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Keith Webb, Agent 232 N Broad St Albertville, AL 35950
Bus: 256-878-1563 keith.webb.chm3@statefarm.com
Jesus Granados, Agent 3985 US Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040 jesus@jesusismyagent.com
Libby Mays, Agent 1162 N Brindlee Mountain Pkwy Arab, AL 35016
Paul Harris Insurance Agcy Inc Paul Harris, Agent 1246 Gunter Ave Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-547-5754
Paul Harris, Agent 1246 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3250 paul@paulharrisagency.com
Keith Webb, Agent 232 N Broad St Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-1563 keith.webb.chm3@statefarm.com
Alan Murphy, Agent 227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016
Lynn Holifield, Agent 1528 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3127 lynn.holifield.b9vl@statefarm.com
Lynn Holifield, Agent 1528 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3127 lynn.holifield.b9vl@statefarm.com
Alan Murphy, Agent 227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-2644
alan.murphy.lxmk@statefarm.com
Paul Harris Insurance Agcy Inc Paul Harris, Agent 1246 Gunter Ave Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-547-5754
Lynn Holifield, Agent 1528 Gunter Avenue Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-582-3127 lynn.holifield.b9vl@statefarm.com
Bus: 256-586-6243 libby.mays.gscz@statefarm.com
Keith Webb, Agent 232 N Broad St Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-1563
keith.webb.chm3@statefarm.com
Bus: 256-586-2644 alan.murphy.lxmk@statefarm.com
Libby Mays, Agent 1162 N Brindlee Mtn. Pkwy, Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-6243
Alan Murphy, Agent 227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016
Jesus B Granados, Agent 3985 Us Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040 jesus.granados.k2qo@statefarm.
Debra Noojin, Agent 13034 US Hwy 431, Guntersville, AL 35976 Bus: 256-677-6154
Bus: 256-586-2644 alan.murphy.lxmk@statefarm.com
libby.mays.gscz@statefarm.com
Libby Mays, Agent 1162 N Brindlee Mountain Pkwy Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-6243 libby.mays.gscz@statefarm.com
debra.noojin.vaavfk@statefarm.com
Jesus B Granados, Agent 3985 Us Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040 jesus.granados.k2qo@statefarm.
Alan Murphy, Agent 227 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 Bus: 256-586-2644 alan.murphy.lxmk@statefarm.com
Pablo Granados, Agent 1575 US-431 N Boaz, AL 35957 Bus: 256-770-4991 pablo@alabamacallme.com
Jesus B Granados, Agent 3985 Us Hwy 431 Albertville, AL 35950 Bus: 256-878-4040 jesus.granados.k2qo@statefarm.
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GoodLife Magazine found its way into my life completely by chance. And I’m glad it did. After cruising thousands of miles across Cullman and Marshall Counties for the last several months I am sure my beaten down Altima would disagree, but I would, and will, do it all over again. Through this magazine, I have already seen so many beautiful things and heard stories I would never have imagined hearing before. I have met people from all walks of life, and have learned that the way one person defines ‘Good Life’ can be completely different from the way another does.
I also unexpectedly ended up with a new friend on this adventure. One afternoon I was sitting in Guntersville’s Errol Allan Park eating a club sandwich from Café 336 when a tiny kitten walked up looking for a bite.
Liz
Liz has had an eventful start to 2023. She is a new grandmother of twins, Cody and Elsie, who are home after a stay in the hospital and looking forward to warmer weather! This is Alabama after all, right?
Steve Maze
Steve is looking forward to coming out of hibernation over the next couple of weeks. He usually hunkers down until “the air warms up, the grass greens up, and the vegetable gardens bloom up.” He goes back in time and reminisces on high school graduation and the life lessons to be learned.
One thing led to another, and now I have a cat at home. His name? Gunter!
When the former publisher of the magazine, David Moore, was showing me the ropes and formally introducing me to many of our advertisers, he mentioned that most everybody that I will meet is ‘Good People.’ So far, I have found that to be unequivocally true. Although it may be old school, I have accumulated a stack of business cards from advertisers and story contacts alike that I keep on top of my desk. Each card represents a hard-working, local business owner or a fascinating story to tell that adds to the beauty of this county. I hope to double and then triple the size of this stack in the months to come.
My hope is to bring you all along as I continue to meet and learn about the
people, businesses, history and traditions that make Marshall County so unique. As I get up and running, I am always open to story suggestions and nudges in the right direction to find what readers are most interested in. If you have a dish at a restaurant that you just cannot get off your mind, or know of a hidden gem of a home off the beaten path, lets share it! You will notice some familiar faces below, and some new ones too, that will continue on the GLM journey, and for them I am grateful.
I am beyond excited to start this new adventure and share the good eating, living, people, and stories of Marshall County. Here’s to the ‘Good Life!’
Hudson Shelton Publisher
Rishon Hanners
After recently moving from Birmingham to the Guntersville area, Rishon is ready for spring on the lake! She is a connoisseur of good cuisine and is quite handy with a camera as well. Check out what she covered for her first GLM feature inside.
David Myers
David stuck around to continue doing restaurant features. Bring on the sun glasses and short sleeve weather because he prefers to do his work outside!
Gunter
Deb Laslie
Deb is a bookworm in every sense of the imagination. Over a recent cup of coffee, she told me she reads 2-3 books per week! The only thing she might go through more than books are cups of coffee…
Hudson Shelton
All of this winter rain has been a good thing. That is unless you have a dent in the side of your car and it’s raining cats and dogs. I guess that’s how I ended up with a cat from Guntersville, Gunter…
“Meow.” Translated: Feed me.
Inside
12 | Good Fun
Historical tours, springtime lake events and Dodgeball!
18 | Good People
James Carson has lived a life full of service, and he isn’t slowing down anytime soon
24 | Good Reads
Two new novels that should be at the top of your reading list this spring
27 | Good Cooking
Jessica Hanners is living out her childhood dream at Homecoming and Company
36 | Good Getaway
A quick stay in a treehouse is exactly what the doctor ordered
40 | Good Living
Milla Sachs takes us on a tour of her “mountain house” on Lake Guntersville
48 | Good Eats
La Esquina Cocina Mexican eatery is the jewel of City Harbor
50 | The Graduate
Steve Maze is back to retell a story from his graduation days, and hopefully make you think about yours
53 | The Gem of Gunter Mountain
Grant’s DAR School carries on its traditions nearly 100 years after opening its doors
58 | Out and About
Covering every corner of Marshall County
On the cover | Bob Blankenship, a local photographer from Guntersville, captured this stunning shot of Lake Guntersville from the surrounding mountains. He also contributed the sunset “Good Living” photo on pgs. 40-41.
This page | Liz Smith took this garden entrance photograph. Welcome!
• Feb. 28-April 28
Blooming Quilts Flower Designs and Fabrics
The theme for this spring’s quilt exhibit at the Mountain Valley Arts Council Gallery is floral designs and fabrics. The piecers and quilters include Donna Bitner, Gay Carriker, Kathy Claborn, Diane Holcomb, Marquita Jones, Traci Lamb, Mala Kennamer and Kathy Murray displaying some of their favorite quilts. The MVAC Gallery, now across from the courthouse at 440 Gunter Avenue, is open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday; 10 am-2 pm Saturday; and by appointment. Admission is free. For more info visit: info@mvacarts.org; or call: 256-571-7199.
• Mar. 16
MVAC Art Talks with Aynslee
Moon Smithee
The Mountain Valley Arts Council is putting on a ‘Art Talks’ at its 440 Gunter Avenue location featuring local Alabama artist Aynslee Moon Smithee. Smithee works in multiple media, including oil paints, charcoal, watercolor, and micron pen. For more info visit: info@mvacarts. org; or call: 256-571-7199
• Now- Mar. 31
MVAC Snead State student display
Mountain Valley Arts Council shares its exhibit featuring art instructor Lanette Blankenship and Drawing II and Painting I art students from Snead State Community College. The exhibit will feature art from the students’ current studies of Byzantine art and and religious artwork during the Middle Age and their current interpretation of that era. Lanette Blankenship is in her first year at Snead and has a rich background in the arts. For more info visit: info@mvacarts.org; or call: 256571-7199
• Apr. 8-9
Guntersville Historical Society Shiloh Tour
For the price of $410, the Guntersville Historical Society is leading a tour to Shiloh, Tennessee to visit the Shiloh Battlefield, the national cemetery and bookstore, the Cherry Mansion in Savannah, Tennessee. The cost includes all meals and a night stay in Corinth, Tennessee. You can mail your checks to Dr. Pete Sparks at 1116 O’Brig Avenue; Guntersville, AL 35976. For any additional information please call Pete at 256-572-9924.
• Apr. 15-16
Art on the Lake
From 10 am-5 pm on Saturday and 10 am-4 pm on Sunday, the Twenty-First Century Club of
Guntersville is sponsoring this year’s Art on the Lake event at the Guntersville Recreation Center at 1500 Sunset Drive. This event showcases fine artists and craftsmen from throughout the southeast and beyond. In addition, there will be food vendors, outdoor games and rides, and a bake shop for the entire family. Admission for the event is $2 for anybody 13 and older. Vendor information can be found at: www.artonthelakeguntersville.com; or you can call 256-653-0991.
• Apr. 14-23
Based on the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ by Charles M. Schulz, The Whole Backstage Community Theatre and Sonny Lewis present You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, directed by Johnny Brewer. The performance includes a slew of characters including Denton Gillen as Charlie Brown and Ajia Jones as Lucy. All show times are at 7 pm except Sunday, which is at 2 pm. Ticket prices: $20 for adults, $18
for seniors, and $12 for students. For more information visit: www.wholebackstage.com.
• Apr. 15
The Albertville Chamber of Commerce is putting on a downtown block party open to the public featuring a dodgeball tournament from 4 pm-9 pm. The event will be held downtown and admission is free for the public. Those interested in taking part in the dodgeball tournament can register
on the Chamber’s website. The cost is $100 per team. For more information please email Emily Bozarth at emily@ albertvillechamberofcommerce. com
• Apr. 15
Freedom Marine Center will hold its annual fishing tournament at Civitan Park in Guntersville from sunrise until the end of weigh-ins. Shrimp and crawfish boil at the weigh-in will be provided by Crawmama’s. The entry fee is $200 and is due before April 7th. Prizes range from $5,000 for the first place boat to $1,000 for 10th place. The tournament is open to all boat brands. For more info, and to access the tournament’s registration form, you can visit: freedommarinecenter.com.
• Apr. 29
Arab Historic Village’s Way-Back Fair
The Arab Historical Society invites you to grab some friends and come take a tour of the Arab Historic Village. Students will learn first-hand what life was
like in the 1880’s to 1940’s, including going to school in a one room schoolhouse. The current cost for a field trip is $5 per student. Visitors will get to interact with volunteers as they demonstrate tasks that
were necessary back in the early 1900’s to be a successful farming community. Quilting, grinding cornmeal and black-smithing are among the list of tasks that will be demonstrated. For more information contact Tabitha
Dailey at tdailey@arabcity.org; or call: 256-550-7300.
• May 1
Citizen’s Charity Classic at Gunter’s Landing
This 9th annual Citizens Charity Classic will be held at Gunter’s Landing Golf Club from 8 am-3 pm. Participants enjoy a day filled with
fun and fellowship together on the course - all while supporting a great cause – the Northeast Alabama Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at the clubhouse as well. For more information please contact the tournament manager, Kasey Culbert, at
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• May 27
The Guntersville Historical Society is leading a tour of Guntersville’s Civil War history and its plantation homes. The plantation sites are in Brown’s Valley and the Battle of Red Hill, which was fought on January 15, 1865. Lunch will be included at the cost of $350 per person. Please mail your check to Dr. Pete Sparks at 1116 O’Brig Avenue; Guntersville, AL 35976. For any additional information, call Dr. Sparks at 256-572-9924.
charityclassic@citizensbanktrust. com; or call her at 256-264-0378.
• May 19
Sand Mountain Park and Amphitheater Tacos and Tequilas Concert
From 5:30 pm- 10 pm the Sand Mountain Park and Amphitheater is hosting the annual Tacos and Tequila
event headlined by rappers T.I, Waka Flacka Flame and the Ying Yang Twins. The show will be opened by DJ Arate. Limited quantities of Party Pit passes are available and early bird prices for the lawn are still in effect. Tickets can be purchased at the amphitheater’s website: www. sandmountainamphitheater.com/ events/tacos-tequila/
James Carson can describe firsthand the events that many of us grew up watching in grainy, black and white videos on The History Channel. The images of massive warships crossing the English Channel to liberate France and the rest of Europe from the grips of the Nazis; the thunderous sound of General Patton’s Sherman tanks rumbling across open terrain in pursuit of the retreating enemy; the horror and devastation left behind in the lands that the Germans occupied, followed by the carnage brought on by Allied bombing raids over Germany in retaliation. James has never had to turn on The History Channel; at least not to learn about anything after 1922. At 100 years old, he has been around long enough to see his fair share of world-altering events, and has taken part in quite a few.
Born and raised in Arab, Alabama, James was drafted into the army in 1943 and shipped down to Fort McClellan in Anniston a week after graduating from high school. Having had a grandfather fight in the Civil War, two uncles fight in World War I, an older brother, Frank, who joined the army the week following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and two younger brothers, Charles and Bill, who also served during and after the war, James was destined to serve his country in one way or another.
Once at basic training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi, the 5’2”, 110 lb. James was quickly assigned to be a radio operator, where he was taught the Morse Code, the different dots and dashes of the alphabet and how to communicate effectively and efficiently in the heat of battle. He ultimately became a member of the 569th Signal Corps in the 69th
Infantry Division, which shipped off to England in December of 1944. By that time, Allied forces had stormed the beaches at Normandy and were liberating huge swathes of French territory from German occupation. Some American forces, however, were bogged down in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium at what eventually became known as The Battle of the Bulge. James and the 69th Infantry Division were ordered to provide reinforcements to the surrounded forces.
Following the American victory at the Battle of the Bulge, James’ unit found itself traveling from one small, blasted out town to another as it made its way closer to the German border. Spending most of his time in the radio operating jeep alongside his 6’7” basic training buddy, Ken Jackson, James was constantly relaying information and codes between headquarters and the front line. By this point, an Allied victory in the war was all but certain, and armies on both fronts were positioning themselves for the inevitable German surrender.
As American, French and British forces continued to advance on the western front, Russian forces were slicing through German defensive positions in the east on their way to Berlin. After a couple of weeks in Germany, James and the 69th Infantry Division found themselves in Torgau on the banks of the Elbe River, at the location of what became known as “East Meets West,” or the “Handshake on the Elbe.” This is where Russian and American forces officially cut Germany into two, severely hindering the German’s ability to continue their fight.
At the conclusion of the war, James’ time in Germany was not over, as he would begin a year of occupation duty in several different cities in the recently defeated and bitter country. It was at
this time when James came into contact with the legend of General George Patton. Patton had a reputation for being a sour, impatient leader, but James and his comrades had learned to appreciate Patton as somebody who “got the job done.” Under suspicious circumstances that he still doubts to this day, George Patton tragically died in a car accident, and James was there to witness the funeral procession for the general that rode through the streets of Heidelberg, Germany.
After returning home in 1946, James enrolled at Snead College and received a degree in teaching, which he then used for the next few years teaching a class of twenty-two GI’s in an on-the-farm training type course designed to put young veterans to work. It was during this time that he started a courtship of his wife, Dot, who he married in 1953 and shortly after had two sons, Mike and Lynn. It also didn’t take long for James to become active in the local veteran community, becoming a leading member of American Legion Post 114 in Arab.
James has lived a life full of service to his family, his church, his country, and his fellow veterans and citizens alike. It is not every day that you get a chance to speak with a centenarian who experienced some of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century and still has the memory to tell you the most discreet details. James Carson is Good People indeed.
1. How often do you think back on your time in the war? What makes you proudest of your service and proudest to be an American?
“I think about my time in the service frequently. I can look at the photos from Camp Shelby and name everybody
Even at 100, James is still able to identify every face and their hometown in his photos from basic training.
in them and where they were from, for the most part. I am thankful that I never had to pull my trigger or come face-to-face with a German and have to make that decision. I have always been thankful that I was born an American. I saw bad things in Germany and heard stories from other places like Italy and Russia that were horrifying. It would be disheartening and discouraging. The fact that I was born and raised in America and had the opportunities that I had, I will be forever grateful for. There is nothing good about war, but the way we carried ourselves after the war was over is something that I am also very proud of.”
2. What were your emotions like in war? When were you scared? Were you ever excited?
“The reality of going to war did not sink in for me until we were on the boat to the south of England. It took
us thirteen days and nights to cross the Atlantic, which is a lot of time to think about what you are getting in to. The winter nights in Belgium were not pleasant either. Sometimes it snowed a foot and there always had to be one member of our three-man team awake for a lookout. On nights like those, every sound is a German. I was excited when we met the Russians at the Elbe because we knew what that meant in terms of the end of the war. The Germans were still defending Berlin, but we knew we had them beat at that point.”
3. Since you are obviously a very active 100-year-old man, I have to ask you what the secret to living such a healthy, productive life is?
“I don’t smoke and I don’t drink. I never have. I still do my full calisthenics routine and it doesn’t bother me one bit. I don’t drive any more, which I really
James and his 6’7” buddy Ken Jackson were often compared to the famous comic strip “Mutt and Jeff,” which was about “two mismatched tinhorns.”
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do miss, but I have my granddaughter to drive me around town. I make sure to mow the lawn once a week, and keep up with my family. Keeping my family close is very important to me. I have always followed all of the advice my doctors have given me, and I have been lucky to avoid any serious health concerns thus far. Being happy is important too. Try to look at the positive side of things instead of getting down over the little things that do not matter. I can’t tell you how much time I wasted worrying about something that did not matter a day later. You don’t get that time back.”
After 70 years of being married to Dot, what can you say has been your key to a long, happy marriage? What is some advice you have for the younger generation?
“Well, we have never had a big fuss or fight. I have never threatened to leave and she has never threatened to run me off, and there is no way she can get rid of me. I am lucky. We have been able to talk about things. Of course there have been instances where we disagree, but we talk it through. Every person has their
own ways, so you have to give and take. For the younger generations, you have to emphasize your education. Get all the education that you can before you step out into the world. Even then, you can never stop learning. Labor has changed in my lifetime, and almost every job requires a certain amount of education now, so go to college if you can.”
5. How has your time as a member of the Arab American Legion and your association with the Cost of Freedom Museum impacted your life?
“I made sure to join the legion right when I got back from Germany, so I have been a member for over 75 years. I enjoy meeting veterans from different wars and soldiers that have different stories from different places. There are very interesting people I have met throughout my time in the Legion that I would not have met otherwise. The museum is something I am proud. Finding the artifacts to display in the museum from locals and other museums around the country was an enjoyable experience. I hope that everybody has the chance to go and see it.” Good Life Magazine
Ken Follett’s first best-seller was Eye of the Needle (yes, you should read it) published in 1976. In 1989 he published Pillars of the Earth (this remains on my top 10 book list – you haven’t read it yet?). Now he’s back with another thriller (a doozy!) with his publication of Never (2021). If I’ve heard friends, neighbors and pundits say it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times (as have you): “It could never happen here.” Spoiler alert: Yes, it can. “Every catastrophe begins with a little problem that doesn’t get fixed.” This happens in our personal lives as well as with world events. This book has everything: good guys, really, really bad guys, false prophets and true warriors. Told in a dramatic, chronological narrative, it involves a stolen drone, an uninhabited Japanese island and a stash of deadly chemical weapons. It is the story of “fixing” a problem that may or may never be fixed.
Communism is a sacred mission. It comes above everything else, including our family ties and our own personal safety.” Jianjun had been raised to see the capitalistimperialists as lifelong enemies. China had changed, the world had changed, but the old men were stuck in the past.
Sacrifices are made, lives are lost, lifelong friendships destroyed and other formerly unknown alliances firmly entrenched. It is frighteningly real. It is an addictive read, and “it could never happen here.” A must-read.
– Deb LaslieMarco prayed this was the last war, but he knew it wouldn’t be. Men were fallible, and they would always believe in the wrong things. He sensed that he had just learned something that his father had already known, but neither of them spoke.
Lisa Scottoline, best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author of over 33 novels has penned her first true historical in Eternal. 1937. Rome, Italy. Eternal is the story of three teenagers and their families: Allesandro, the handsome Jewish mathematician in love with Elizabetta, a budding novelist who is Catholic, and Marco, (also in love with Elizabetta) a cycling prodigy and proud fascist whose family are staunch supporters of Mussolini. Though their backgrounds are different, the three form unbreakable bonds as they grow up together in nearby neighborhoods. Their families are close; religious and political differences are inconsequential to their strong friendships. Then war comes to Europe, “and turned Italy topsyturvy,” Good became bad and bad became powerful. An unspeakable historical event shapes the outcome of their friendships, forcing horrific choices upon them. As one Italian matron notes, “War welcomed and concealed the most heinous of crimes.” Powerful writing about a time of emotion and passion in a city as old as time. If you love sweeping historical sagas, this is another “must read” to add to your nightstand collection. I loved every word.
– Deb Laslie
“Food started for me when I was very young. I used to play around in the kitchen at my parents’ house and make these mashups of random stuff, and then later I would look up recipes to cook for them. I remember making them this Italian white bean and chicken dish. I was so young, but I remember saying, ‘Mom I want to make this recipe.’”
Jessica Hanners remembers being just 12 or 13 when she started cooking meals for her family at home. Soon, she realized there were these people called “chefs” out in the world that cooked food professionally…as their job.
“I would come home from school and instead of watching cartoons I would watch ‘Great Chefs of the World’ and ‘Great Chefs of America’ that would come on PBS in the afternoons at 3:00 and 3:30. I would totally nerd out.”
Jessica says she didn’t think that kind of career, a career in food as a chef, was for people like her; a girl from a small town in North Alabama. Jessica grew up in the South Sauty community of Marshall County and attended school in Guntersville all her life.
Jessica remembers growing up a true child of the 1980s. She and her family ate TV dinners, canned vegetables and their version of “S.O.S”- canned tuna or hamburger mixed with cream of mushroom soup and served over toast or rice. Although die-hard foodies now, Jessica says it just wasn’t that way when she was a kid, “It just didn’t seem like that life was for people
like me, people like where I was from. Especially little girls from the boondocks of Alabama.” Despite her small town life, Jessica had an incurable sense that there was more out in the world for her to learn and see...especially when it came to food.
However, Jessica kept cooking. Finding inspiration from the shows she watched on TV and the magazine aisle of the grocery store. Jessica would seek out what the trends were in the urban cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and in the Pacific Northwest.
“I would go sit in the magazine aisle in Foodland while my mom would shop for groceries and look through everything from ‘Teen Beat’ to the food magazines and then to ‘Rolling Stones’ because music has always been a big part of my life too.”
Jessica laughs and remarks that this is what people did before the internet. Turn the pages in magazines, newspapers, and books to learn what was going on in the world around them. From an early age Jessica had the incurable sense that there was more out in the world for her to learn and see.
“I wasn’t sheltered. That’s just the way it was then. As soon as I started exposing my family to [different foods] they embraced it as well. It just wasn’t here. Everything was different than here, and I wanted all of that different-ness.”
One trend that caught her attention was the West Coast ideology of a “Food-Centric Lifestyle”. It started in California in the 90’s with the rise of fresh, local, and organic foods. Jessica
• 1 C Roasted Red Peppers, Drained and Chopped 4 C Shredded Sharp Cheddar
• 1 C Mild Cheese of Choice
• 1 C Good Mayo 1 t Dried Parsley and Chives
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined.
always knew that there was a better way for her and her family to eat than the heavily processed foods she had known growing up.
“Even though my parents cooked and made things from scratch it was mostly pre-made, from a can, and you put it together. I remember feeling like our family had made it because we got a microwave. I was probably six-years-old. That was when you cooked everything in a microwave, and it was all the rage. We got a VCR and a microwave in the same year and it was like we were “keeping up with the Joneses.”
• 1 Gallon Chopped Collards 1 onion
• 8 pieces bacon
• 3 Qts Chicken Stock
• 1⁄4 C Brown Sugar
• 1⁄4 C Apple Cider vinegar
• Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper
• 2 T Pomegranate Molasses
• Salt to taste... its more than you think
• Render the bacon until is begins to brown
Saute onion until tender. Add collards and stock. Cook for 45 minutes on medium. Add in rest of ingredients except salt, cook for another 20 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Jessica has always had a natural sense for creativity and creating things. She likes to draw, paint, write, and create things from nothing. Food was just another outlet for that creativity. It wasn’t until college that she realized cooking and food could be a valid career option for her future.
“My passion for food didn’t arise until I was in college and started working at an Italian restaurant. That was the first time I saw ingredients like fresh asparagus, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, and fresh pasta that wasn’t dried.”
She was introduced to a whole new world of flavors, smells, taste, and textures of food. Fresh Italian ingredients like basil pesto made from
scratch with garlic and parmesan created a life changing experience.
“One of my core food memories is peppers roasting and the smell. I remember roasting peppers and feeling like I was being transported somewhere else. Seeing a Parmesan wheel for the first time; all of that happened in my early 20’s.”
That job set her on the path that would become her career. She started collecting cookbooks and cooking more internationally, trying her hand at Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese cuisine. It was around that time her college roommate made a very interesting suggestion; to switch her major to Restaurant and Hospitality Management.
“I remember saying, ‘That’s a thing? You can do that?’. So I changed my major. I was a psychology major at the time.” She jokingly remarks, “I should have stuck with Psychology. I could have made money as a psychologist.”
She graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Hospitality and Restaurant management and then went on to get her Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University. She lived and worked in cities across the country like Portland, OR and Charleston, SC and worked for many well-known chefs and restaurants. Before her return home, Jessica lived in Atlanta and worked as an executive chef for close to 10 years.
Why did she come home? Jessica admits that life tends to bring you full circle. “It took me going to all those places, seeing all of those things that I had longed for, experiencing those things, and learning about those things to then develop my sense of self and who I was. To be able to come back and have something to say, a product to sell, and a craft to start my own business.”
When Jessica takes time to reflect, she also admits motherhood was another main factor in her move home after years traveling, working, and gaining invaluable experience and knowledge.
“I was an executive chef in Atlanta. That’s a hard gig. To have opened a restaurant in Atlanta and take that on as a mom of a small child I would have had to sacrifice more of myself as a mother than I was comfortable with.”
“I didn’t want to raise him there, because I don’t know anything about that, but I know a lot about being raised here.”
Things started to fall into place. In 2017 she and her son moved home and she opened Homecoming Cafe & Country Store in February 2018. Her business started in the South Sauty community where she grew up and then moved into the City of Guntersville in October 2022. Her business now goes by Homecoming and Company.
“It felt like the time. It was a bittersweet ending, but I definitely
haven’t looked back. We have evolved into being more than just a cafe.” Jessica explains that Homecoming and Company encompasses the cafe, Homecoming Sideshow food truck, catering, and all future endeavors. She’s at peace knowing that where she and the company are now is another stepping off point for whatever happens next.
The menus throughout Homecoming are creations and inspirations from Jessica’s experience, original in thought and execution, but absolutely “borrowed” from other places and businesses she loves.
“Most [menu items] are an homage in the name. I knew I wanted to have a chicken and waffle situation so that’s where the ‘Dirty Bird’ came from, and named it for my time in Atlanta, the dirty bird is an homage to the Falcons.” Sandwiched between two halves of a waffle, the Dirty Bird has hand breaded chicken tenders, maple
• 2 Shallot, roughly chopped
• 1.5# Bacon, chopped
• 1 Onion, large dice
• 1⁄2 C Water
• 1⁄3 C Balsamic Vinegar 1⁄3 C Maple
• 3 T Dijon
• 3 T Worcestershire
• Salt and Pepper to taste
Render bacon until starting to brown. Add all ingredients except salt and pepper. Cook on medium until the onions are very soft. Pulse in blender or with immersion blender.
slaw, and bacon jam served with a side of pure maple syrup.
Jessica feels like the ideal Southern lunch is a pulled pork sandwich. She grew up eating them with just sauce and a pickle but decided to put her own personal touch on the businesses namesake, “The Homecoming”; Smoked pulled pork that is cooked on her Uncle’s hand built smoker, his homemade BBQ sauce recipe, and her mom’s dill pickle slaw.
Services are FREE and confidential. Services provided by phone are not medical advice and should not be considered as such.
Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources
• 4 C Shredded Cabbage
• 1 C Chopped Dill Pickles
• 3⁄4 C Good Mayo
• 1⁄2 t Paprika
“When I was growing up my mom used to make coleslaw with dill pickles. Whenever we would have fried fish she would make this slaw. I remember we had this aluminum bowl that had extra wing-like handles and she always made her slaw in that bowl. She would sprinkle paprika on top of it and it was my favorite thing.”
Homecoming & Company is known for its refined but no frills, familiar, and locally-sourced Southern cooking, a true reflection of Chef and Owner Jessica Hanners. Staples like her famously perfected Collard Greens inspired by her time in the Carolinas, square buttermilk biscuits taken from her childhood and experience as a brunch chef, and Pimento Cheese made with roasted red peppers are all made from scratch, the way food should be. These items and everything else on the menu at Homecoming are a compilation of Jessica’s experiences growing up in Marshall county and her
travels around the world, and from her creative, curious nature.
“I feel super blessed and lucky to live in a community that is so supportive and to be so close to my family. Having that support is so crucial and key. I know people say it takes a village all the time, but it really does. We are focusing on growth for the business, health for myself and my family, and maybe making a difference in local food ways at the same time.”
Homecoming and Company
3637 Lake Guntersville Park Dr., Guntersville, Al 35976 (256) 202-1880
Hours:
Monday: Closed Tues., Wed., & Sunday: 7 am - 3 pm (Breakfast & Lunch)
Thurs, Fri, & Sat.: 7 am - 8 pm (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
www.homecomingandco.com
Social media: @homecomingandco
Good Life Magazine
• 8 C All Purpose Flour
• 4 T Baking Powder
• 1 t Baking Soda
• 4 t Salt
• 12 oz butter, very cold and grated
• 4 C Very cold buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400.
Add dry ingredients to a bowl and “cut in” butter until the grated butter pieces are coated in the flour. (Be careful not to handle the butter too much and warm it with your hands).
Add in buttermilk and stir in with your hands until the dough begins to stick together.
Dump the dough out on a floured surface.
“Fold the dough over on itself 5 to 6 times until it really comes together.. DO NOT knead the dough, you will activate the gluten and the biscuits will be tough.
Press the dough out to about 1.5 inches into a rectangle preferably. Cut out 20 biscuits with a knife or pizza cutter. Put biscuits onto a baking sheet an inch apart. Cook for 8 minutes then turn and cook for 8 more.
Story and photos
by Hudson SheltonIt’slate December, the sun is setting on the coldest day of the coldest cold front in recent memory, and the mercury continues to plunge into single digits. The wind howls from every direction through the surrounding trees, whipping giant branches around like twigs high above. In between gusts, the woods are eerily quiet as the creatures of the forest take shelter from the brutal freeze. Under most circumstances this might sound like a horror story, but not when you find yourself in the heated comfort of a luxury treehouse.
Just under 50 miles from downtown Cullman and fifteen minutes north of Guntersville, ReTreet’s resort-style treehouses serve as a perfect weekend getaway, no matter the reading on the thermostat. Using the winding shores of Lake Guntersville as your guide up Highway 79, six cabins suddenly appear, appropriately named Oak, Maple, Magnolia, Birch, Willow and Pine, descending deeper and deeper into the trees.
Completed in spring 2022, ReTreet’s six identical two-story treehouses are decked out with a kingsized bed, a pull-out sofa, a coffee and tea station and the largest shower you
would ever expect to be in a treehouse. There is WiFi in each and a TV on both levels in case you need to get cozy during rainy or chilly weather. A microwave and a refrigerator, stocked with eggs from ReTreet’s founder and developer, Troy Hopkins, property across the road, are there for those who pack food and beverages for the trip. A large common area with a grill and fire pit are perfect for gatherings with friends and family. The property also includes a 9-hole disc golf course and a gated dog park large enough for any size dog to get up to some serious speed. You can’t beat your pup being able to have their own adventure too.
I took my girlfriend, Emily, her sister, Rachel, and their parents’ 11-year-old black pug named Jack, along for the ride. At the start, the girls were not as excited about the trip as Jack was, even though I had explained to them the best way I knew how that this was not going to be a “roughin it in the woods” type of weekend. When our own personal, gas-powered golf cart
was waiting for us upon arrival, and the girls got their first look at the treehouses, I could see their concerns beginning to fade from their faces. “I really thought you had been lying to us! This is nice!”
After getting settled, we decided that we would treat ourselves to a beer in town. We made the drive into Guntersville and did not have to go far to find what we were looking for. The bright lights of City Harbor, Guntersville’s new entertainment venue, appear as we cross over the bridge into town. Bingo! The first stop was The Brewer’s Co-Op, where we tasted from a flight of some local beers, from
“City Harbor was our host for dinner and drinks, and then for coffee and pancakes at breakfast the next morning. The view of the lake is tough to beat.”
the water and listened to live music underneath a giant space heater.
Back to the treehouse we went to reunite with the pug and get cozy under a thick blanket. Movie time. We loaded onto the couch and were in for the night.
an abundance of choices, and debated which ones we liked the best. We had to get a second flight, of course, to ensure we were being scientifically accurate with our decision making.
We picked the Mexican eatery La Esquina Cocina as our dinner destination, which was convenient because it was across the parking lot from the Co-Op. The taco dinner and margaritas were just what the doctor ordered, and helped to warm us up as much as they possibly could. Considering the unusual Alabama Arctic temperature, our nightcap was at Levi’s On the Lake, where we looked out over
As an early riser, sunrises are the first treat of my day, and watching the sun rise through the large window of the treehouse was nothing short of spectacular. We woke up, drank some coffee, and were back on our way over the bridge for breakfast. This time we chose Another Broken Egg, also at City Harbor. The steamy stack of pancakes and crispy bacon ensured us the drive home would not be on an empty stomach.
This getaway was full of pleasant surprises, new restaurants, and several layers of wool clothing, and it was exactly what we all needed. I can recommend this getaway for anybody that has a sense of adventure and likes to live life on the edge. Not too far on the edge, though, you might fall out of the golf cart!
Good Living
Story by Hudson Shelton
Photos by Bob Blankenship and Hudson Shelton
Besidesa couple of young trees dotted across the lawn that minimally obscure the view, when you first see Milla Sach’s home on the lakefront of Buck Island in Guntersville, you can see straight to the lake. It was not always this way. Like so many others around Marshall County and across the state of Alabama, Milla experienced firsthand the amount of destruction that can result from a powerful tornado. On the morning of April 27, 2011, Milla says she did not hear or see anything that led her to believe that a tornado was brewing on the other side of Lake Guntersville. In a matter of seconds, the life she had known in her decades of living on this lot was turned upside down.
Milla was alerted to the tornado just before it made impact, and she dove into a downstairs closet of
her home with her dog at the time, Tanner. “I don’t remember a lot of noise because it just happened so fast,” Milla describes of that day, “but when I came out of the closet and looked up, there was no roof above my head.” A car that was parked in her drive way was sliced in half by one of the two-hundred trees she lost that day. “We always had a beautiful view, but not always
open like this because we were up in the pine trees. It was covered in pines and dogwoods, and with my dad being a landscape architect, it had all the beautiful azaleas and rhododendrons native to the area. It was such a beautiful spot, and it still is, it’s just different!” Milla exclaimed.
When Milla’s father, Cullen McCord, moved his family to
Guntersville to work for TVA when she was just six months old, he was tasked with laying out and divvying up all of the new subdivisions around the lake. He had his eye on this particular lot from the beginning, but was not allowed to own it because of his association with the TVA, so his brother bought it and held onto it until Cullen could buy the lot for himself to build his own log cabin
Every member of the Sachs clan has to earn their way to the big table.
in 1949. “My dad and his carpenter buddy, Ray Jones, built the original block cabin foundation that we are still on today and have had two rebuilds on,” Milla said.
Milla’s late husband of 35 years, Tom Sachs who passed away in 2006, was a custom-home builder in
Vail (where they met), San Diego, and Guntersville. Having a father with a background in landscape architecture and a custom-home building husband, Milla was always surrounded by people who knew how to design and remodel homes and landscapes. Milla’s parents
The stove and pantry doors in the kitchen survived the damage from the tornado.
remodeled the cabin and moved from town to live permanently in 1965. When Milla and Tom moved to Guntersville from San Diego in 1986 to look after her father, they remodeled it again three years later. After the 2011 tornado, Milla found
herself for the first time having to build a home from scratch without the influence of those two, but had an idea of the way she wanted it to look in her head and started from there.
“You’ll notice the house is filled with horses, Indian artifacts from
Colorado, and, of course, Auburn stuff,” Milla grins as she points to a “War Eagle” towel that hangs from her stove. She said she prayed a couple of nights after the tornado and asked the Lord what she should do and who she should ask to help
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To become an advertiser, call Hudson Shelton at 256-345-2968.
her rebuild. “The next day I walked outside and this big guy walked over and said ‘hello Miss Milla my name is David Prince and I sure would like to build your house’ and then I asked him about an architect and he said Ned Jones, and we didn’t have to have a full set plan,” Milla described. She had her team in place. Milla spent a year during the rebuild in a house at Gunter’s Landing surrounded by the furniture she was able to salvage and just thankful to have made it out of the tornado alive.
Milla’s favorite place on earth is in the mountains, specifically the mountains around Vail, Colorado, where she married and gave birth to her firstborn, Cord. Stepping into Milla’s home gives you the sense that you have just skiied in off the slopes
where a roaring fire and hot chocolate await your tired body. She built the home with her family in mind. During the holidays, it is packed with her two children, Cord and Tegan, and her nine grandchildren. A dining room table with a breathtaking view of the lake outside can seat every family member, but Milla stresses that to sit at the table is a right you have to earn. “One Christmas I wanted to have a fancy meal and allow everybody to sit around the table. Half way through the meal I looked over and saw a pair of legs standing straight up from under the table cloth and I decided then and there that the young ones were not going to make it for a real long time.” Lesson learned.
When the house is full, every bed has an occupant, but when it’s just
Milla, she says she spends most of her time on the beautiful screened-in porch out back overlooking her boathouse and the lake. “This is my favorite part of the house when the weather is good. I will come out here and talk on the phone or read and just sit and watch the birds or the sunset for hours.” With a view of the lake like Milla’s, it sure would be tough to leave.
Milla’s self-described “mountain house on the lake” is one that combines all the favorite memories she has experienced and the places she has lived. At times it can be a place of solitude, but during others it can be an absolute madhouse. No matter the occasion, Milla feels right at home, here in her mountain house on the lake. Good Life Magazine
Story by David Myers
Photos by Hudson Shelton
and I found a jewel at the fabulous Guntersville City Harbor Development. I hadn’t realized how much I appreciated Mexican cuisine until we strolled into La Esquina Cocina on Thursday evening. The eatery’s name translates to ‘The Corner Kitchen’ and that tag corresponds nicely with its setting at the corner of the harbor structure. What can be better than enjoying a dinner of authentic Oaxacan family recipes? Doing so overlooking Lake Guntersville.This is a setting that continues to intrigue this New Orleans boy.
Manager Kristen Packer was candid when sharing the vision of a
“Modern Mexican passion project,” an establishment that is a little fancy and upscale yet true to the family roots. We found the menu to be well presented and nicely detailed. Each dish included a suggested wine-pairing from an impressive list of selections.
Edna took care of us for the evening and Kristen checked on us regularly. We did indeed ask for recommendations and the ladies were forthcoming.
We started with a few suggested items from the Tapas and Small Plates section. There were three choices of Empanadas: De Carne, De Pollo and
De Pescado. These were lightly fried turnovers with fillings of beef, chicken or fish. Each stuffing included its own sauce or cream. It was a fantastic start to our dinner. Rose was determined to have me declare a favorite from among the three empanadas. I simply can’t. I loved all three. Something I will applaud, though, is the delightful cilantro cream that accompanied the Empanadas De Pollo.
As we awaited round-two we sat and enjoyed the eatery’s ambiance. The mood was friendly, well-lit and relaxing. Servers moved seamlessly to and from the kitchen. A polished and well-stocked
bar occupied one wall of the room. An attractive and well-dressed family came in and were seated a couple of tables over. They appeared to be celebrating an occasion, perhaps a birthday. We continued to enjoy our view out over Lake Guntersville.
Following our great start to the evening, the Taco Plate page of the menu caught our eye. The plates offered a choice of three tacos from the list. Kristin and Edna were in agreement as to their three favorites.
First up was the Cochinita Pibil. This taco featured a portion of twenty-four hour marinated, slow-roasted pork with achiote and chiles anchos. We mixed things up a little for our second taco. The Asian Taco boasted glazed pork with jicama slaw, cucumber and scallions. Our third took yet another interesting turn. Our hostess had recommended the Fried or Fresh Avocado taco. Our dilemma: fried or fresh? Edna recommended the fresh and that’s what we selected. The taco contained, in addition to fresh avocado, arugula, corn salsa, serrano mayo and bits of bacon. It was a great choice.
Portions of rice and Peruvian refried beans accompanied the taco plate. The Peruvian beans seemed to offer a smoother
and silkier texture than traditional pintos. I think we can say we hit the trifecta with this combination.
In the midst of our taco enjoyment, a Shrimp Bowl arrived. It turned out to be as delicious as it was lovely. Besides shrimp there were colorful offerings of rice, lettuce, corn salsa, cheese, avocado and more.
At the finale, we sampled two desserts, both outstanding. My favorite was Tres Leches, a piece of light sponge steeped in sweet milk with a hint of rum. Everyone else present claimed the Flourless Chocolate Cake as their favorite. I’d say you can’t go wrong either way.
La Esquina Cocina presents special offerings for each weekday. Each Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm Social Hour offers special pricing on Margaritas, Select Draft Beer and the House vintages. There’s also specials on Social Hour Bites.
But there’s more. Mondays feature the Social Hour offerings all day.
It gets better. Tamale Tuesday features handmade tamales for five dollars.
Then we have Wine-down Wednesday. Bottles of wine are half price and, because the Harbor is within the city’s entertainment district, any wine left can be recorked and taken home. At about the time Kristen mentioned the Wednesday wine special, my eyes landed on the word “Charcuterie” just below the small plate listing. See y’all Wednesday.
By the way, the restaurant has a walkup in front for takeout food and beverages.
La Esquina Cocina is indeed a jewel. The restaurant hours are 11am to 8:30 pm on Monday through Thursday and 11am through 9 pm on Friday and Saturday. Dark on Sunday. G
Mywife and I attended our granddaughter’s graduation ceremony on a spring night at Arab High School. Like many people in attendance, I watched with mixed emotions.
My wife and I beamed with pride as our granddaughter, Katelin, and her classmates walked to the fifty yard line of the football field to receive their diplomas. Many of the graduates were not only classmates, but Katelin’s closest friends.
It was hard not to drift back in time to my graduation ceremony 48 years earlier in the new gymnasium a couple of hundred yards away. Yes the “new” gym is now 48-years-old as well.
I recalled the future dreams my classmates and I had that night. No doubt, we would continue to share our dreams together just like we always had. Why would anything change?
Unfortunately, old age and the wear of time have taught me many things over the past half-century ... things I am not so anxious to share with my granddaughter and her friends.
What they do not realize is that their graduation ceremony will probably
be the last time they see many of their classmates.
Many will quickly move out of the area for various reasons. Some leave to attend college. Others go to work, but relocate to other cities or states to enhance their careers.
“A ragtag crew of pupils poses for a school-wide photo. Each student has their own story and their own set of dreams.”
Sadly, two or three of my classmates passed away within a few years of graduating.
Oh, they will still see or hear from those closest to them. They will run into others at various times over the years ... or maybe even work together for a while. But it will never be the same as the days they spent together dreaming away their future in a classroom.
It isn’t those I was closest to that I always think about. I can’t help but wonder what happened to those shy classmates who mostly stayed to themselves. They didn’t participate in the typical immature hi-jinks most teenagers delight in. Never grabbed a pom-pom and led a pep rally ... just sat in the back of the classroom and didn’t say much.
Even though my classmates and I shared many years of our lives with those bashful types, we didn’t really know that much about them ... and know even less now.
One of those graduates was a guy I will refer to as Paul, although that is not his real name. He did not graduate in my class, but three decades earlier.
Paul didn’t really have a chance in life when a doctor spanked him into this world on a frigid winter night.
He was doomed to a life of poverty and hand-me-down living. His dream of a better life wouldn’t come anytime soon. Even his smallest dreams never seemed to come true. He would have to pull himself up by the bootstraps more than once, but that’s hard to do when you have no boots.
Paul’s face was ruggedly homely with a shock of red, wiry hair combed over to one side. He was also tall and raw boned, his body made muscular from swinging a double bit ax and throwing square bales of hay into a barn loft while standing flat-footed on the ground.
Paul got his physical traits from his father - a man whose body and personality were both harder than the bark on a tree. His father was a drunk.
Not an alcoholic. He was a drunk. There is a difference.
His dad had a hair-trigger temper, especially when he was drinking. He liked to fight, and would often arrive home with the coppery smell of blood on his shirt. That was the only thing he brought home, however. His paycheck that was supposed to buy groceries, and maybe a few clothes, would always be gone.
Paul’s dad seemed to be in a race with the devil to see who would be the first to cross death’s finish line. The devil let him win. His dad died when Paul was in the sixth grade.
From that point forward it was just Paul and his mother. Of course, it really had always just been them anyway.
Now Paul was the man of the house, and he intended to give his mother the type life she deserved. She would suffer no more beatings from the hands of a drunk, or go hungry so her son could eat.
The local church Paul and his mother attended helped them as much as possible. Religious women with buns of hair stacked high atop their heads like a double-dip ice cream cone brought them blue mason jars full of fresh vegetables from their gardens, hand-stitched quilts and other household items they needed to survive.
But survive is all they did. There were times if it hadn’t been for the milk cow, they both would have probably starved. Others may have been worse off, but they didn’t make it.
Paul’s massive physique allowed him to hire out to neighbors and do labor intensive work, yet he was forced to become a man way too early in life. The gentle giant may have been six feet tall and weighed 185 pounds, but he was only 12 years old.
His mother only requested one thing from her son. She wanted him to be the first person in their family - on either side - to finish high school.
“A group of school boys clad in overalls grin for a picture”
Paul wanted to please his mother, so he attended school while doing chores for the neighbors in the evenings and on Saturdays.
School work wasn’t easy for Paul, but a persistent mother and a dedicated teacher enabled him to barely scrape by on his grades. It wasn’t that Paul was lazy or dumb - he was simply in an almost impossible situation for someone who had yet to reach their teens.
Still, he never complained ... just sat stone-faced in his desk on the back row of a classroom.
Another thing his classmates did not know was what Paul did before he made it to school each morning. He milked the cow, fed the chickens, gathered eggs and chopped wood so his mother could cook and stay warm during the long days of the bitter cold Alabama winter.
Paul may have had his father’s physique, but he inherited his mother’s mild demeanor, even though some said her demeanor was more submissive than mild.
That turned out to be a good thing for some of the boys in his class since a few of them would often pick on the quiet and timid Paul. The fact that the overgrown boy didn’t fight back made him an easy target.
His classmates made fun of his shyness. They made fun of his clothes. The elbows of every shirt and the knees in every pair of overalls had patches on them.
They were given to him by others, mostly men in his community who had outgrown them. There were only two sizes in Paul’s wardrobe - too large and too small.
Not that any of the boys in his class necessarily dressed any better than Paul, but a few delighted in the fact that someone was actually worse off than themselves. Paul had long ago grown accustomed to the torment those three or four righteous-thinking classmates bestowed on him.
Other classmates would have delighted in seeing the Paul Bunyan look-alike pick his tormentors up in his massive paws and throw them across the room like a bale of hay. And he could have, but he didn’t.
As always, Paul sat quietly as the high school principal called each graduates name in the auditorium that beautiful spring night. The students walked to the front of the stage and received their diploma as proud parents and grandparents stood and eagerly clapped their hands red in delight.
The audience grew quiet, however, when Paul’s name was called. It seemed as if no one had come to see him on this night that was to have been so special.
That was okay with Paul. He never expected to be bathed in a spotlight like movie stars.
Paul just wanted to get his diploma and go back to the hard scrabble farm on which he lived.
Then a frail, hollow-eyed woman slowly stood near the back of the auditorium and began slapping two limp hands together, her long bony fingers worn thin from sewing up holes in her son’s shirts and scrubbing the dirt and sweat out of his frayed overalls in a black wash pot.
Paul’s classmates may not have known much about him, but many audience members seemed to be familiar with Paul and his mother.
Groups of people suddenly began to stand in a wave-like fashion to applaud as the overgrown young man shook hands
with the principal and moved the tassel on his cap from the right side to the left.
Paul had a smile on his face the night he received his diploma. It was the first time anyone had ever seen him smile. And he had a right to smile.
It was the first time something had been given to him that wasn’t secondhand. It hadn’t belonged to someone else before being discarded to him. He had earned it himself.
Shortly after, the audience watched as his mother walked toward her son wearing a feed sack dress and the perpetual stoop in her back from hoeing too many years in a dusty field.
A twinkle could be seen coming from her dead eyes as she rubbed Paul’s diploma with her fingers like it was a bejeweled watch.
As is often the case, Paul’s classmates lost track of him shortly after graduation.
Paul moved away a couple of years later when his mother died. Some heard he joined the U.S. Army, but no one knew for sure.
I hope all of this year’s graduates are able to stay in touch with their classmates in the coming years. Believe it or not, you will appreciate your relationship more in the future than you do today.
But most of all ... don’t lose track of the Paul’s in your class.
Perchedhigh atop Gunter Mountain in Grant, Alabama, the Kate Duncan Smith Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) School has been a staple of the Grant and Marshall County communities for nearly 100 years. As one of only two remaining DAR schools across the country (the other being the Tamassee DAR School in Tamassee, South Carolina), the Kate Duncan Smith
DAR School is a unique public-private partnership between the local Marshall County School System and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. This relationship has evolved over time, but the partnership has helped facilitate the growth of the school from the original four-classroom building, to the present day campus of 40 buildings sprawled out across nearly 240 acres.
The location of the school was determined by its isolation on top of the mountain and the need for improved educational opportunities for the mountain boys and girls of the area. The school’s establishment can, obviously, be attributed to its namesake, Kate Duncan Smith. Born and raised in Alabama, Smith was a civic-minded individual who diligently served in many leadership
roles to help advance her goals. Smith was elected State Regent of the Alabama Society DAR in 1897, and along with her church, civic, literary, educational, and charitable responsibilities, served eight years as the President of the National Society of the Colonial Dames. It was during this time that Smith and her team scouted twenty-four potential locations across the state for the school, and ultimately settled on Grant.
Due to the difficulty in accessing the school in the early 20th century, it was originally intended to just serve the children of Grant, but as the decades rolled by and modern transportation made the school more accessible to the surrounding areas, it has opened its doors to the rest of Marshall County. “We have an open door policy now that states that as long as you are on the bus route or have other transportation to the school, you can attend here,” the DAR’s
Development Director, Jason Hodges explained. Jason is an alum of the school and has always had a sweet spot in his heart for the place he calls home.
The mascot of the DAR is the Patriots, and the school emphasizes patriotism, civic responsibility and the historical legacy of the school everywhere you look. A line taken directly from its Mission and Beliefs statement reads, “We believe, as did our founders, in maintaining the ‘same spirit of dedication to achievement, patriotic and moral values, and service to community and country on the campus today as it did in the early years of this unique educational experiment of the Daughters of the American Revolution.’” When you have a conversation with former DAR students, patriotism is one of the first words out of their mouths.
Betty Moore, from Grant, remembers fondly her time at the school. Starting
in 1947 and finishing in 1959, Betty experienced the full K-12 curriculum from start to finish. “Back in those days we had smaller class sizes, so I graduated with 28 people in my class out of a total of 400 at the school,” Betty said. The school now dwarfs the population of Grant, which according to the 2020 census had a population just above 1,000, while the school boasts an enrollment of 1,400 K-12 today. “One of the most fun things I remember from my time was that we got our milk from our own cows on campus. Some of the younger students would come around and deliver everybody’s milk every day,” Betty described, “and some of our students in the Future Farmers of America course were involved in designing the pasteurization systems we still use today,” she added.
Each student at the school stands up and recites the pledge of allegiance to the
I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.
flag every morning and The American’s Creed is drilled into them from a young age. James and Pauly Fuell, also from Grant, who met at the school in the 60’s and married soon after, hope that these are traditions that will not fall by the wayside. “I think the values this school instills in people need to be taught in every school in the United States,” Pauly said as she sat beneath a portrait of George Washington. “I worry that we are forgetting where we came from as a country, but I am always proud to come to sporting events on campus to hear the student section sing the national
anthem,” James added. Another tradition unique to the school is its Constitution Week. This week is spent fully immersed in patriotic curriculum, and as part of the experience, two students are selected to represent the school in Washington, D.C. at the Continental Congress.
Also included in the schools Missions and Beliefs is an emphasis on preserving the history of the campus. The campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and boasts several unique buildings. Stones were originally quarried from Kennamer Cove and brought up the mountain by horse and buggy. “My granddaddy was one of the men who built the first building on campus. To show appreciation to the DAR, the ladies of the community brought what they called ‘dinner on the ground’ and we still do reception lunches every October for Dedication Day because of this,” Pauly said.
As the Kate Duncan Smith DAR School approaches the 100-year anniversary of its dedication, it continues to look ahead to the next 100 years of education, tradition, patriotism and history. The school is uniquely woven and ingrained into the hearts of its students and graduates and has become a major force in the development of the local population educationally, economically, socially, physically, and spiritually over time. Kate Duncan Smith had a vision in mind when she first dreamt of establishing this school, and Grant and Marshall County are better for it. Here is to the next 100 years of “The Gem of Gunter Mountain.”
Those interested in taking part or donating to the schools 100th Anniversary Project can reach out to Jason Hodges at jhodges@nehp.com, or give him a call: (256)728-4236.
Good Life Magazine
You learn something new every day! Albertville has perfected the fire hydrant.
Railroad transport has been a pivotal part of Marshall County’s history, and still continues to be a major player in its economy.
The sailboats at the Lake Guntersville Sailing Club are ready for another season of catching wind in their sails.
A man fishes in front of the roaring water of Guntersville Dam in the background. This is also a favorite fishing spot for birds!
With 200-plus physicians, 26 specialties, two full-service hospitals, a Cancer Care Center and convenient outpatient services, Marshall Medical stays at the forefront of healthcare in both quantity and quality. We attract good doctors and other professionals. And we continually invest in technology that gives you every advantage for diagnosis and treatment. From routine check-ups to specialized care, Marshall Medical o ers many convenient options. And, our a liation with the Huntsville Hospital Health System means even greater resources for our community commitment.
With 200-plus physicians, 26 specialties, two full-service hospitals, a Cancer Care Center and convenient outpatient services, Marshall Medical stays at the forefront of healthcare in both quantity and quality. We attract good doctors and other professionals. And we continually invest in technology that gives you every advantage for diagnosis and treatment. From routine check-ups to specialized care, Marshall Medical o ers many convenient options. And, our a liation with the Huntsville Hospital Health System means even greater resources for our community commitment.
256.571.8925
(256.753.8925 for Arab area residents) mmcenters.com
256.571.8925
(256.753.8925 for Arab area residents) mmcenters.com
