Eastern Living - January 2022

EASTERN LIVING

NORTH CAROLINA

Folks you ought to know

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher Kyle Stephens kstephens@ncweeklies.com

Editor Thadd White twhite@apgenc.com

Becky Wetherington beckyweth@gmail.com Michelle Leicester mleicester@ncweeklies.com

Photo Editor Jim Green jgreen@ncweeklies.com Advertising Executives Lou Ann Van Landingham lavan@ncweeklies.com

Kelly Ayscue kayscue@rmtelegram.com Chris Taylor ctaylor@rmtelegram.com

Staff Leslie Beachboard lbeachboard@apgenc.com John Walker john.walkernc@yahoo.com Brandice Hoggard bhoggard@ncweeklies.com Andre’ Alfred aalfred@ncweeklies.com Tyler Newman tnewman@apgenc.com

Sandy Carawan Sarah Davis Sylvia Hughes Gene Motley Lewis Hoggard Deborah Griffin Emily Wells Donna Marie Williams Meghan Grant Robert Kelly-Goss Ariyanna Smith

Zebedee Shepard Following God’s path

Story by Donna Marie Williams Photos by Donna Marie Williams & Contributed

Driven by his passion, Bishop Zebedee Sheppard has dedicated his life to serving God, his community and those in need.

With his determination, Sheppard has created a lasting home for many in and outside the Greene County community through the founding of Victory and Dominion World Outreach, located at 1438 U.S. 258 Snow Hill.

While his efforts have earned him acclaim and numerous awards - such as the Presidential Volunteer Service Award - Sheppard remains humble crediting his success to God.

“I know it was the Lord that sustained me through the year to be a solution in my community - to make an impact in my community,” Sheppard said. “I never could have imagined building something of this magnitude right here on a main thoroughfare. I’m honored to be able to serve and to be a part of this community.”

Sheppard’s walk with the Lord began at a young age when as a boy he would attend church with his mother. A Greene County native, Sheppard was born in Snow Hill and raised in Maury.

“It was required that I attend church and that I attend Sunday School. At Easter time, we were part of the Easter programs and we had to say our speech,” Sheppard said.

It was in his younger years that Sheppard learned the Lord’s Prayer - that scripture has resonated with him throughout his almost 59 years of life.

“When I was growing up, they always impressed upon us to learn certain scriptures. The Lord’s Prayer, having learned it and the 23rd Psalm, had an impact on me. My mom encouraged, and the church encouraged, we

say it. When I say it, it would always have an impact on my life,” Sheppard said.

He continued, “I think it served as a connection between me and God. God used that as a hook when I was a young kid and it always kept me.”

As time moved on, Sheppard grew in his relationship with God and his desire to serve Him intensified.

“When I was a teenager, the Lord impressed upon my heart to follow him. That’s exactly what I did. Around the age of 15, I devoted myself to church and the Lord,” Sheppard said.

To know his calling at a young age, was a rewarding experience for Sheppard, but it did not come without its struggles, he said.

“It was very different. I was a teenager dealing with all the peer pressure and things of that nature, but I really believed it was destiny. I know that it was destiny. I was destined to do what I’m doing now,” Sheppard said.

“As a result, I’m thankful for the direction I took as a teenager. I never once regretted it. I never missed those things (my friends) called fun. Some of those things were deadly or harmful.”

Sheppard remained fast in his conviction, graduated from Greene Central High School in 1980 and then attended Lenoir Community College for a short time. He would later go on to receive a doctorate of Divinity from Central Christian University and from St. Thomas Christian University.

HIs career began as an evangelist where Sheppard spent 10 years preaching the gospel up and down the east coast.

“I loved just traveling and preaching. I loved it when I was evangelizing. I could be one today, if the Lord would allow it,” Sheppard said.

Near the end of the 1980’s, Sheppard felt a shift and felt God was leading him in a different, more structured direction.

“The Lord impressed upon my spirit to go into pastoring. In 1992, I obeyed. I spoke to my wife about what the Lord was pressing on my heart to do and the transition from the Evangelist part of my ministry to the pastoral part of my ministry,” Sheppard said. “My wife was very supportive and encouraged me to

obey God.”

As God was also calling Sheppard to shift his direction, He was also calling Sheppard back to his home in Greene County. In 1992, with his wife Suzanne by his side, Sheppard opened Victory Fellowship Center on Hwy 58.

“The Lord said, ‘I want you to come back to Snow Hill and start a ministry and hold up the light.’ He gave me a scripture - Matthew 4:16 - The people which sat in darkness saw great light and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. He said I want you to hold up the light. I want you to be a light. I want you to become a place where people can come from all around,” Sheppard said.

“I hadn’t thought about Green County sitting right in the center of surrounding counties - Lenoir, Wayne, Pitt, Wilson. We have people that come from all around. We got members from all the surrounding counties. I couldn’t have thought of this myself,” Sheppard said.

The church on Hwy 58 was humble in size and quickly reached its potential, Sheppard said, adding it was a sign from above.

“Almost immediately we could tell the Lord had called us to do this because of the support we received and the people that began to come. We quickly outgrew the size of it,” Sheppard said.

Seven years later, Sheppard received the

call to build a larger sanctuary and what is the current location of Victory and Dominion World Outreach.

Eight years after the completion of the new sanctuary, Victory and Dominion added the Unity Foundation Community Development Center, a family life center, allowing Sheppard to further another mission of his from Godassisting the youth.

“I had a vision for the youth and making sure the young people had a safe place where they can come and play sports, hangout, play games, hang with friends at a safe location - it was weighing on me,” Sheppard said.

“Our job is to make sure the youth are not left out and that they are cared for. That they are trained in what it means to be a Christian, what it means to follow Christ. What their purpose and destiny is. I believe that the sooner they can discover or come with an understanding that you were here on Earth for a particular design purpose - God had a particular use for you.

“As soon as they can get that in their hearts and minds, I believe it will help to act as a bridge or trap to help them remain focused,” he continued. “It will help them understand that I’m not just here to cause trouble. I’m not just here to live loose. I actually have a divine purpose. I’m predestined to fulfill something.”

Equipped with a full court gymnasium, stage, classrooms, exercise and computers

rooms, the Family Life Center serves as a multipurpose building for the church and community, he added, stating the site has been used by Greene Lamp for training, and as a voting site in the past.

But for Sheppard, the ministry has never been about the size of the building in which he preached, but rather the outreach. For more than 30 years, since beginning at the humble church on Hwy 58, Sheppard has reached far out into the community and world spreading the gospel and showing the goodness of God’s love.

“The Lord had let me know that this location would be somewhat of a headquarters for other ministries and missions and that I would be reaching and impacting people in other nations of the world. For 30 years, we’ve been doing just that, reaching people in other nations of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We support missions in various parts of the world. We are heavily involved as we are locally with feeding those that are struggling and dealing with issues,” Sheppard said.

“We reach out to missions around the world where there is pain, need, hunger, thirst. I’ve taken supplies, clothes to a number of churches in Africa. I’ve had the opportunity to go and serve and preach and provide resources,” he said.

Victory and Dominion hosts a food bank the second and fourth Tuesday of every month, feeding on average between 300 and 500 customers each month. It’s commitment to feeding the hungry has earned the church a “Decade of Service Milestone Certificate” for the years 2010 to 2019 from the Foodbank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The church has also served as a site for disaster services following major events in the past years and the congregation is always willing to open its doors, Sheppard said.

The church also hosts food, coat and blood drives and offers an after school program and summer enrichment program for local youths. It also offers classes and enrichment seminars for adults including financial seminars.

“We try to make sure we are hands on. Whatever the pressing needs are, we try to be a part of the solution. I never wanted to just sit or just come in and say I’m going to talk to the

church. That’s never been me,” Sheppard said, adding he never wanted to be a preacher that just handed out business cards.

“I believe that your impact at your presence should be felt. What really tells if you are making an impact is would they miss us if we were not here. I believe the local community would miss us if we were not here,” Sheppard said.

Through his years as a pastor, Sheppard has risen to the consecration into the office of bishop and was commissioned as an apostle by his spiritual father, the late Apostle Paul A Thomas.

“Bishop is an elevation in the call and responsibility of ministry. The Bible talks about if a man desires the office of a Bishop, he desires the good work. But also, in Ecclesiastes, it relates to promotion and it relates to the responsibility in ministry, the Bishop is one of the higher callings. When one becomes a Bishop he is not just a pastor or supervisor over his church, but he becomes then a supervisor of several or many churches,” Sheppard said.

“Bishops oversee, supervise, make sure the church is healthy and make sure the leaders of those churches have what they need in order to proficiently govern, pastor and minister to their flocks,” he said.

In his years of service, Sheppard has helped to start numerous churches around the world, including a second Victory and Dominion World Outreach in Goldsboro. As Bishop, he personally oversees four churches.

Despite his hard days and accumulation of volunteer hours, Sheppard has never worked a day in his life. This is because Sheppard’s work brings him joy.

“I get joy from it. When a person connects with their life purpose, it automatically produces joy and fulfillment,” he said. “When you do what you were wired to do, what you are born to do, I believe there is a satisfaction, a joy, peace that comes with it. I said this a couple days ago on a virtual Bible study. I often say, your job is what you are paid for, but your purpose is what you are made for. Your purpose is what you are born for. Once you lock into your life's purpose it’s not a job then. It becomes a joy to do.”

Having received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in October for his dedication to his community, Sheppard was honored and humbled.

“That gives me joy and fulfillment and a sense of satisfaction to know that I just wasn't here making trouble. God used a no-name to help really make a difference and provide resources to be an instrument that will really help others - of all walks of life of all races,” Sheppard said.

“That makes me feel good. I feel great about that. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing that my life makes a difference - this ministry makes a difference,” he closed.

Donna Marie Williams is a former Staff Writer for The Standard and a contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

David Bane

God. Life.You and Me.

Story & Photo by Robert Kelly-Goss

When David C. Bane Jr. sits down to write a sermon or pen one of his numerous columns or essays, he asks himself one simple question: “So, what?”

It’s a question, Bane — a retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia — says has informed his work over the years, and is now at the heart of his recently published collection of sermons and essays, “God, Life, You and Me.”

“A sermon should try to change someone’s heart,” says Bane.

Bane’s path to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church wasn’t straightforward. While his father was an Episcopal priest, Bane left the church as an adult to pursue a career in business and earn a master’s degree in business administration.

But the businessman who also had become a husband and father of four wasn’t satisfied with his path. Bane said he knew he had to return to his roots in the church.

Bane was 40 years old and living in West Virginia when he says he finally listened and accepted God’s call to become a priest. With the blessing of his wife, Alice, and their children, Bane would earn a divinity degree from the Virginia Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria.

That’s when he began cultivating his approach to preaching the Christian gospel.

“When I went back to church, I wanted to make a

difference,” Bane said. “I heard a lot of sermons and I would ask myself, ‘so, what?’”

He says the Rt. Rev. Milton Crumb played a key role in shaping his career. Crumb was a mentor who taught Bane that the secret to giving a good sermon was connecting with people early on, establishing that what you’re sharing is a part of your heart and soul, not something you’re preaching at them.

Bane’s new career path would take him from West Virginia to New Hampshire, then to Ohio and finally to Norfolk, Virginia, where he would serve as bishop. As a parish priest, Bane developed personal relationships with each of his congregations, and as a bishop, he would help guide 125 churches.

Over the years, whether as a parish priest or as bishop, Bane said he tried to keep the focus in his sermons on what matters to “you and me.”

After Bane retired as bishop, he moved to Elizabeth City where some of his children were living at the time. He says he would fill in as a priest at various churches in the region, as well as contribute to the Christ Episcopal Church newsletter.

It was that newsletter that led to a long-running column in The Daily Advance, and it was the column that led to his book, “God, Life, You and Me.”

Bane’s written work addresses the many issues people deal with on a day-to-day basis. He uses his own

experiences, tying them to the Christian gospels and Jesus’ teachings not only to provide inspiration, but also as a practical guide to life.

In his essay titled, “Loneliness,” for example, Bane addresses the issue of not feeling loved despite the fact, he says, that we are all loved by God.

“Throughout our lives,” he writes, “we will love and be loved by many people, but

human love will always have a few holes in it. In Jesus, God loves us perfectly and completely, no holes, no games, no ego issues, no inconsistencies, no dishonesty and no conditions.”

In writing his sermons and subsequently his book, Bane says the question, “So, What?” was always at the forefront of his mind. He says the objective in all his sermons and writings is to have the subject matter apply

to someone’s life and provide them food for thought.

“I’m pretty hard on myself,” Bane says of his writing. “If it’s clear that there’s not a point to the sermon, then I go back to it. I’m trying to make it so it matters to people.”

Bane’s book is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Robert Kelly-Gross is a first-time contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Tony Bennett A deep sense of service

irate football, a meticulously brewed stew and a top-secret seasoning mix became the common ground from which lifelong friendships were forged for Tony Bennett and his wife, Martha, in Nash County.

These friendships would ride the waves of the good times; and sustain the couple during their darkest, most unfathomable, hard times.

Tony grew up in the Salem community where he played basketball and fell in love with a cheerleader from the nearby Red Oak community, Martha Stephenson.

Married in 1967, the couple has lived in Red Oak over 50 years, where they raised two children, Bill and Michelle.

“We’ve been together since we were 15,” laughed Martha on a frigid, mid-January, early Saturday morning. The friends had gathered at the Bennett’s barn to brew yet another pot of the famous stew.

Stirring the mixture with long wooden boat paddles in a 40-gallon LP Gas-fueled pot, the group reminisced about how the stew continues to be the tie that binds them, and how it has knit the community tighter.

Over the years, the special elixir - their version of Brunswick Stew - has allowed Bennett and friends to touch the lives of people in ways they could never imagine.

Besides simply tasting good, the stew has helped raise thousands of dollars to help fund ministries for area churches and other nonprofits, including the Rocky Mount Evening

Story & Photos by Deborah Griffin

Optimist Club, which was formed to help children, and offer scholarships.

This morning’s batch was being made in memory of the man who started it all, Henry Edmundson, who died in 2017.

His daughter, Kelly Tyndall, faithfully guards his secret recipe under lock and key - which seems to fuel demand for the Nash County stew.

“We are trying to keep Henry’s legacy going,” said Tony.

Decades ago, Edmundson began the tradition of cooking his special recipe at his home, serving neighbors and friends.

Its popularity exploded when he cooked it for East Carolina University football kick-off parties and while tailgating.

“People kept wanting it, so he had to keep making more and more,” Kelly said.

This batch will yield around 180-quarts, already sold. Some customers order 20 quarts at a time.

Tony said when they cook the stew for fundraisers, they load three giant cooking vats to the brim and sell up to 770 quarts, which can yield as much as $6,000.

Although he lived through unimaginable hardship, Tony is a man who believes in paying things forward.

“If everybody would do that, this world wouldn’t have so many problems,” he said.

He has a deep sense of service to his community. He has served as Red Oak town councilman since 2008. Prior to that he

served 20 years on the town’s Planning Board.

The Bennetts are active members of the Red Oak United Methodist Church. Before COVID-19, they would do three “cookings” a year to raise funds for the church’s ministries.

The secret formula, (which includes chicken and beef) also has a particular order in which things are added to the pot. The method has people clamoring for more.

The stew is delicious, but it is the friendships it has forged Tony values the most.

Twenty-six years ago, on Valentines Day 1996, the Bennett’s world was shattered.

They lost their 23-year-old son, Bill, in a horrific vehicle crash just minutes from their house, as he and a cousin were beginning to exit off I-95. An 18-wheeler plowed into them, jack-knifing their truck and trailer, pushing them into a ravine. Only Bill’s cousin and the driver of the tractor-trailer survived.

After all these years, Bennett’s emotions are still raw.

“How do you go the rest of your life not seeing your child?” he asked, humbly, without a hint of bitterness. “You lose the joy and glee that you had before.”

The Bennetts said their daughter, Michelle, Bill’s older sister, gave them focus and purpose to keep going during tragedy.

“We were so blessed to still have her,” Tony said.

They now have two granddaughters, Caroline and Savannah, who live with their parents, Forrest Knowles and Michelle, in

Wake Forest.

Tragically, another couple in this tight group lost their daughter, who was close to the age Bill was at the time of his death, only six years ago.

Alice and Steve Crickmore said the Bennetts have been their rock.

The couples gather on the days their children died.

“We talk about the kids all the time,” said Alice. “And it helps.”

“I hope we have been an inspiration to them – to know they can go on for 25 more years,” Tony said.

His wife, Martha said, “When it first happens, you don’t think you can live until the next minute.”

Alice interjected, “You don’t want to live the next minute.”

Nodding, Martha continued.

“You go from minute-to-minute; then hour-to-hour. Then you go day-to-day. Then, you have good days and bad days,” she said.

“Bill would have been 49 this year,” said Martha. “You wonder how his life would have been. You think about how much they missed. You might laugh, then feel guilty. Then you cry because you feel guilty. It’s a feeling you just cannot describe.”

But Tony describes it better than anybody, Martha said.

“He said, ‘it is like a sore, which eventually scabs over. Then, the scab is torn off and it forms another scab; then it’s torn off again. Eventually, it doesn’t form a scab. It forms a scar. And the scar is always there.’ It never goes away,” she said. “It is something you never get over.

“We’ve adjusted - we’ve learned to live with it - but you never get over it,” she added.

The couple refuse to turn their backs on this inconceivable pain.

Alice added, “They have been our best grief support. They were there the minute they found out.”

“People were there for us,” Tony said.

“When Alice has bad days, we talk. We went through the same thing. We couldn’t ask to have better friends,” Martha added.

Tony said it is unimaginable - until it

happens to you.

“You hear about [someone losing a child], but you don’t let yourself dwell on it because it is such a terrible thought,” he said.”

His brother tragically lost a 12-year-old son in an accident while at a neighbor’s home.

“That was nine years before we lost Bill,” he said. He said they were ill-equipped to help his brother through the grief – until it happened to them.

“We got through it,” said Tony. “It’s been a struggle - but we are getting there. Our church helped us; our friends helped us and supported us.”

That is why the Bennetts are determined to help others through hard times.

The Bennetts don’t feel they are defined by Bill’s death, but said they have been shaped because of it.

“His death has helped us become who we are,” Martha continued.

“Your whole life changes,” added Tony.

At the time of his death, Bill had been the youngest lieutenant and EMT at the Red Oak Volunteer Fire Department.

“The guys at the fire department - some of his best friends - went to the wreck that day,” said Martha. “It affected the whole department. They embraced us. And, his classmates – some we didn’t even know - see us and say, ‘You’re Bill’s mom and dad, aren’t you?’ So really - we are defined by him - [not his death].”

“I think it helps you realize how precious life is,” said Tony.

The Bennetts don’t want recognition for some of the good things they’ve done to help others.

But a few of those things bear the name Bill Bennett.

“We just want him to be remembered,” Martha said.

They honor Bill by keeping a mile-anda-half of roadway cleaned up and mowed through the Adopt-a-Highway program.

And they have donated things, such as a church van; and bought the naming rights at the adult ball field at Ennis Park in his name.

Serendipitously, the park was named after W.B. “Bill” Ennis, Tony’s high school basketball coach.

“We named our son Bill after him,” said Tony. Now Bill’s name graces one of the ballfields at the park named for his namesake.

Also, because of the Bennett’s generosity, bells chime out every day at noon from the humble Red Oak United Methodist Church and can be heard throughout the community.

They also play before church on Sunday, and ring out on special occasions, such as holidays.

Deborah Griffin is a freelance writer and photographer in Eastern North Carolina and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Briley Bickerstaff

Winning the race, winning life

Story by Jim Green Photos Contributed

Briley Bickerstaff is one of the most celebrated student-athletes in the history of Riverside High School.

She has won numerous athletic championships and awards, including a state title in track this past year, has broken school records (and her own) repeatedly in track and cross country, and is a model student and active member within her school and in the community.

But as successful as Bickerstaff has become, it was less than five years ago that she faced enough adversity in athletics that would have prompted others to quit.

She nearly gave up cross country and track for another sport. Why?

You could call it stage fright, or performance anxiety.

“I only ran two races (cross country) in middle school and finished one,” said the

18-year-old Bickerstaff, a senior at Riverside who recently won the Female High School Heisman award for North Carolina.

“I wasn’t going to do it. I was going to play tennis. I didn’t like cross country, it was a lot of work and it made me uncomfortable physically and mentally,” she said. “I had this anxiety of coming across the finish line in front of a large group of people – it made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t stand up in front of

people. I know it sounds crazy, but I had stage fright.”

After going to a tennis practice her freshman year, Bickerstaff had her mind made up. But after talking with her mother and receiving encouragement from someone who would become her mentor as well as coach, Mark Cagle, Bickerstaff decided to give cross country another try.

She went from the high 30s to mid-24s in her times her freshman season.

“I never really thought I would ever be good,” she said. “I was just proud of myself for crossing the finish line and I saw the improvement.”

Bickerstaff then went out for track, improved there (“I had fun,” she said) and spent time over the summer working hard to prepare for her sophomore season.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, suddenly Bickerstaff – whose life was filled with structure (school, athletics and a job) –found herself with a lot of free time.

“I spent a lot of time running while everything was on lockdown,” she said. “I needed something to do.”

Cagle started working with Bickerstaff in middle school and knew she had the tools to be special.

“I knew she was going to be good,” he said. However, her cross country career got off

to an inauspicious beginning. She completed her race at the Pam Pack Invitational as an eighth grader and threw up at the end.

“That was the last I saw of her until she ran for me as a freshman,” Cagle said. “(Her other race), she would literally get on the starting line, they fired the gun, everybody would take off running and Briley would walk over to her mom and dad.”

Cagle said she worked really hard over the summer.

At a meet in Roanoke Rapids during her freshman season, Cagle stood behind Briley and pushed her when the gun sounded.

“She took off running and I thought this was a victory,” he said.

Later in the race, Cagle waited for her at certain points but didn’t see her until about 100 yards from the finish line.

“I told her when you come around this curve, there will be about 250 people,” he said. “She started shaking. I told her I would never lie to her and said she was going to finish the race and we’d move forward from here.

“I put my hand on her back and we ran, and I watched her go through the shute and I was there at the end so she could see a familiar face,” he said.

Cagle saw a change in her that day.

“From that point forward, she showed me she was as tough as could be,” he said. “She

could deal with the elements, the pain and the discomfort and overcome all of those things and be a successful runner.”

Bickerstaff said, “When I came around that curve and I saw a bunch of people, I stopped. But he (Cagle) encouraged me and I trusted him. I finished that race, and then it became easier and easier every time I did it. To this day I trust him that he will always be straightforward with me. He has so much faith in me – if he says I can do it, I can do it.”

Her success in athletics started a transformation. Bickerstaff wanted to be a voice for change at her high school, so she became involved with student government and has been a treasurer as well as parliamentarian.

“I got involved because I really wanted to be a voice for everyone at the school and contribute to improving the school for all of the students,” she said. “I got really connected into the school and wanted to be part of a change, so I decided to find the time to balance that and community service with my academics and athletics.”

Bickerstaff has been a graduation marshal as well as a member of the National Honor Society and the Homecoming Court. Some of the projects she’s worked on include planning dances, helping design senior T-shirts and working with the Homecoming committee.

“I trust in the hard way, for little has come to me except in the hard way.”

- Senator BoB Dole

Bickerstaff is also involved with Special Olympics as a volunteer as well as the Dare to Read program, where they hold fundraisers to buy books for schools in Martin County.

She has also helped put together and deliver food boxes over the summer to people in the county.

“I love helping make little improvements in my community,” she said. “I love to see the kids happy in Special Olympics and delivering the food boxes because I know it’s helping some people.”

The High School Heisman Scholarship award was a pleasant surprise to Bickerstaff, who was the female winner for the state. She was nominated by RHS track coach C.P. Pointe based on her participation in athletics, her standing academically and her leadership capabilities in her school while serving as a role model for underclassmen and others in her community.

“It was such an honor to be nominated by him,” she said. “When I found out I was a high school winner, I thought it was pretty cool. Then when I found out I had won at the state level, I thought it was cool, but when I was told they only chose one boy and one girl throughout the state, I was like ‘What? Me?’. I am still in disbelief. It’s hard to think about to this day.”

Bickerstaff owns school records in the 1,000-meter run (indoor season), the 1,600 (indoor and outdoor), the 3,200 (indoor and outdoor), the three-mile run and the 5K. She is currently running indoor track and playing basketball and will compete in outdoor track during the spring if there isn’t another shutdown due

to COVID.

What has athletics been about for her?

“I am constantly trying to push myself, especially for someone who, at one time, would give up the minute I felt uncomfortable,” she said. “Something changed my freshman year. I realized I was a lot stronger than I thought I was; I could do a lot more.”

A perfect example of that was recently against Franklinton in indoor track. She was on pace to run the fastest time she’d ever run but then thought about slowing down because she wanted to.

“I didn’t. I pushed through,” she said. “The fun thing about running is that it pushes you mentally and physically because it takes a lot of mental toughness to work through the mental block of pushing harder even when you don’t feel like it.”

Bickerstaff has not yet decided on her future. She has received interest academically as well as athletically from several colleges in the state.

Bickerstaff said she would like for her legacy at Riverside to be someone who overcame the odds.

“I hope I have helped everyone achieve a championship mentality, although I came from nothing because of my anxiety,” she said. “I struggled so bad there were people who didn’t think I would ever be a champion at anything, let alone something that involved people watching me.

“My legacy is that I want everyone to think they can do something even if they feel like all odds are against them. All odds were against me and I still turned out to do some pretty good things, with encouragement.

When people think about me, I want them to say she did it with all odds against her, so I can do it.”

The aforementioned quote by the former senator is one of Cagle’s favorites and he said that applies to Bickerstaff.

“To be a successful runner, you have to embrace adversity because your legs and lungs are on fire, and you run in the heat, cold, rain and wind to accomplish a goal. To pass the person in front of you, you have to make yourself uncomfortable. Not many people are willing to do that, but Briley is because she’s embraced the pain.

“She can handle the spotlight now, which is part of the transformation I have seen in her,” he continued. “The competitiveness and the leadership development she’s gone through has just been great to watch. She is well liked among

students, teachers and staff at the school and hasn’t let success go to her head and become arrogant.”

And while many may have given up, Bickerstaff is an example of the adage “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.”

“There are definitely times when it’s hard to juggle all of this stuff, and I have really been stressed but I don’t think there was a time I ever thought about giving anything up,” she said. “I am not one of those people with a giving-in mentality. Whenever something difficult comes up, I like to push through it and find a solution rather than giving in to the urge to quit.”

Jim Green is Sports Editor of the Rocky Mount Telegram and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Charles Woodward Riding the wave high

Fifty years ago, Charles Woodard first held the keys to his own pharmacy. Since then, he has stood watch from behind the counter as hundreds of thousands of patrons have come and gone over the decades.

Yet, he always remained.

Nestled in the heart of historic Hertford is Woodard’s Pharmacy. Situated at the corner of Church and Market streets, it has stood as an iconic landmark of Perquimans County, as well as a testament to Charles Woodard’s own dedication.

Woodard himself, a native son of Hertford, took over ownership of the store in 1972, opening for business on Jan. 2.

In 1972, the No. 1 song was “American Pie” by Don McLean, the most popular film was

“The Godfather” and the Oakland A’s beat the Cincinnati Reds in seven games to win the World Series.

A lot has changed since then.

But at Woodard’s, things have stayed mostly the same. The idea of a small town drugstore and fountain that was once a staple of Rural Americana holds steady at the junction of Church and Market.

The pharmacy’s hallmark sign hangs high over the Church Street sidewalk, welcoming all who take just a minute to venture into bucolic Hertford, where time moves a bit slower.

Around mid-afternoon in the autumn, one can find everyone from the high school quarterback to sheriff’s deputies wandering through the door, looking for a cold drink or

a scoop of old school hand-dipped ice cream. The usual pharmacy customers dart in and out after saying their hellos and picking up their orders.

All the while, Charles Woodard could be found behind the counter, calmly and methodically running the show. Refilling prescriptions, answering phone calls and greeting old friends.

The pharmacy has become a sort of gathering point, not just for locals, but for visitors to Hertford as well; tourists and curious eyes who journey off of U.S. 17 long enough to find a gem tucked away in a quiet river town, a place which itself holds so much storied history.

Everything from greeting cards to vitamins to handmade goods and locally produced

Story & Photos by Tyler Newman

items are found on Woodard’s stocked shelves, saying a lot about Hertford without so much as speaking a word.

One January evening, sitting down in a back corner booth of his pharmacy’s fountain, Woodard told his tale.

Growing up in Hertford, he was a graduate of Perquimans County High School, where he played – and won – on the football team coached by his father.

During that time, Woodard said that his dad – who had a background in education – urged his children to seek possible futures elsewhere.

“He told us to look at something other than education,” Woodard said, thinking back decades. “So I decided to go into pharmacy.”

Woodard found his way at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a fact he is proud of to this day. Adorning the walls of the pharmacy are dozens of pieces of memorabilia from Chapel Hill and Tar Heel athletic programs. Treasures from the past.

To further illustrate that point, Woodard can usually be seen wearing his UNC class ring on his right hand.

On the left, a golden wedding band. A symbol of the years devoted to his wife, Harriette.

“I’ve been married 52 years,” Woodard said. “I graduated in ‘69, got married in ‘69 and got my license in 1970.”

“It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long though,” he continued. “My plan was once to retire at 55. I had built a house and gotten some farmland. My wife now asks me as a joke: ‘what happened?’”

Woodard, who celebrated his 75th birthday in 2021, said that he plans on continuing as a pharmacist a bit longer, as long as his health holds up.

Before it became known as Woodard’s Pharmacy, the building at the corner of Church and Market streets was known as Harmon’s Pharmacy. Woodard said that he worked there a bit during college, before transitioning into a more full-time position.

During this period, Woodard spent many days interning with the Mitchener family of pharmacists in nearby Edenton.

He also spent a lot of time with close friend, Jimmy Hunter, known in baseball lore as “Catfish,” but to locals like Charles, he was just Jimmy.

The pair were part of a winning high school football team in the 1960s and kept their friendship alive through the decades until Hunter passed away in 1999 after a hard fought battle with ALS.

“We’d go pheasant hunting, we would go down and play golf tournaments. We always had a good time together,” Woodard said. “I remember when he signed with the Yankees, the team would call us at the pharmacy and I would call Jimmy and ask him if he wanted to talk to them or not.”

Woodard then lamented for a moment: “The trouble with getting older is that some of us disappear too soon.”

“Charles would always let Jimmy go down to the pharmacy and sign baseballs,” said Helen Hunter, widow of Jimmy. “The proceeds from the balls would go to the Lions Club. Charles still helps us with the ALS Walk and is the treasurer of the Jim Catfish Hunter ALS Foundation. He’s always willing to help with anything.”

When Woodard first reopened the Hertford location – now called Woodard’s Pharmacy – in the 1970s, he said that nearly 70-hour work weeks were the norm in order to provide for his family. That came with drawbacks, however.

“I don’t have many regrets in the business, but I do regret how I did not have as much time to watch my family grow as I would like,” he said. “A lot of ball games and dinners that I missed out on because we didn’t close until about 7:00 each night.”

Woodard pointed out a portrait of his family that he keeps hanging behind the counter. While the piece is quite a few years old now, he said it often recalls him to those long workdays, where he would glance over and remember what he was working for. Family.

That same family has a history in the pharmacy business. Woodard’s brother, uncle, numerous cousins and now his daughter all work or worked as pharmacists at one point or another.

The idea of a small town drugstore and fountain that was once a staple of Rural Americana holds steady at the junction of Church and Market.

“As long as I can remember, my dad has been a fixture in our community,” said Dabney Scaff, Woodard’s daughter. “Growing up he taught us what it meant to serve others. From late night or Sunday calls for people that needed medication or advice, he always happily obliged by taking that call or meeting them at the pharmacy.”

That community spirit, Scaff said, encouraged her to follow her father’s footsteps into the family business.

“By watching him, at an early age, I knew that I wanted to be a pharmacist,” she said of her dad. “I would like to thank him for not only what he has done for me individually, but for what he has meant to our town. He has given his very best every day for 50 years.”

Along with being a pharmacist, Woodard also moonlights as a county commissioner for Perquimans, now in his second term.

“Many days he goes to [commissioner] meetings after working 10 hours that day,” Scaff said.

As county commissioner, Woodard serves alongside his good friend Wallace Nelson.

“He touches people’s lives,” Nelson said of his old friend. “He is very fair-minded as a commissioner, very level-headed. He works well with everybody and has a heart for the community. He also participates in civic activities and at his church, Hertford Baptist.”

Nelson attributed Woodard’s fame throughout town to be in part due to his generosity and kindness towards others.

“I’ve seen him help so many people having a rough time, whether they have a sickness or have a terminal illness. I know he is never looking for any kind of recognition,” Nelson said. “In the community, anything that comes up, I’ve seen him desire to help, that’s why everybody knows him. They know he tries to contribute and help people.”

Nelson also pointed out Woodard’s longstanding tradition of hiring high school students, typically around the time they get their driver’s license, to give them a steady job.

“He hires young folks and gives them an opportunity to work a job, he’s very cooperative with them to participate in things

like marching band or football, what have you,” Nelson said. “This speaks pretty highly of his character.”

Brooke Suermann, who worked for Woodard for eight years, began her time at the pharmacy while still in high school. She has nothing but praise for him and his work in the community.

“He was the best boss I’ve had and probably will ever have; he’s amazing to work for,” she said. “I recently started working as a pharmacy technician, something I never would have considered for myself if it hadn’t been for his guidance. I learned so much from him, not only about the business, but also life.”

Besides Suermann, at least 12 other former employees of Woodard’s have gone on to work in the pharmacy business.

Other employees, both past and present, have stayed on even longer. Linda Bundy, who plans to retire on Feb. 11, has worked under Woodard for over 47 years, almost as long as the man himself.

Jennifer Byrum, who worked at Woodard’s for over 10 years, said that both Bundy and Woodard always went out of their way to help others.

Byrum also said that she met so many folks from within the community just from being active at the counter every day.

“I think the pharmacy has been a hub of activity for the town of Hertford. People from every location in the county and other counties come to this pharmacy for one reason or another,” Byrum said.

Despite repeated and ongoing closures of Hertford’s S-Bridge for construction – severing its link to neighboring Winfall – patrons have still traveled extra distances just to stop in.

“A lot of that has to do with the one on one service they can trust. It is also a meeting place of sorts, especially for the gentlemen in town who come to talk about sports or politics,” Byrum said. “The senior citizens love to come eat lunch there and socialize. So do the high schoolers.”

Woodard recalls one of his longest customers – who walked through the pharmacy door around the time he first

opened – who still arrives almost every day for one thing.

“I have a few customers who are still here from the beginning. One lady comes and gets a pimento cheese sandwich almost every day, stays for an hour and chats with folks,” Woodard said.

“You’d be hard pressed to find someone from Perquimans that doesn’t have fond memories of going to the drugstore,” Suermann said. “I feel lucky to know him.”

Woodard said that he thinks the reason for his continued success against encroaching corporate pharmacies is a combination of nostalgia with personability. He also suggested that the pharmacy’s vintage ice cream offerings may play a role in the longtime popularity of the store.

“I’m not going to go down as a good pharmacist, I’m going to go down as the ice cream man,” Woodard joked.

He continued: “People aren’t just a number here though, compared to corporate stores. They’re known. As soon as they walk in we get their prescription ready to go, so they feel important. I make myself as accessible as possible to them.”

However, even Woodard himself acknowledged that one day, when he is gone, the pharmacy will change hands.

Reflecting on that, he said that he is satisfied with how his career has gone.

“I’m happy with what I’ve done. I may not have pleased everybody, but I did what I could,” Woodard said. “I try to help those who come in and are sick with not much to give. You don’t go to heaven on your works but I’ll at least go home feeling like I did what I could to help people.”

He then looked around the pharmacy for a moment.

“But, I’ve got three kids, a decent home and accomplished more than I thought I could. I’m not as invincible as when I first started, but I’m riding this last wave high,” he closed.

Tyler Newman is a Staff Writer for the Chowan Herald and Eastern North Carolina Living.

Oliver Holley A well-educated life

Story by Deborah Griffin Photos Contributed

Oliver Holley had no desire to pursue a career in education when he graduated from Northeastern High School in Elizabeth City almost 25 years ago.

His whole family – his parents, both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had all taken that route, most having invested more than 30 years in the lives of children.

“I didn’t want that,” the Tyrrell County Schools Superintendent said.

Now, he can’t imagine life outside of education.

“I know one thing, regardless of a title, I am going to be helping children in education for the rest of my career,” he said.

Tyrrell County Schools is the second smallest school district in North Carolina, but has a higher graduation rate (92 percent) than the state average (87.2 percent).

“That is a testament to our teachers and guidance counselors,” said Holley. “They do

not let anybody slip through the cracks.”

Holley was no stranger to Tyrrell County, having grown up across the Albemarle Sound in nearby Pasquotank County. His father took him bear hunting in the marshy backlands of Tyrrell and surrounding counties, instilling in him an appreciation for the outdoorsespecially Eastern North Carolina outdoors.

The counties they hunted (Gates, Hyde and Tyrrell) are some of the poorest in the state; but are known for their abundance of sizable black bear, some of which are the largest in North America.

Though an avid hunter, he admits this year he killed his first, solo bear.

But, hunting for him is not just a sport.

“I was taught at a young age - anything you go out there and hunt, you consume and don’t waste it. We process everything. Anything the Lord allows us to harvest, the meat goes to my family - or any other family that wants [or

needs] it.”

Holley and his wife, Natasha, have two children – a 12-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter.

“My son loves fishing the rivers and streams of Eastern North Carolina. I am blessed to be able to teach him at an early age to appreciate everything we have in this area,” Holley said.

Holley met Natasha at Elizabeth State University, where he reluctantly attended, after his dream of either joining the United States Marines, or becoming a State Trooper, fell through.

He majored in English and, after graduation, was recruited to teach in Bertie County Schools.

Holly’s first year in the classroom changed his heart about education.

“The kids just did something to me. I loved seeing that lightbulb when it went off. I loved the challenge – every day was not the same.

Many of those kids I still keep in contact with,” he said.

“It is a beautiful thing. I think every educator understands that feeling - you never forget your students; seeing them become successful citizens - and the joy it brings. I haven’t looked back,” he added.

Some of those first students included Jessica Breland, who plays in the Women’s National Basketball Association and Kent Bazemore, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I’ve got kids that are doctors, educators, truck drivers - some of those kids are principals now. It has come back, full circle. We are all products of Eastern North Carolina,” he said.

Holley stayed at Bertie County Schools three years and was mentored by several leaders, who took him under their wings.

“I credit that team for pushing me - driving me to want to become superintendent,” he said. “They - the teachers, custodian, cafeteria workers – all gave me the idea I could do this. That was over 20 years ago.”

Through the years, Holley earned his

Master’s in School Administration and Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

He held positions throughout eastern North Carolina, which include Director of Afterschool Programs, Dean of Students, Behavioral Intervention Specialist, Curriculum Instructional Specialist, Assistant Principal, Principal and Chief Human Resource officer.

He said some of the positions pulled him away from students.

“I realized I missed the kids,” he said.

He became Superintendent in 2018, a year and a half before COVID-19 struck - which presented educational challenges he and the rest of the world could never have imagined.

“It makes for an interesting school year,” Holley said dryly.

“Nobody knew what to expect. But, because of the hard work of the staff, we were credited as one of the first school districts to roll out remote instruction and food delivery immediately after the shutdown,” he added.

Every child was sent home with a digital device the Friday before the shutdown, which was announced in mid-March of 2020.

Holley said when he first got to Tyrell County, he realized all the teachers and students needed brand new digital devices, “not knowing we were about to have a pandemic upon us - where we would need those devices. God aligned the stars for us to be able to have them,” he said.

But once COVID hit, “we were faced with the challenge of how to do remote instruction with us being so rural,” he added.

Outside a one-mile radius of Columbia, internet is spotty.

“How could we keep our kids connected knowing the digital divide is real in Tyrrell County?” he asked. “One of the first things we did was turn all of our school campuses into public Wi-Fi hubs. We placed picnic tables around some of the campuses so that individual students and staff could sit around and utilize the Wi-Fi code.”

Other challenges he faces come from being the second smallest school system in the state. (Hyde is smaller.)

“Our county commissioners do everything they can to support the school system.

Because we don’t have industry in Tyrrell, and most of our economics are based on farming, we don’t have a big local budget,” he said.

Despite the challenges, students stay in school.

“We have a very dedicated staff that goes over and beyond to make sure our kids don’t go without,” he added. “Teachers stay after school to help families.”

Holley said one of his priorities is providing as many educational opportunists to the students as possible.

“We have kids that are on track to go to college - but we have kids that are not going. We have to make sure we are offering programs that allow students to be ready to go into the workforce,” he said.

Tyrrell County has partnered with Beaufort and Pitt community colleges, offering programs in Career and Technical Education.

Eighty-four percent of high school students take advantage of dual enrollment.

“We have been recognized for the past two years for having the highest number of

students dually enrolled in high school and college courses,” he said.

Holly’s pathway in education seemed practically predestined. His mother (Marlene Holley) retired from 35 years of service in the public schools. His father, Pedro Holley, worked at Elizabeth City State University for 33 years. His grandfather Andrew “Salt” Williams was a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal in Elizabeth City Public Schools. His grandmother was an elementary teacher for over 30 years. He has an aunt and an uncle that both worked in Portsmouth City Schools.

He said he learned from his paternal grandparents that everybody’s job in the school system is equally important. His grandfather worked as a janitor and his grandmother as a cafeteria worker, both over 30 years.

“They taught me everybody is important in this district’s success,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about your title.”

Holley enjoys seeing others succeed.

“I’m partial to this area. We need to do everything we can to help our younger kids understand [the value of] living in Eastern North Carolina,” he said. “We need to figure out ways we can support this newer generation the way some of us were supported coming up.”

An advocate for equality, he wants “to make sure all of our kids have the same access to quality education - regardless of what their family’s last name is - regardless of where they live.

“I think a kid in Tyrrell needs the same opportunities as a kid in Pitt County, or in Edenton or Kinston,” he insisted. “We need to prepare them. This is our future. We need to do everything we can to make sure they will be successful, productive citizens later in life.”

Deborah Griffin is a freelance writer and photographer in Eastern North Carolina and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Melinda Sampson Making a difference daily

Story by Ariyanna Smith Photos Contributed

As a child, Melinda Sampson didn't spend much time thinking about her future.

“I spent a long time as a kid wanting to be a transient. I just wanted to travel, I didn't care about money or anything really,” she said.

She enjoyed writing and was an avid reader, but it wasn't until she came across a biography of Dr. Ruth Gruber, a famed American journalist and author who documented the lives of displaced Holocaust survivors and prisoners in Soviet labor camps, that she started thinking about her future.

“I wanted to be a foreign correspondent, but that didn't work out,” she jokes.

Sampson graduated from Farmville Central High School in 2004 without a solid career plan.

In 2004, Sampson enrolled at East Carolina University in Greenville. Despite her love for storytelling, she decided to enroll in the Business program hoping that would guarantee her financial stability.

“I was rolling in with tons of student loans

and I wanted to be better off,” she recalls.

After one semester in the program, she knew she made a mistake and decided to pursue her true interest, journalism.

A few years later, Sampson graduated from ECU with a Bachelor of Art in Communication, concentrating in Print Media. She began her journalism career as a reporter at a local newspaper where she wrote about current events and topics that were impacting the communities she covered.

Sampson also wrote feature stories for Eastern North Carolina Living magazine during her career. These were some of her favorite stories because of how involved she became with her subjects.

“I enjoy talking to people and hearing their stories. I believe it is an honor to be tasked with telling someone’s story,” she said.

Years passed and Sampson had risen to leadership positions at newspapers in Belhaven, Williamston and Goldsboro.

In 2014, she got the idea to delve into the lives of local farmworkers in her community.

“Farmworkers aren’t always treated well. You know that by how our society addresses them and the areas that they live in. I wanted to see what was behind that,” she explained.

For her piece, Sampson visited several migrant farmworker camps located in Wilson, Wayne and Lenoir counties. She found the workers were afraid of their employers, living in poor conditions and unable to leave the worksite freely. She had unwittingly uncovered a human trafficking operation that was exploited migrant workers for their labor.

“I couldn't shake their stories. I couldn't stop thinking about the exploitation. Then I realized that some of the women I had spoken with that suffered from substance abuse disorder were likely victims of sex trafficking as well. All the lights went on,” Sampson said.

Her research for her article led her to a course called Human Trafficking 101 hosted by an advocacy agency called NC Stop Human Trafficking. The course explained what human trafficking is and what it looks like.

The information presented in the course

confirmed the farmworkers were caught in a labor trafficking scheme. She compiled her research, interviews with the workers and photographs of the site and submitted her article, but it was never published.

Around this time she began feeling discontented and unfulfilled with her career as a journalist.

“I was always chasing that byline and patting myself on the back for all the work I had done, but that didn't satisfy me anymore. I couldn't keep going about my day. I knew I had to do something different,” she said.

Sampson decided to send her resume to the advocacy agency that produced the introductory course. Pam Strickland, the founder of NCSHT, was looking for a Community Outreach Coordinator when she received the application. She took a chance on Sampson and hired her despite having no advocacy experience.

As the Community Outreach Coordinator, Sampson is tackling the high rates of human trafficking.

In 2020, the National Human Trafficking Hotline ranked North Carolina ninth in the nation for reported human trafficking cases. She pushes for anti-human trafficking legislation, conducts training to educate people about sex and labor trafficking, and organizes with other agencies to provide victim assistance and address the needs of vulnerable populations.

Because traffickers primarily target marginalized populations, Sampson advocates improving the material conditions of vulnerable populations to make them less susceptible to manipulation.

“We can stop victimization before it starts through education, access to affordable housing, food, and addressing poverty,” Sampson said.

The advocate also believes conscious consumerism is another way to combat this issue.

She is especially proud of the Fair Traders Project, a marketplace operated by NCSHT that sells products made exclusively by

artisans who are paid fair wages. This project is meant to help people spend their money thoughtfully.

Sampson asks, “If you are living in the United States, you probably aren’t earning a living wage. What choice do you have but to buy a shirt made by someone who is being exploited?”

She hopes the project will make people think about the unintended consequences of rampant consumerism. Profits from the market are funneled back into the organization’s community education programs.

Through her work with NC Stop Human Trafficking, Sampson hopes to build a safer and more equitable society for future generations. “When you look at the scope of it, it can be overwhelming but if everybody does their part, we can help so many people.”

Ariyanna Smith is a Staff Writer for The Daily Reflector in Greenville and Eastern North Carolina Living.

R.S. Spencer Jr. A lifelong quest for history

To say that R.S. Spencer Jr. has documented more than a million facts about the history and heritage of Hyde County is unlikely to be an exaggeration.

He could be compared to a detective who is on a quest to uncover the missing evidence needed to unravel an enduring mystery.

For the majority of his life, R.S. has committed himself to searching through abundant amounts of records ranging from Bibles, births, marriages, deaths, estates, deeds, wills, census, military service and pension records and other miscellaneous items to document, study, evaluate and compile the facts to be responsibly shared with others.

Influenced by both of his parents, and intrigued by family stories, R.S. said his interest in the historical and genealogical preservation

of Hyde County dates to his early youth when he would listen to his family tell stories about their people.

A lifelong resident of Engelhard, R.S. is the son of Romulus Sanderson (Tony) Spencer and Elizabeth Leigh Baum, both parents with ancestral lineage deeply rooted in Hyde County.

“My maternal line (Baum) was very closeknit and visited nearly every Sunday. They talked and I listened,” R.S. said.

He has traced his Baum maternal lineage to Abraham on the sand banks by 1711.

“My father was born in 1885 and had a keen memory until his death in 1973. I have notes from numerous talks with him,” he said.

He has traced his Spencer paternal lineage to Thomas (died 1736).

As a young genealogist, R.S. not only interviewed older citizens, writing notes from

their conversations and typing it on an old typewriter, but also read books and The State magazine to further bolster his knowledge about North Carolina history.

His early inspiration motivated him to write a paper about the History of Engelhard to 1900 for his Civics class at the age of 16. Ever since then, as the idiomatic phrase goes, the rest is history.

R.S. graduated from East Hyde High School in 1959 and what was then East Carolina College in 1963 with BS degrees in history and English.

Throughout the years, he has used his unique interest not only to create enduring works of notable importance, but he has also inspired others to create valuable historical projects.

From 1963–1964, R.S. taught history at Engelhard High School. Then, from 1964–

Story & Photos by Sandy Carawan

1976, he taught World Geography, World Studies, Civics and English grades 8–12 and coached boys and girls junior varsity basketball at Mattamuskeet School.

As a teacher, he built a local history and genealogy class into his curriculum in which he established the standards for the grades, but his students decided what grade they wanted based on the number of assignments and projects they completed.

“Students received credits for interviewing a senior citizen, bringing family Bible records to school to be copied that day, copying information in old Hyde cemeteries, writing an article on some aspect of Hyde County history, inviting a guest speaker to our class and compiling their own genealogical lines for three generations if possible,” he elaborated.

R.S. has been a lifelong member of the Hyde County Historical & Genealogical Society, an organization instrumental in preserving Hyde County’s history since 1963, of which he served as its vice president from 1974-1978 and president from 1979-1993. Notably, he has also edited and written several historical and genealogical books.

Since 1980, he has also been a journal editor and primary writer of High Tides, a semiannual historical and genealogical journal published by the society which expertly covers all topics well before Hyde County’s formation in 1739 until present — fishing, agriculture, religion, education, architecture, military involvement, businesses, transportation, land ownership, personal property,and other topics.

Additionally, R. S. is a life member of the North Carolina State Archives and the North Carolina Genealogical Society of which he not only served as vice president from 1990-1991, but also president from 1992-1996.

While he is well-experienced working with a variety of historical and genealogical records at the local, state and national levels, he has a preference of records with which he likes to work.

“I like compiling family histories and genealogies by using original sources and by using oral history. This research is like a jigsaw puzzle – each bit of information added

provides a closer look at what the final scene will be.”

The “final scene” in such work, of course, is an ongoing, tedious project that commands much commitment and love to which R.S. devotes about 30 hours a week in his extensive library.

“Over the past seventy years, I have collected information that fills the 15 filing cabinets and 15 bookcases that I have reserved for history,” he said.

At age 81, R.S. is as busy as ever. While he is the owner of R.S. Spencer, Inc., a Do It Best Hardware Store in Engelhard, his daughterin-law, Jo Spencer, manages the business. He remains president of his family business, established by his father in 1900, and is involved with store changes and policies and various vendors.

“I am occasionally called to assist someone looking for Hyde County information,” he added, “as my store is the book vendor for the Hyde County Historical & Genealogical Society.”

He has always been active in community service. Since 1965, he has served as a deacon for the Engelhard Baptist Church. Since 2012, he has served as vice chairman for the Ocracoke Medical Center and Engelhard Medical Center Board.

Additionally, he has served with the Hyde County Chamber of Commerce, Hyde County Board of Education, Octagon House Restoration, Engelhard Rotary Club, East Carolina Bank, among many other organizations.

In his spare time, he said, “I enjoy baking – especially cakes, cookies and pone bread. I also like to put jigsaw puzzles together.”

In his service to others, he has also been a part of a prison ministry for the past twenty-five years in which he corresponds by letter and telephone and visits in person with prisoners at the Pamlico County site in Bayboro.

The impact of R.S.’s service to others extends even farther beyond the boundaries of Hyde County.

“I have participated in a Rotary Exchange Program and have had visitors from Japan,

Tasmania, Germany and other countries to spend several nights at my house. I also have been host to eight different foreign students for a school year from Thailand, Hong Kong, Germany, South Korea and Mexico.”

The most challenging portion of his work, he said, “Trying to convince a researcher that what they have collected from social sites or from grandma is incorrect and then providing the correct information with sources.”

However, what is most rewarding, he said, “Seeing the happiness on someone’s face or reading about their pleasure when they write me. I have been exposed to so much history that I am anxious to share it with others, which I do, through my books and my journal articles.”

Currently, R.S. is working on a book about the Washington Gibbs family among other projects.

His lifelong passion has not been about living in the past; his lifelong passion has been about building and preserving for the future.

The impact of his work as a community servant, a dedicated researcher, and a friend to all reflect great credit upon himself and Hyde County.

R.S. Spencer Jr. is someone not only to know to assist you with your family research, but he will always be known for his inspiration to others and the legacy he is leaving behind that will last longer than a lifetime.

Sandy Carawan is an English Language Arts teacher at Mattamuskeet Early College High School in Swan Quarter and a longtime contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Barbara Toti Going above and beyond

Story by Gene Motley Photos Contributed

In Gates County she is easily the answer to: “Who you gonna call!?!”

Barbara Toti’s job title may be Theater Arts Teacher and Instructional Coach at Gates County High School, but when defining areas around the county bearing her footprint, then that moniker doesn’t come close.

A transplanted Kentuckian, Toti left the Bluegrass State to attend Lenoir-Rhyne College thanks to family roots in the Tar Heel state.

“My Dad was from Haywood County, so we would come down on weekends,” she said. “Dad was a choreographer (at Berea College in Kentucky) so I wanted to study theater; I always liked teaching, and I wanted to go to

school in North Carolina.”

In the late 1980s, she applied for a teaching position in Gates County even though all she knew about the place was that it was east of Rocky Mount.

“I was just going to stay three years, enough to get the theater program started,” she noted. “By my third year I would begin the day with kindergartners and end it at the high school.”

Along the way, she began a family and cut back to part-time so she could raise her children. After achieving a Masters degree at UNC-Greensboro, she returned to full-time teaching.

“Thirty-five years later, and I’m still here,” she giggled.

Toti recently celebrated mounting her 100th play at the school, “The Wizard of Oz.”

“I had promised one of my first principals that one day I would do the play for something big,” she said. “We figured that was the best way to celebrate 100 productions; and I had to include my family: my son, Nolan, agreed to audition for the Cowardly Lion.

“Theater was always a family affair,” she noted. “My daughters, Alex and Ashley, were active members of Gates County High School Playmakers and I could always draft my husband into being a voice on the microphone, and he was always a big technical help.”

In addition to being a dedicated theater arts teacher, instructional coach and “jack of

all trades” at Gates County High, two years ago when the COVID pandemic hit, Toti stepped up in other ways.

Saddened by the traditions that were unavailable because of the pandemic, she wanted to still make senior year and graduation special for the GCHS Class of 2020.

“My principal wanted to do a drive-thru for the kids, but I wanted to do more,” she related. “So we decorated, designed and ordered yard signs for the graduates and spearheaded a drive-thru parade for them that included faculty and staff from all county schools, K-thru-12.”

During the weekend event, the graduates received t-shirts, baked goods, vinyl stickers and several other gifts. All of which came thanks to the efforts of Toti and her team’s

diligent work and funds raised through community donations.

When the 2020-21 school year began, Gates still had virtual learning, so Toti created a virtual open house for the education community.

“You want to make it a good relationship and it’s really important to develop a relationship with the parents,” she acknowledged. “Everyone on staff from the custodians, to the cafeteria workers up to the principal got to know us from videos we posted online. The parents could access that before they even met us. We used something I’d used in my arts classes called Flipgrid, which were videos to introduce ourselves to our students and their parents. It’s just a really awesome program.

“The students then did one (videos) for

the teachers, and that helped build some connections which really made what was a tough school year – because it began virtual and then went back on campus in January – a lot easier. It’s still tough now, but at least our kids are right there with us,” she said.

To make it work for everyone, Toti held parking lot meetings during the time when students were not allowed on campus. She visited the homes of the pupils and worked hard to make connections with students and their families.

Drawing on her mountain roots, Toti and school Media Specialist Tammy Simons came together and created a way for students and faculty to stay active and remain engaged: they organized a virtual hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Instead of mapping out the entire route from Georgia to Maine, the duo used a starting point of Clingmans Dome at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line, highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains.

“Anyone who was in the group with us, they would upload their miles (at the end of each week),” she related. “I made a resource where they could look at maps, they could look at the terrain, see some of the history, and we made slides that represented the various sites along the Trail.

“Everyone could join along, including the students and we had at least a dozen people who stayed with it religiously and logged in their miles,” she continued. “We also had books about the Trail and we would discuss what they liked and learned. It was a way to remain active and learn about the technology. There have been requests to do it again.”

Those who completed the walk earned Chick-fil-A Gift Certificates as a reward. They were donated by local businesses.

Toti hopes to do a new route at some upcoming time that will begin in Maine and

follow the Atlantic coastline, marking of all the lighthouses along the way.

Up until COVID two years ago, Toti participated in ‘Polar Plunge.’ an icy dip into the waters at Beaver Lake every January. There are also two major school-community events that are special to Toti: the Mama K Scholarship fundraiser, and a special ‘Tealsday’ celebration to mark remembrance of Gates County High boosters and supporters who have been impacted by ovarian cancer.

“One of my volunteers, named Cheryl Kennedy – known as Mama-K – who was actually one of my student’s parents, and who helped me with Special Olympics, passed away unexpectedly,” Toti recalled. “After I met with her family, we wanted to do something to remember her, so we started a scholarship every spring as a great way to carry on what she had done for students.”

There is a Mama-K Day that includes a luncheon fundraiser and a Mama-K Night that is held in the fall during the soccer season.

“We have now also added a mini education grant that teachers can apply for and we’ve

awarded that twice,” she said. “In the total time we’ve given away some $10,000 in scholarships and grants, so it’s pretty exciting that a small community like Gates County is raising money and paying it forward.”

Last year, Toti and her students staged “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” which had been delayed due to the pandemic; and at the end of last year they did “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” using the forest behind the school as a stage.

“In April we’re doing a play, ‘All I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten,’ and we hope for some visiting artists to come to the schools,” she said. “I want to do children’s matinees where the younger kids are bussed to the high school to see the shows.

“If there’s a need, I do like to fill it, or at least put the right people together to make it work. I’ve got such a great group of folks around me who like to make things happen,” she concluded.

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Sadie Riddick

A cornerstone of her community

Story by Tyler Newman Photos by Tyler Newman & Contributed

For over half a century, Sadie Riddick has been an endearing cornerstone of the Edenton community.

Born and raised in the historic Inner Banks town, the stalwart Riddick has been a force for change from Badham Road to Water Street and everywhere in between.

Riddick, 71, was born the daughter of a homemaker and a brickmason in an era where things were quite a bit different.

When she was younger, things were more community-oriented, Riddick says. Life in town revolved around family and caring for one another; greeting each other on the front porch, shopping around town, the friendly greetings to any and all.

“I remember the playground on Oakum Street, the merry go round and the metal slide boards and the swingset they had,” Riddick reminisced. “Everybody would just congregate there on that playground every afternoon in the summer. Everyone would have the best time. There was no fighting, no cursing or cutting up, I looked forward to it every day.”

She remembered drinking sodas and eating nabs at Bluebird’s Cafe on Albemarle Street, which once stood near the current police station.

“We would walk down to the waterfront, walk over the Hayes bridge and I would try to skip stones out here on Edenton Bay,” she said.

Decades later, she sits recounting her life in the parlor of the Penelope Barker House, which overlooks the same glassy bay she once tried to skip rocks on, long ago.

While she was a graduate of the Class of 1969 at D.F. Walker High School, the last all Black graduating class in the county, the fonder memories from school came earlier on.

“Growing up here as a little girl, I always looked forward to school every day,” Riddick says of her childhood. “Because my first grade teacher always made me feel like somebody. She always gave me a hug,

words of encouragement, she made you feel wanted.”

That kindness, Riddick says, did not fall on stony ground. In the years that followed, she has done nothing but show an outpouring of love and compassion for the community she calls home. Throughout her career in education and caregiving, she always gave back.

“We both worked together at ECPS,” says Gloria Wadsworth, longtime friend of Riddick. “She always liked working on different projects with the students. She was very crafty and creative.”

Wadsworth, who volunteers alongside Riddick in Sisters of Strength – a local organization of 13 women aimed at community betterment – says that her old friend has a heart full of love and nothing but generosity for others.

“She would give you the shirt off her back. She’ll drop everything she’s doing and help people, no questions asked,” Wadsworth says. “She’ll take people to a doctor’s appointment or to the airport. She’ll buy families food and bring it to them, she’ll buy clothes for local children. She helped me when I had cancer and then I helped her when she had cancer. She’s just…. Sadie.”

Wadsworth says that when people hear the name “Sadie Riddick” they instantly know she is off somewhere in Edenton or beyond,

helping someone to the best of her ability.

“I love people,” Riddick says. “I feel like I’m not big enough for everyone, people are always calling on me to ask for help and I’m always saying yes. But I’m cutting myself really thin trying to reach out to everybody and then I get this guilt that I’ve let somebody down because I can’t help them.”

Riddick says that she gets told all the time that she “can’t help everyone,” yet she still does what she can.

“I haven’t drilled in my mind yet that you can’t help everybody,” she says. “But I still try.”

Working with Sisters of Strength, Riddick has taken part in everything from sock drives to awarding high school scholarships to working with underprivileged children and the elderly.

Elsewhere in the community, Riddick also works with Order of the Eastern Star, a worldwide nonprofit charitable organization.

Patrice Bell, who heads the local branch of the order, has nothing but praise for Riddick.

“Sadie Riddick has been a member of the Order of the Eastern Star for over 39 years,” Bell says. “She is always willing to lend a hand wherever she is needed and she has a great sense of humor. But most importantly, she is a woman that loves the Lord.”

Despite all of her community work, Riddick still makes time for church. Plenty of time, in fact.

As a lifelong member of the Kadesh AME Zion Church congregation, Riddick has devoted her entire life to the church and its prosperity. In recent years, however, much of her time has been spent advocating for its revival and restoration.

As a renowned landmark of the Edenton townscape, Kadesh Church on East Gale Street was home to one of the first African American congregations in the county.

Constructed in 1897 by the celebrated Badham family of carpenters, Kadesh has become a testament of the resiliency of the African American community, as well as a symbol of Badham’s beautiful Gothic Revival craftsmanship.

The church, however, was heavily damaged during Hurricane Isabel, the 2003 storm that punched her way across the Outer and Inner Banks of North Carolina.

In the nearly twenty years since, Riddick has been one of the spearheading figures pushing for the crucial renovations to bring her childhood home back to life.

Riddick recalled her years in the church’s choir box, seeing faces come and go and singing her highest praises.

“Growing up in Kadesh, people always greeted you with a smile. They said ‘good morning’ and afterwards they said ‘we look forward to seeing you again,’” Riddick says. “There was always hugging and greeting at the door and it was always a full house inside.”

Since Isabel, the Kadesh congregation –aptly named for the oasis that harbored the Israelites following their exodus from Egypt – has moved from place to place, seeking refuge while their church lay dormant on East Gale Street.

During those interim years, Riddick and others in the community pioneered the fundraisers and grants that won Kadesh necessary funding, one bit at a time.

As of late, the congregation has been housed on Badham Road in North Edenton. That is where a December 2021 announcement took the church – and the community – by surprise.

A $2.1 million state appropriation had been awarded to the church, enough to finally springboard the renovation efforts and materialize its revival.

“I can’t find an adjective to describe how people really reacted and felt when it was announced,” Riddick says. “There were a lot of tears shed, a lot of emotion, happy emotion. We are small in congregation but we try to stick together and love one another. Everything was overwhelming that day.”

When the doors of a restored Kadesh Church finally reopen, Riddick plans to be there, doing what she does best.

“I love music and I love singing, I’ve been singing since I was about 8 years old,” she says. “I don’t get into something unless I really enjoy it. I sing with the district choir as well.”

Riddick hopes that once Kadesh is restored, she can join her congregation in parading down Broad and Oakum streets, singing and

dancing all the way into the front doors.

“It’s my dream, to walk back through those doors. People say ‘Sadie that’s crazy,’ but it’s going to happen,” she says.

During her years lobbying for Kadesh, Riddick joined the Edenton Historical Commission, which serves to preserve and educate on the history of Edenton and the area as a whole.

“I’ve been with [the EHC] for the last two or three years,” she says. “I was involved with Kadesh and people asked me to be a part of the commission. I’ve enjoyed my time with them a lot.”

“Sadie Riddick has a true community spirit,” says Sam Dixon, a member of the EHC. “I have watched as she gives her time and talents to the Edenton community. She brings people together and inspires them to help create a better Edenton. Her hard work and inspirational leadership is one of the reasons that Kadesh Church will now be restored.”

Working alongside the EHC has also brought Riddick into contact with old colleagues from her days in education.

“Sadie and I first knew each other as

colleagues in the Edenton-Chowan school [district] so we have known each other for several decades,” says Grace Bean, who serves on the EHC’s Kadesh Restoration Committee. “The opportunity to serve on the Kadesh restoration project with Sadie has been a privilege. She is dedicated in her faith and to the completion of the restoration of this historic, sacred place. I consider her a treasured friend.”

“Sadie’s work in the community, knowledge of our local history and now her involvement in the restoration committee makes her an invaluable resource,” says EHC Executive Director Joy Harvill. “The commission is very fortunate to have members like Sadie who so willingly give their time and talents to do the work of preserving our history for future generations.”

Gloria Wadsworth, thinking back on her years of friendship with Riddick, said, “She’s just always there. I can’t have a better friend than Sadie.”

Tyler Newman is a Staff Writer for The Chowan Herald and Eastern North Carolina Living.

Willie McLawhorn

Joyful again and forever

Story by Gene Motley Photos Contributed

We Comforters and counselors, the healers of others, need comfort and consolation. In sickness, in death, in tragedy, we are the same.

- Author Unknown

t has been said of ministers that they open their arms and carry the burdens of the heavy-laden, they are the listening ears for weary hearts, the eyes to those who are blind. They’re driven, almost compelled by compassion.

And often, that comes from life’s experiences.

The Rev. Willie McLawhorn – before he became a minister – moved quite a bit as a youth before graduating from Bertie High in 1966 and following a stint in trade school, enlisted in the United States Air Force.

“I was a communications specialist serving in California and overseas in Germany and later Japan, so I got to see various cultures, and my only regret was that I was 19 at the time and didn’t have the appreciation for it like I developed later in life,” he recounts now. “Back then I was just a Bertie County country boy who ended up seeing all sorts of things out in the world.”

Later in life, McLawhorn would pass that sage advice on to his only son, Will.

Four years later, returning home to Roxobel, he says that’s when he first heard and heeded the call to the ministry. He then attended what was then Chowan College before transferring

to Gardner-Webb and on to Southeastern Seminary for further education, attaining a Masters of Divinity degree along the way.

1981 found him as a young pastor in the Northampton County hamlet of Lasker, where he was ordained, and pastored for five years. By the late eighties he’d moved south to Columbus County, ministering there for nearly a decade before returning to Northampton and Conway Baptist Church in 1998. He retired from there as a full-time pastor in 2013 and now finds himself serving as a fill-in interim minister a few miles away in Menola.

“I also do some freelance preaching here and there when I get the opportunities,” he added.

McLawhorn says his ‘conversion’ coincided with his return from the military, a sort of reckoning as he faced what seemed like an uncertain future.

“I was playing in a band and made a rededication of my life to the Lord, quitting alcohol and such,” he recalled. “My bandmates were very supportive. But I knew the Lord was dealing with my life. I talked it over with my pastor, Danny Featherstone, and he encouraged me to get the necessary

education. But every situation is unique, and I had mine with the Lord.”

McLawhorn now is passing on that same advice to young pastors as they make the journey to pastoral fulfillment.

“I do try to minister to other youngsters and try to give them insight into some of my experiences,” he shared. “Telling them what I went through is different from what they will come to experience.

“One of the most rewarding aspects is reflecting back on people’s relationship with Christ at the time and knowing you had a small impact, a role to play, in their development to that point. Seeing them become more like Him is our goal,” he said.

McLawhorn credits such strong faith in helping him through the loss of his only son, Will, back in 2010. Sgt. Will McLawhorn was only 23 years old and was one of six soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan Sunday morning, Dec. 12 that year.

He was serving in the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Brigade Combat team when he was killed in the line of duty. The former Northeast Academy student-athlete had joined the U.S. Army in 2006.

“After we got the proverbial ‘knock on the

door,’ it was our faith that got us through that,” he acknowledged. “My wife has had ways and incidents in which God has reaffirmed things to her in ways that I never received; but coming through her it reaffirms me.

“Will did a lot of work for other people, and that’s been the most rewarding thing to us as well,” he noted. “The comments and other things we’ve gotten from other people makes us feel we did something right with him.”

McLawhorn, his wife Diane, and daughter Melanie, have all done much to keep Will’s memory in the forefront.

“We have the (high school scholarship) baseball tournament every spring (at Northeast Academy), and I’ve been asked to speak (as a Gold Star parent) at various Memorial and Veterans Day services and other events. I try to tell parts of his story at those events because people like to hear the stories and personal accounts in those settings, and it helps keep his memory alive.

“Various people who knew Will will do things occasionally in his honor,” his Dad said. “The town of Conway every Dec. 12 declares ‘Sgt. Willie McLawhorn Day’ and they do special things like the Proclamation, the church members bring flowers and, of course, we get cards and calls remembering Will. Sandy Ridge Baptist Church in Hickory (McDowell County) reaches out to Gold Star families remembering Will and thanking him for his sacrifice.”

While so much reflection may make others melancholy, Rev. McLawhorn – affectionately known throughout the region as “Preacher Willie,” seems fortified, though humbled, by it.

“The biggest thing is I’ve reached the age where I can look back and say I’ve had a good life,” he reflected. “The Lord has blessed me and hopefully he has used me to minister to others and to touch other lives.

“I’ve been married to my wife for going on 46 years, we were blessed with two beautiful children – my daughter, Melanie, is a teacher –and of course there is the memory of Will. It’s been a good run and if the Lord is ready for me; well, I’m ready for Him,” he closed.

Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Chip Hester

Faith. Family. Education. Football.

Story by Emily Wells Photos by Keith Tew/Barton College

January 27, 2018, was a happy day for Wilson. Especially for Wilson football

fans

On that day, Barton College’s board of trustees made the unanimous decision to reestablish the school’s football program after a seventy-year hiatus. The NCAA Division II school planned for the brand new team to start competition on a brand new field with a brand new coaching staff in the fall of 2020.

Even then, the task of constructing a football program from scratch seemed like an intimidating undertaking, regardless of what world events would occur in 2020.

It would take the just right person to bring this long-awaited dream to fruition.

Barton College President Dr. Doug Searcy revealed that person to be Coach Chip Hester at a June 2018 public ceremony.

Todd Wilkinson, Director of Athletics at Barton noted that Hester was a “perfect fit” for the institution.

Hester certainly had enough experience to fit the bill. Prior to taking on the role at Barton, he spent four years at North Carolina A&T State University as offensive coordinator and helped lead the Aggies to two nationally ranked seasons. His longest tenure was at Catawba College, where he was the head coach for eleven of his eighteen years.

Hester was itching to be a head coach again when he heard about the position at Barton. After visiting the school and meeting the leadership, it felt like a good fit. Being able to construct a team from the ground up added to the appeal.

“I had been a head coach at Catawba College and took over a program that was

really established and had been around forever,” Hester shared. “Then I had a chance to coach at North Carolina A&T, so starting a program from scratch was a new challenge. It sounded like a new adventure.”

A Raleigh native, Hester also appreciated that moving to Wilson would allow him to be closer to family.

But then COVID-19 stepped in.

“I talked with guys who had started new programs and they would say ‘There will be challenges and successes, twists and turns.’ So I tried to be flexible and have a solid outline of how we wanted to do things, but COVID was beyond what I ever even thought about could happen.”

After so much anticipation and preparation, the 2020 team had to pack their bags and go home while they were preparing for their first fall season. But not all was lost, there were still lessons to be learned in the midst of the unknown.

“You shouldn’t take anything for granted,” the coach said. “You just don’t know what the future holds. I think having it [the 2020 season] taken away like that made our players and our coaches and myself appreciate every opportunity and made it more meaningful when we got back together.

“Our guys have found a way to adapt

and make the most of the situation. I’m proud of them. They’ve fought through. This past fall was our first full fall season and we found a way to win six games, which is really amazing,” he added.

In February 2021, the gridiron promised land was finally attained. The NCAA had canceled all fall 2020 athletic seasons and pushed competition to the spring. Although the stadium was not complete, Barton’s new turf field was ready for competition.

The Bulldogs finally suited up for competition against Erskine College on February 27, 2021. With only one side of the bleachers open and an ongoing pandemic, one might think attendance at the game would be low, but Barton students and the Wilson community showed up big time.

“Our guys were waiting for over a year to play in a ball game. They were just so excited and fired up. We were able to have 500 fans and we had great energy on the sidelines. It was a lot of fun,” Hester recalls. “We took our lumps on the scoreboard but we learned a lot of lessons.

“If we had tried to play in the fall it would have been a lot rougher than having that time together. Our guys went a year and a half playing against each other. There was some relief to finally play a game and compete, and have the scoreboard on. I

Our guys have found a way to adapt and make the most of the situation. I’m proud of them. They’ve fought through.

think our guys have handled it really well. The thing I've enjoyed the most is watching how close they have become. They are a tight-knit group. Our guys love each other and play hard for one another. That’s fun to watch and be a part of,” he said.

Many coaches focus solely on their team’s win-loss record. While that is certainly important to Hester, his bigger focus is on knowing who his players are as people. He wants their four years of college to set them up for future success, not just a time to win games. The team culture he is building now will be the legacy left behind for future teams.

The coach said, “My priorities that I always talk about are faith, family, education and football. It’s not that football isn’t important to us, it is, we love it. But that’s how I start things.

“What does that look like on a daily basis? Every day at the end of practice we get the team up and we have prayer requests and silent prayer. That’s something that’s a part of how we do things,” Hester said. “That’s what families do. We try to develop young people. That’s our mission statement as coaches. We want to win games, there’s no question

about that. When it’s all said and done, that’s the most important part of it. We hope to help those young people on their journey to be good dads, good husbands, and good community leaders.”

The Bulldogs saw wins in the spring and in the traditional fall 2021 season, but none compared to their win over Wingate University in October 2021. It was a win so inspiring that it could be a movie scene. The victory was certainly a testament to Hester and proof of the strong foundation he is building for Bulldog football.

“That game will be in my memory forever‒winning against a ranked opponent, the number eight team in the nation. We won in overtime. The students, parents, everyone rushed to the field to celebrate. That was the culmination of a lot of work for a lot of people. Not just the football team, but the board, community committees, the administrators, the game ops, the cheer team. It was a great culmination moment; it was so good. When we won that game it confirmed the confidence our guys had and said ‘We have a chance.’”

Now that he has a full season under his belt, Hester is building for next year with preparation and recruitment.

“We want to be on an upward trend, but rarely is that smooth. We want to keep trying to build. Our motto is to be uncommon. We don’t want to settle for average. We want to be the best version of ourselves. Whatever comes our way, we’re going to keep playing.”

Off the field, Hester spends his time with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys finding hole-in-the-wall eats and can be seen strolling through Historic Downtown Wilson with his wife on the way to a restaurant.

With Hester at the lead, there is no doubt that the Bulldogs are set up for success next season, and in the years to come. And with his priorities in place, he knows where they are going and how they are going to get there.

Emily Wells is a Sales & Marketing Manager for Greenlight Community Broadband at the City of Wilson. She resides with her cat and live chickens in Nahunta and is a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Randy Fulford Devoted to Washington County’s athletes

Story by Lewis Hoggard Photos by Lewis Hoggard & Andre’ Alfred

Any athlete in Washington County has probably already met Randy Fulford.

For the last forty years, Fulford has been associated with athletics in some capacity in Washington County. He has been coach, referee, volunteer, director, instructor and whatever title and job that has been needed to be done.

He is certainly a man to know in Washington County and currently serves as the Director of the Washington County Recreational Department.

There have been a number of professional athletes to come through the county’s recreation department during the time Fulford has been there, but he is prouder of all the non-professional athletes who have come through. He does have pictures of individuals such as professional basketball player Rodney Purvis.

There have literally been thousands of those children and young adults to enjoy the services of the recreation department led by Randy Fulford.

Rodney Purvis played at N.C. State and the

University of Connecticut, eventually playing in the NBA for the Orlando Magic in 2018 and played this past season in the Ukrainian Super League. With many other stops in his professional basketball career, Rodney Purvis is one of many impacted by Randy Fulford.

Fulford was originally not from the area, but from Beaufort County and across the Pamlico River in Aurora. He graduated from Aurora High School.

This man himself was an athlete, but has made his mark as a teacher of athletics. More importantly, he has provided mentorship to

so many young adults.

As with many in Plymouth, the mill brought him to this area. He started with contract work there and that is how he arrived in Washington County. He has transitioned over the last 40-plus years to serve the local community in many ways, but particularly with helping young athletes.

Fulford states, “This community was a great place to live.”

Also, his wife Crystal contributed to the greatness of the place. They are still happily married with grown children. That is why he has stayed a contributor to the growth of youngsters in Washington County.

He has attended the Second Zion Grove Baptist Church for a long time. Christianity and his faith is a big part of his success as he says, “The Lord has blessed me.”

This is a man who loves what he does and does a great job.

His passion has been athletics and he has coached and refereed basketball, football and wrestling. He has overseen those sports in the recreational program, along with other sports such as badminton and cheerleading to name a few. His teams and athletes have won too many state titles to be recounted.

The gymnasium on Washington Street is the location of his pride and joy. The old gym is restored on the inside to the way it looked “back in the day.”

A lot of love and care work is put into its maintenance by Fulford. Walking in that gym is taking a step back to a bygone era. A place where thousands of kids have taken their first basketball shot in an indoor facility.

Fulford has won numerous awards from North Carolina Athletic Association, Statewide Athletic Association Conference and the State Games of North Carolina. If one asks around the state in athletic circles, people know Randy Fulford and the success of his athletes. The lesson that young people gain from playing locally and then competing at the state level cannot truly be measured in its impact and importance.

Besides being a success with the young people of Washington County, he also impresses fellow officials.

Bill Benjamin, who is the local owner of Magic 95.9 FM radio station is also an umpire who has worked for Fulford.

“What a tremendously nice man,” states Benjamin.

Fulford books officials for games, gives guidance to those officials and helps them.

The successes come not just from the hard work by the young athletes, the instruction, the facilities and the opportunities that are offered. Communities in eastern North Carolina rely on individuals to give of their time and experience to make our world better.

We should always remember and recognize the hard work that officials, coaches, volunteers do to make our youth have wonderful experiences on the athletic fields and courts.

Randy Fulford is not only a man to know but, a man to treasure.

Lewis Hoggard is Executive Director of the Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce, a Rotary Club District Governor and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Story by Thadd White Photos by Thadd White & Contributed

Lewis Hoggard

An integral part of Windsor

e’s that guy.

Everyone knows that guy. The one who is called when something needs to get done. The one who arrives earlier, works harder and stays longer than anyone else.

He’s the one who loves his town and appreciates its history. He’s the one who serves – even at personal cost – and strives to make his home a better place to live and work.

Everyone in Windsor knows that guy is Lewis Hoggard.

“Lewis brings a wealth of knowledge to everything he does through his stellar education and professional experience,” Bertie County 911 Assistant Director Travis Jackson said. “Despite those accolades, he is a very relatable person, a stronger to none and a friend to all.”

A native of Windsor, Lewis grew up playing baseball in the local recreational leagues and attending schools in Bertie County. He graduated high school at Woodberry Forest High School in Madison County, Virginia before earning degrees at St. Andres University and the University of Delaware. He has done post secondary level work at Centre College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his beloved N.C. State University.

Following his graduation from college, Lewis came home to Windsor working as an attorney at Gillam and Gillam and then operating a Windsor business –Hammerhead’s Oyster Bar.

While he was successful at those jobs, it has been his decade-long service as Executive Director of the Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce that has seen Lewis truly find his calling.

“Lewis has lived here most of his life,” Windsor Commissioner Randy K. Whitaker said. “He has seen the changes that has occurred over the years, and he has a vision as to where he wants the town to grow.

“His years as Chamber Director has

been beneficial as he has developed many resources that are helpful to our town and county,” he added.

As Director of the Chamber, he has led the community in honoring farmers, Black History Month and emergency service workers. He has also started the Sage Festival and continued to aid the Aulander Peanut Festival and Roxobel Ag Festival.

“I can’t say enough about what Lewis has accomplished in his role as Executive Director of the Chamber,” said Leslie Beachboard, a Chamber board member. “He has been successful in helping businesses open, brining people to our county and generally promoting Windsor and Bertie County. He has been a Godsend to the Chamber.”

In addition to serving the Chamber, Lewis has been an integral part of keeping the Rotary Club of Windsor active and has served in a variety of club and district-level posts.

Currently, Lewis is District Governor for 7720, which encompasses all of northeastern North Carolina and into the southeastern part of the state.

“I fully believe in and support the mission of Rotary,” Hoggard said. “I have been excited to be a part of the Rotary Club of Windsor and to work with clubs throughout the state and

“I grew up in Windsor. I love Windsor. I will do my best for the citizens and will work with the commissioners to do what is best for all of our citizens.”

region in the past several years. I appreciate so much the support of our club in Windsor as I continue to grow and learn in Rotary.”

Jamie Harmon, a business owner of Dan Pittman Insurance, and a former president of the Rotary Club of Windsor praised Hoggard’s efforts.

“We are proud of Lewis and all he does for Rotary, both in Bertie County and on the state level,” she said. “He is such a good example of what a Rotarian should be, and we are proud he is our District Governor.”

Hoggard is a multiple time Paul Harris Fellow for Rotary and a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute.

In his leisure time, Lewis has become a local sports personality, first working on the Inner Banks Sports Report and then becoming a play-by-play announcer for high school football, basketball, baseball and soccer. He has led the broadcast team in coverage for Riverside High School in Williamston, Bertie High School in Windsor and First Flight High

School in Kill Devil Hills.

He currently calls high school football for WIAM Radio in Williamston. In addition, he serves as the “Voice of the Riverside Knights” baseball team for their home games.

Hoggard has been praised by Johnny Bryant, who owns and operates WIAM, for his work leading the station’s sports teams.

In addition to his work in the community through volunteerism and the Chamber, Lewis recently made the decision to seek the office to continue helping the citizens of Windsor.

With the retirement of longtime Windsor Mayor Jim Hoggard, Lewis decided to seek the town’s top executive spot. He ran unopposed and was elected in November of last year before taking office in December.

“I’m glad to be here,” he said after being sworn in. “I grew up in Windsor. I love Windsor. I will do my best for the citizens and will work with the commissioners to do what is best for all of our citizens.”

While looking forward to serving, Hoggard

also is appreciated by many in the town, including Windsor Police Chief Justin Jackson.

“I think Lewis is a great asset to the town,” Jackson said. “He has worked hard as Chamber executive to bring businesses to town and also organize events to help promote the town.

“I've known Lewis for a while now, and his knowledge of the history of Windsor is amazing.,” he continued. “What's even more amazing is his love for the town and how much he wants to see it thrive. I could not think of anyone better to lead Windsor into the future.”

From his service with the Chamber to the Rotary Club and now to the town of Windsor, Hoggard has dedicated his life to making Windsor a better place and to uphold the history and tradition that has made it a place he and many others love.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living.

John and Sarah Davis Finding a home in Murfreesboro

Story by Thadd White Photos by Thadd White & Contributed

When it comes to kind, considerate and generous spirits there are none more so than John and Sarah Davis.

While they hail from other locales – him from Alabama and her from rural Tennessee – the Davis family has called Murfreesboro home for four decades. And, despite recent retirements from both John and Sarah, they plan to keep hanging their coats in Hertford County for the foreseeable future.

“We never thought of leaving here,” Sarah Davis said. “Both of our children are here and this is home.”

John echoed his wife’s thoughts.

“The house is paid for and we’ve now lived here longer than anywhere before we came here,” he said.

Now 52 years into wedded bliss, the Davis’ came to Murfreesboro when John landed a job at what was then Chowan College.

“We came here on a Friday,” Sarah Davis

recalled. “While John was interviewing, the kids and I were walking the streets to see what Murfreesboro was like.”

What the Davis family found was warm people, friendly when they walked in and out of what – at that time – were quite a few businesses downtown.

“Mufreesboro was a really nice town,” Sarah recalled.

John landed the job at Chowan and the Davis’ along with their children – Sarah and

Hugh - moved to Murfreesboro in August of 1981.

They, in fact, lived across the street from where the family has now called home for many years.

The Davis family moved to Murfreesboro after a successful stint at Talladega College, an HBCU located in Talladega, Alabama.

“We had a wonderful experience there,” Sarah Davis said. “I think our children came up color blind in large part because of it.”

The move to Talladega had come after the two met at graduate school at Auburn University. She having arrived from Southwestern at Memphis and him from Alabama College and the University of Montevallo.

They met, fell in love, married and began a family while John earned his doctorate and Sarah finished coursework for her PhD.

Upon arriving at Chowan, John began teaching at Chowan – a school located on

a beautiful campus in the historic town of Murfreesboro. Soon after, Sarah was called on to join the Chowan family as well.

She remained at the school for more than a decade before moving on to a job she came to feel was her life’s passion – working at the Sallie Harrell Jenkins Memorial Library in nearby Aulander. She said it was the people of Aulander who made the job so worthwhile.

“It was all the people – from town administrators to little children – who came in the library,” she said. “I cannot say enough good about the town employees, especially the Aulander Public Works. Three different men directed it during my time there, and all - and all their employees - were great to me, helping me both professionally and personally.

“As I said when I retired, I may not have enjoyed every minute of every day, but there was never an entire day I didn’t enjoy,” she added. “I got up every morning wanting to go

to work.”

Sarah was beloved by the people of Aulander, and was heralded for her idea to begin a Mature Patrons Program, which was one of the most loved features of the small Bertie County library.

While Sarah was finding her calling at the Aulander public library, John was continuing to grow in his – rising in the ranks from Associate Professor to Professor and eventually being named Distinguished Professor of English – one of only four such designations at the school.

In addition to English, he taught a film class and a Mark Twain Appreciation course.

In 1996, the senior class chose Dr. Davis as Commencement Speaker, in 2006 he was inducted to the Order of Lux Veritas, in 2013 he was awarded the McDowell Columns Scholar Prize.

And, in honor of his retirement, the Chowan University Board of Trustees named

him Professor Emeritus of English. Also, the keynote address at the Faculty Symposium every spring is called the John H. Davis Keynote Address.

During most of this time, John was writing scholarly essays, particularly on a subject of keen interest – the well-known writer Mark Twain.

Dr. Davis has published a number of papers on Twain, and was published in Critical Insights: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, edited by Dr. R. Kent Rasmussen.

The two men have a long-standing relationship, originating in Davis writing a review of one of Rasmussen’s books. Davis has also written 19 essays for the book titled, The Critical Companion to Mark Twain, edited by Rasmussen.

Dr. Davis’ passion about Twain has resulted in he and Sarah attending the Conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College in New York every four years beginning in 2001. In addition, he has been a regular attendee at the Clemens Conference,

sponsored by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri.

John has also presented papers at The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut and been published in such periodicals as The Mark Twain Annual, American Literary Realism and Mark Twain Journal.

His other passion has been movies, particularly films from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

John also calls himself an “anglophile” and said he enjoyed a trip to England and Scotland in 2018 that was offered by Chowan.

In addition to their work, the Davis family has long been involved in church. She began her life a Presbyterian and he a Methodist, so they settled into the Episcopal church, where they have each found a home.

They began attending an Episcopal congregation in Alabama and were able to experience several church experiences due to the close proximity of some of the congregations.

Upon moving to Hertford County, the

family became involved at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ahoskie, where they still attend regularly.

The Davis family said they enjoy the ritual nature of the Episcopal Church and the friendly people they met both in Alabama and Hertford County.

In addition, the two have been instrumental in helping breathe new life into the St. Mark Episcopal Church mission in Roxobel, where they have led services, attended regularly, provided food and even helped work on the buildings and grounds.

The town of Murfreesboro, Hertford County and Bertie County have been made better by the arrival of the Davis family four decades ago. They have become an integral part of the fabric of their small town and region. They are truly people everyone should know.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living.

Allen Pittman Truly blessed autism dad

Beaufort

Story by Deborah Griffin Photos Contributed

llen Pittman, a native of Bertie County, said his life, in many ways, has been like a fairy tale.

Some would argue that having a son born with autism would not be idyllic.

But for Pittman, who calls his bride Donna, the Queen, and his son Jacob, the Prince, he can’t imagine life any other way.

His blog, “Life and Times of a Completely Worn-Out Autism Dad,” is a storybook full of hills and valleys, accomplishments and victories. He often signs it “Truly Blessed.”

The Pittmans live in Beaufort County, where, for 25 years he served as Building Inspector for the City of Washington.

In March of 2020, he became the Director of Planning and Inspections for Washington County.

“We are in the midst of revamping our ordinances and regulations to get growth stimulated in the county,” he said.

But Pittman’s main focus is more than what he does - it is who he does it with - his family.

His blog tells the story of when, at 27-months-old, Jacob was diagnosed with

autism.

“We were told that he would never talk, never be social and never have an imagination,” he said.

“Through years of advocacy, therapy and lots of work, he now talks all the time, has great social rapport and does not know a stranger. If he meets you, he never forgets you. He brings a smile to everybody’s face, and he has the biggest imagination in the world,” he continued.

In fact, Jacob has created his own town called SkyKy.

Jacob has filled notebooks full of maps he has drawn and stores he has created, as well as laws he has developed, of which the main one is “No Bullying.”

“He is such a joy to be around,” added Pittman.

“When he was first diagnosed, my wife and I looked at each other and said, this can either destroy us, or we can do something that will help people,” he said. “I think Jacob has helped a lot of people.”

One of those ways came from Pittman

wanting his son to have the opportunity to play baseball.

“We came up with a program called ExCEL, an adaptive T-ball program,” he said.

ExCEL is the acronym for Exceptional Children Enjoying Life.

“We had different programs for the kids. We had outings and fun days for people in the area. It was mainly an adaptive baseball league,” he said.

The program is in Beaufort County, “But anyone is welcome to participate,” he added, Unfortunately, because of COVID, they have been unable to have programs the past two years.

“Hopefully we will be doing something again soon,” he said.

Now 21, Jacob graduated from Washington High School in 2020.

“That was a major accomplishment for Jacob,” Pittman said.

On the blog, May 6, 2020, as graduation neared, his wife, wrote on the blog: “To the Doctor who evaluated Jacob all those years ago: You should see him now! He is an

accomplished talker, he knows more people in our town than we do and is one of the most caring young men you could meet. He loves big and sees the goodness in everyone he meets.”

She added, if she could, she would thank the doctor for one thing: “When you try to take hope away from a family, it makes every little accomplishment their child makes, even sweeter. By the way, Jacob picked up his cap and gown today. We may not have a typical graduation, but it will be an extraordinary one!”

Now, Jacob attends a day program at Abound Health in Greenville, where he learns new things daily.

“As he has gotten older, we have branched out and found activities for him in Greenville and different places – so he can interact with more people his age. He has made a lot of friends,” Pittman said. “He thoroughly enjoys it.

“It is a program that helps him, and others, feel like they have a place in the world and that they are needed – and they are not just sitting home,” he said.

Although he calls his wife Queen, he is quick to say that does not make him king.

“I am just privileged to live there with the queen,” he said. “We all take care of each other.”

Pittman’s wife has a daughter, 31, who

teaches math in Atlanta. She is called Princess in his blog.

Pittman is not sure what the future will bring.

“We have always said we would be proud of Jacob doing whatever makes him happy. Jacob loves Legos and anything having to do with building,” he said.

He has to be careful when he encourages Jacob - not to push too hard.

“Jacob will say, ‘I don’t work on demand,’” Pittman added.

“There are so many possibilities Jacob has that could help people.”

Pittman’s blog, established in 2018, has over 700 followers. He writes inspirational and thought-provoking posts and chronicles the adventures of the Prince.

On August 2, 2019, Pittman wrote, “Every moment is precious…. we work to make strides with each advancement. We cherish the small things most would take for granted…. life is a learning experience. Enjoy every minute.”

Earlier on December 12, 2018 he wrote, “The Prince is why I was born. I can’t begin to tell you the blessings that I have had because of/with the Prince. He just brightens my life. Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you life is always easy. We definitely have our share of challenges. I could probably fill a novel of the challenges of the younger years.

“The Prince has grown and matured so

much. I am very proud of who he is…I think we hit the jackpot when the Prince was born,” he added.

Earlier still, in September of 2018, Pittman wrote, “The Prince is my heart, my inspiration. He is my reason for living. When the prince was diagnosed at 27-months-old, the Queen said this could destroy us or we could use it to help others. Never in a million years could I have imagined how many people [now] know the Prince.

“I say this not to brag on me or the Queen. I am bragging on the kid who doctors said would never talk, never have an imagination and never be social. I would say the Prince has far surpassed anyone’s’ expectations for him.”

Jacob has met more people and done more things than Pittman could have ever imagined.

Some of the programs he has participated in and people he has met include Surfer’s Healing (Izzy Paskowit), Dr. Temple Grandin, the Roanoke Cashie Youth Dream Team and the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine.

He said he would love for the doctor who diagnosed Jacob to see him now.

Pittman now recognizes a diagnosis is a tool to get help.

“It is not a sentence,” he said.

“I think Jacob’s life would have been so much different if we had not put in the time and worked with people and found the help for him,” he added. “It is all about making sure he has what he needs and has access to the people and services he needs.”

As he looks back over his life, he said he couldn’t always see the blessings while in the midst of them.

“Sometimes your life is a fairy tale, and you don’t know it until you look back on it,” he said.

“I’ve always heard it is hard to smell the roses while you are running with them in your hand,” he said. “God has a plan for everybody. It may not be what you had in mind, but I can say life will definitely end up a lot better than you could have ever dreamed.”

Deborah Griffin is a freelance writer and photographer in Eastern North Carolina and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

Joe Edwards In Memoriam

Story by Thadd White Photos by Thadd White & Contributed

That’s how Joe Edwards described the events that led to his profession of faith in Christianity as a youngster, and to a lifetime commitment to live up to the Bible’s command to not “be ashamed of” the gospel.

Edwards, who was born in the Virginia mountains, was living in High Point and attending Woodlawn Baptist Church when he was part of a Christmas play when he was eight years old.

“A part of the play was about the second coming of Christ,” Edwards recalled. “They had trumpeters there and none of us knew it – well I didn’t for sure. All of a sudden at the second coming they blasted the trumpets and scared everyone to death.”

Edwards went on to be baptized at Woodlawn and continued attending church there until he left for service in the U.S. Army. Following his time in the military, Edwards would settle in Miami, Florida and find himself attending First Baptist Church there. It was at that time, the church called a young minister named Dr. Charles Stanley – who went on to become a fixture on television and pastored First Baptist Church in Atlanta for nearly five decades - to serve as pastor.

Edwards quickly befriended the new pastor and the two worked handin-hand as they founded the George Mueller Christian Academy. In fact, Edwards drove a truck all the way to Liberty, North Carolina to collect desks for the new school.

With the school up and running, Edwards focused on working with troubled youth at the church. He did everything from appearing in court to forming a softball team, taking them swimming and helping them through their issues.

“I spent some time with each one of them each week,” he said. “I loved working with them and they seemed to get something out of it.”

He guided them to learn the error of their ways and helped them have fun – including winning a city title with his softball team.

Edwards relayed a story about a youngster who was caught stealing cars and became part of Edwards’ program. The young man said he felt he had to take the cars when people left their keys inside. Several years later, the young man walked in Edwards’ office in Raleigh and told him he had grown up to become a pastor.

“You might say the church scared the devil out of me.”

“He told me, ‘I wanted to come by and show you what you helped start.’ I felt good about it,” Edwards recalled.

While Miami was a beautiful place and ministry, Edwards worked for Bell South and soon was promoted to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked in the company’s headquarters.

While in Atlanta, he also renewed the acquaintance of his friend Dr. Charles Stanley, who by then had become Pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta.

Edwards soon joined the church and spent time teaching Sunday School, working with the visitation program and doing anything else he felt he could do to help the church.

Just five short years later, Edwards left the man he has become to know as his pastor and moved to Winston-Salem, where he attended Main Street Baptist Church in Kernersville. There he also got involved and participated in church.

It was a few short years later he was on the move again for Bell South, this time settling in Raleigh where he became a member of Leesville Baptist Church.

Once there he again spent time working with the young men in the church, including coaching them in softball and basketball. His teams again won city championships, just as they had in Miami.

While in Raleigh, Edwards met his wife, Barbara, and the two hit it off. Both had been

through divorce, each had a son and they found themselves drawn together.

Together they began attending Calvary Baptist Church in Durham, and the two were married there and attended church at Calvary until they retired to Littleton some years later.

Despite Barbara’s upbringing in the Methodist Church, and Joe’s longtime affiliation with Baptist churches, the two have helped each other grow in their faith. They attended Methodist and Baptist churches in Raleigh, before settling at a local Baptist congregation when retiring to Littleton.

But before he retired, Bell South allowed Edwards and his family to meet a variety of U.S. Presidents during their visits to the state, and the opportunity to go aboard Air Force I on several occasions.

“I loved working for Bell South,” he said. “In fact, even after I retired I went back to work to help them with recovery efforts in Florida following Hurricane Wilma. They called and asked for me to go, and I couldn't say no.”

It was the year 2000 when the Edwards’ made the move from Raleigh to Littleton on a permanent basis. Once there, they settled in a local church and began ministering in a variety of ways. Joe became Sunday School Director, Chairman of the Deacons and a member of the building and grounds committee while Barbara directed the Young at Heart program and helped with the church’s bookkeeping duties.

Edwards said he again hit it off with a young pastor named Dr. Darren Lambert. The two worked together and Dr. Lambert served the local congregation for a dozen years.

Edwards was in the church building weekly, doing any maintenance or odd job he felt could help the church.

While working inside the church, Edwards was also doing work for God outside the church – singing in nursing homes in the Littleton and Halifax County area as well as teaching seniors at the Weldon Day Center to play guitar. He said he has a strong desire to finish teaching those seniors once COVID-19 is no longer an issue.

Looking back over the years, Edwards said his faith in God has helped him through bad times – including the death of his son and difficult times at church.

“If it hadn’t been for God, I wouldn't have gotten through my son’s death,” Edwards said, recalling a dark time when his son David was killed in a car wreck at only 24.

While still feeling the loss of his son many years later, Edwards said he is thankful God put Barbara’s son, Blair, in his life.

“He treats me just like his dad,” Edwards said.

All-in-all the combined family has served God together and are happier for it.

While Joe sings and plays with friends in a music group – the Sonshine Trio - Barbara entertains seniors as “Ummons the Clown.” They often went to nursing homes together – before COVID-19 – to entertain the senior citizens who live there.

Looking back, Edwards is glad he chose a life of faith in God.

“Faith has brought the good things in my life; I would have regretted had I not accepted Christ,” Edwards said. “I like going to church and I like worshipping God. I like serving God alongside Barbara.”

Edwards said he liked sharing his faith, and always kept Romans 1:6 close to his heart, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…”

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.

ALL IN A Day’s Trip

Story & Photos by Meghan Grant

North Carolina Zoo A fun-filled family day

This is a great time of year to take a drive to spend the day at the North Carolina Zoo.

The zoo offers quite a bit to experience and will likely take a whole day and you still won’t see everything in that time frame. The North Carolina Zoo does incredible conservation work and serves as a world class research facility as well as a delightful spot for entertainment.

Here are some tips for visiting the North Carolina Zoo and spots to check out while you are there.

Our state zoo is on 2,600 wooded acres located in the center of North Carolina, right outside of Asheboro. There are 500 developed acres, making the NC Zoo the world’s largest natural habitat zoo and is one of two state-supported zoos.

With that in mind, be prepared to walk a lot. Wear comfortable walking shoes. You may want to bring your own water bottles to stay hydrated, especially on a hot day. And definitely remember to wear sunscreen. Face masks are required in indoor areas and enclosed vehicles.

Tickets are $15. Any add-ons are extra, and the Zoofari is one of the more popular add-on tickets.

The Zoofari is a specially outfitted, open-air vehicle for an exclusive tour of the 40-acre Watani Grasslands. You’ll be introduced to nine species by one of the experienced zoo educators. You will see rhinoceroses, gazelles, greater kudus, ostriches and many antelope, plus you may get a special view of the elephants!

A public add-on of this is $25 or you can rent this out as a private event.

There are plenty of other experiences that are included in the base price ticket, including Art in the

Park. Art is the Park features a variety of art mediums, including sculptures and paintings spread across the two continent features. The largest sculpture in the zoo is the Elephant Group, made of bronze. There is a specific Art in the Park map that highlights the public art installations throughout the North Carolina Zoo.

Additional attractions include a carousel, the kaleidoscope butterfly garden, and the Acacia Station Giraffe Deck, which is an additional $5. The giraffe deck is open seasonally from April-October, and is a great experience of being able to get eye level with the giraffes. This is one of our favorite experiences at the NC Zoo.

If you are taking your trip on a cooler day, spend some time in the bird aviary! It’s cozy in there as the birds here are tropical and it is quite a collection. We spend quite a bit of time here enjoying the flora as well!

There are picnic areas located directly outside the zoo entrances if you opt to bring your own meal for lunch or an early dinner. However, if you opt to try the restaurants on site, you will not be disappointed!

Billy D’s Fried Chicken is a delicious spot located at the Africa entrance. Our favorite was the hot fried chicken sandwich with waffle fries. Plus, there is a sauce bar with a wide variety of sauces, including comeback sauce, which paired well with the hot fried chicken!

At the North America entrance, there is a Farmto-Table Cafe that features bbq sandwiches, burgers, salads, specialty coffees and soft-serve ice cream. There are also seasonal cafes that serve burgers, pizza slices, ice cream, popcorn, chicken tenders and other snacks that you may be craving after a long day of walking around.

Whether it is to fuel up before your day at the zoo or a stop on your way out of town, be sure to make time for the Table in Asheboro. It’s a delicious restaurant located about 15 minutes from the zoo and serves up delicious bowls, sandwiches and brunch treats.

Parking is free at the NC Zoo. The North America lot is open year-round, while the Africa lot is open April-October.

Meghan Grant is the “I’m Fixin’ To” blog and is a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

biography

By Sarah DaviS

Dr.GenieneJones

What are the Joneses first?

According to Dr. Geniene Jones, Chief Medical Officer and Lab Director for Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center (RCCHC) and ECU Rural Family Medicine Residency Site Director, her children, Jadé (10), Hannah (8), and Lucas (6) have been taught to respond “Kind,” when asked, “What are the Joneses first?”

Dr. G. Jones and her husband, Dr. Jamande Jones, RCCHC Pediatrician, exemplify that answer, not only in word, but also in deed.

Dr. Geniene describes her colleagues with adjectives such as “caring, compassionate, warm and generous.”

Born in the Bay area, Dr. Jones relocated to Winston-Salem, at age 11 when her mother, a Winston native, moved back to North Carolina.

Completing middle and high school in Forsyth County, Dr. Jones then matriculated at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she double majored in psychology and political science, minoring in public policy, thinking she would probably eventually practice law.

Following graduation, however, she returned to Forsyth County as a case worker for their Social Services Division. Calling it an “eye-opening” experience, she learned much about the needs of people, especially the most vulnerable, a knowledge she has definitely carried into her present position.

After a time in social work, she moved to South Africa and spent a year

in mission work. In 2004, she returned to the United States and worked for WalMart in Raleigh before returning to school in order to pursue a career in medicine.

After filling in needed classes at UNC-G, she was accepted to Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. There she met her husband, Jamande, and a mentor, Dr. Tom Irons, who, knowing the Joneses’ mission mindset, suggested she and her husband meet Kim Schwartz, CEO of RCCHC, and take a look at the Roanoke-Chowan area.

Dr. Irons told the Joneses they would love Kim and the area, and they did.

And, the feeling was mutual, “From the first time I met Geniene and her husband, Jamande, nearly 10 years ago, I was deeply touched by their collective passion for serving in communities that could most benefit from doctors committed to staying over time.,” Schwartz said. “Both Joneses have stayed connected to ECU Family Medicine, and it has been so meaningful to have Geniene’s generosity, expertise,and partnership as we have navigated the opening of our Rural Residency right here at RCCHC.

“Additionally, Geniene’s recent promotion to Chief Medical Officer is offering a fresh perspective that comes from her very real world perspective of patient care in Eastern North Carolina. It is a pure delight and honor to work with her daily,” says Schwartz.

The Joneses moved to the area in July 2013 with one child in tow and one on the way. Since then, they have added a third practitioner of kindness.

Dr. G. Jones initially worked in the Murfreesboro office with Dr. Mike Alston, who says of her, “Dr. Geniene Jones is a very compassionate, very knowledgeable physician who contributes to our community in so many ways. She handles all of her many responsibilities (including raising three beautiful children)

“Dr. Geniene Jones is a very compassionate, very knowledgeable physician who contributes to our community in so many ways.”

- Dr. Mike Alston

with professionalism and always with a joyful, positive attitude. Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center and the Roanoke Chowan area are blessed to have her here.”

In the fall of 2020, after RCCHC was selected as a site for the ECU Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, she moved to the Ahoskie office in order to oversee that program.

Excited about the program (“cheerleader” for it, according to Dr. Julian Taylor), she sees it as an opportunity to train compassionate physicians, believing it easier to achieve that objective in a small community. When talking about that aspect, she cites her family’s experience in moving to the area, how welcomed they were with food and friendship.

The program currently has its first two residents; it will expand by two (or three) each year with each class a three-year program. She is hopeful that some of the residents will choose to stay here beyond the three years and believes they will, based on the experiences of these first two.

Dr. Jones has also assumed the role of Chief Medical Officer for RCCHC. Colleague Dr. Colin Jones, formerly CMO, calls her a confident leader in that role. Calling her warm, welcoming, wise and generous, he notes that she maintains an excellent work-life balance.

Recently retired colleague, Dr. Julian Tayor, describes her as a caring, gifted physician who always has the greater good of the patient in mind, noting that she has “an effective way of recruiting coworkers for tasks which need doing in the clinic.”

Declaring she is “one of a kind,” Dr. Colin Jones emphasizes the word “kind,” firmly echoing the Jones family mantra, that they are first, last and always Kind.

Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and regular contributor to Eastern NorthCarolina Living.

Grandma’s Kitchen

I’ve been doing a little different kind of cooking lately.

I have a West Highland Terrier named Cricket. She has always been a very picky eater. She would stick up her nose and go hungry rather than eat something she seemed to like the day before. She is almost 13 years old now.

For some time she had been getting harder to feed. A recommendation came to my kindle for a dog cookbook. The recipes were easy and I looked through several books to get ideas.

She is eating better than she has ever eaten before since I started cooking for her and I know it is healthy.

Since many people have dogs, I thought you might be interested in these recipes. They are simple and quick.

You start with a pound of meat. Ground beef, ground turkey, chicken breasts or thighs and beef cut in small pieces are some of the meats I have used.

Vegetables that are good for dogs include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, green beans, sweet peas, carrots and winter squash. One winter squash diced will make a large bag you can freeze and use as needed.

I add rice into the mix also. I do not use as

much rice as the recipes I have seen. It ends up being the biggest part of the food if you go by those recipes.

That didn’t seem very healthy to me. So I have come up with my own recipes using vegetables that are safe for dogs.

There are fruits that are good for them if you want to add them. Blueberries, apples and applesauce being among them. There are articles on the Internet by veterinarians if you want to do a little research. I also occasionally add a chicken or beef bouillon cube.

It takes me about 30 minutes to prepare a pot of food for Cricket and it makes about a week of food for her. If you want to try it, you might want to check how much food is recommended for your pet for a day.

I brown the meat in a little olive oil in a five quart dutch oven. I add ½ cup of three different kinds of vegetables and about a fourth cup of rice, white or brown. Add just enough water to cover and cook around 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. All the water should be absorbed.

Let cool. Add correct portions for your dog to freezer bags. Freeze and take out one bag each day to thaw in refrigerator. That means fresh food for your pet.

Here are a few combinations I use:

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

1 pound ground beef

1 small sweet potato, diced ½ cup diced carrots ½ cup green beans

¼ cup rice

4 boneless chicken thighs Add enough water to just cover chicken Cook about 15 minutes Add: ½ cup winter squash ½ cup sweet peas ½ cup small diced Idaho potatoes Cook about 15 more minutes

1 pound stew beef, brown in Dutch oven

Add just enough water to cover Cook until tender Add: 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables ½ cup small diced potatoes, sweet or white ¼ cup rice Cook additional 15 minutes

Photo Courtesy of Washington County TTA

Grace & Truth

The real one to know…

“W

ho are you, Lord?” Paul was distressed and now blind. “I must know who this great one who has revealed Himself to me.”

Paul is on his way currently to destroy anyone who claims to believe in Jesus. He wants to stamp out the name of Christ everywhere, but today he meets Jesus.

“I am He that you are persecuting.” Paul never gets over this moment, and he recalls it forever. Paul’s life is changed once he knows Jesus.

When Jesus was just twelve years old, those in the temple were amazed at his knowledge. “Who is this kid?” They couldn’t believe his knowledge, and they wanted to know from where He came.

Years later, in a synagogue in His hometown, the same thing took place. They were all amazed by His Scripture knowledge. That is until Jesus reveals that He is who they have all been waiting for, and this makes them want to kill Him. He narrowly escapes because it’s not quite time to reveal all that He is.

John the Baptist knew who He was.

“Behold the Lamb that comes to take away the sins of the world,” John shouts from the muddy waters. “This is the one I’ve been talking about for years.”

Jesus has come to fulfill every promise and change every life if you know Him. Immediately some of John’s disciples leave to follow Jesus. That’s good training.

Peter stands before the altar in the town of Dan and exclaims, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus is amazed at his recognition and then tells Peter he didn’t learn that on His own, but

God revealed it.

Knowing who He is is a grace and blessing from God above. To understand who Jesus is is a beautiful discovery, but even better is when you get to know Him personally. Can you imagine walking alongside Him as He teaches on the mountain or at the Temple? How wonderful it would be to get to walk with Him.

Well, He is near you now. He walks with you today, and He truly is someone you should know. Not only should everyone know Him, but unlike any other human, Jesus Christ can be understood by every one of us. He is as close as the mention of his name.

He can surpass our understanding of life and grant us deep peace that abides forever. He will not leave you, and because of that, you can be strong and courageous, knowing that even in moments of the deepest darkness, He is with you. Jesus is a present help in times of trouble. Jesus is present.

So, if you need grace and truth today, I recommend Jesus. Why not pull out the Bible and begin to pray to Him? He is the basis of all knowledge. Nothing can be known outside of Him, and He has a servant’s heart. He is the embodiment of grace.

Paul spent the rest of his life telling others about this Jesus that loved enough to save, restore and call into serving others. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Messiah until he lost his head for preaching the truth. Peter also would be killed because of His love for Jesus.

Today, they are still walking and talking with Jesus in eternity. He’s just someone you really need to know.

The Rev. Emanuel Webb Hoggard is Pastor of Askewville Assembly of God.

P astor

W ebb H oggard

County: Hertford Marker ID: A-51 Original Date Cast: 1955-P

MARKER TEXT

4-H Club

First in North Carolina, organized at Ahoskie in 1909 as the Corn Club. Beginning of present large organization of rural youth in state.

MARK IT!

Information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

“B

etter conditions in agriculture will be brought about as you boys study and apply yourselves to present day problems. The yield of corn in North Carolina is approximately fifteen bushels per acre. If you boys would like to do something about it, the Extension Service will help you organize a corn club and attempt to teach you how to increase the yield of corn.” With these words, spoken by I.O. Schaub to a group of Hertford County boys in May 1909, North Carolina’s first 4-H Club was born. Beginning in the 1890s and early 1900s, 4-H Clubs were sprouting around the country, particularly in the South. The clubs’ goal was to improve young people’s agricultural education. The Hertford County club, arranged in Ahoskie, began as a Corn Club with fifteen members. Corn Clubs originated in Mississippi with the purpose of increasing yields of corn.

On July 1, 1909, an agreement was made by North Carolina’s land grant colleges—State College and North Carolina A&M—as well as the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S. Department

of Agriculture to support the agricultural demonstration work of boys and girls clubs. Schaub was appointed the state’s first club agent. Jane McKimmon, North Carolina’s first home demonstration agent, started a Tomato Club in 1911 for girls. Also in 1911, Charles Parker, one of the Corn Club charter members produced a record-breaking twenty-five bushels of corn on one acre. The clubs became official 4-H clubs in 1918, and their focus expanded to embrace many areas of rural life including education about soil, farm animals, tools, housekeeping, and cookery. In 1919, Hertford County hosted the first joint 4-H boys and girls camp on the banks of the Chowan River at Winton. By 1939, there were 1,156 organized 4-H Clubs in the state and 2,280 in 1955.

Today, more than 187,000 North Carolina youth participate in 4-H. The Hertford County 4-H offers services such as clubs, special interest programs, summer camps, school enrichment and after-school childcare. All programs work toward helping members develop and improve the 4-Hs: head, heart, health, and hand.

REFERENCES

Ahoskie Era of Hertford County (1939)

Franklin M. Reck, The 4-H Story: A History of 4-H Club Work (1951)L.R. Harrill, A Brief History and Summary of Thirty Years of 4-H Club Work in North Carolina (1939)

Academy Street in Ahoskie

PARTING SHOTS

By Thadd White

I had never met Joe Edwards and couldn’t have picked him out of a police lineup when we began doing an issue of Eastern North Carolina Living that was focused on heroes.

I found Joe by doing extensive online searches and running across the website of a church he had served in many roles as a servant to his church and his God.

It took us a while to make the story work. He had left the church for personal reasons and wasn’t as involved at the time as he would have liked to have been. We agreed it was best to stay in touch and put the story on hold.

He laughingly told me he was 80 years old, so I shouldn’t be surprised if I called back and he had gone on to meet his maker.

Fortunately, when the time came that we were working on an issue Joe fit into well, he

was very much alive and kicking.

I had the honor of spending a few hours with him sitting at his table discussing a life well-lived in which he had suffered tragedy in the form of his son’s untimely death – and triumph – his marriage to his devoted bride –and many ups and downs in between.

I found out he was a friend to the Rev. Chuck Stanley and had met more than one President of the United States.

But, while he traveled with “kings,” he also served those less fortunate – using his gift of playing music and going with friends to sing in nursing homes.

He was a true joy to meet – welcoming, friendly, kind… exactly what I hoped he would be as we were writing about journeys of faith.

I was actually able to see Joe on four different occasions. We did the original interview, a photoshoot (he and his wife, Barbara, were on the cover of the edition) and I made a trip to deliver magazines to his lovely home on Lake Gaston. We met again in Halifax some time later as his family wanted a few more copies of the magazine featuring his story.

I checked in with Barbara – who texted more than Joe – a few times to see how they

were doing. I continued to think of them every time I took magazines to Littleton.

Of the many stories I’ve been able to tell, Joe’s was always one of my favorites. I didn’t think I did it justice, but Joe was appreciative and complimentary.

Joe went to his eternal reward Jan. 31 and the world is a little less bright because of it. But, my world is better for having the chance to meet him, and I’m grateful I got to tell his story.

And so, we dedicate this issue to the late Joe Edwards’ memory. He was truly the definition of our theme, “Folks you ought to know.”

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we wander through Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington and Wilson counties.

Thadd White is a father, a fan of Chelsea Football Club and a devoted Star Trek Discovery enthusiast. He serves as Group Editor of five Adams Publishing Group publications including the N.C. Press Award-winning Eastern North Carolina Living.

...we dedicate this issue to the late Joe Edwards’ memory. He was truly the definition of our theme, “Folks you ought to know.”