similar plans for summer 2020, according to a survey by jó_áçpçìêÅÉKÅçã. The survey reported that many would rather vacation locally to avoid traveling by plane and reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

A staycation is also less stressful to plan and less expensive than traveling to a faraway destination. An added bonus is the money spent contributes positively to the local economy.

The Delta and surrounding area is full of fun activities, with many the whole family will enjoy.

On pages 21-23, six area locations are highlighted as great spots to visit on your summer staycation.

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If you’re eager to escape the flat terrain of the Delta, you don’t have to drive any farther than just outside of Winona.

Situated amid forested rolling hills is Old Mountain Outdoor Adventures, a recreational center consisting of zip lines and other outdoor activities for people of oK=aìêÜ~ã all ages.

Russell Durham, who founded the outdoor adventure center in July 2017 and manages it with his wife, Candace, said `K=aìêÜ~ã he wanted to provide a venue in the area for recreational activities.

Additionally, he said he saw a need to draw the youth away

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from their computer and smartphone screens and spend time outdoors.

Old Mountain features three different levels of aerial obstacles and zip lines, with the highest obstacle being 60 feet off the ground.

In addition to fun, though, Old Mountain also offers educational field trips for students to reinforce lessons they’ve learned in the classroom as well as other team-building activities for other groups.

“This has really been a great asset for us, getting to work with educational systems,” Russell Durham said. Old Mountain has hosted numerous field trips from students in schools throughout Mississippi and adjacent states.

An example of an educational activity is the treasure quest, where students answer multiplechoice questions on signs throughout the park in order to find a treasure box.

For more information, ïïïKçãç~ãëKÅçã or 662-5169722.

Lee Tartt Nature Preserve welcomes nature lovers to enjoy the park’s rich, splendid beauty.

The preserve is located about five minutes away from downtown Grenada.

Activities include hiking, strolling the boardwalk, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking. There is also an Adopt-A-Tree program, letting many people go off and see their tree flourishing.

Many feathered friends enjoy the preserve as well. Birds that visitors can enjoy include warblers, barn owls, red-shoulder hawks and woodpeckers, just to name a few.

Along with the many animals, the preserve also offers a diverse selection of plants. Since the area is located more toward the hills of Mississippi, the botany of the area is different from that found in the Delta. Turk's-cap lilies and red buckeyes are just two of the plants you can see throughout the lush, forested region.

“When you get there, you know you are in a special spot,” Robin Whitfield, director of the Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp, said. “I have never met someone who was disappointed with what they found there.”

The Friends of Chakchiuma Swamp is an organization that provides protection,

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preservation and education of the 300-acre wetland ecosystem found within the Lee Tartt Nature Preserve.

It is a foot-traffic only area, but you can call ahead (662-230-0368) if you plan to bring a boat, canoe, kayak or other vehicle.

Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / ON

Robert Johnson had a very mysterious life.

Often credited as the originator of the styling that would later become rock ’n’ roll, Johnson was a legendary guitar player. As the myth goes, Johnson went down to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil to gain supernaturally good guitar-playing talents.

Touring different juke joints in the area, Johnson picked up a reputation of being one of the best musicians in the South. But one August night in 1938, Johnson was poisoned. He soon died and was buried ... somewhere.

There are three possible gravesites of the late, great guitarist that can be found in the Delta — all by a self-guided, self-driven tour.

The first is at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery near Morgan City. Erected in 1991, the one-ton monument was primarily financed by Columbia Records.

The second gravesite is at Payne Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Quito. The marker was set in 1990 by an Atlanta band, fittingly named “Tombstones.”

The most likely site of Johnson’s grave, though, is at Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church. This is the grave where Sylvester Hoover, a Mississippi Delta blues tour guide, said he interviewed Rose Eskridge, an eyewitness to the burial. On the tombstone lies beer cans, pennies, cigarettes and other remnants and gifts from fans who have traveled all over the world to pay their respects.

For more information, call Hoover at 662392-5370 or the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau at 662-453-9197.

As many are chomping at the bit to leave their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, parks around the state are asking people to recreate responsibly and maintain social-distancing guidelines.

Fortunately for the folks of Leflore County, they have an outdoors mecca at their fingertips — 2,418 acres in the form of Mathews Brake National Wildlife Refuge. It was established in 1980 via the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The refuge is located in the Yazoo River Basin on the eastern edge of the Mississippi River Valley in Holmes and Leflore counties, near Phillipston. And while the refuge’s primary purpose is to provide habitat for wintering and resident waterfowl, it still has to plenty to offer during the

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summer.

Fishing is permitted in refuge waters throughout the year except closed in the Waterfowl Sanctuary one day prior to the beginning of waterfowl season through March 1.

Local state wildlife officers

say Mathews Brake offers good fishing for crappie, bass and bream, but that they also see a lot of people just out enjoying the beauty of the lake. Groups of kayakers are a common site this time of year.

Part of your planning should

include looking at the guidelines and rules for the park you wish to visit. Many state and federal parks are open for day use only, and camping at most is only at 50% capacity.

According to its website, the refuge supports about 200 species of migratory birds, as the major natural feature of the refuge is a 1,810-acre oxbow lake. It is the largest brake in Leflore County.

“Mathews Brake is truly iconic in the Mississippi Delta, both as a critical wetland and as a true outdoor destination for so many across the state and the Southeast,” said Alex Littlejohn, associate state director of The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi.

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Even if international travel is out of the question, it doesn’t mean you have to cancel a safari expedition on your summer bucket list. Up north, near the town of Como, is the Safari Wild Animal Park and Preserve.

A step inside the sprawling 466-acre park and you’d think you’re on an actual safari. The animals have lots of room to roam. Yet, through a 6.5-mile drive on the safari park’s gravel road, and armed with a few bags of animal feed, you’ll get to see and interact with all different kinds of animals up close.

Drive through slowly and roll down your car windows. Soon enough you’ll have zebras, ostriches, alpacas and camels all approaching your vehicle to get a bite to eat.

Out in the distance you’ll see

If you are in need of outdoor adventures, don’t feel trapped inside.

Get out and brave the heat with some family fishing and/or camping, both quality ways to spend time with the ones you love while soaking up the great outdoors.

You can find those options, and more, at Holmes County State Park — home to an abundance of wildlife and the perfect scenic backdrop for outdoor activities.

Combating COVID-19 has been tough as people try to social distance, but humans are social creatures.

Well, outdoor time with the family is the best medicine — and one of the safest — for “cabin fever.”

Built around two lakes, English (45 acres) and Odum (14 acres), the park offers fishing and camp-

other animals as well, such as a buffalo lazily sitting in a puddle of water or giraffes roaming.

There are also other opportunities for close interactions with the animals if you’re itching to get out of your car.

The park features a petting zoo full of farm animals as well as monkeys and a camel you can pose with for a picture. Within the park there’s also an enclosed open space where you can feed giraffes.

On a visit to the park in late June, a large group of students from Mills Academy, a learning center in Greenville, gathered at the petting zoo. Each had with them a bag of animal feed, happily sharing it among the animals.

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ing and is easy access off Interstate 55, off U.S. Route 51 approximately 4 miles south of Durant. Both are well-stocked with bass, bream and catfish, while English Lake is equipped with a boat launch. Odom Lake has no boat launch area.

A day use entry fee is charged on a per-vehicle basis.

The 28 sites available for RV camping feature picnic tables and grills, water and electrical hookups, and a central sewage dumping station. A bathhouse with hot showers is located in the devel-

oped camping area.

The park’s three picnic areas are equipped with tables and grills and afford views of the water. Two large picnic pavilions are available for reservation, providing the perfect spot for family reunions, company picnics, and church or school outings.

Enjoying the great outdoors in the age of COVID-19 does not come without plenty of planning in order to adhere to social-distancing guidelines. State park officials are urging people to make reservations for camping so they can predict capacity. Parking capacity at many parks has also been limited to reduce crowding, and group campsites remain closed.

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A timeless design

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Mo and Pam Powers’ French Provincial-style home on Grand Boulevard in Greenwood was built in 1950 and is still “as solid as a rock,” according to Mo.

hortly before Charles “Mo” and Pam Powers were to be married, about 13 years ago, Mo was talking with his friend, Billy Whittington, about the couple’s house-hunting efforts in Greenwood.

Mo and Billy had been friends since childhood, each spending almost as much time at the other’s house as at his own.

In that pre-wedding conversation, Mo remembers, Billy mentioned that his late parents’ house on Grand Boulevard was about to go on the market.

Mo didn’t miss a beat. “Why don’t I buy it?” he said.

“Really?” Billy said.

“Fine with me,” Pam said.

And they made that deal happen.

Actually, the process was a little more involved and a lot slower than that, but in

the end, Mo and Pam bought the Whittington house and married in 2007.

v v v Mo Powers and Pam Hughes had been sweethearts in the Greenwood High School class of 1966. After graduation, they drifted apart through college — Mo at the Georgia Institute of Technology and then Auburn University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in building construction, and Pam at Mississippi University for Women.

After college, Mo returned to Greenwood to work with his father in the general construction business, and Pam relocated to Vicksburg, where most of her mother’s family lived.

STORY BY JO ALICE DARDEN n PHOTOS BY JOHNNY JENNINGS

Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / OR

Mo entered the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1973, graduating first in his class in 1975. He served as a law clerk to William C. Keady, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, before being appointed to the U.S. magistrate position in the Northern District. Based in Aberdeen, he traveled to all the divisions in the Northern District to perform his duties until he resigned the position after seven years, in 1984, and entered private practice in Oxford and Jackson. In 1986, Mo returned to Greenwood and the construction business and was a principal in RC Construction Co. Inc. until he retired in 2008.

Pam worked for 25 years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg. She became interested in real estate and began studying for her license as a Realtor, which she earned in 1985. She now owns Powers Properties in Greenwood and Vicksburg and has served in leadership positions in Region 5 of the National Association of Realtors, as well as state and local positions of leadership.

Along the way, Mo and Pam married others, had children and grandchildren, survived divorce and eventually ran into each other. They fell in love all over again, married and made themselves the owners of a house they both treasure.

v v v Bill and Mary Jayne Whittington, Billy’s parents, had the house designed by Trolio and Liddle of Jackson, an architectural firm apparently no longer in business.

Completed in 1950, the French Provincial-style red brick house has four bedrooms, three and a half baths, a large playroom, a living room, a formal dining room, a breakfast room, a den, a kitchen and two walk-in attics.

“Two attics,” Pam marveled, “and one is just for my Christmas stuff!”

“What attracted me to the house initially was the connec-

tion to the past,” said Mo, “those happy times — it felt comfortable and familiar.”

But his experience in building construction sealed the deal.

“I knew this house was still as solid as a rock,” Mo said. “I could really appreciate the quality of the construction.”

So the newlyweds moved in.

And they did nothing initially to the house except fill it with their possessions and their lives, and their family members enjoyed visiting. Between them, Mo and Pam have two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren.

They didn’t knock down walls and open up spaces and paint everything white. They settled in, got comfortable and listened to their house as it made gentle suggestions for best options.

And they are so happy they took their time.

“I think there ought to be a rule that you can’t do any major remodeling to a house you buy until you’ve lived in it for a year,” Pam said. After a while, they knew the only work that needed to be done was cosmetic — mostly painting.

Mo and Pam enjoy entertaining, from small groups for casual dinners to their annual Christmas party, which has been known to attract around 150 or so guests. The house has amazing “flow” for parties, but if they had moved walls around before they held a few get-togethers, they might have come to regret some of their decisions.

Mo’s passion is the vast expanse of yard surrounding the house, and he applied the same principle to the landscaping decisions he needed to make. He immediately cleared out all the tangles and overgrowth, and in time, the space told him where attention was needed — color through the four seasons, feature lighting here, a towering magnolia grandiflora over there. He enjoys making things perfect for such events as garden parties and a daughter’s wedding reception.

One can’t be certain without

OS / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

Pam’s great-grandfather, Jake Dornbush, brought these Meissen china figurines from Germany, wrapped in newspaper, when he came to America.

Pam always admired the pair of “statues,” as she called them as a child, on her grandmother’s mantelpiece. When Pam’s grandma died and her mom was sorting through her possessions, these were the only pieces Pam asked if she could have.

Today they perch on Pam’s mantelpiece.

Above: A guest in this living room will find something fascinating anywhere his or her eye falls. Pam bought the baby grand piano at an auction; it used to stand in the lobby of a bank in Jackson. The large rug is original to the house, as are the lighted sconces. And most of the backyard can be seen through the windows on the wall on the right, which is just out of the frame.

Right: Mo and Pam's elegant brick patio stands ready to accommodate dozens of guests at the next garden party or reception.

Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / OT

course, but one might think it possible to lower one’s blood pressure simply by taking in the soul-soothing view of the backyard from the oversized picture window in the den.

The kitchen is a study in ageless design.

Mo said the Whittingtons remodeled their kitchen in the 1960s, and no serious remodeling has been done since then.

The kitchen’s focal point is the wallpaper on the walls above the cabinets. It’s toucans — the birds — in a design that’s whimsical and timeless. It works as well in 2020 as it did when it was installed nearly 60 years ago. Pam has chosen to update it subtly by adding a deep red ring around the eyes of some of the toucans to repeat the red of the Viking range that Pam brought to the house. Perfection!

Pam has an uncanny eye for color, which shouldn’t be surprising, since she’s an artist — a painter. Her medium is acrylics.

“I love to paint,” she said, “although I don’t paint to relax. If I want to relax, I’ll watch a movie or read a book. I paint when I need to create something.”

Pam has never sold any of her art; she said that would feel too much like work. Her canvases hang on walls throughout her house for her enjoyment and that of Mo and their guests. The paintings are mostly landscapes, but she said she also does portraits.

“I doodled some of my teachers in college,” she said, with a giggle.

OU / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

Above: Pam Powers chose the deep, rich teal covering the walls of the foyer (left) and living room (right) for its match to a small design repeated in the wallpaper of the dining room, the patina on the iron stair railing in the foyer and a shade from the rug in the living room.

Left: Pam said one of her favorite parts of the day is preparing dinner. Her husband, Mo, if he’s not outside grilling the entrée, sits in the chair at the island, and the two talk about their day.

The whimsical “toucan wallpaper” was put up when the previous owners, the Whittingtons, remodeled the kitchen in the mid-’60s.

Her color sense seems unfailing. The deep, rich shade of teal, for instance, that Pam chose for the walls of the living room and the two-story foyer was pulled from at least three places: the design of the rug in the living room, a subtle whisper of a repeating smudge in the dining room wallpaper design and the patina on the foyer’s iron stairway railing, which is original to the house. Those three color samples do not match each other, but they all match the teal Pam selected for the walls.

Mo just shook his head.

“She is so good at color,” he said.

v v v

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When they’re not perfecting their nest, Mo and Pam enjoy spending time together.

They are both active in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity; Mo is a lector and served for several years on the Vestry, and Pam is a lay Eucharistic minister. Mo has

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had his pilot’s license since high school and now owns a single-engine Cessna 210 that he and Pam use for occasional trips to their house on Lake Bruin in Louisiana and for other excursions. The couple takes walks around their neighborhood together, sharing thoughts and making plans.

It was following one such walk after Mo and Pam had settled into their new house that something happened for which neither has found an explanation. And the fact that it happened the way it did, Pam said, seemed to deepen their relationship with the house.

As Mo and Pam walked, their conversation rambled on about nothing and everything, old times, how things were when they were young. Pam said she could remember saving S&H Green Stamps in the ’60s to redeem them for little things like toasters and electric mixers. She thought about what to fix for dinner.

At the time Mo and Pam bought the house, Billy Whittington had made sure that not so much as a scrap of paper had been left behind. The house was completely empty and whistle-clean.

When they returned home after their walk that afternoon, Pam entered the house through the kitchen/garage door and walked

PM / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

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into the den, where her eye caught a glimpse of something on the floor by “her” chair. She reached down to pick it up and saw that it was a few S&H Green Stamps clumped together.

Once she got over the goosebumps and stopped hearing the theme music from the ’60s TV series qïáäáÖÜí=wçåÉ=in her head,

Pam found out that Mary Jayne Whittington had indeed collected S&H Green Stamps.

Pam found it comforting to consider that the original owner of their house wanted Mo and Pam to feel watched over and protected.

That’s most easily done when you learn how to listen to your house. LI

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Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated / PN

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He’s ‘So Greenwood’

lfonso Gray goes by a lot of names.

Alfonso.

André.

Peanut.

But perhaps his most notable appellation is “creator of I’m So Greenwood,” the daylong communitywide picnic that has quickly become one of his hometown’s biggest events.

Gray returns to Greenwood several times a year, and it should be no surprise that he loves where he comes from.

“At the time, growing up in the ’70s, early ’80s, I grew up thinking Greenwood was a great place,” he said. “Very vibrant, lots of business, just a fun time growing up.”

He remembers looking forward to going downtown for some summer shopping, where he could get the best outfits for the upcoming school year. And the times when the Christmas parade was so big it had to be split into a morning parade and an evening parade.

And the sweet smell of Shipley’s Donuts downtown. And hanging out with friends at Kentucky Fried Chicken on Main Street.

“When I was younger, I loved playing basketball, loved playing softball. Growing up in Greenwood, you played it all,” Gray laughed. “Your parents put you outside to go play. You went from playing football in the middle of the street to going behind Dickerson (Elementary School) to play baseball later that evening, maybe Broad Street to go to the swimming pool.”

Gray, 41, graduated from Greenwood High School in 1997,

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then joined the Navy. He later settled in Chicago, where he has been working as a supervisor at the auto club AAA for the past 14 years.

His mother, Shirley Gray, is his biggest hero.

“I didn’t look up to basketball players. I liked them, but they weren’t someone I wanted to be,” Alfonso Gray said.

“I would say my mom was who I wanted to be.”

He said he appreciates all his mother did for him and his four siblings — Shervella, Diann, Jerome and Oliver. She was a hard worker both as a custodian at Davis Elementary School and later as an assistant teacher at Rising Sun Elementary School.

“When I think about taking care of my kids, it motivates me not to give up,” Alfonso Gray said of his mother. “I saw her go to work when she didn’t want to, and that is kind of my motto. I get up and go to work every day, faithfully, with no excuses.”

Gray has two teenage children with his wife, Sharon — Aaliyah, 18, and Amarion, 16 — as well as an adult stepdaughter, Amina.

Shirley Gray said her son was keen on con-

necting with people, even when he was just a little kid.

“He was easy to make friends,” she said.

“All the guys would come over and play in the yard with Alfonso.”

Shirley Gray, who sells the I’m So Greenwood T-shirts from her home, grasps for words when she tries to talk about how proud she is of her son.

“I don’t even know the words to describe it,” she said. “I’m just blessed to have a child who can come up with an idea and stick with it.”

The genesis for I’m So Greenwood came out of Alfonso Gray’s own desire for more connections from his trips back home. He made a habit of visiting at Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July and Mississippi Valley State’s homecoming. But he said that every time he made the trip, it seemed he had just missed childhood friends, old neighbors or former classmates.

He thought about how he could make sure that when he came home to see his family, he’d also be able to see his friends.

And then he had an idea.

Through the use of social media and the

support of those around him, Gray created I’m So Greenwood — a massive neighborhood picnic-style homecoming during Memorial Day weekend.

The free family-style event started in 2015 and has continued annually since, except for this year when it had to be cancelled due to concerns about large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Why Memorial Day? “Fourth of July? That’s kind of like my own personal, unofficial family reunion that we do, so I shot that down,” Gray explained.

“Labor Day? Well that’s kind of the end of the summer,” he said.

That left one summer option. And so it was set. May 25, 2015, would be the inaugural I’m So Greenwood event.

He and his friends posted Facebook announcements and memes telling people to bring a chair, a tent and some food. That’s it.

He expected maybe 200 people.

Instead, an estimated 1,500 showed up.

The following year, the gathering doubled to about 3,000.

Now, Gray said, he expects upward of 4,000 attendees yearly.

The event is constantly evolving, going from a standard barbecue to a showcase of young voices to a DJing demonstration to, well, who knows? Gray even throws around the idea of a full-fledged music festival.

“I am a huge fan of Lollapalooza,” Gray said, referring to the annual music festival in Chicago. “I would love to see acts come in and out of Greenwood and perform on that stage.”

Although Gray has high hopes for growing I’m So Greenwood, he said his emphasis remains focused on the community and making sure all who attend are enjoying the day with their neighbors.

His own favorite part of the event?

“Just walking around greeting people. Just seeing everyone out there having a great time. ... In the Black community, we have a huge problem with our youth right now, but this is the one day that everyone is getting along.” LI

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Serious whimsy

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ome folks have an ugly mug, but not Josh Vincent. He has more than one.

Vincent, 41, of Indianola, is the artistart teacher who’s making the Ugly Mugs appearing here and there around Greenwood, including Turnrow Gallery.

The mugs, somewhat influenced by the clay sculptures of the late Delta bluesman James “Son” Thomas, occupy two or three shelves in the gallery, and the

faces of the mugs seem to return the gaze of shoppers who come across them. Do they look back?

Maybe, says Vincent. “I think whimsy is part of it,” he said. His wife, Catherine Bishop-Vincent, who teaches psychological counseling at Delta State University, suggested Ugly Mugs as a name for

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Vincent’s series, and some of the larger ones have another name. They are the Pot Heads.

“A student sent me an email asking me for some pictures of my pot heads. I was genuinely confused for a moment!” he said.

“I do not try to make them look like anyone specific. ... The faces are grotesque, and normally we would be confined by civility not to look back.” However, “because of the nature of the material — because it is ceramic, you can stare all you want,” he said.

“I want them to be perceived as characters. I am never more thrilled than when somebody identifies one as somebody they know. I sold one to a lady from Spain who asked if it was the prime minister of France.”

He continued, “I have several of them my students have named because they can’t unsee who it is.”

Vincent teaches art at Mississippi Delta Community College, and until recently, he drove over to MDCC’s Greenwood Center to conduct classes. Because of the pandemic, he used distance learning to finish out the spring semester.

This worked well, he said. Vincent also teaches art appreciation, three-dimensional drawing and photography, which lend themselves to digital instruction. But he said even ceramics can be taught online. No, the students did not have a wheel or the equipment for cutting slabs. Some made their own clay or used modeling clay, and this was fine, he said. “The techniques and concepts remain the same whether you have access to our machinery or not.”

Making art, after all, is an individual experience. Referring to photography, he said, “It’s not the technology. It’s the person behind it.”

With photography, the instruction might start with an explanation of how cameras work and continue forward into digital techniques. The department also has a “wet” darkroom, which Vincent said appeals to the students. They learn how to process prints.

There’s also plenty of discussion about ethics: What’s fair? What’s right? Should a photographer earn money from an image, perhaps something untoward, taken in a public place? What constitutes an invasion of privacy?

Vincent explained that they discuss a photographer who bought her homeless subjects a cup of coffee for letting her photograph them when she knew she would make thousands of dollars on prints. Was that a moral breach? If yes, why? If no, why not? “There is a shifting understanding about what is documentary and what is exploitation,” he said.

Another question is whether photography affected the blues — its people and their locations. He mentioned Po’ Monkey’s near Merigold. The famous juke joint, now closed, was touted as authentic, and professional photographers and blues tourists took

innumerable pictures there before the death of its proprietor, Willie “Po’ Monkey” Seaberry in 2016. Seaberry allowed photographs and was paid for having his photograph taken wearing one of his many colorful pantsuits. “How did this change the authenticity of what happened there?”

Vincent asked.

Vincent’s students sometimes describe him as a philosophy-art teacher. He makes them think. “They are not necessarily easy questions,” he said.

“I like to think of it as I am trying to help people get interested in something. I think if you are interested in something, you will learn about it.”

His own photography combines images of objects and places, such as those reflecting the blues and its history. These have context, which he described as part of the conversation about art. “At graduate school, it is ... about the conceptual, the historical, getting those things together.”

Vincent grew up in Indianola, graduated from MDCC, where Butch Mallette of Greenwood was among his teachers, and he earned an art degree at Delta State. He then completed a master’s at the University of South Carolina, where the photographer Kathleen Robbins, who grew up in Greenwood, was his professor.

Robbins described getting to know Vincent when he was among a talented group of photography students at Delta State, where she taught for a year, and later encouraging him to go to the University of South Carolina, where she by then was teaching. From South Carolina, she said: “He finished the Master of Fine Arts program here nearly 15 years ago, and I’ve enjoyed following his career and that of the other seniors from my short stint at DSU.

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They’re a prolific bunch, a handful of whom now teach photography in the region.

“Josh’s photographs and ceramic pieces have always had a blend of light-heartedness and melancholy. While playful and witty on the surface, there is serious conceptual rationale and reference to the history of Southern image-making and clay work driving his pieces. He is a gifted teacher and storyteller. I imagine his students at MDCC benefit from witnessing his studio practice, which is very much a product of the social and cultural landscape of the Delta.”

About 11 years ago, Vincent and his wife returned to Mississippi, and at that time, added a new family member: their daughter, Olive. He taught at Mississippi Valley State University and Delta State before switching to MDCC. At home in Indianola as a boy, he liked art. “I was always enthralled with art — not just looking at it but making it,” he said.

“There are so many things we can’t control. This is one way we can exercise our control and express our creativity. It is visual problem-solving.”

He noted that students are attracted to ceramics and those classes always fill quickly. “There is something about the tactile nature of it. When you are done, you are done, and you see what you did.”

He talked about the Ugly Mugs and working in the Delta. “One of the things that makes the Delta so full of art is that it is also full of characters. I just wanted to create that in my own world, I suppose.”

“We all want to have meaning,” Vincent said. “I am interested in how we perceive the world, in what little information we get and what a rich picture we come up with. I think if you keep a beginner’s eyes, you can see everything around.” LI

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That’ll do pig, that’ll do

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n 1918, Carroll County residents made national news with a project that served as a model for fundraising efforts for the American Red Cross throughout the country.

The Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club was established as a way to increase hog production, add to the country’s meat supply during a world war and donate to the growing humanitarian organization.

“The thing that intrigued me most about it was that it gained national attention. It was in hun-

dreds of papers throughout the United States,” said Kenny Downs, who has resided in Carroll County since childhood.

“It not only gained national attention, but also became a model for raising funds for the Red Cross across the whole country.”

Downs, an amateur historian

who writes a weekly history column for The Carroll County Conservative and The Winona Times, first read about the effort 10 years ago.

“In the late 1930s, as part of the WPA projects — Depression era projects — at each county, people were paid to write a history of the county, and Carroll County’s history was recorded,” he said. “There was a small paragraph within that old history book that talked about the Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club.”

Downs was fascinated and began looking into the subject.

He did extensive research on kÉïëé~éÉêëKÅçã, retrieving article after article about the club.

“When I searched ‘Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club’ on kÉïëé~éÉêëKÅçã, the results show 532 newspapers carried the story in 1918,” Downs said.

In its inaugural year, the pig club’s almost 3,000 hogs set a record at the National Stockyards in St. Louis.

v v v The Shawnee Chief, a newspaper in North Topeka, Kansas, reported in December 1918 how Carroll County went from being a one-crop county to becoming more agriculturally diversified.

Before 1916, Carroll County farmers only produced cotton. “It did not grow enough corn, hay or

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meat to supply its own need,” the Chief reported. “Farmers were generally in debt, and the conditions were as distressing as those in any other section where cotton is king and, where since the advent of the boll weevil, the inability to produce cotton economically has made cotton farming hazardous.”

In the fall of 1916, O.F. Turner was brought in as county agent by the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Mississippi State University) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Turner had a tough job — converting a cotton county into a general farming one, but “the situation in Carroll County demanded an immediate answer,” the Kansas newspaper said.

When Turner began talking about diversification, farmers and businessmen were against the idea, saying there was no market for anything but cotton.

Turner set about disproving their belief.

In December 1916, he put on his first demonstration in the cooperative shipment of hogs, a carload picked up from the farmers of the county. “He knew that if he demonstrated that there was money in the other things besides cotton, it would be easy to put the county on a safe basis with general food and feed crops and livestock as well as reasonable acreage in cotton,” the Chief said.

It was a success. Turner soon began pushing the production of hogs and the growing of crops on which to raise the hogs, and then he pushed cattle, corn, hay and peanuts.

v v v In the winter of 1917-1918, Turner began plans for a pig club for the county. It would be a way to help the Red Cross, which was heavily involved in the emergency relief effort during World War I, and at the same time help the county’s hog production.

“Just how to make it appeal to the rank and file of the farmers was the one big question,” C.C. “Judge” Buchanan wrote, recounting the history in a 1973 PU / Summer 2020 ibcilob Illustrated

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article in the Conservative.

At the planning meeting for the club, it was suggested that each member pledge 10% of the net price of their pigs to the Carroll County Red Cross chapter, which was in need of funds.

According to the American Red Cross, “as the public’s patriotic spirits soared in the early days of the war, President Woodrow Wilson, as honorary chairman of the Red Cross, urged his fellow citizens to put their energies to work helping the Red Cross meet the needs of the thousands of young men joining the Allied forces on the battlefields of Europe.”

The war also put pressure on food supplies, and the Allies faced growing shortages of meat between 1914 and 1918. The U.S. government encouraged meat production.

Because of this, Carroll County residents were willing to give up a portion of the proceeds in support of the country.

A membership campaign was waged in every school during February and March of 1918.

Buchanan wrote that men and women braved all kinds of weather to sign up. Turner’s initial goal of 2,500 members, which was thought at first to be improbable, was surpassed.

The Bank of Carrollton funded the project, and soon “pigs” became “the watchword of the county,” Buchanan said.

Because the group was donating money, it was named the Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club. The membership was diverse and included members — both Black and white — of men and women of all professions as well as children.

Before the big shipment, a large parade was held. Crowds flocked to Carrollton and North Carrollton. There was “never such a sight in Carroll before,” recounted Buchanan.

“Carroll County has reason to again feel proud of herself,” he said, borrowing from a 1918 account in the Carrollton newspaper. “We have just closed the most remarkable event ever held in any county in the Union. The manhood and womanhood of Old Carroll have risen to the duties and opportunities of the hour in a most patriotic manner. The dream of the past eight months has been realized ... .”

v v v The Commonwealth reported in an Oct. 2, 1918, article that the 2,900 people in Carroll County who agreed to each raise a pig and give a portion of the proceeds — Pig Club members — “realized the fruits of their labor” the day before.

They each brought in their hogs to Carrollton for shipment.

“The aggregate number filled

30 (rail) cars,” the Commonwealth reported. “This is the biggest single shipment of hogs on record in this section.”

Some of the hogs weighed as much as 500 pounds.

A few days later, the Commonwealth, as well as many newspapers throughout the nation, reported that the shipment from Carroll County was the largest single shipment ever received at the National Stockyards. The hogs brought in $100,000 — worth more than $1.8 million today.

This “demonstrated a successful marketing method and pointed anew to pig raising as a profitable Southern industry,” said the article.

The American Red Cross received $10,000 from the proceeds of the sale.

Included in the shipment, said the Commonwealth, was “any old kind of a pig,” but there were “mighty few razorbacks in Carroll County. Good breeds were established a year or two ago,” around the time Turner, the county agent, had first arrived.

Finding out about the success of the fundraiser was a special day for the residents of Carroll County. It was also a big day at the National Stockyards and across the country as the news spread. “Government officials at Washington attracted so much importance to it that the whole trip was recorded in moving pictures,” the Commonwealth reported.

“Many, many newspapers carried the story about Carroll County,” said Downs. “Then, in the subsequent months and years, you see reports from other cities with funds their pig clubs raised in support of the Red Cross. Carroll County served as an example for the rest of the nation.”

According to Turner in the Chief article, the Carroll County Red Cross Pig Club not only helped farmers become independent and debt-free, it also added to the food supply of the nation in a time of need, revolutionized the farming of the county and brought farmers a degree of economic safety that was impossible before under a one-crop system. LI

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Made in the Delta

here would you choose to “shelter in place”?

As for me, I have traveled to 48 states, six territories, seven Wonders of the World and 77 countries. There is, however, no place like where I grew up, my hometown, where I was made. Yes, I was “made in the Delta.”

A 1968 graduate of Greenwood High School, I ventured off to build a professional teaching career in public school, higher education and Catholic education. I returned to Greenwood 45 years later in 2013 to assist my parents. With that said, the town of Greenwood and the Mississippi Delta retained many of the familiar faces, places, eateries and churches, along with community-building events and social happenings, that I remember from my youth.

In March 2020, the coronavirus hit Greenwood, and life as we knew it changed literally overnight. The first thing I did was to ponder on “the rule of life” and what I was going to do with all of this time inside our home. Instead of having a bigcity checklist of things to do, I decided I would simply reflect upon the Southern Delta culture I grew up in — its slow, easy-going, genteel life — and strive to simply “be.” Taking time to think about my growing-up years, I remembered what I loved most about Greenwood and why I moved back home.

During the 11 weeks of shelter in place, our household — my 96-year-old dad, my sister and I — sat on the front porch three times a day. In the early mornings, there were mothers, daughters and local doctors all walking their dogs, as well as a collection of neighbors, all wav-

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ing to us and shouting greetings of well wishes. At noontime, there were other neighbors coming home for lunch, and at 5 p.m. coming home from work. They all blew their horns and extended their hands and arms in huge waves.

Intermittent to these times, we were all in the backyard watching the turtles, the mockingbirds build nests and mother their babies, and the arrival of the first hummingbirds of the season.

As I reflect upon this time, here’s what I learned: n Greenwood is community

— a community of friends, neighbors, smiles, waves, honks, laughter, patriotism, American flags and people caring about one another. n When others in big cities turned to texts, Zoom and virtual meetings, we turned to our Greenwood roots — front porches, backyards, snail mail, praying and delivering homemade food items to one’s back door. n Greenwood exudes a personality all its own, with life being about time — time to care about people; time to have a full view of trees, sky and

land; and time to read great literature and try your hand at creative writing and photography. n The kitchen table, one of the hubs of my childhood life, became the same for my shelter-in-place life. As in my growing-up years, we sat in the kitchen around the table for home-cooked meals that nourished our bodies and souls. In addition, there is something about that oblong table that spurs conversation. We sat and talked long after the meal was over. We talked about life, the weather, our dreams for when this shelter in place ended, and then we listened as Dad talked about his life when he was a young man. n Certain things became paramount to our daily existence, such as sweet tea, freshcut flowers, and desserts. Old cookbooks were taken off the shelf and studied for just the perfect recipes. Baking became “essential” to our life.

Being in Greenwood during this period of the coronavirus pandemic reminded me that I was “made in the Delta,” surrounded by genteel people, a vibrant culture, food that nourishes and enriches your life, and a strong faith in one’s church and belief that yes, we are “all in this together.” Being in Greenwood during this coronavirus has been a blessing, making me stronger and more committed to what matters in life. Key to life is that we are definitely at the center all the same.

Seven years ago, I had come home to take care of my parents. Now I realize that the city of Greenwood, the hometown where I grew up, was taking care of me. n k~åÅó=bÜêÉí=áë=~=êÉíáêÉÇ=ÉÇìJ Å~íçêK LI