Wedding
EVENTS: NORTHEASTEVENTS: OXFORD
THS Class of 1992 Reunion Saltillo Mini Cheer Camp Natchez Trace Ryder Cup Tupelo vs. Saltillo Football
Recipes:
Pumpkin Trifle
Out & About: Oxford
Out & About: Northeast
Good Neighbor: Susie Harmon
Autumn has officially arrived in Mississippi, and with the new season comes cooler air, changing leaves, fall harvests and St. Peter’s annual pumpkin patch (read more on page 32).
PHOTOS BY BRUCE NEWMAN
The annual pumpkin patch outside St. Peter’s Episcopal Church has become an iconic image of autumn in Oxford.
A Mississippi woman finds a path through her own grief in a historic Memphis cemetery.
The University of Mississippi Museum offers a space to appreciate artifacts and works of art from times past and present.
A self-taught Oxford photographer captures fascinating images of African nature and wildlife while on safari.
BRUCE NEWMAN
Is there any finer harbinger of fall than a patch of bright orange pumpkins? A favorite photograph I take every year is of my daughter, posing in the pumpkin patch at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Once, I used the pumpkin photo for my Christmas card. I’m sure that probably got some comments or some laughs, but it seemed appropriate.
Nothing ushers in the fall season like cooler temperatures, pumpkin spice flavors, crunchy and colorful leaves, and, yes, photographing your kid in a patch of pumpkins. There’s more on the beloved St. Peter’s pumpkin patch on page 32.
In addition to highlighting all things fall in this edition, we’re also focusing on the beauty of our world — here at home and beyond.
Be sure to check out one of the best photo essays we’ve ever presented on page 50, and meet Tom Davis, an insurance
broker by day and an amazing photographer in his free time. His African safari images are breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Closer to home, on page 36, Pontotoc native Sheena Barnett shares one of her favorite places with us — the historic Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis. Barnett volunteers there, cleaning headstones and leading tours in which she tells stories about the beautiful cemetery’s inhabitants. We are also peeking inside the University of Mississippi Museum in Oxford on page 44.
We hope you find something to enjoy and something that will spark your imagination in these pages. We wish each of you a wonderful October.
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It’s that time of year! Read our ode to the annual patch at St. Peter’s on page 32, and show us more of your favorite places to pick out pumpkins by tagging us @invitationoxford and @invitationmag in the pictures you post on social media this month.
A misty day matrimony for Stephen and Weijia didn’t dampen the festivities...
LOCATION: Oxford USERNAME: @billdabneyphotography
Did you get married or engaged this year? We want to share the news! Order a custom wedding announcement to run in our annual bridal issue, coming in February 2023! To place your order, visit inviationmag.com/bridal-announcements.
We are excited to feature the University of Mississippi Museum on page 44. Be sure to visit the museum online at museum.olemiss.edu for a sneak peek at some of the its collections, to subscribe to an email newsletter and to get a schedule of upcoming events.
Have an exciting event coming up? Visit our website and share the details on our online community calendar. Photos from your event might be featured in an upcoming magazine!
Unreal experience getting to see my illustration on the cover of @invitationoxford!!!
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Fellas from Tennessee with a white perch preview of the sac a lait slam.
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BRUCE NEWMAN
OCTOBER 6-8
A food tour, a harmonica workshop, an after-hours party and a solid lineup of live music awaits blues enthusiasts at this year’s annual blues festival. oxfordbluesfest.com
OCTOBER 6-8
Theatre Oxford starts its season with four short plays celebrating Mississippi’s own Tennessee Williams. 7:30 p.m., the Powerhouse. theatreoxford.org
KENTUCKY AT OLE MISS October 1
OLE MISS AT VANDERBILT October 8
AUBURN AT OLE MISS October 15
OLE MISS AT LSU October 22
OLE MISS AT TEXAS A&M October 29
OCTOBER 13
The Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Chapter recognizes its 2022 Hall of Fame inductees and celebrates them and their families with a congratulatory dinner and ceremony. 6 p.m., The Inn at Ole Miss. olemissmclub.org
OCTOBER 15
OCTOBER 13
The Friends of the Museum hosts its annual Harvest Supper — an evening of art, music, food and friendship — on the grounds of Rowan Oak. 6:30-10 p.m., Rowan Oak. rowanoak.com/events
The School of Accountancy, the School of Law and the Young Alumni Council will all host tailgate tents on the front lawn of Triplett Alumni Center. Festivities begin two hours before kickoff of the Auburn vs. Ole Miss game. olemissalumni.com
OCTOBER 22
Support Palmer Home for Children while watching the Ole Miss vs. LSU football game on the big screen inside the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center. The event includes football, food and libations. Sponsorships and tickets, $75, available online. palmerhome.org/events
OCTOBER 22
Comedian, writer and actor Jay Jurden takes the stage at the Ford Center. The Ole Miss alum is currently a staff writer for Apple TV+’s “The Problem with Jon Stewart.” 7:30 p.m., the Ford Center. fordcenter.org
OCTOBER 27
Visit Water Valley for a wine tasting and special shopping night with Main Street businesses. Purchase wristbands in advance online for admission, which includes wine tasting and a collectible wine tumbler. 5:30-7:30 p.m., downtown Water Valley. mainstreetwatervalley.org
OCTOBER 28-30
The sixth annual Conference on the Front Porch takes place at The Mill at Plein Air in Taylor. The event includes speakers, dinners, incredible music, literature, bonfires and stories. Registration and schedule of events available online. theconferenceonthefrontporch.com
OCTOBER 29
The second annual Boy Scouts of America Trunk or Treat will include a haunted tent trail, food, fun and games. 2-5 p.m., National Guard Armory parking lot, Oxford. yocona.org
OCTOBER 7
Country music singer-songwriter Justin Moore performs live in Corinth. Tickets $39-$49. 7 p.m., Crossroads Arena, Corinth. crossroadsarena.com
OCTOBER 8
Tupelo Aquatic Center turns its Elvis Presley Pool into the Great Floating Pumpkin Patch for children ages 6-12. Pre-registration in person at Tupelo Aquatic Center is required. Event is limited to 100 participants. $10. 10-11:30 a.m., Tupelo Aquatic Center. swimtupelo.com
OCTOBER 15
A 5K race and kids fun run benefits Le Bonheur. Participants are invited to wear costumes for a chance to win tickets to the Memphis Zoo’s Zoo Boo. The fun run takes place at 7:30 a.m.; the 5K starts at 8 a.m. 800 N. Veterans Memorial Blvd., Tupelo. pumpkinrun.org
OCTOBER 15
Welcome fall at the 32nd annual Booneville Fall Festival, featuring artists and craft vendors, food, music, fun and more. Downtown Booneville. visitbooneville.com
OCTOBER 15
The Magnolia State Archaeological Society hosts a show to display Native American artifacts from around the Southeast. Free admission. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Crossroads Arena, Corinth. crossroadsarena.com
OCTOBER 20-22
Sanctuary Hospice House marks the 20th anniversary of its biggest annual fundraiser, its Celebration Village holiday market. Read more on page 28. sanctuaryhospicehouse.com
OCTOBER 22
All ages are invited to Tupelo’s biggest tailgating experience. Bring your tents and chairs to watch Ole Miss take on LSU and Mississippi State play against Alabama from the big screens in Fairpark, Tupelo. tupelomainstreet.com
OCTOBER 24
Children age 12 and under are invited to hunt for toy- and candy-filled eggs. Don’t forget to bring your flashlights! 6 p.m., Tupelo BankPlus Sportsplex at Ballard Park Soccer complex. facebook.com/TupeloParkRec
OCTOBER 29
The North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra opens its season with a performance with a violin concerto featuring dynamic violinist Maria Ioudenitch. Tickets $10-$30. 7:30 p.m., Link Centre. nmsymphony.com
Laura
The
Vérité
Legacy Sound Knoxville Rosa’s
Celebration Village, a much beloved holiday tradition, will celebrate its 20th year Oct. 19 through 22. The event, which offers four days of holiday shopping, food, music and fellowship, is the largest annual fundraiser for Sanctuary Hospice. Celebration Village has, for many, has marked the beginning of their Christmas shopping tradition.
The setting, as in years past, will be the Tupelo Furniture Market, where hundreds of shoppers will have opportunities to purchase unique goods, from homemade baked goods, snack and soup mixes to clothing and jewelry and much more from the variety of vendors who take part.
A $75 Passport Ticket allows a shopper access to the entire four-day event, which includes the Annual Preview Party from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, daily admission to shopping, from 10 a.m. until
9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20 and Friday, Oct. 21, and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. The Passport Ticket also invites the ticket holder to Mingling with Mimosas, a private event on Saturday morning, Oct. 22.
Saturday, Oct. 27, 28, 29. Thursday night hours are 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday nights, the Haunted Theatre will be open 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. Tickets are available at the door each evening for $15. Haunted Theatre is not recommended for small children.
There are other tickets available: A Preview Ticket is $50 and allows the ticket holder admission to the Preview Party, which includes dinner and early shopping; a general admission ticket for a day of shopping is $10 at door or $8 in advance. Children younger than 6 have free admission.
The concept for what became Sanctuary Hospice House originated in the minds and hearts of a group of north Mississippi medical providers on a mission trip to Mexico City in August 2000. A few months later, with help from retired physicians, nurses and community leaders, fundraising began that would eventually pave the way for the 2005 opening of Sanctuary Hospice House. Nine years later, Sanctuary Home Hospice was begun.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, call 662-260-1184 or visit sanctuaryhospice.org.
Back to scare the wits out of those who dare enter, Tupelo Community Theatre will revive its Haunted Theatre just in time for this year’s Halloween after a two-year break thanks to the pandemic.
The 15th annual Haunted Theatre will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20, 21, 22, and Thursday, Friday and
The Lyric Theatre at 201 N. Broadway St., in downtown Tupelo, has a rich history. When a tornado ripped through the town of Tupelo in April 1936, there was not much of the town that was unaffected by the storm. The Lyric, though damaged, remained standing and was used as a safe space for the injured and dying. This bit of history helped fuel the thoughts of those who believe the Lyric is haunted by ghosts of those who lost their lives there after the tornado. A resident ghost, named Antoine, has made his presence known to many theater employees
and volunteers through the years, primarily through the occasional missing keys, extremely cold spots and humming.
The Haunted Theatre has long been under the direction of Steve Miller, and no one is as joyful as he is that the Haunted Theatre is returning.
“This is what I live and breathe,” Miller said. “There is not anything I adore as much as I do this. Honestly, the Haunted Theatre is a glorified play, and I’m just building sets.”
Miller said there’s always been a mandate not to repeat things, to keep the Haunted Theatre fresh. But that’s not always easy. Still, Miller always delivers.
“Think ‘Sensory Overload’... the theme this year,” he said. “There will be a lot of uncertainty, a lot of entertainment and a lot of fun.”
For more information, visit tct.ms.
1 box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake mix and bake according to package directions. When cake is done baking, turn out of the pan and let cool for about 20 minutes on a wire rack.
While the cake bakes, place cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and 2 cups of the powdered sugar, and beat
¾ cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
until combined, about 1 minute.
Wash the beaters, and, in a separate large bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gently fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream until well combined, about 5 minutes.
Break cooled cake into 1½- to 2-inch pieces, and layer half of the cake pieces evenly on the bottom
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 jar hot fudge topping
Toffee pieces
of a trifle dish. Spoon half of the pumpkin mixture over the cake layer in the trifle dish, creating a 11/2- to 2-inch layer. Microwave fudge topping on high until warm and thin, about 1 minute. Drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of warm fudge topping evenly over pumpkin mixture. Repeat layers once.
Top the trifle evenly with toffee pieces. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours before serving.
FALL FLAVORS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN THIS SPECIAL DESSERT. Traditionally, a trifle is a cold dessert with layers of cake, custard, whipped cream and fresh fruit. This original recipe trades the fruit for pumpkin puree and seasonal spices that pair perfectly with chocolate cake for a decadent but uncomplicated fall dessert that’s sure to impress your guests. RECIPES BY SARAH M c CULLEN | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
The initial idea for the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church pumpkin project was for it to be a fundraiser for the church’s youth.
The first St. Peter’s Pumpkin Patch was in 1993, and today, 29 years later, funds from the sale of pumpkins support the church’s children and youth programs.
The pumpkins are grown and harvested on Navajo Nation land in New Mexico.
Each year 2,300 pumpkins are ordered and delivered.
The large load of pumpkins is delivered to 113 S. 9th St., in Oxford, in an 18-wheeler, and it takes about 100 people to help unload all the pumpkins at St. Peter’s.
The pumpkins always arrive at St. Peter’s as close to Oct. 1 as possible, but the date varies as delivery must be made on a Sunday due to city ordinance.
The St. Peter’s pumpkins are priced based on the size of the pumpkins.
The pumpkin sale continues until all the pumpkins are gone, which is usually a few days before Halloween.
There have rarely, if ever, been any pumpkins left over.
The St. Peter’s Pumpkin Patch has become a favorite place for photo opportunities for people in the community. There was once a marriage proposal that took place in the pumpkin patch.
Members of St. Peter’s volunteer to work in the pumpkin patch, which is open 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Since the pumpkin patch coincides with football season, St. Peter’s has shoppers from around the Southeast.
St. Peter’s Pumpkin Patch information was provided by Kara Howland, director of Parish Life for 10 years, who coordinates all pumpkin logistics and volunteers; Jody Burnett, St. Peter’s rector for six years; and Jennifer Southall, senior associate rector for four years.
THE ANNUAL PUMPKIN PATCH OUTSIDE ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAS BECOME AN ICONIC IMAGE OF AUTUMN IN OXFORD.
A MISSISSIPPI WOMAN FINDS A PATH THROUGH HER OWN GRIEF IN A HISTORIC MEMPHIS CEMETERY.
WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM
Exactly one week later, on another Sunday in May, Barnett received word that her position at Graceland was terminated, another large loss, thanks to COVID.
Grieving the loss of her father and a job she loved, Barnett wrestled daily with a combustive mixture of emotions running the gamut from extreme sadness to unacceptance and everything in between.
A journalist by profession, Barnett, then 37, had long been intrigued by cemeteries and the multitude of stories to be found among the headstones.
When she started working at Graceland, in 2014, a Facebook friend mentioned a cemetery in Memphis with a child’s wooden swing near a burial plot.
“I had to see it,” said the Pontotoc native. “I first stepped foot in Elmwood Cemetery in 2014, and I fell in love with it. It is truly a reflection of the city of Memphis — past, present and future. Elmwood has never said no to anyone. There are Grammywinning musicians, war heroes, Civil Rights leaders, madams and more buried here. People of all races, all faiths.”
Barnett began volunteering as a tour guide at Elmwood in 2016. It’s a place where she’d found joy sharing Elmwood stories with others and a place she’d found peace just by visiting. So, when she felt completely out of sorts in 2020, Barnett reached out to Kim Bearden, Elmwood’s executive director since 2005.
“I told her I was jobless, and Elmwood was the only place that I could think of that brought me happiness,” Barnett said. “I asked her what I could do. I did not job search at all during June — I couldn’t even function. Kim immediately said, ‘stone cleaning,’ and I jumped at it.”
Bearden, who has been with Elmwood for 24 years, understood Barnett’s love of the Memphis cemetery. It’s a love she and
It’s no exaggeration to say one very bad week in May 2020 nearly sucked the life out of Sheena Barnett.
Figuratively speaking, of course.n May 10 (Mother’s Day), after he had been hospitalized a week or more, Barnett’s dad, Jesse, died from complications of COVID-19. The last time she was able to speak with her dad, via FaceTime, was May 5, the day before her birthday.
her husband, Willy Bearden, a filmmaker and historian, share.
“To lose a parent to the pandemic — such a terrible thing,” Kim Bearden said. “I am so glad Sheena was able to get some solace at Elmwood in the stone cleaning project.
“She has a passion for history, she has a passion for preservation and conservation. There are just some people with very special and unique interests. Sheena is one of those people. Her commitment is amazing.”
It was a sweltering Southern summer when Barnett began scrubbing stones. But she was seeking solace for a heavy load of suffering, so she dared the heat to interfere. After some how-to education, Barnett drove across Morgan Bridge, a span bridge that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, and entered Elmwood Cemetery. Armed with a scrub brush, water and a spray bottle containing D/2, a nontoxic biological solution, Barnett cleaned her first stones on July 1, 2020. She has cleaned more than 400 stones since that day.
In the early weeks, while she was job searching, Barnett could be found in Elmwood three or four days a week. When she became digital media manager with Ray Rico Freelance in Memphis, her stone
Sheena Barnett and friends Lori Pope of Byhalia and Hannah Donegan of Chicago, who were Daily Mississippian staffers when Barnett was editor in 2005-2006, started a podcast, “Cemetery Row,” in February 2021. The podcast features stories about fascinating dead people and cemeteries. There are two each month, every other Monday.
To learn more about Elmwood Cemetery, its tours and other events, visit elmwoodcemetery.org
cleaning continued. Now she scrubs head stones one or two days a week.
Barnett has learned a lot about the art of stone cleaning in the past few years, like it’s not a good idea to clean stones in direct sunlight or when the temperature is below 50 degrees; there are certain necessary fashion accessories that are useful while cleaning — hats, umbrellas, cooling scarves; frozen water or Gatorade can be lifesavers, as can frequent breaks when it’s hot; and working in the shade when possible is wise.
There are sometimes family requests for the complimentary headstone or memorial
cleaning, but mostly, Barnett just finds stones that need her care and then begins her work.
“When I’m cleaning stones, I feel peace,” said the Ole Miss journalism graduate and former editor of The Daily Mississippian. “And I feel love. Every stone in this cemetery represents love. The person buried beneath this stone was someone who mattered.
“When I’m here cleaning, it makes me feel less alone. It’s nice to focus on something besides my own problems or the world’s problems. And I can’t stand not being able to read a person’s name. These people deserve to be remembered.”
Elmwood Cemetery, located at 824 S. Dudley St., in Memphis, is 80 acres with nearly 80,000 inhabitants and room for others who might choose Elmwood. The cemetery was established in 1852, when 50 men each gave $500 to buy the land for a cemetery. Two decades later, Elmwood became a nonprofit, one of the oldest in the state of Tennessee. Part of the Rural Cemetery Movement, Elmwood is known for its natural beauty and park-like setting.
“It’s a park for the living and a resting place for the dead,” Barnett said. “In addition to funerals, Elmwood hosts Cemetery Cinema from time to time, and every year, there’s Soul of the City.”
Soul of the City is a themed event that sells out quickly. Live actors dress in costume and portray some of those buried in Elmwood. This year’s event takes place Oct. 6 to Oct. 8.
By her own admission, Sheena Barnett, 39, is a shy introvert. She lives quietly in Hernando with her cat McDuff, a tabby rescued from Graceland. But when she’s leading a tour of Elmwood Cemetery — whether large or for one or two friends who happened by — Barnett bubbles over in sharing her passion.
In fact, Barnett introduced visiting friends to her beloved Elmwood before she became an official tour guide. She and one friend even got locked in the cemetery after hours once.
“I thought we had until 4:30,” she said, laughing. “We found a way out.”
In the summer of 2021, Barnett helped create the True Crimes of Bygone Times tour, which sells out almost every time it’s offered. New ideas for themed tours are never far from Barnett’s brain. Currently, the journalist longs to create a storytellers’ tour.
Such a tour might start with her sharing that a bell tolls every time a hearse bears a body over the bridge into Elmwood.
“That bell rang so much during the
height of COVID,” she said.
In addition to being a historic burial place, Elmwood is a Level III Arboretum with over 90 species of trees. Arboretum tours are offered in the spring and fall.
“Elmwood is a bird sanctuary, too,” Barnett proudly said before adding, “And I saw a squirrel do a backflip off a headstone once.”
During tours, Barnett masterfully shares tales about some of Elmwood’s inhabitants. Her stories range from poignant to historical to downright comical. And all are riveting:
A grassy area with few stones is a mass grave where thousands of Memphians were
laid to rest during the yellow fever epidemics of 1873 and 1878.
There’s a spot in Elmwood for people who donated their bodies to science, and there’s the grave of Sister Thea Bowman, a Yazoo City-born, Catholic nun who is up for canonization. A few Tuskegee Airmen rest in Elmwood as do the grandparents of Alabama-born actress, Tallulah Bankhead. Helen Keller’s grandparents rest in Elmwood, too.
The grave of Wayne Jackson stirs something in the music-loving Barnett.
“He was one half of the Memphis Horns, and he played horn on just about every hit song of the ’60s,” she said. “You know in ‘Sweet Caroline,’ the bum, bum, bum? That was Wayne Jackson. His tombstone was paid for by the Doobie Brothers.”
A single wooden swing was erected by the grave of a father for his 5-year-old son — it’s the story that first drew Barnett to Elmwood.
Emily Sutton was a Memphis madam whose brothel was closed because of yellow fever. Sutton reopened her brothel as a hospital and helped care for fellow Memphians until she caught the fever and died. She is buried in Elmwood.
Barnett, who has always loved scary stuff, admits to some ghostly experiences during her hours spent cleaning the stones of strangers in Elmwood.
“It was summer, in the middle of a
heat wave,” she said. “I was cleaning the headstone of James Kirkland, who died at the age of 40 in 1882. His grave is on the corner of Howard Drive and Toof Avenue.”
Barnett does not like to spend time cleaning stones without getting to know the person to whom it belongs. She researches and learns what she can. She found out Kirkland was a music lover, a choir director and lived near the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis.
“I also learned that he died of sunstroke,” Barnett said. “And on that hot, hot day while I was cleaning his stone, I suddenly felt the coldest breeze. And I honestly feel like he was trying to keep me from the same fate.”
Barnett’s love of cemeteries did not begin with Elmwood. When she was a little girl, she would visit the Wilkins Cemetery in Union County, Mississippi, with Kathie Barnett, her mom, and also with her grandmother. They would go there and tell stories about family members buried there, and Barnett was fascinated.
“I realized early that cemeteries were more than big fields with stones,” she said. “Oh, my. There were real people with real lives buried there, so I have always loved cemeteries. Cemeterying is a verb for Mama and me when we check out cemeteries.
“When folks ask me why I love Elmwood, I tell them, ‘if you’d come here, you’d get it.’ And I believe they would.”
THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OFFERS A SPACE TO APPRECIATE
AND WORKS OF ART FROM TIMES PAST AND PRESENT.
Sitting back a bit from the well-traveled University Avenue in Oxford is a hidden treasure of sorts. Many in Oxford and beyond are aware of the awe-inspiring artifacts and art housed inside the red brick building at University Avenue and South 5th Street. And others have probably passed the place hundreds of times and never noticed. No matter, the magic and wonders encased or hanging — in temporary and permanent collections — are waiting to be seen at the University of Mississippi Museum.
The history of the museum is as interesting as its diverse displays. It’s been around quite a while, opening as Oxford Art Center on Aug. 24, 1939, thanks to the vision of the late artist Mary Skipwith Buie.
Buie and her sister, Kate Skipwith, became residents of Oxford
when their family relocated from New Orleans after the Civil War. Buie married and moved to Chicago, where she continued to use her artistic talent to paint miniatures while working for Marshall Fields, and then she returned to Oxford in her senior years. She died in 1937.
In Buie’s will, she requested a museum be built in Oxford. To make certain her wish was fulfilled, Buie left $30,000, her own art collection and her property on which the museum was to be built. Her sister made sure Buie’s vision became a reality and deeded her own property to the City of Oxford for the museum.
Funding from the Works Project Administration and the city helped breathe life into Buie’s wish, which was called the Mary Buie
Museum from 1942 until 1997. The City of Oxford operated the museum until 1974, when it was deeded to the university.
Through the years, the museum has made additions and renovations to make better use of space for educational endeavors and exhibits. There are two historic homes nearby operated by the museum. One, just across University Avenue from the museum, is the Walton-Young House, which housed the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and the Honors College for a time and became a part of the museum in 1997.
The other historic home is Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner. Those visiting the museum may take the 3/4-mile trail through Bailey Woods to Rowan Oak. The Bailey Woods Trail is Oxford’s only federally designated National Recreational Trail.
“Here in the easternmost building on campus, we have the best location we could ask for,” said Robert Saarnio, museum director for the past decade. “And since 2013, admission to the museum is free. There are no barriers that would keep anyone from enjoying and benefiting from this place.”
Mississippi folk artist Theora Hamblett, who died in 1977, gifted the museum with more than 400 pieces of her work. In the last 25 years of her life, much of her art was inspired by dreams and visions. These paintings and drawings are part of the museum’s collection.
Near the Theora Hamblett collection is the Millington-Barnard Collection which includes 19th century scientific instruments once used in Ole Miss classrooms. There’s an orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system, from 1854 and one of only a few surviving in the world. Also part of this collection are optical paintings by Joseph Silbermann.
A trio of collections contain a large number of Egyptian, Greek and Etruscan artifacts.
Upon his death, book publisher Seymour “Sam” Lawrence, who made Oxford a second home, left his collection of 20th century American art to the museum. The collection contains one of the most widely renowned pieces in the museum — a painting by Georgia O’Keefe. Lawrence also gifted the museum with funds to help build an additional gallery which was completed in 1998 and today hosts visiting exhibits.
A room will soon be readied for the museum’s collection of Southern folk art.
A temporary exhibit that has been on display since August is titled The Fall of 1962 and includes collected artifacts and stories of the Ole Miss riot. The exhibit will be up through July 8, 2023.
Continued from page 46
Saarnio’s deep appreciation for the works housed in the museum is apparent as he shows visitors around. But, clearly, he’s most proud of the work the museum does with young people of every age in art education and appreciation — from Buie Babies, a free stroller tour program for families with little ones up to age 2, to Mini Masters for toddlers and parents to work on fine motor skills. And the list goes on.
The Traveling Trunks program takes a taste of the museum into schools and libraries. There are summer camps, after-school art programs and a plethora of special art activities through the year.
“Our education program sees between 11,500 to 14,000 children a year,” Saarnio said. “We have two classrooms for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade.”
The museum staff is small and spread over the multiple buildings under the museum’s helm.
“The Ole Miss students are a blessing to us,” Saarnio said. “Undergraduates and graduate students have worked here and are an amazing help.”
Sydni Davis is one such museum staffer. The 20-year-old student from Tupelo is a junior African American studies major at Ole Miss. This is her second year to work at the museum.
“I absolutely love it,” Davis said. “It has been more fun than I even imagined.”
Admission/parking are free.
Several collections are available for viewing online at museum.olemiss.edu.
The University of Mississippi Museum | University Avenue & S. 5th Street, Oxford Hours: 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. | Tuesday through Saturday
A SELF-TAUGHT OXFORD PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES FASCINATING IMAGES OF AFRICAN NATURE WILDLIFE WHILE ON SAFARI.
WRITTEN BY LESLIE CRISS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM DAVIS
In the past 25 years, Oxford’s Tom Davis has traveled to Africa at least a dozen times with camera equipment in tow. His first African safari was in 1997. In 2001, he returned with his wife, Nan. Daughter Sarah Elizabeth, 25, has been to Africa twice with her dad and they are planning a return. Davis’s most recent African adventure was in May, and future visits are a sure thing.
Davis does not take people on safaris, but with so many experiences in Africa, he loves talking to people who might be planning a visit. He has stayed in luxury lodges while on safari, but he prefers camping close to his intended subjects.
“You never know when a rhino will walk towards you or when a group of elephants will line up at a water hole,” Davis said. “The key is having a good guide.”
Davis has found his. Jean Du Plessis, a lifelong guide, is founder of Wayo Africa, Green Footprint Adventures and Journey’s Intent. Through the years, Davis and Du Plessis have become friends. And with Du Plessis’ guidance, Davis has been at the right place at the right time to shoot hundreds of wildlife photos.
His powerful wildlife photos are breathtaking and allow him to share his experiences with others, making people want to visit Africa or make them feel as if they already have.
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Opposite page, clockwise from top: Oryx roam the Namib Desert, Namibia. Photographed from a helicopter.
Ox peckers on the back of a giraffe in the Zimanga Private Reserve, South Africa.
Zebra drinking at water hole in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
A giraffe drinks at a water hole in Etosha National Park, Namibia.
This page, from top: A tiger watches Davis as he drives by, Tiger Canyon Preserve, South Africa.
Guide Tryphone Mlay (who goes by the nickname “Prim”) and Davis enjoy coffee as they sit alongside the Mara River in the Serengeti National Park waiting for a river crossing.
Elephants cross the Tarangire River in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.
When State Farm agent Tom Davis was a sophomore at Oxford High School, a friend got a camera and set up a darkroom, Davis was intrigued. He soon got his first camera — a Yashica TL Electro-X Film Camera. He turned a small space in his dad’s office on the Square into a darkroom. He volunteered for the student newspaper and yearbook. He had a new hobby, and he was hooked.
He graduated from OHS in 1971 at age 16. While at the University of Mississippi, studying math and German, Davis volunteered at the Daily Mississippian, photographing sports, campus concerts, check passings and more. In 1975, he was the DM’s chief photographer.
A music lover, Davis had a passion for photographing bands in concert and beyond. And the self-taught photographer, 68, has spent decades doing just that. Jethro Tull, Grand Funk Railroad, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, just to name a few. He’s photographed Alice Cooper for 50 years. The late B.B. King was a photography subject and a friend. When musicians wanted to purchase Davis’ photos, he never took money. Instead, he just asked to meet them or tour with the band or for photography credentials for future concerts.
Top right: Davis and his daughter, Sarah Elisabeth, in the Serengeti National Park at the marker for the border between Tanzania and Kenya.
Left, from top: Sunset behind an acacia thorn tree in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
A herd of elephants stops for water at a water hole in Etosha National Park, Namibia.
A group of Maasai on the side of the road between Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
The only living white tiger that was born in the wild and is still living in the wild. Tiger Canyon Preserve, South Africa.
from page 52
Clockwise from top left: A black rhino walks toward Davis’s vehicle in Etosha National Park, Namibia.
An abandoned house in the desert is being reclaimed by the sand. It was likely left from a large diamond mine that was once there but abandoned in the 1950s. Kolmanskop, Namibia.
A baboon family rests in a tree at the gate to the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Thacker Mountain Radio kicked off its fall 2022 season with a live show at the Powerhouse on Sept. 1. The show’s fans were treated to talks and music by author Matt Bondurant, Delta pianist Eden Brent and Alabama guitarist Jody Nelson.
1. Douglas Vance with Ouida and Wayne Drinkwater and Mary Ann and Don Fruge 2. Tami Oliver Cook, Marie Allouise, Charlene Baker and Mary Ann Flaherty
3. Larry Wells and Kathleen Wickhem 4. Celia Wood, Kerry Hamilton and Frank Wood 5. Leslie Westbrook and Pamela Roberson
6. Mary Alex Carr, Jackie Bailey and Greg Patterson 7. Mark and Sarah Loftin with David Johnston
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University of Mississippi Back to School campus activites included Groovin’ at Move-In Aug. 15-16 at various dorms and an Aug. 30 concert at Paris-Yates Chapel hosted by the Ole Miss Wesley Foundation featuring Nashville-based singer/songwriter Chris Renzema.
5. Emily Smith, Courtney Power and Eva Richardson
Eli Ashley, Hayden McGee and Mollie Potter
8. Trippe Howell and Emma Baldwin
11. Ashton Necaise and Rebecca Leonard
Greta Mock and Nic Savona
Camille Couey, Abi Leigh Doss and Phoebe Goodwin
Sami Montigny and Rob Brown
Luke Thomas, Ella Hay and Antonio Cueller
Peyton Davoren and Jillian Martz
1. Thomas Roney, Gray Martinson, Garrett Poarch and Will Cooper Claire Hopson, Reiss Farris, Isabel Nicholas, Alyssa Adair and Kate Walker Colby Passman and Isaiah Goss Kay Ann Lasker, Victoria Jones, Cali Chance and Emily Coogler
United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County hosted its third annual United Way Flashback Bash, presented by CoreLogic and Nicholas Air, on Aug. 13 at the Oxford Conference Center. Music from Almost Famous helped inspire attendees to “flashback” to the ’90s.
1. Ane Debro and Angela Pittman 2. Debra, Melody and Candy Cole
3. Jessica Vaughn with Justin and Erica Ramsey 4. Linda Green, Sherry Felker and Jeni Friday
5. Sha Simpson, Marilyn Barnes and Shadra Green 6. Janet Dickens and Abbe Barfield 7. Mirna Robles, Ginger Kizer and Crissy May
PHOTOGRAPHED BY HANNAH TURNER
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The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council hosted its annual Iron Bartender fundraiser Aug. 12 at the Powerhouse. Bartenders from Bar Muse, Blind Pig, Jinsei, McEwan’s, Uno Mas, all Oxford restaurants, and Forklift and Harvey’s in Tupelo, gathered to share stories and cocktail creations while competing.1
1. Del and Molly Mixon 2. Jamie Geoghegan, Paul Gandy and Seth Kellum
3. Taylor Strange, Keri Reeves and Victoria McCutcheon 4. Adrienne McDill and Alexa Mcguire
5. Adam Havard, Delantric Hunt and Thomas Alexander 6. Scottye and Aaron Dewey 7. Kari and Walt Davis with Mary Margret Andrews 8. Eric Williams and Brian Knight 9. Katherine Webb and McGhee Monteith 10. Rebecca Edwards and Kristen Farrell
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IRON
PHOTOGRAPHED BY J.R. WILBANKS
After a week of recruitment activities at the University of Mississippi, Bid Day, the culmination of the week, was Aug. 20, when potential new members met with recruitment counselors in the Grove to receive their membership invitations.
Rachel Spencer,
Audrey Sheldon and Elena Algeria
Rachel Young and Sylvia Howell
Rachel Esposito and Shelby Schaffer
Kasey Gusella and Abby Roberson
Sydney Spencer and Elaina Barrett
Christa and Andy Wellborn
Anna Claire and John Eldred
Ava Kathryn Ormon, Molly Tompkins and Murry Alderman
Mary Ellis Baker, Gracen Hendon and Grace Logan
Caroline Clement and Delaney Foil
Alex Hodge and Alex Swoboda
Kirker Watkins and Izzy Adams
Chase, Lindsey Ackerman and Camryn Rios Garry Spink and Amber Jean Park
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Isom Place Chamber After Hours
Nerdvana Convention
4 65 7
1. Sophia Reicherter and Mueller Thomas 2. Joseph Haworth and Katelyn Morgan 3. Cat Romaine and Avery Harrell
4. Ellen Thomas, Maddie Rankins and Kelly Bell 5. Sally Malone, Steve Vassallo and Babs Blair 6. Will Story, Rebecca Rayburn and Grace Fuller 7. Justin Nimmo and Chris Khayman Lee
Moe’s Bingo Night
The 17th annual Dance Like the Stars, a fundraising event for the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi, raised more than $265,000, thanks to the efforts of the event’s eight celebrity dancers. The 2022 grand champion was Ripley resident Keith Storey, who raised a record amount of more than $78,000.
1. Sara Wood, Tommy Green and Meagan Cherry
2. Mary Morgan Burks, Benjamin Pryor and Jessica Hollinger
3. Rosie Jones, Andrew Davis and Shaletha Knox 4. Anthony Jones, Tammy Wilson and Keith Storey
5. Zell Long, Brady Bramlett, Rubye Del Hardin and Nancy Maria Balach 6. Jeffery and Omega Storey 7. Tamaria Ivy, Mentora Woods and Franita Farr
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Members of the Tupelo High School Class of 1992 celebrated their 30th class reunion in late August with a THS football game and a party on the rooftop at Park Heights.
Steven Johnson, Tanya Barnes, Zora Ferry and Traci Buse
Cheri and Jeff Blackwelder
Bryan and Rhonda McCulloch
Tupelo High School alumni
1. Bennett Maynard and Melissa Pearson with Corey and Amy Hughes
Holly Long, Stephanie Garst, Molly Abrokwah, Joy Dowdy and Dawn Coon
Matt and Amy Wilson
Jessica Pigott, Jessica Hunt, Nicole Jennings, Stacy Davis and Dena Carlock
Jason and Denise Kennedy Brown
Saltillo High School cheerleaders hosted a mini cheer camp for preschool through fifth grade children Aug. 27 at Saltillo High School. The campers also took part in a pregame performance Sept. 9 before the Saltillo vs. Nettleton football game.
1. Lillyana Underwood, Skyleigh Moore, Kenlee Page, McKenley Price, Lennox Otts, Skylynn Raye, Addie Moss and Sophie Graves 2. Allie McCormick, Emily Grisham, Addalyn Fears, Andilynn Downing, Anniston Ivy and Anna Elizabeth Waite 3. Zaylie Wallace, Layla Ward, Lillana Sienklewicz, Ava Floyd, Liza Jane Herndon, Sydney Mize and Kennedy Tedford 4. Second grade cheer camp participants 5. Elizabeth Miller, Mila Blankenship, Sailor VanDyke, Nora Kellum, Rosie Montgomery, Mary Houston Murff, Mava Coggins, Annsley Chis, Grace Padgett and Lake Gale 6. Amara Caldiero, Madelyn Taylor, Kennedy Johnson, Emma Carroll and Emerie Gaston 7. Blakely Parks, Abigail Humphreys, Swayze Hill and Liza Kate Blanchard 8. Nevaeh Doggett, Macey Moffitt, Tillo the Mascot and Macie Tasma 9. Harper Thompson, Landry Young and Savvy Jane Ward
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Natchez Trace Golf Club held its annual Ryder Cup golf tournament Aug. 26-28. Golfers were on teams representing either Ole Miss or Mississippi State for the matchplay style tournament. The event was held in memory of Skip Gleason and David Lee.
1. Kevin Young, Matt Baker, Cayson Collins and Luke McAlpine 2. Jake Logan, Hayden Hughes, Paul Saylors and Scott Wood
Blake McCullough, Evan Ellis, Zack Jones and Josh Logan 4. Scott Fowler, Sean Koehn, Chris Thompson and Casey Franks
Heather Franks, Kim Wade, Lara Evans, Ginger Berry, Sarah Thompson, Roxy Weathers, Alyssa McGee, Cindy Googe, Heather Hastings, Marsha Godwin, Michelle Williams and Lisa Roberts
Scott Wood and Matt Baker
Angie Henry, Meagan Whitehead, Lauren Nichols, Jennifer Ridgway, Sara Nelms, Julie Lackey, Lauren Dunlap, Phyllis Page, Amy Trapp, Cora and Patsy Polson and Misty Taylor
Steve Shelton and Jake Loden
Jeff Reynolds, Matt Belk, Jake Scott and Michael McCrory
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LISA ROBERTS
The Tupelo High School Golden Wave met the Saltillo High School Tigers in a home nonconference football game Sept. 2. Tupelo was victorious over Saltillo with a final score of 55-0.
1. Barret, BJ and Stephanie Brady, Shawn, Jene and Caroline King, Harrison Grave, Wesley, Hannah Claire and CeCe McCullough
Nadellon White with Andrea and Regina Chaires and Ava Davenport
Keeley and Moses Hardin
Geoffry and Tucker Phillips with Maddox Arriolla, Jasper Gore and Bryce Stanley
Isabella Bryan, Trendyn Thompson, Monnie Patton, Cami Buntin and Nyla McClendon
Matt Bridges and Jackson Cayson
Hayden Ginn, Boston Gardner, Aiden Carr and Issac Escobedo
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Tatum Dabbs’ Golden Birthday
Cooking as a First Language 4 5
1. “The Heartbreak Henry” cast members 2. Mary Conner Aycock, Jane Riley and Melinda Lamon 3. Sarah Young, Leslie Geoghegan and Sally Elliott
4. Tatum Dabbs and party guests 5. Cooking as a First Language class participants
“The Heartbreak Henry”
Brian Nash Art for the Child at Heart Exhibit
As a child on her family’s farm in Starkville, Susie Harmon learned to appreciate having fresh vegetables on the dinner table. One of 12 siblings, she was helping plant and pick crops since she could walk. Instead of growing to despise farm work, Harmon fell in love with it. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in sociology, and through the years, she has been a social worker in the Tupelo School District, driven a school bus, worked as an insert operator at the Daily Journal, run her own cleaning service and more. She is also a Master Gardener and admits her favorite pastime is planting and harvesting vegetables, most of which she still does at the family farm in Starkville, though she has lived in Tupelo since 1985.
Q: Is there much difference in a spring and a fall vegetable garden?
A: Yes, a big difference. You have coldweather crops and warm-weather crops. Some of your cold-weather crops are potatoes, carrots, broccoli, beets; and warm-weather crops are lettuce, different varieties of corn, beans and peas. But you also plant at different times, even for a fall garden. Like, for my fall garden, I plant string beans the first week in August; greens in September; onions the end of September. It’s a lot to learn.
Q: You also process your own seeds for planting. What does this mean?
A: To process my own seeds, I let my plants flower out, like at the top of the broccoli plant, there will be seeds. I hang them and let them dry for planting.
Q: What tips would you give others for successful planting and growing?
A: Know about your soil. You can get a soil
test from the Mississippi State Extension Service and have a better idea what will best grow in your soil. Know when and how much your plants need to be watered: Some things require a little water and others require a lot. Know if your plants need sun or shade. If you plant tomatoes in the shade, you’ll have no tomatoes.
Q: What do you do with your harvests?
A: I am at the Farmers Depot in Tupelo every Saturday… I can a lot and also sell a lot of canned stuff like string beans, salsa
and tomatoes, and I make and can jelly and preserves from the fruit trees in my back yard. If I have anything left over after the market, I deliver it to different people. I give a lot away.
Q: Tell us more about what you give away. A: I cook huge amounts of vegetables on Sundays and make plates for people. I have people who just come by my house to pick up a plate; I take plates to people who are sick and shut-in; and I also have plates for some of the homeless people in town.
