MARSHALL COUNTY
Which is more amazing? The Hicks’ house or their journey to get there?
See B.B. Hudspeth’s wild collection of western TV/movie memorabilia SUMMER 2022 | COMPLIMENTARY
Boaz volunteers had a race for history in completing city’s new museum
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Welcome
Non-news finding – ‘good life’ on the rise in Marshall County
I
t’s late April and I’m doing what I always do this time of year – wrapping up ads, writing, editing, shooting pix and gathering events for the summer issue of Marshall County GLM. Except it hits me today what’s out of the ordinary this time – a lot more good stuff is happening. I’m not talking about news – I’m out of that business. I’m talking about good, positive things. More, it seems, than the good ole’ BC (before Covid) days. For starts, this issue has tons of events from the usual suspects – Mountain Valley Arts, Whole Backstage, chambers of commerce, Guntersville Museum ... Plus
we have a big slate of concerts at Sand Mountain Park. It would take 10 more pages to include all of the sporting events. Speaking of ... for several years I wondered about the full parking lot I’d see on weekends at Supreme Courts, west of the Ala. 69 causeway. If you wondered, too, see our story on page 58. In what I am guessing will become an annual event, folks with Keep Albertville Beautiful are sponsoring a garden tour in June. Not many things more beautiful ... Plus, we have City Harbor hustling to open its impressive multi-use development. Among other attractions, it will offer four new restaurants (read about one on page
46); a brewpub that will give us a second brewery; and an acre of boardwalks and decks from which to enjoy the lake. I mentioned Guntersville Museum. Arab, Albertville and Grant also have really nice museums, and by the time you read this, Boaz Legacy Museum will have opened next to city hall (page 50). There’s more too, not the least of which is HydroFest (pages 74-75), which makes us the fastest water in the South. It’s all of the above – and so much more – that make me glad Sheila McAnear and I started Good Life Magazine.
Contributors David Myers was born and raised in New Orleans amidst the festivities and food for which the Crescent City is famous. He and wife Rose are excited to share reviews of our local eateries, especially considering our steady increase in excellent dining options. Editor: I need contributor blurb info. Seth: We got a new rescue puppy, name’s Jasper, my girls adore him ... I’m look forward to getting my kayak and paddle board out when it’s warm ... I don’t know. Dealer’s choice. Editor: Fine. I can handle it.
Besides GLM book reviews and serving as a proofreader, Deb Laslie is also known for occasional words of wisdom. To wit: “They say money can’t buy happiness. But I have a receipt from the bookstore telling a whole different story.”
Ad/art director Sheila McAnear grew up with three brothers, has three sons and now gets to welcome a daughter-in-law to her family this summer. Kiah Ingham and Sheila’s youngest son, Terry, will marry in May. “Finally,” she says with delight, “another girl!”
Mo Mc PUBLISHING LLC
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MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
With gas prices high, Steve Maze of New Canaan decided to write about the days of gas rationing for this issue. “I started riding my mule since the price of gasoline is so expensive. My fuel cost has gone down, but emissions are much higher...” When mother of four and freelancer Jacquelyn Hall isn’t occupied with the metaphorical spinning plates of everyday life, she enjoys trips into the fictional worlds of her favorite authors, and cooking dishes from those stories.”
David Moore readily confesses that, for a writer, he’s not always the greatest observer of the arcane details that make life so interesting. But he did have this recent insight: Grass always grows faster when one is busy with magazine deadlines.
David F. Moore Publisher/editor | 256-293-0888 david.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com
Vol. 9 No. 3 Copyright 2022 Published quarterly
Sheila T. McAnear Advertising/art director | 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com
MoMc Publishing LLC P.O. Box 28, Arab, Al 35016 www.good-life-magazine.net
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Inside 11 | Good Fun
With summer comes tons of activities for you and the family
16 | Good People
Shepherd’s Cove’s former CEO talks about the soul of hospice
22 | Good Reads
In search of an adventure; and finding we all have some wings
25 | Good Cooking
Retired attorney-turned cook Dave Beuoy shares some recipes
35 | Good Getaways
In search of an adventure; and finding we all have some wings
38 | Both amazing
Jody and Kenyala Hicks’ house and their journey there are pretty wild
46 | Good Eats
The Wake Eatery is open at City Harbor on a tasty, fun note
48 | Pain at the pump Yep, gas prices are way up, but at least it’s not rationed
50 | A new ‘Legacy’
Boaz’s museum is open, but like history it’s not yet complete
58 | Supreme Courts
Jonathan Hyde shares his skills and passion with young athletes
66 | Wild West lives
B.B. Hudspeth’s collection packed with TV and movie memorabilia
74 | Out ‘n’ About
Crank the hydroplanes and buckle up for racing on Lake Guntersville On the cover | Donna Prickett of Grant photographed early morning at Browns Creek. This page | Grace Jackson, in this circa 1940 photo from Boaz Legacy Museum, worked for South Central Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co.
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Trey and his dad, Stephen Frazier, at City Harbor where their company, Flexx Welding & Fabrication installed about a mile of railing.
Albertville, AL
Flexx builds with strength, precision and beauty The “industrial look” is in high-demand today for commercial as well as residential clients. The style offers at least three excellent reasons to use it: strength, precision and beauty. At Flexx Welding & Fabrication in Albertville, those qualities are built into every job owners Stephen Frazier and his son, Trey, undertake. Their attitude is as simple as, well, I-II-III. “We followed in my father’s footsteps,” says Stephen, who grew up and lives in Guntersville. His dad, Rocky Stephen Frazier I, still has a business in Albertville and formerly welded for TVA, the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant being one of his projects. Stephen laughs and confesses that he’s actually Rocky Stephen Frazier II – aka Bubba – and Trey is Rocky Stephen Frazier III. “Our specialty has always been service food processing plants,” Stephen says. “What
we do now is an outgrowth of that.” That outgrowth started when developer Patrick Lawler, familiar with the work Flexx does, hired the company to install nearly a full mile of railing at his stunning City Harbor project on Lake Guntersville – not to mention stairs, light fixtures, awnings, the pylon base plates on which the development is built. They also erected the stand and hung the big red sign announcing City Harbor. “Residential and commercial contractors saw our work and started asking us about doing projects for them,” Stephen says. “We specialize in all types of metal fabrication and machine work and handle stainless, aluminum and carbon steel. It’s turn-key work, and we don’t mind traveling.” He and Trey – who does engineering and design – are willing to work with any individual or contractor ... assuming they want strength, precision and beauty.
The Edge house in Albertville has floating stairs designed and installed by Flexx. And Flexx did the railing for the new Martin house in Guntersville built by Green Contracting. Offices and plants in Albertville
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The Monteverde cloud forest is on the itinerary for the Albertville Chamber trip. Anyone is welcome to register.
Looking for something to do? • Now-July 27 – Sign up to visit Costa Rica Kick off 2023 with a fabulous trip to Costa Rica Jan. 14-22. Sponsored by the Albertville Chamber of Commerce, highlights include San Jose, a coffee plantation, the beaches of Guanacaste, visiting the Monteverde cloud forest, taking in the mountains at Arenal volcano, cruising Lake Arenal, riverboating into the Cano Negro Refuge and being enchanted in the town of Zarcero. Options are available from spa treatments to kayaking, zip-lining and snorkeling. Add on another three-night adventure in Tortuguero National Park, the Amazon of Costa Rica, for $549. Cost per person is $2,548 double occupancy, $3,048, single and $2,518 triple. Includes eight nights at great hotels, 14 meals, round trip air from Birmingham, air taxes and fees, surcharges and hotel transfers. A deposit of $600 per person is
due upon reservation. Reservations are made on a first come, first served basis. Reservations made after the $600 deposit due date of July 7 based upon availability; final payment due by Nov. 15. Deposits refundable until July 14. Cancellation waiver and insurance available: $399 per person. For more information contact: Kathy Gore, Albertville Chamber of Commerce, 256-878-3821; or kathy@ albertvillechamberofcommerce.com; or visit the chamber website. • Now-May 27 – Fabric arts exhibit In addition to its monthly exhibit of six quilts, the Mountain Valley Arts Council Gallery will feature all fabric (and thread) arts made by local artists. Art Talks will feature a fabric artist on Thursday, May 19, 12:30-1:30 pm. The MVAC gallery, at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville, is open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday.
Good Fun For more info: www.mvcarts.org; or: 256-571-7199. • May: 18 – Last free concert Southern Heart will play the last concert of the spring/summer Mountain Valley Arts Council free concert series. The group plays a variety of country, Southern rock and blues, heavily influenced by Southern gospel and bluegrass. They will play 6:30-8:30 pm at the Errol Allan Park in downtown Guntersville. If weather’s inclement, show will move to Bakers on Main. For more info: www.mvcarts.org; or call: 256- 571-7199 or Kim Klueger, 256656-6128. • May 20 – Tacos & Tequila Festival Nelly will be making it “Hot in Herre” at Sand Mountain Amphitheater. Also on stage, from 6:30-10 pm will be Chingy, Baby Bash and DJ Skirbble. Rapper, singer, actor and MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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entrepreneur, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with the album “Country Grammar, which hit #1 on the Billboard 200 but produced two top 10 hits and sold over 8.4 million copies in the U.S. With six #1 hits, including “Hot in Herre” “Dilemma,” Nelly owned the hip-hop scene in the 2000s. SRO party pit passes are $54 (plus fees); other tickets are $34 and up and available at: sandmountainamphitheater.com • May 21 – Live to Rock Festival Skid Row went at hard rock and metal full bore in the late ‘80s with Top 10 singles with “I Remember You” and “18 and Life.” Next, “Slave to the Grind” debuted at # 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Skid Row returned to the big stage in 2000 opening for Kiss in 2000. They’ll be joined with more full-bore rock by Winger and Quiet Riot, who will all be at the Sand Mountain Amphitheater to rock you from 7-10:30 pm. Tickets are $40-$64 (plus fees) at: sandmountainamphitheater.com. • June 1-30 Art by Men
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Back by popular demand, this Mountain Valley Arts Council exhibit drew over 25 artists with a wide variety of mediums from quilts, paintings and woodworking to cigar box guitars. The reception for this year’s artists will be 5:30-7 pm, June 14 at the MVAC gallery at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville. It’s open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday. For more info: www. mvcarts.org; or: 256-571-7199. • June 2-Aug. 31 – Western Memorabilia Collection See this special exhibit at the Guntersville Museum drawn from B.B. Hudspeth’s massive collection of memorabilia from the likes of “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “True Grit,” “Dances with Wolves” and more. (For more, see story starting on page 66.) The museum is open 10 am-4 pm Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Admittance is free. For more information, call: Guntersville Museum, 256-571-7597. • June 4 – 3 Doors Down/Fuel 3 Doors Down and Fuel will hit the
Sand Mountain Amphitheater stage starting at 7 pm. 3 Doors racked up a string of post-grunge singles in 2000s, most notably “Kryptonite,” “When I’m Gone” and the ballad “Here Without You.” Recognized as one of the top rock bands of the past 25 years, the Mississippi group’s many accolades include selling 30 million albums globally, receiving three Grammy nominations and winning two American Music Awards and five BMI Pop Awards. • June 5 – Albertville Garden Tour Volunteers with Keep Albertville Beautiful will hold their first garden tour from 1-5 pm. The self-guided tour will feature six home gardens, an outdoor event venue, a church garden and the recently-restored Kathryn’s Garden behind the Albertville Public Library, located at 200 Jackson Street. Tickets – $10 per person – will be sold at a pavilion adjacent to the library parking lot. Well-behaved children are welcome but no pets. The tour will begin at Kathryn’s Garden, which is walled in the Williamsburg style, with brick walkways,
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central turf area. Perimeter beds feature a symmetrical landscape of small trees, shrubs and perennials maintained by the Greenlawn Garden Club. Home gardens on this tour are a blend of the mighty, the modest, the geometrical and the flowing. Each offers something different – stately trees, unique shrubs, classic perennials, or heritage woodland plants to provide you with ideas, information and inspiration. Signage and helpful docents will be at each location. Comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes are advised. Addresses, a map and a brief description of each garden will be provided with your ticket. No restrooms are available at the tour sites. Rain date is Sunday, June 12. • June 10 – Boaz cruise-in Car, Jeep and Truck Cruise, 5-8 pm in front of the Boaz Chamber of Commerce. Cool vehicles, vintage music, food trucks and raffles. Free admission; cruise-in entries $10 per car. For more info, contact the chamber: boazchamberassist@gmail.com; 256593-8154.
One of the home gardens on the tour is that of Teresa Ferguson. She and her Albertville yard – awash in a virtual sea of hydrangeas – were featured in the fall, 2021 issue of Marshall County Good Life Magazine. • June 10-11 – American Made Music Festival Sand Mountain Amphitheater will
host this jam-packed artist lineup that includes: • Four-time CMA female vocalist of
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MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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Blackberry Smoke, Drake White and Read Southall Band. Tickets are $39$64 (plus fees) and are available at: sandmountainamphitheater.com.
Dailey & Vincent will bring Martina McBride and others to American Made Music Festival. the year award-winner Martina McBride; • Four-time CMA group of the year award-winner Diamond Rio; • Hit songwriter, original Statler Brothers member, and Country and Gospel Hall of Famer Jimmy Fortune. Also on stage will be Sweet Tea Trio, Jake Hoot and Jolly String Quartet. Country, bluegrass and gospel Grammy-nominated Dailey & Vincent started LandFest with sellout crowds in Denton, N.C. They expanded it in 2017 to a bigger venue in Hiawassee, Ga., and this year, re-branded it as the American Made Music Festival, the group expanded it again to five dates in four regional locations – and are kicking it off in Albertville. All ticket-buyers receive free-day passes to all park amenities, valid June 9-12. One-night tickets are $40; two-night packages range from $60$200. Tickets can be purchased at: sandmountainamphitheater.com. • June 17 – My People Tour Crowder, We the Kingdom, Anne Wilson and Patrick Mayberry American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, multiinstrumentalist and author, Crowder will top the billing for this inspirational evening at Sand Mountain Amphitheater starting at 7:30. Along with performing some of his biggest hits, Crowder welcomes We The Kingdom, 2021 Dove Awards “Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year.” The tour also features Anne Wilson, whose debut single “My Jesus” reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian 14
MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
Songs chart, and newcomer Patrick Mayberry. For info on special meetand-greet packages and to buy tickets, which start at $29.50, visit: sandmountainamphitheater.com. • June 17-26 – “Guys and Dolls” The Whole Backstage Theatre production, directed by Johnny Brewer, is an oddball romantic comedy playwright Damon Runyon set in a mythical New York City. Gambler Nathan Detroit tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. It’s a classic, starring Ashleigh Harris, Tony Wildfong, Megan Mitchell and John Everett Brewer. Shows June 17-18 and June 23-25 at 7 pm; June 10, 26 matinees at 2 pm. Tickets are $12 students, $18 seniors 55 and up and $20 adults – and can be ordered at: www.wholebackstage.com. For more info: 256-582-7469. • June 24 – Bourbon, Brews and BBQ For a great summer blast at Sand Mountain Amphitheater, attend this music festival that will feature onsite bourbon, beer and barbecue sales starting at 6:30 pm. Wash it all down with live music from
• June 25 – Braves’ World Champions Trophy The Atlanta Braves’ World Champions Trophy is going on tour and making a stop at Sand Mountain Amphitheater. From noon to 3:30 pm. You will be able to celebrate the Braves historic 2021 World Series championship with an opportunity to take a photo with the Commissioner’s Trophy. Presented by Truist, this is a complimentary event for the community. • July 4 – Fireworks and music at the lake Enjoy the spectacular tradition exploding over Lake Guntersville in celebration of Independence Day. The Guntersville city-sponsored show starts about 9 pm. The best viewing area is between Lurleen B. Wallace Drive and Civitan Park, unless you have a boat. Before the fireworks, beginning at 7 pm, enjoy a free concert by Soul Survivor at the Jeff Cook stage at Civitan Park on Sunset Drive in Guntersville. Bleachers are available for seating or guests can bring their own folding chairs. Concessions are available and donations are accepted. Sponsored by the Mountain Valley Arts Council. • July 6-29 – America the Beautiful Also back by demand, the Mountain Valley Arts Council is inviting local artists and quilters to display their American-themed works. A reception for them will be held 5:30-7 pm, July 12, at the MVAC gallery at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville. It’s open 10 am-5 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-2 pm Saturday. For more info: www.mvcarts.org; or: 256-571-7199. • July 8 – Boaz cruise-in Car, Jeep and Truck Cruise, 5-8 pm in front of the Boaz Chamber of Commerce. Cool vehicles, vintage music, food trucks and raffles. Free admission; cruise-in entries $10 per car. For more info, contact the chamber: boazchamberassist@gmail.com; 256593-8154.
• Open now – Visit Tuscany You don’t have to a member of the Arab Chamber of Commerce to register for its trip to Tuscany March 8-16, 2023. One of the trip’s beauties – besides the rolling Tuscany landscape, the food, the wine and the Italian architecture – is unpacking one time. The famous resort town of Montecantini Terme is your base of operations. Spend seven nights in the elegant art nouveau environment of the 4-star Hotel Ercolini & Savi. From there you venture forth to the medieval town of Lucca; to Florence to visit to the Academy Gallery and see Michelangelo’s “David”; To Pisa to see its famed leaning tower; visit a cheese farm, a winery. And there is lot of free time and options to what you want. Book now and save $150 per person. Single rates are $3,399, doubles are $2,999 and triples are $2,969 per person. Rates include round trip air from Birmingham, air taxes and fees/surcharges, hotel transfers, seven breakfasts and three dinners ($399 cancellation waiver and insurance not included).
The central Italian countryside is but one of the attractions of Tuscany. Book a pre-tour extension for five days and three nights in Rome for only $999. A $600 deposit per person is due upon reservation, which is on a
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Good People
5questions Story and photo by David Moore
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n Oct. 9, 1989, Rhonda Osborne went to work as the first full-time, bedside nurse at Shepherd’s Cove Hospice. Four years later she became nursing supervisor for the non-profit agency, then served 27 years as its CEO before retiring March 1. That’s 32 and a half years of directly or indirectly assisting people during the final days of their life’s journey. It’s now the second week of March and for a moment Rhonda looks a little lost sitting in her comfortable living room in Albertville. “What was it … 10 days ago I retired? Nine? I heard,” she laughs, “that you can’t keep up with time when you retire.” She and her husband Ray were thinking of rescheduling a Mediterranean cruise they had to cancel back in 2001 because of the 9/11 attacks. Now they’re holding off because of Russia’s Ukrainian invasion. “But we don’t have to be in hurry,” says Rhonda, who has been toying with a tentative to-do list. Closets need cleaning, but what’s the rush there? Maybe she’ll start playing piano again. She enjoyed it in high school. Certainly, she’ll keep singing in the Albertville First United Methodist Church choir, but other than that … “I have not fully wrapped my brain around not having a work schedule,” says Rhonda. When she first went on the work schedule at the then seven-year-old Hospice of Marshall County, the limited staff was licensed to provide only homecare. Under Rhonda’s direction, the agency built a 10-bed inpatient unit, offices and community room, changed its name to Shepherd’s Cove Hospice. Now, with a staff of 90, at any given time it cares for 85-110 terminal patients and their 16
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Rhonda Osborne
Former CEO discusses the world of hospice and the soul of Shepherd’s Cove families in nine counties, totaling 600 patients last year. “Since 1995, we’ve served just over 14,000 patients in hospice programs,” Rhonda says. “And the concentric circles of impact expand to at least a family member or friend, sometimes 10 to 20 of them.” To that, one can add the annual impact of grief counseling that reaches 300 children in 64 schools across four counties, plus another at least 200 adults. Fair to say that, so far, a big part of Rhonda’s retirement has been catching her breath.
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honda’s early life had a Mayberry aura to it. “Opie and I are about the same age,” she says. She grew up in the county, New Harmony, a “suburb” of Asbury. She and her sister Deborah picked cotton on her dad’s farm until second grade when he bought a cotton-picker machine. She thought that would get her out of the hard, sweaty work, but he then sent them to work their uncle’s field. In her spare time, Rhonda not only learned to play piano, she also gave lessons to other kids. “It was not my gift,” she confesses. But singing at churches was, and by eighth grade she was performing solos. Later she sang in Jacksonville State University’s Baptist student choir. About 20 years ago, Rhonda sang solo during a Hospice memorial service at Boaz First Baptist. “Afterward, I saw my old piano teacher from, like, one hundred years ago and apologized for not sticking with piano,” she laughs. “She said, ‘I see you learned something.’” Andy Griffith’s TV comedy downplayed it, but death was a real aspect of county life back then. And it influenced Rhonda. “Living out in the country in the
‘50s and early ‘60s, funeral rituals were different than now,” she says. “People died at home. Bodies were brought home. I was exposed to that as a child. Death was a part of life.” As a ninth grader, she once sat with her ailing grandmother, who was sleeping on the couch. Rhonda knew she was ailing but didn’t know she was dying. “She suddenly raised her arms and said, ‘It won’t be long, I’m coming. I’m coming,’” Rhonda vividly recalls. “I thought she was dreaming.” Her grandmother died a few hours later. “I have seen that repeatedly with patients,” she says. “But I had that exposure to death growing up, and it helped shape me. Hospice was not as frightening to me as a nurse as it might be to some folks.”
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nother aspect of childhood affected Rhonda’s career path. “I wanted to be a nurse since third grade when I got a nursing kit with a Red Cross arm badge,” she says. “I never wavered. I always wanted to be a nurse.” Determination led her to a nursing degree from Jax State. In 1977 she graduated, married, moved and became a night-shift nurse at Redmond Park Hospital in Rome, Georgia, earning $4.56 per hour. “I thought I’d hit the jackpot,” she beams. “I was licensed in a few months and got a 50-cent raise.” One day over lunch with Dr. Gerald McCormick, an oncologist, they discussed the guilt they felt over putting cancer patients through futile treatment. He mentioned a relatively new concept – hospice – that enabled the terminal to die at home with compassionate care. The idea drifted from England to the United States during the 1970s and, in 1982, was legislated for Medicare coverage. The need for such care was furthered
SNAPSHOT: Rhonda Osborne
EARLY LIFE: Born 1955 in the old Albertville infirmary to Mack and Elowayne Slaton, both deceased. Older sister Deborah. Grew up in the New Harmony on Sand Mountain. EDUCATION: Attended elementary school at the old Whiton Junior High in DeKalb County and Asbury Jr. High. Graduated Albertville High, 1973; earned nursing degree from Jacksonville State University, 1977. FAMILY: Married a Georgia man, Gary Floyd, 1977; divorced 1989 and moved back to Albertville; two grown children: Jarrod Floyd of Rome, Ga. (wife Melanie; children Mac, 11, and Jay, 8); Anna Floyd of Albertville (children Bryson Shelton, 19, and Kade Shelton, 18). Rhonda married Ray Osborne in 1998; owns Cook and Sons Ace Hardware, Albertville; daughter Jo Ellen Jordan of Albertville has two grown children: Matthew Boomershine, 31, (wife, Rachael, daughter, Addeline, 1); and Mary Katherine Boomershine, 29. CAREER: Rhonda was an RN at Redmond Park Hospital in Rome, Ga., 1977-1989; broken by two years of community health work; worked three months in an Albertville doctor’s office; then was hired as Hospice of Marshall County’s first full-time bedside RN, October 1989; nurse supervisor, 1993; CEO of what would become Shepherd’s Cove Hospice, 1995; retired March 1, 2022. INVOLVEMENTS AND AWARDS: Member of Albertville First United Methodist Church; sings in the choir; Albertville Rotary; Polly Clark Award from the Alabama Hospice and Palliative Care Organization after serving as president for two years, 2010; inducted into the Albertville High School Hall of Fame for her hospice work, 2013; Director of Year for National Philanthropy Day by the Association of Fundraising Professionals; named Paul Harris Fellow in 2018.
sharpened for Rhonda when her 55-yearold father died of colon cancer in 1980. Rhonda divorced in 1989, returned home, worked in a doctor’s office a few months then hired on with Hospice of Marshall County, which was formed in 1982. She soon met her first homecare patient, who lived north of Arab in Oleander. “We had not been there long at all before I knew I loved it,” Rhonda says. “This was what I wanted. I saw hospice to be a type of nursing where I could also teach and educate patients and families. I quickly developed a trusting relationship with patients so I could give them hard, difficult information and still have them trust me to guide them down that end-oflife journey.” Rhonda could see relief on patient and family faces as she helped them understand what would happen, that there was medication for symptom relief, the supplies they needed – and that she could teach loved ones to provide this care. One family rejoiced aloud when she arrived: “The cavalry has arrived!” “I could see the relief on their faces just knowing they did not have to do this by themselves anymore,” Rhonda says. “They did not have to face it alone.”
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n 1995 Rhonda was named CEO of Hospice of Marshall County. The staff grew to 50 who were caring for 70 home patients. With a growing need for inpatient care, in 2001 she and the board began exploring the construction of Shepherd’s Cove. With the opening of the new 10bed facility in 2006, the agency now provided homecare and inpatient care. Hospice always admitted those with no insurance to pay for care, but the recession of 2007-09 increased the numbers. During the ensuing economic hangover, Rhonda and the board decided to open a thrift shop in 2011 as a new revenue stream. “I didn’t even know how to do this,” she says. “Few hospices nationally did it, but I got ideas, and within three months we had a location and an owner who helped pay for renovations and gave us two months free rent. We got a household of contents donated from a family estate and pickup trucks donated for hauling. 18
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“The Lord basically gave us all we needed. We were going gangbusters from day one.” The thrift shop continues, having expanded into its fifth location in Beck Plaza near the Boaz city limits. “People are great to give donations,” Rhonda says. “It has definitely allowed us to provide programs that are not reimbursed.” In 2017, with the agency now serving patients across Northeast Alabama, Marshall County was dropped from the name, and it became Shepherd’s Cove Hospice.
1.
It must take a certain type of person to work at Shepherd’s Cove. How can the staff do what they do, day after day, without falling into depression? It’s kind of cliché: “It takes a special person to do hospice care.” Early in my career I discounted that, but the longer I was in hospice, I realized that, yes, it does take a special person. It takes someone comfortable in their own skin and with their own mortality. Someone willing to teach and be with person after person who is on the end-of-life journey. Caregivers find ways to cope. For some, it’s their faith. Coping should include physical exercise, laughter, enjoying their own life. One thing Shepherd’s Cove does well is providing an internal support system so staff can talk about their hard times with patients, give encouragement to others, get to vent. Sometimes coping leads to more training. Another way we support staff … say, our bereavement team talked to Mrs. Smith, and she called out a certain staff member for doing something well. We pass that on. Give people a pat on the back and let them know they made a positive difference to someone. Staff that stay in hospice learn to accept that life is short for many people and take the attitude that, “If I can just make it better for them today, I can keep doing this. I can keep going on.” The national burnout average for a hospice nurse is two years, but a lot of our staff have been there five years and more. Shepherd’s Cove has always been pretty good at holding onto people, keeping them longer than some other areas do.
But handling the emotional side of the work is still a personal adaptation. I was always blessed by the patients. I learned so much from them about how to live. And how to die.
2.
Requiring the services of Shepherd’s Cove Hospice for a loved one is a tragic time; nonetheless, it seems one seldom if ever hears negative comments about their experience with the agency. What do you attribute that to? We don’t get a lot of complaints. I think it’s because we put a lot of time into staff development. We start from the very beginning with the attitude that we are there to be servants, to treat our patients as we would want our families treated. We begin on day one training staff with that mindset – serving with a servant’s heart. We have a philosophy that we treat every patient as we would want our own family treated. We try to ensure the personal values of all potential employees – and our volunteers – match our agency values. We have a set of values and talk about our culture. One value is reverence. It’s a hospice requirement to provide spiritual support. The regulations come from Medicare and insurance. Our regulations are in the Social Security Administration law. Spiritual support is not forced, but it has to be addressed and provided if desired. Our staff is not there to evangelize. We’ve taken care of all faiths, including those of no faith. We even once had satanic worshipers. Under my leadership we developed a value of reverence – acknowledge that there is a higher power. Different faiths might not call the higher power “God.” We do identify God as the higher power. It is not uncommon for us to have prayer in our staff meeting or for there to be prayer requests. But none of that is forced on staff or our volunteers. But before they’re interviewed, they have read and signed off on the values. Another factor in keeping down complaints is training. You can imagine that someone who has been told they are terminally ill might want to kick a dog, so to speak. You can imagine the
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emotions that someone in hospice might have. Or you have been told by someone your loved one is dying. We are not perfect. Sometimes patients and their families have complaints about care. We train the staff to listen to them. You validate what they are saying. If it’s important enough for them to be calling about a concern or complaint at 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s important enough for a supervisor to hear about it at 3 o’clock in the morning. We look at all complaints, valid or invalid. Some complaints might be based on something we do that’s required by regulations. If that’s the complaint, I’m sorry. I can’t do anything. But if the complaint is about the personality of someone on staff, or if we made a mistake, we address it really fast. Maybe you don’t hear about complaints in the community so much because we hire people who have a mindset of servitude, and we listen to complaints, take them seriously and address them promptly.
3.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in your years at Shepherd’s Cove? The biggest challenge was building the inpatient unit. I had “built” a house before, but this was huge. Building that size building threw me into a world totally out of my comfort zone. From fundraising to developing contacts in the political world, from the legislature to the governor’s office. I was making presentations and writing a 100-page federal grant documents and our certificate of need. I found later you hire an attorney to do some of those things. There were so many obstacles that someone smarter than me would have reached out to attorneys. But I thought I was supposed to do it, so I did it – with God’s help, fortunately, and a lot of people along the way, including Ray Osborne. Ray had a hardware store and previously had a construction company, so he was able to guide me in a lot of that. He also knew people I didn’t know, and introduced me to people I needed to know who became friends. Still, learning about prep sites, red iron and having to pick out things such as 20
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every door in that building and whatever kind of hardware it needed … that was a challenge. Along with dealing with architects, construction people, plumbing, electricity, HVAC and more. Some of the framing went up just before Hurricane Katrina storms hit and blew some of it over. And when it was finished, I had to open a unit that operated on a concept that was brand new to the area. Ray and I visited inpatient hospice units in several states trying to glean their knowledge. It was not totally my job – certainly I incorporated my board of directors, as I needed to do – but the bulk fell on me. That entire process – from the time the board decided to build the unit and administrative offices to the time we moved in – was five years. I tried to convey to the architects what we wanted. I wanted it to be a place of tranquility. I did not want people to drive by and say, “That is where you go to die,” but rather to say, “When I am dying, that is where I would like to go.” My brother in-law died there in 2014. My mother, we took care of her primarily through homecare hospice. So I have experience with hospice homecare and inpatient care as a clinician and as a family member. I got to see that training put into play for my own family: Treat everyone like you would your own family.
4.
What are your thoughts on nonprofit vs. for-profit hospices? When I started in hospice 32 years ago, 100 percent of all the agencies in Alabama were non-profits. If I recall correctly, there were 23 hospices in Alabama at the time. I don’t remember when we started seeing the for-profits, but we started having competitors in the late 90s, and all of those were for-profits. In 2020, Alabama had about 180 hospice offices and only 8 percent of those were non-profit. Some people would say the only difference is tax status. I think there is more to it. If you are a for-profit, your purpose is to make money. If you are a not-for-profit, your purpose is to serve people, and how you make the decisions to lead your agency is from a different
blueprint. For-profits and not-for-profits are different at the corporate level on how they administer their decisions. For Shepherd’s Cove, we have tried to find multiple ways to serve – inpatient, homecare, bereavement, even our thrift shop. All hospices, for-profit and non-profit, are under the same regulation. All are required to provide bereavement services. We have all of these actual bereavement programs, but what speaks loudly to me is that some for-profits simply have a directory of local grief services, and it is not uncommon that we are on that list. We put our money into these programs – our profit. We do not necessarily have a big bank account to pay fees if we are out of compliance with regulations. We had a homecare patient transfer to us from a for-profit because their response time would be several hours or sometimes the next day. Our policy is that we return a phone call within 15 minutes and make a visit within an hour, if it is needed. Our corporate is local. Corporate decisions are made locally. For most forprofits, the corporate office is not even in Alabama.
5.
What’s something most people don’t know about Rhonda Osborne? A lot of people see me as being decisive and competent – a CEO. Over time my self-confidence grew, but a lot of times I faked it until I made it. I got out of my comfort zone and forced myself to put one foot in front of the other when I wasn’t so confident. A lot of people also don’t know that when I moved back to Albertville, I loved rock climbing and rappelling. We’d go to Palisades Park in Blount County. Now I love zip-lining. My first time was at Lake Guntersville State Park. Since then, I have taken my oldest grandsons on separate zip-lining trips to Gatlinburg. Ray doesn’t want any part of it! You would think somebody hanging upside down, 150 feet up in the air, would be very confident. I don’t know about that, but it’s fun. Good Life Magazine
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Good Reads
‘The Road We Traveled’ offers a new meaning of hardship
Veronica Speedwell is off on a charming, fast-paced story
veryone loves a good story. And award-winning Jane Kirkpatrick gives us great ones. Stories of love and laughter, pain and heartache, good times celebrated and bad times overcome. But always, always her stories allow us to become a part of another life, another land, another experience that somehow “A life that is worth influences our own writing at all, is worth stories. writing minutely and “The Road We Traveled” introduces truthfully.” Longfellow. us to Tabby Brown, the She penned it in her “Mother of Oregon,” as memoir. This was a we travel from Missouri truth, but perhaps a along the Oregon Trail little embellishment now with her family. and then wouldn’t hurt “Hardship” has a new meaning for me either. A story should be after reading her story. interesting after all. (Could I have endured?) Go or stay? Which trails to follow? Known trails with known fears or new ones with uncertainty ahead? Decisions are made with love and a wisdom that comes from generations of family fortitude. With determination, a good shot of stubbornness and her indomitable spirit, Tabby’s journey to a new future allows her to discover her and her family’s unrealized strengths. We learn, too, that “family is stronger than fear.” Oh, and there’s Beatrice the chicken – every good story should have a chicken. We all have wings. – Deb Laslie
have been brought up to do good works and to conduct myself with propriety and decorum, and yet I am forever doing the unexpected. Something always gives me away for what I really am.” “And what are you, child?” “Miss Speedwell, I have “A woman in search of adventure.” hiked the length of the And so we meet Amazon River. I have Veronica Speedwell been accosted by native in Deanna Raybourn’s tribes and shot twice. I series starting with “A have nearly met my death Curious Beginning.” by quicksand, snakebite, I was delighted it finally worked its way poisoned arrows, and to the top of my pile. one particularly fiendish It’s a charming, well jaguar. And I have never, written story, fastuntil this moment, been paced plot with lots of quite so surprised by twists and turns and anything as I am by you.” believable characters I love (well, except for the bad guys). Best of all it made me smile. Miss Veronica Speedwell and her companion, the bad-tempered (but “well proportioned”) natural historian Stoker, apply their talents in hopes of determining just who is trying to kill her – and for heaven’s sake, why? She’s just a self-taught lepidopterist with a lethal hat pin and excellent manners. Enjoy! – Deb Laslie
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Good Cooking
After retiring, Dave Beuoy hits the spot cooking up a new dream Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore
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n attorney turned home chef, Dave Beuoy is proof that dreams can be achieved after retirement. He was born in Chicago. His father, Everett’s air defense job required the family to relocate from time to time. The opening of the Marshall Space Flight Center brought them to Huntsville when Dave was 14. Growing up, Dave’s mother Pat insisted on having him in the kitchen so she could teach him how to cook. She wanted to set him up for success in this area of life, he laughs, because Everett “couldn’t even boil water” and she wanted to make sure I didn’t follow suit. “I enjoyed it,” he adds. Pat extended the same experience to his younger siblings, Susie McLaughlin and Ed Beuoy. Dave’s law career was full and fulfilling. He had his own practice in Russellville for 10 years and then partnered in Arab with the former Burke and Beuoy, later Burke, Beuoy and Maze, for over 30 years. During that time he also served several years each as Arab prosecutor and city attorney. Rounding out his roles in the city, he was the municipal court judge for just shy of a decade. Retiring from his law practice in May 2017, Dave soon found himself bored and desiring to learn something. He found inspiration in the skills his mother taught him and the love he has for cooking, so he decided to go to culinary school.
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eighing his options between
Dave and Marsha Beuoy in their Arab kitchen with Juliet. Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and Drake State Community and Technical College in Huntsville, he decided on attending Drake State. “The Drake programs looked more interesting,” he says. “The way the courses were described was more intriguing. Drake also has vocational classes and certificates – you don’t have to get a full diploma.” He started in August 2017. The classes were hands on, cooking dishes with guidance from the instructors. There were generally no recipes. One instructor in particular would prepare a dish or full meal while the class observed and took notes. “Once he was done, the instructor would give us trays of ingredients and then tell us to go make a meal,” Dave says. His favorite classes were ones in which he was able to learn and hone specific skills and techniques. “We learned about all the uses of a chef’s knife,” he explains. This ranged from crushing garlic to the proper and most practical way to dice an onion. The most enlightening course, he says,
was the first one on meat preparation, and he now uses those skills as his go-to way of preparing meat dishes of all varieties. “It’s really easy,” he says. “You just brown the meat on the stovetop and then cook it the rest of the way in the oven.” This method is particularly useful for preparing chicken, so that it is cooked thoroughly. Dave utilizes the technique when preparing his crab-stuffed chicken breasts. Of the crab stuffing he says, “it’s so good, you can use it in pretty much any dish.”
D
uring his three-year, part-time attendance at Drake State, Dave gained some real world experience cooking for some of the general public. “We had some classes that would cook a meal for sale,” he says. “One day a week, Drake would open up the cafeteria and anyone could go in, and, for a reasonable fee, you could get a meal.” The school also provided opportunities to learn via hands-on experience what the world of catering is like. “Once a year we would cater for the Early Works Museum, which was an MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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SWEET-SOUR WATERMELON CUCUMBER SALAD ½ cup vinegar ½ cup sugar to taste 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped 3 cups seedless watermelon balls or small chunks 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into small slices 1 cup water 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds Salt and pepper to taste Mix: vinegar, water, sugar (adjusting as desired) and poppy seeds in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in scallions. Place watermelon and cucumbers in serving bowl and pour the marinade over the top. Toss gently before serving. May be served immediately or covered and refrigerated for 2-3 hours beforehand. CUCUMBER SHRIMP APPETIZER 1 8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained 1 4 oz. can tiny shrimp, drained and rinsed ¼ cup reduced fat mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. finely chopped green onion 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1½ tsp. fresh dill, minced 1 medium cucumber (about 8”) cut into ¼ inch slices Fresh dill sprigs, optional In a bowl, combine the pineapple, shrimp, mayonnaise, onion, mustard and dill. Spoon onto cucumber slices. Garnish with dill sprigs if desired. Makes 32. event with around 200 people,” he says. “We would also cook for special events like Valentine’s Day. The Drake State president would invite couples to dine, and on Veterans Day we would cook for the veterans on campus.” While wrapping up culinary school, he met Marsha on the Facebook dating app. For a time it was a long distance relationship, with Marsha in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Dave in Arab. They texted and called, then finally 26
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met in person on Dec. 26, 2019, in Fayetteville. They married in February 2020. The Covid pandemic, however, delayed any honeymoon. They were finally able to enjoy a cruise to Mexico in April 2022.
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he Beuoys are well prepared for hosting a summer get-together full of mouth-watering and refreshing recipes like his cucumber shrimp appetizer, ribs cooked in the oil-less turkey fryer
or on the smoker, serving them with Marsha’s favorite: sweet-sour watermelon cucumber salad. They can finish off the meal with alcohol-free key lime “shooters.” The newlyweds are well and properly settled in their Arab home where Dave is more than happy to spoil Marsha with his culinary skills. And she seems perfectly happy to let him. Good Life Magazine
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ONION PIE
ALL-PURPOSE CRAB STUFFING 1 large green onion, white and green parts, minced 2 Tbsp. roasted red peppers (or jarred minced pimentos) ½ lb. crab meat ²/³ cup fresh breadcrumbs (about two slices of white bread chopped in the food processor) 1 egg, beaten ½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning ⅓ cup mayonnaise 4 Tbsp. fresh parsley minced very finely Paprika for sprinkling lightly
1¼ cups Ritz cracker crumbs 6 Tbsp. melted butter 2 cups onions, thinly sliced 2 eggs ¾ cup milk ¾ tsp. salt Dash of black pepper ¼-½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese Mix the cracker crumbs with ½ stick melted butter. Press into an 8 inch pie plate. Chill. Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of butter. Spoon into chilled crust. Slightly mix the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper, and pour over the onions. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Excellent to use as stuffing for nearly any dish, particularly chicken breasts and pork chops.
TACO POTATO SALAD 3 lbs. white potatoes 2 cups mayonnaise 1 (1.25 oz.) packet taco seasoning mix 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ½ cup sliced scallions 1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained 2 cup coarse-crushed ranch-flavored 28
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tortilla chips Wash, peel and cut potatoes into quarters, and place in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and taco seasoning, mix well. Cut potatoes into ½ inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and remaining ingredients to potatoes and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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KEY LIME PIE SHOOTERS 4 oz. of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk Zest of 3 limes Juice of 3 limes 15 graham crackers, processed into crumbs Whipped cream for topping
Using a stand or electric mixer, combine cream cheese and condensed milk until well mixed. Add all the lime juice and half the zest. Mix to combine. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight. Layer the glasses with the mixture
and graham cracker crumbs, until you reach the top. Top with whipped cream and garnish with zest and lime wedge if desired. NOTE: If not serving immediately, wait until serving time to add the whipped cream.
THAI STEAK TACOS ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. chili garlic paste Zest and juice of 1 lime ½ cup mayonnaise 1 cup shredded green cabbage 6 radishes, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. fish sauce 1 tsp. toasted sesame seed oil 1 lb. boneless New York strip, sliced 1 Tbsp. Asian hot sauce 30
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1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks 8 corn tortillas ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, honey, fish sauce, chili garlic paste, sesame oil, lime juice and zest. Place steak in a 2 gallon resealable bag and pour in marinade. Refrigerate 3-6 hours. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and hot sauce. Set aside. In a medium bowl, toss together
cabbage, carrot, and radishes. Set vegetables aside. In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, warm 2-3 tortillas at a time, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean dish towel. Increase heat to high and heat olive oil in the same skillet. Add the steak and discard the marinade. Cook until seared, stirring for 3-5 minutes. Assemble tacos with the steak, reserved vegetables and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds.
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ROASTED POTATOES AND BELL PEPPERS 2 lbs. potatoes, russet or yellow gold are preferable 1 large green bell pepper 1 large red bell pepper 1 large red onion 1 large yellow onion 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1-3 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. sea salt Preheat oven to 400. Scrub potatoes and dry. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place in a colander and rinse in cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Cut peppers and onions into bite sized pieces. Place potatoes, peppers, and
CUBAN SLIDERS 24 pack Hawaiian rolls 1 package deli sliced ham 8 slices of Swiss cheese Dill pickles Dijon Spread 2 Tbsp. minced onion 1 stick melted butter 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9x13” pan. Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half, removing the top and placing the bottom half in the pan. Layer the meat, cheese and pickles. 32
Replace the top half of the rolls. Prepare Dijon spread by whisking together butter and mustard. Add the minced onion (can grate the onion to avoid the minced chunks), stir, then spread across the tops of the rolls. Cover the sliders with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until the rolls are toasted brown. Cut to separate the sliders and serve.
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onions in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and Italian seasoning to taste. Spray a 9x13” baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Add the vegetables to the prepared dish and place in the oven and bake 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender and slightly crispy.
DARN GOOD CORN SALAD 8 ears fresh corn (or 2 lbs. frozen, thawed and drained corn) ½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup cider vinegar 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley 2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. sugar ½ tsp. dried basil ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 2 large tomatoes, diced ½ cup chopped green bell pepper 2 scallions, thinly sliced Fill a soup pot about half-full
with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add corn, cover loosely, and return to a boil. Remove pot from heat and let stand 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Carefully drain and let cool. In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, parsley, salt, sugar, basil, lemon juice and cayenne pepper (if using), and mix well. With a chef’s knife or corn stripper, cut the kernels off the cobs and place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell pepper and scallions. Pour dressing over vegetables and mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
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• 10,000 issues of Good Life Magazine are given out free of charge throughout Marshall County. Our advertisers and other high traffic sites are the first to receive new publications. To become an advertiser, call us.
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This summer, just down the road near Blountsville, you can visit ...
Bloom-N-Pie Days Good Getaways Story and photos by David Moore
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his year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Bloom-N-Pie Days, an annual plant sale put on by DeLois Dunn and her son and daughter-in-law, Clay and Heather Dunn. If you are an avid daylily gardener, you have probably met DeLois, who, at her home south of Blountsville on Skyball Road, keeps an official American Hemerocallis Society Display Garden, an outgrowth of loving daylilies since 1984. Thousands of varieties exist, and the society introduces new hybrids of daylilies annually. “You always see another daylily you need,” DeLois laughs. And they can be expensive; she and her sister, Kathy, have paid up to $200 for one. Harold Dunn sort of gets credit for Bloom-N-Pie Days. He said DeLois, a prolific grower of most anything that blooms, needed to start selling daylilies to support her habit of collecting new ones. Somehow fried pies, made primarily from their own orchards, seemed to compliment the idea, and in 2002 DeLois held her first Bloom-N-Pie Days flower sale at their farm. It took root and continues to draw hundreds of folks for a summer outing. Initially it was held the
Clay Dunn jokingly says he’ll restore the 1880s house at Vintage Gardens when he wins the lottery. Fried pies, above, are good enough that visitors stand in line for them. MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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second weekend of June, but the Sunday event was dropped in favor of adding the third Saturday. Last year, however, on top of the continuing pandemic, DeLois broke her left wrist, handicapping her preparations for the event. “There’s a lot of weed-eating, grooming and watering to do,” she says. “I couldn’t get ready in time.” Clay, who lives next door, came to the rescue. A few years earlier he and Heather had bought the old Good family farm east of Blountsville. He wants to restore the 1880s house there as soon as he wins the lottery, but first he built a big barn, designing it more as a venue than for farm work. It would work well, he told DeLois, for Bloom-N-Pie Days. “It was a lot of fun,” says DeLois, who enjoys meeting the visitors and especially seeing daylily buddies she’s gotten to know over the years.
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he flower sale includes lots of lilies she’s propagated from her own stock. Last year, they sold out early; this year she’s been potting extras. She’ll also have an even bigger selection of hydrangea. “We had a humongous early crowd,” she says of 2021. “We open at 9 but some people were there by 8. Some just come to get pies and leave. We had a pie line by 9, too.” Last year went smoothly, especially considering the late change of venue. This year, DeLois is looking forward to an even better event. After all, there will be new daylilies she’ll “need” to add to the 1,000plus varieties she already grows. “Some people have furs and diamonds,” she laughs. “But I shop at Walmart and wear run-runs so I can afford new daylilies. I got to support my habit.” And have fun in the process. Good Life Magazine
If you go to Bloom-N-Pie Days ... The event is set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m., June 11 and 18, at Vintage Gardens, 42685 Ala. 79, Blountsville. Off the beaten path, it’s still easy to find. At the traffic light in Blountsville follow Blount County 26 about 2.5 miles east to Ala. 79. Turn south and you’ll soon see the farm on the right at mile marker 41. Parking and admission are free.
Last year, Clay Dunn was not quite finished with his barn at Vintage Garden, above. He’s since installed air-conditioning and built a second-floor deck onto the front. From lower left, DeLois loves socializing at BloomN-Pie Days; Heather Dunn serves homemade ice cream while Clay watches from a bench; hydrangeas, daylilies, perennials, hanging baskets and some heirloom (The Fairy) roses will be for sale; Delois’ sister, Kathy Whitley, fries pies.
Amazing roads converge upon one amazing house
Story and photos by David Moore
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t’s a toss-up as to which is more amazing – Jody and Kenyala Hicks’ house in Cherokee Ridge, or the roads they traveled getting there. Built of brick and flagstone, graciously windowed and topped by two understated cupolas, the Hicks’ two-story house perches on a hill, draped in privacy amidst 3.5 acres of wooded grounds. Double steel doors inlaid with frosted filigreed glass open to a foyer with a 20-foot ceiling accented by exposed timbers, overlooked by a Juliet balcony. A different ambiance enfolds nearly every room. Big spaces manage to capture a cozy feeling compliments of both architecture and Kenyala’s tasteful decorating. Original art, some of it hers, accentuates the ambiance. Arched doorways lead to unexpectedly towering, chapel-like rooms or surprising alcoves just large enough to tuck away a garden bath. Floors reflect the rich look of walnut. Some of the six fireplaces have bold stone hearths hooded by heavy timber mantles. One fireplace anchors the screened living area off the back of the house. Also out back, a flagstone patio beckons like a ballroom dance floor. The basement is the Mammoth Cave of man caves where Jody keeps not only his ping pong table and a few vintage computer games but a stage, replete with lighting, for his electronic drum kit. He and Kenyala are slowly stocking the wine cellar. The house is grand, but life wasn’t always that way. “I grew up with nothing,” Kenyala says. She was raised in the Ryan community west of Arab. Her mom taught school there and worked other jobs, too; her dad was not always home. An Air Force brat, Jody grew up on bases across the U.S. and later flew Black Hawks in Afghanistan. Both on second marriages, Jody and Kenyala have been a couple only since 2010. They didn’t intend to become “flippers,” but in 12 years they’ve bought, moved into and remodeled 12 houses. (Quick, do the math.) When not busy buying, selling, moving and holding down jobs, they were busy appearing on “The Newlywed Game,” “Family Feud” and – aptly enough – “House Hunters.” Really. 40
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So, yes, it’s a toss-up between which is more amazing – their house or the roads they traveled getting there.
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irst things first … Kenyala? It’s pronounced like the African country with a “la” on the end.
“When I met her,” Jody laughs, sitting at a table in the kitchen alcove, “I thought her parents were maybe missionaries and she grew up in Kenya.” “It’s nothing special,” Kenyala says, “just a six-year old concocting names.” Her older sister, Kristi Garrison,
always provided the best she could,” Kenyala says. Henry Mooney, Kenyala’s grandfather, was a father figure. He preached at Hilltop Church of God in Hulaco. “Mom was the pianist,” she says. “I used to sing there as a kid, and Grandpa Henry played the fiddle.” After attending Ryan, Kenyala attended Brewer High School two years, during which the family house burned. It was rebuilt in the same place, but she transferred to Arab High School because of friends, cousins and a boyfriend there. She graduated in 1997, by which time Jody’s road had led him to marriage, a family and parachute jumps at Airborne school.
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A Juliet balcony overlooks the foyer, upper left. The arched doorway to the left leads to a formal dinning room, lower left, which has a shiplap ceiling accented with rustic beams. Jody’s office is accessed through arched doors to the right of the foyer. They love the walnut, judge paneling. Over the fireplace, appropriately enough, is commissioned painting of helicopters. The living room, top, viewed from the step to the second story, offers evidence of Kenyala’s decorating skills. The Hickses bought most of the furniture. named her by combining their father’s name, Kenneth, with Angela, their mother’s favorite student. Kenneth Ellenburg worked for Morgan County, “when he worked,” Kenyala says. “He was the life of the party, always
smiling and wanting to have a good time,” she adds. “My dad loved me. I was his pride and joy. He just wasn’t present.” Her mother, Faye taught at Ryan and worked other jobs. She divorced Kenneth in 1997 when Kenyala was 18. “She worked very hard for us and
ody was born in California, while his dad, a Vietnam vet, was stationed there. “I always wanted to fly,” Jody says. At Kenyala’s insistence, he recounts an incident in Texas when he was 12. He’d just finished soccer practice on base and, while awaiting a ride a home, watched a fighter land on the adjacent field. He always thrilled to see the planes. “The pilot came over and for, whatever reason, started talking to me,” Jody says. “I said I wanted to be a pilot, and he said study hard, stay focused and hold on to my dream.” Then, to his amazement, the pilot gave him his flight gloves. Jody proudly wore them 12 years later on his first solo flight as a pilot. Jody was 15 when his dad retired from the Air Force and moved the family to his parents’ home in Cullman. Jody played sports in school but had no real plans after graduation in 1982. His dad did, however, and signed him up for Marion Military Institute, a two-year school. In 1983 Jody was one of 68 cadets nationally selected to attend Ranger School at Fort Benning. That gave him a taste of Army life and a coveted Ranger uniform tab. He wanted more. Through an early commissioning program, he spent three years in the National Guard while finishing the last two years of a banking degree at The University of Alabama. Graduating in 1986, Jody was bound for the infantry, but his dad urged him to apply for the Army Aviation Branch, despite some eye issues. “I felt like the Army was where I needed to be,” Jody says. “My eyes came out perfect MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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Kenyala and Jody stand in their keeping room. With a soaring, 18-foot, beamed ceiling, the long room has the feel of a chapel, but despite its size, and in “keeping” with its name, it manages to feel cozy. They have two daughters from Jody’s previous marriage “doing good things on this earth” – Dr. Caroline Densmore of Iowa, a pediatrician, and Emma Hicks, a chemical engineer in Huntsville. Kenyala’s sons Drew and Sam Gullion, a freshman and senior at Brewer High School, live with them. on my physical. Dad said not to tell them about my asthma.”
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ody attended flight school and wore those gloves – now long lost – to make his first helicopter solo in June 1987. After graduating he went active Army then married later that year. Flying Hueys and mostly Black Hawks, he served in Virginia, Korea and Germany. In 1996 he joined the 160th SOAR (A) and undertook a rigorous year of flight and other training, including Airborne school, after which his dad proudly pinned on Jody’s Airborne wings. He was a company commander and XO at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred. By the end of 2001, he was leading his company’s first of multiple three-month rotations to Afghanistan. 42
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“I feel very fortunate – very happy – to have survived it all,” Jody allows without elaborating on that period of his life. Still in the Army, he earned an online MA in aeronautical science from EmbryRiddle in 2003. Wanting his family to experience life overseas, he transferred with them to Germany as a lieutenant colonel in 2004 and served as an aviation battalion commander. Life was soon jolted by a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Beating the cancer, he came to Fort Rucker and retired in 2007, having logged some 2,800 hours flying helicopters. The family moved to Cullman, and Jody’s road led him to work as a defense contractor on Redstone Arsenal. He was divorced in April 2010.
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raduating from Arab High in 1997, Kenyala attended Wallace State
Community College, thinking her road lead to nursing. “But my first day of clinicals,” she says, “I came home crying, ‘This is not for me!’ It takes a special person to be a nurse. I’m special but not that special.” “You’re very special,” Jody says from his seat by her at the table in the kitchen alcove. What it is, she grins, is a preference for money green over blood red. So she switched to business. Married in 1998, Kenyala went on to earn a business degree from Athens State University and later, from the University of North Alabama with a master’s in business and community development. She embarked upon a 20-year career in banking-related sales and marketing while raising two sons. On the heels of a divorce in 2007, she was laid off during the financial crisis in 2008 and went to work as
a contract analyst at Redstone Arsenal – “Impulsivity is a trend with us,” Jody impersonator. In fact, he was so touched the point of convergence for their roads notes. by their service that he cried. through life. At any rate, the show producer called They moved to her garden home in They worked in the same area – and them asking for a video. Kenyala readily Park Place in Arab and soon bought a noticed each other. complied. house in Decatur. It was there they did “I saw her and started chatting with “I guess they thought we were funny,” something not many newlyweds do – they her,” Jody says she says. “They of those shortcalled back and lived early days. wanted us on the “I could tell she show.” was younger than A lot of me and thought, the show, they ‘She’s going to learned, is staged. blow me off.’” For instance, the “I spotted him, Hickses were too,” she grins. required to have One day she took a house under her son Drew to contract before work with her, and any shooting her boss, reading was done. The between the lines, other two houses suggested she take in their episode him to the back were “decoys.” of the building “They are where there was a trying to capture helicopter. the home buying “I was process – the During Jody’s years in Army Aviation, he probably faced helicopter landing zones trying to find emotions and smaller than Kenyala’s kitchen island. Besides lots of storage space, it has several Jody,” Kenyala stress – and do heating drawers. Her home office is through the doorway to the right. confesses. “I that pretty well,” knew he was pilot Kenyala says. and knew he was “It was, actually, cute. He was on my radar. I think I was on appeared on “The Newlywed Game.” stressful because the filming took five They were sitting on the couch, surfing his. He would show up in my office with days.” channels and happened to stop on the ‘work questions.’” “We had to do every scene three times,” show. They’d never watched it but found Jody says. “But it was still fun.” themselves playing along – and doing quite Meanwhile, the real-life house-hunting fter two weeks, Jody invited her well. What the heck? Kenyala applied for Hickses bought a second, bigger home in to join him on a trip to visit a friend at them to be contestants, which required her Decatur, and deeds started toppling like Fort Benning and the infantry museum to make a video of the two of them. dominoes. Starting with Park Place in there – not a date just anyone can pull A few months later they got a phone 2010, they bought and moved into four off. At the museum they tried their hands invitation to be flown to New York and be Decatur houses, then moved to 10th Street at a rifle range simulator. on the show. Jody just couldn’t believe it. in Arab for about a year before returning “She is wearing high heels and has “I have been in sales and marketing for to Decatur, first to a house in the historic this M4 carbine,” Jody recalls. 20 years,” she reminded him. “Of course district then moving into two others before “He asked if I needed help holding they are going to pick us!” buying house number 10, this time in my weapon,” she laughs. “I said, ‘I’ve Not only that – they won. An eight-day Hartselle. got this.’” trip to St. Croix. The bad news – Kenyala They weren’t in the market to buy “I looked up at the screen and was, was homesick after four days. More bad again, but in 2020 Kenyala saw the former ‘Wow! She’s really good.’” news – they had to pay taxes on what they home of Jimmy and Tara Helms in Arab “That’s why he liked me,” Kenyala considered a very over-valued $11,000 trip. (featured in the 2019 spring issue of GLM) laughs. “I was pretty impressive.” and was smitten. She and Jody looked at it, That was spring 2010. They married bought it and returned to Arab. hat first house in Decatur proved in October. Bullseye. too small with four kids, so they decided They went to Las Vegas for the to sell it. On a whim, they decided on henever the Hickses bought a wedding, a private ceremony at the something else, too. house, they’d always make improvements, scenic Valley of Fire State Park attended “We applied for “House Hunters” on painting and decorating to their tastes, by only a photographer and a preacher, doing most of the work themselves. HGTV,” Kenyala says. who was not, Kenyala laughs, an Elvis
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The house has 8,654 square feet, including the screened porch, above to the right. Next to it, the kitchen alcove extends from the back wall of the house. The Hicks’ master bedroom overlooks the flagstone patio and has a Juliet balcony. “What we noticed,” Jody says, “is that people [shoppers and buyers] were always commenting on our improvements. We had something going on we had not intended.” “The way I decorated was ahead of the trends,” Kenyala says. “I was using grays and whites before they were popular.” The couple could not help but notice something else – they always made money when they sold. By definition, one who regularly buys, quickly remodels then resells at a profit is a “flipper.” “But we never intended to flip houses in the beginning,” she says. “When we first started moving so much, we were almost apologetic about it,” Jody says. “After five years or so, we decided to own it. Now we treat it like an art project.” “People look at you like you’re crazy,” Kenyala says. “But we don’t have to explain anything we enjoy. We love the search. We love different types of architecture, the different, cool ‘bones’ 44
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that need life breathed back into them. It’s fun. It is our hobby.” Logically, in 2017 she got a real estate licenses and joined the former ERA Ben Porter agency in Decatur and Huntsville. She got her broker’s license about the time Redstone Family Realty in Huntsville bought out Ben Porter. Kenyala helped rationalize their purchase of the Helms’ home in Arab because it was close to the Guntersville office of Redstone Family Realty, which she opened in 2020.
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wo things of note occurred in 2015 that had nothing to do with the Hicks’ real estate feeding frenzy. First, Jody was diagnosed with prostate cancer. And since fate often favors irony, two weeks later he appeared on “Family Feud,” part of a team comprised of Kenyala, her mom, sister and brother-in-law, Faye, Kristi and Derrick Garrison. “We were the Hicks from Alabama,” Jody grins now, though at the time being
happy on stage, as they were instructed to be, wasn’t easy in the shadow cast by cancer. In the 1970s, Faye had tried unsuccessfully to get on the “Family Feud,” and she got her hopes up again when she learned auditions would be held in Birmingham. “She called me because she knew I could get them on the show,” laughs Kenyala, who today is still batting 1,000 as a game show applicant. So the Hicks team showed up in Atlanta where Host Steve Harvey and crew were recording. The team struck out on day one. But, due to a technicality they still don’t understand, they were called back for day two. They smashed that one out of the park – well, at least until Jody and Kristi advanced to the fast money round and a chance to win $20,000 and a car. “It was the worst TV performance ever,” Jody says of the round. “We did not win anything. On day three, we were a well-oiled machine, then got hung up
at the end. Out of three days, we had a chance to win $60,000 and three cars. We walked away with $145 each, and priceless memories.” In a much better outcome, Jody beat his cancer and got to “fire” his urologist as he did with his oncologist after beating lymphoma. And it’s a good thing he beat it, too, because Kenyala had more flipping to exorcise from her system. Those flips led them in 2021 to Cherokee Ridge and the grand house for sale on Pinnacle Road. “I have always loved Cherokee Ridge,” says the woman who grew up with nothing. “I would drive through and think, ‘Wow! It must be amazing to live in Cherokee Ridge.’ It was always a dreamy place for me.”
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enyala first saw the house online and begged Jody to simply drive by and look at it with her. Both found it stunning – but how could they afford it? The house gnawed at their minds for two months. Finally, Kenyala implored Jody to look closely at their finances and see if there was some way they could swing it. “I think we can,” he reported. And that’s a good thing, too, because going inside and touring the house, really getting to see it, tipped the balance beyond the point of any return. “We were blown away,” Jody says. “The pictures online did not do it justice at all.” “What is not to love about it? It’s amazing,” Kenyala adds. “Selling real estate, I see tons and tons of really nice houses, but I have never seen one like this. The people who built it put so much detail and thought into it.” Hmmm … so no more flipping? “Our kids do take bets on how long we are going to stay somewhere,” Kenyala confesses. “If we ever sell, it would be to downsize or maybe move to the lake. But I think we could search high and low and never find a house we could love as much as this house.” “Me either,” Jody adds. “It’s beautiful.” Well then, anyone up for another game show? “House Hunters Redux?” “Naw ... we’re done,” Jody laughs. “But the “Pyramid” game show sends up emails and wants us to apply.” They’ll have to see where their converged road leads them. Good Life Magazine
The six bedrooms and six bathrooms, include the master bath, top right, and master bedroom center. A sitting room with a fireplace connects the two. The extensive basement includes a theater room and, background right, wine cellar.
The Wake Eatery at City Harbor gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up
Good Eats
There are six beers on tap and many choices in bottles. There’s a rotating wine selection as well. That should be interesting. ose and I sat on Tip: Do yourself a favor. the deck above the water When you’re ready for grub and enjoyed wonderful try the fried mac-n-cheese cocktails. Mine was a balls from the appetizer Hurricane, Mobile style, listing. I couldn’t stop and hers a Blueberry “sampling” these crispy Wake. Speaking of wake, and delicious little rascals. we fixated on the wake But don’t ignore the rest of of a passing boat and the appetizer offerings. The commented on how the sun list is loaded with items shone through, creating a that perfectly complement sort of rainbow. The breeze dockside sipping as you was cool and refreshing. await your main course. Were we on an exotic Rose and I split a vacation? Nope. Were we Hangover Burger, which, at Gulf Shores? Nope. so far, is the eatery’s most We had the privilege of popular dish. In addition being one of the first to to a half pound of Angus visit the wonderful and beef, the sandwich featured brand new Wake Eatery at a fried egg, bacon and the the City Harbor on Lake Eatery’s Hangover Avocado Guntersville. Sauce. After years of planning, Look down the menu, negotiating, constructing though. There’s a nice list and polishing, the beginning of burgers. My eyes fixated of Guntersville’s new era on a quarter-pound chili is here. The Wake Eatery dog and I intend to order it is the first establishment next time. to open its doors and, with A few bites into our emphasis, I can say it was Hangover Burger, the worth the wait. Hannah’s Cheesecake Cup with homemade moose mix topping. chef delivered a plate Hometown business from the entrée selections. person and entrepreneur He chose his mahi-mahi Mary Melton is the spark plate with sides. It was juicy with a great behind The Wake Eatery. With the support developing her concept since. She began charred flavor and grill marks. Other hiring in February of this year and the of her two teenage children, Hannah and entrée selections include grilled and fried staff is ready. Ethan, she developed a dockside concept chicken plates and boneless wings. to serve boaters and landlubbers alike. ow for the food. “The location just sold it for me,” After arriving and looking around, ary spent years boating on Lake Mary says. Guntersville and many times had sought a She presented her concept to developer we sampled a few of the house cocktails. Developed by a Mobile mixologist, they place to pull up, tie off and get something Patrick Lawler and, with a good deal of were a perfect refreshment for dockside to eat; not just something to eat, a great “persistence,” landed the prized location sipping. Dubbed the Blueberry Wake, The meal. That’s what kindled her vision. She at City Harbor. Sunset Hurricane, The Bobber and the wanted a place where folks could get off The eatery’s motif grabs you Mojito, take your pick. They’re all good. the boat and get really good food. immediately: antique outboard motors The establishment is also pleased “That,” she says, “is what I geared my mounted on a wall, an open view of our to share classic mixes such as the old food toward.” gorgeous lake, a beautiful window scene fashioned, mimosa, martinis and more. She created an establishment at which depicting the wake of a water craft, bar
Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore
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and food service inside and on the deck, televisions inside and out. Mary signed a lease on the location in 2020 and has been
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The Hangover Burger and mahi-mahi plate are among the “thumbs-up” dishes. Signature drinks are, from left, the Sunset Hurricane, Blueberry Wake, The Bobber and Mojito. The Wake Eatery at the City Harbor at Lake Guntersville opens seven days a week. Friday and Saturday: 10:30 am to 11:30 pm Sunday through Thursday: 11 am to 10 pm. people could come in out of the sun with flip flops and boating attire and bring in the kids. Her booths are even equipped with charging stations. The Wake Eatery fulfills Mary’s concept in robust fashion. Boaters can tie up just outside the deck and go in and have refreshment, lunch or dinner.
Another option: call in an order and pick it up to go. The menu serves many items that fit perfectly into that setting. There’s a variety of wraps, sandwiches and salads in addition to the appetizers, burgers and dogs. All come with selections from an impressive list of sides.
Before we head down to the water, let’s talk about dessert. Ethan’s Tropical Bread Pudding is a gem, but you can’t ignore Hannah’s Cheesecake Cup served with the topping of the day. We tried it. Double thumbs-up – for it and The Wake Eatery. Good Life Magazine MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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E
On the bright side, we still have not heard the ‘R’ word Story by Steve A. Maze
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’ve been trying to track down George Jetson for a few months now. Remember him? He was one of the characters from the 1960s cartoon series, “The Jetsons.” He drove a space car that was propelled by oxygen and water. A little air and H2O would certainly be more affordable than the astronomical prices we are paying at the gas pump these days. I wonder if I could talk George into trading his hovercraft for my pickup truck. The energy sector is a main driver of our economy, and the high price of energy affects every item stocked in stores. The more it costs in fuel to deliver the item, the greater the mark up at the cash register. Most consumers are trying to cut back where they can … if they can. I bet more people are planting vegetable gardens this year, as well as freezing and canning the 48
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bounty from them. And many are putting their gas-starved automobiles on a low-fuel diet with fewer trips from home. You recall the fuel crisis Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005 – a shorter lived version than our current crisis appears to be. Some of us are even old enough to remember the energy crisis of the mid-70s, but there was one significant difference from the previous ones. There were long lines at the pump to purchase liquid gold at any cost. Many service stations across the nation had large “out of gas” signs posted in front of their businesses. That shortage caused good people to go to desperate measures at times. If the fuel gauge on your car showed full the night before, it was possible to wake up and discover a half-empty tank the following morning. Attached to the windshield would be a $20-bill or two and a note: “Sorry! Needed gas to get to work!”
ven though the price of fuel is through the roof, as of this writing we have not heard the R-word … rationing. At least not yet. That wasn’t the case, however, when World War II was raging. Nationwide gas rationing began on Dec. 1, 1942, and did not end until August 15, 1945. Drivers were assigned classifications and issued ration books with the appropriate amount of stamps, or coupons. An “A” classification entitled the general public up to four gallons of gasoline per week. A “B” classification for war workers was worth approximately eight gallons a week. A “C” classification allowed for even more fuel for those in the medical profession. All drivers were required to post a classification sticker on their windshield, and use the appropriate amount of stamps torn from a ration book to purchase fuel. If all the stamps were redeemed before that ration period ended, drivers could not purchase any more gas until the next time coupons were issued. As it turned out, there was another reason beyond general shortage that the government rationed gasoline. The primary purpose was to conserve tires. Japanese forces in the Far East had cut the U.S. off from its chief supply of rubber, and it was going to take a lot of rubber to keep the military trucks, jeeps and other vehicles rolling. A new tire was hard to come by for most U.S. consumers, and recaps soon became commonplace on passenger vehicles. The recaps, as well as the national speed limit of 35 mph, helped to conserve the scarce rubber. Gas rationing did not affect farm folks as badly as others. Many Model-T’s had already become a casualty of the Great Depression and were sitting on blocks. The only fuel their means of transportation needed was hay, corn and fodder – a pair of strong mules pulled a wagon when called upon, and they could also drag a plow so crops could be raised.
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ome food products were also rationed during WWII, and a book of coupons was also required for those purchases.
People living in urban areas were encouraged to turn their small flower beds and lawns into “victory gardens” to fight off the food shortage. People in the rural South fared better since most had a sufficient amount of acreage in which to grow food crops. Neither was the availability of meat a large problem on farms. Hogs would be slaughtered each November, and the meat preserved in salt boxes or smokehouses. Chickens also scampered about on most farms, and the eggs they produced came in handy for breakfast, baking cakes, or to trade with peddlers for other needed items. If an old hen quit laying, it was a sure bet that she would end up in a pan of dumplings or dressing. Some food products, however, could not be grown on farms. Flour was needed to make fat cathead biscuits used to sustain men in the work fields. Upon hearing it was going to be rationed, people headed to town and purchased two 24-pound sacks to hold them over. Those who failed to do so wound up eating cornbread three times a day. Still, there were some anxious
moments, like when word got out that a government representative was going to be checking individual houses to ensure no one had more than their allotted ration. Many hid their stash of flour in the attic, but very few actually had a G-Man visit them.
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y far, the most precious commodity to hit the ration list was sugar. Many people purchased a huge sack of the tasty white granules before nationwide food rationing began in the spring of 1942. Unfortunately, one sack didn’t last but about a year. Most southern women considered sugar a critical baking ingredient but learned to substitute homegrown syrup and honey to make cakes and pies. Sugar was also needed for canning jellies, preserves and other items. Most homemakers canned fruits such as strawberries and peaches in their own natural juices since sugar wasn’t available. While not tasting as sweet, no one complained since all families were forced to make do with what they had. The people most affected by sugar rationing were not farmers, but
moonshiners. They needed the sugar to distill their shine. As a result, a black market developed and a five-pound bag sold for a whopping $2.50. Clothes, shoes, coffee, butter, cheese and many other items also landed on the ration list. These items didn’t affect country folks much since they made clothes and underwear out of feed and fertilizer sacks. Coffee grounds were used two or three times before discarding. Kids saved wear on their shoes by going barefoot, and a cow kept families supplied with milk and butter.
I
suppose our current energy crisis could be worse. We could be riding around on retreads, going barefoot, wearing fertilizer sack underwear and hiding flour in our attics. Still, with overpriced fuel that few of us can afford, don’t think anything about it if you spot a worn out writer sitting atop a worn out mule clip-clopping down the road during the next few months. I’ll just be headed to the editor’s house to turn in my latest article. Good Life Magazine
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Boaz Legacy Museum Story and photos By David Moore
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t’s five days before the Boaz Legacy Museum holds its ribbon cutting on April 30. A less optimistic soul might think there’s no way it can happen, no way by then that the tables full of photos and documents and the piles of random artifacts can be organized into inviting displays depicting Boaz days of yore. 50
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“Oh,” says Wayne Hunt, an optimistic soul who’s been dreaming of this for the past several years, “we’ll get it done. It’s not as bad as you think.” A literal walking history of Boaz, Wayne is pointing out photos on walls and reeling off their history from the top of his head. Boaz librarian Lynn Burgess typing his comments into a laptop. After editing, she’ll print out signage explaining the various displays.
Also volunteering at the museum this evening are Brandi Tarvin, head of the child nutrition program for Boaz City Schools, and Lindsey King, marketing and event coordinator for Snead State Community College and retired school teacher Denise Willis. Synapses firing on all cylinders, Wayne identifies a small white building on a large, wall-mounted aerial photo of the Snead campus shot some years back. Barracks, he
Five days before opening, Boaz Legacy Museum is humming with work. At far left, Brandi Tarvin cleans a display case that includes the photo reproduced on page 8. Citing history from memory, Wayne Hunt dictates information about the old Snead State campus to Lynn Burgess, who will print out signage. Above, Lindsey King puts together a display on the Boaz outlet stores. says, explaining they were built there after World War II for veterans using the GI Bill for college, and how the influx of those older students helped save Snead, which was then hurting from low enrollment. “It’s crazy,” Brandi says, listening to Wayne in amazement. “He has a tremendous knowledge.” “He is the Boaz historian,” Lindsey adds, then gets back to work. Someday a future Boaz historians may
recall the efforts Lindsey, Brandi, Lynn, Denise, Wayne and others invested in the Boaz Legacy Museum, and note that some 100 people attended the ribbon cutting held April 30, way back in 2022.
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ayne, as president of the Legacy Museum board of directors, rightfully gets a lot of credit for making this happen. But he’s quick to point out the board members worked together to make the
museum happen: Bobby Weathers as vice president, Bruce Sanford as secretary/ treasurer, Denise, Brandi, Lindsey as museum coordinator and Lynn as media coordinator in charge of signage, awareness and – as the museum evolves – computer research of local families. And then there’s Boaz Mayor David Dyar. “This was as much the mayor’s idea as mine,” Wayne says. MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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The two often discussed history when they got together. Then, a few years ago, the city drew up a comprehensive plan, one facet of which suggested erecting historic landmarks and, if possible, creating a museum or cultural center. Turns out it was possible. It just took a lot of work. Initially, the hope was to house the museum in an old Main Street building with a sense of history. “That never came together,” Wayne says. “Buildings were not available. The one that was would have worked would take a fortune to renovate. So we decided to sit on it and see what happened.” What happened is that the Station House Grill opened in the former post office next to city hall. Unfortunately, the restaurant lasted less than a year. Fortunately, the city owned the building, it was in good shape, its 4,500 square feet offered space aplenty, the roof was tight, heating and air worked – and the city offered the Legacy board a 99-year lease for $1 per year. “We’re paid up,” laughs the man with history ingrained brain. “It’s perfect.”
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rowing up in Boaz, however, Wayne showed little interest in history. “I was like any other kid. You don’t think of things like this,” he says. Born in June 1959, his parents, Catherine and the late Joe Hunt, owned Hunt and Wright Hardware downtown. Before school, he’d help his dad move merchandise out onto the sidewalk – then a common marketing practice – and after school the store was often his daycare. He later worked there. “I got to know, through the 1960s, many of the merchants – and at that time there were a lot of merchants,” he says. “People ask how I remember things about Boaz. Well, I lived it. I remember those places. I remember the people, although they were older. It was woven into my fabric, so to speak.” After graduating from Boaz High in 1977, Wayne joined the Navy. “I was one of the ones who joined the Navy to see world – and I did. And not through a porthole,” he says of his 13 years in the service. “I had a great time.” Leaving the Navy in 1990, through some friends on the Outer Banks of 52
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North Carolina, he met the former Bonnie Ainsley, and they soon married. He brought her and his two new daughters, Kelly and Lindsey, to Boaz. The girls finished school here, Bonnie became director of the senior center and the guy who grew up around tools opened a cabinet shop, Wayne’s Woodworks. Closing shop in 2018, he semi-retired, taking a part-time job in a newly created position as the city’s handyman. “Once we started maintaining things, they realized we had more to maintain than they thought,” Wayne says. So it became a full-time job – which worked out great. “It afforded me time to do the job and do history. The museum is obviously a result of that, he adds. “It was a perfect collaboration.”
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hen Wayne first returned from the Navy, he was astounded at the changes in Boaz. Propelled by urban renewal, old buildings had been razed and grants made to help restore small towns, such as Boaz.
“Boaz lost a lot of old buildings that had been here for years,” he said. “Some of it was good. Some could have been done differently – historical things could have been preserved.” Another huge change was that, with a push from Mayor Billy Dyar, David’s father, outlet stores had made Boaz a boom town starting about 1982 with Vanity Fair. “I came back to this Mecca that people came from far and wide to visit because of the outlet stores,” Wayne says. “It was amazing what had transpired.” Some combination of maturity and seeing all the changes apparently awakened something that had unknowingly been “woven into my fabric, so to speak.” Wayne found himself drawn to the library archives and spent hours poring over old newspapers, reading how Boaz once was. He started a file on existing and vanished businesses – a file that grew and grew and now contains at least 300-400 businesses. Continued on page 56
Wayne owned a cabinet shop in Boaz for some 28 years. He more recently put his skills to work designing and building the museum showcases. The boomtown outlet era in Boaz, left, lasted from about 1982-93. “That was 30 something years ago and is a part of the history, Wayne says. “The downfall was that outlets opened in Foley and Gatlinburg. They also had the Gulf and the mountains. Boaz had the outlets – but didn’t have anything but the outlets. It got sucked by the tidal wave. It was understandable that it happened that way.” MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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In addition to other displays, the side room of the museum features Boaz’s first four churches. “If you are studying the history of Boaz,” Wayne says, “you don’t go far until you find yourself looking at religion and the faith of the people in Boaz at that time. Their faith was huge to them.” Back when the population was about 100, there were three churches, St. Paul with the Methodist Snead Seminary, Julia Street Methodist (named for Julia Street, not a road) and First Baptist. Mayors and aldermen all went to the first three churches, and many of their municipal decisions were faith based. Not only was alcohol illegal in the early days, so was tobacco. So was cussing on the street, Wayne notes. 54
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Continued from page 52 “I’ve been collecting stuff for years,” he says, “without ever realizing or having a vision there would be a museum to put it in.”
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ayne and the museum board had hoped to open Boaz Legacy Museum the first of the year, but had to settle for the first third of the year. “It was coming down to crunch time by then,” he laughs. “We had to pick a date and do what we could do to get it open.” That said, the museum is a work in progress – as it should be “We used wall space to begin with and will next build more displays out in the middle. We have a lot of room,” Wayne says. Displays are planned on pivotal families, such as that of Boaz founder Billy Sparks, who first called the settlement Sparkstown. Already, former board member Linda Hodgins has videoed several oral history sessions with local residents, and Denise Willis continued the effort. The videos can be viewed at Wayne’s favorite display in the museum – a flat-screen TV hung in front of two rows of seats from the old Rialto Theatre. Additionally, there are many artifacts, photos and items stored elsewhere in the building – and much more undoubtedly lurks in attics, sheds, basements and barns around Boaz. “I get calls regularly from people wanting to donate things they would otherwise do away with,” Wayne says. “Sometimes it’s junk, but one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I tell people don’t throw it away. If it’s in your way call me. You never know.” The idea is that Boaz Legacy Museum remains ever changing. Says Wayne, “Just like history itself, it continues to happen and continues to evolve from one level to the next.” Good Life Magazine
An oral history video featuring retired school teacher Mary Wells Maze Malone, top, plays at the old Rialto Theatre display. At left, local visitors Larry and Alexis Schoggins check out the extensive display on the automotive industry. 56
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Jonathan Hyde shares his talents and his passion with the next-gen athletes from far and wide at ...
Supreme Courts Story by Seth Terrell Photos by David Moore
T
here comes a moment in most athletes’ lives when it’s time to hang up the cleats or retire the sneakers. Photographs, stories, memories and church leagues can keep the candle burning, but most are forced to eventually leave the thrill of those days behind. For Jonathan Hyde, owner and director of Supreme Courts, in some ways, the glory days have just begun, taking new forms that are shaped by an ongoing passion for sports and a talent for developing future athletes. A graduate of Guntersville High School, Jonathan got an opportunity all athletes dream about but few rarely get to realize – he played the game he loved, basketball, at a high level, becoming a collegiate starter as a shooting guard for the University of West Georgia. Playing college basketball was a culmination of years of hard work and love for the game; the experience also shaped his skills and overall outlook for life. And when his basketball career ended, Jonathan decided that his passion didn’t also have to follow suit. In July 2014 he began a travel basketball program that focused on player development and training: Sure Shot Basketball Academy. The hands-on focus offered Jonathan a way of applying the 58
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skills he’d learned at a high level through playing and coaching. It gave him an opportunity to train and work with young athletes who shared his passion and career aspirations. Eventually, these experiences and successes gave rise to a new dream – in August 2017, Supreme Courts was born. “I get to be around what I love,”
Jonathan says, reflecting on how his passion has given way to a career that fits his sportsfocused lifestyle. “It’s a joy to get to see kids, even at very young ages, beginning their athletic journeys and careers.”
L
ocated west of the causeway on Ala. 69, Supreme Courts is an indoor athletic facility with three full, regulation basketball
Though his travel team of fifth and sixth grade girls go on to win this game by more than 40 points, Jonathan Hyde continues to coach.
courts convertible to six volleyball courts. While there is always a lively atmosphere any time you walk inside – volleyball coaches working with setters, basketball coaches walking players through the finer points of a jump shot – it is the involvement with young people that most brings fulfillment for Jonathan. “People love sports in this area,” he
says, “and parents are invested in their kids, which keeps me going, and it keeps our business here going, too.” Standing on the baseline of his most unique basketball court – the very floorboards on which the Florida Gators played during their national championship run – there’s still an athletic energy about Jonathan. Though his official playing days
are over, at any moment he looks as though he might drain a three-pointer from deep. But these days, that passion born from a successful basketball career now fuels his drive to unite his community and foster an environment where dreams of young athletes can live on. “I just wanted to give back,” he says. Continued on page 62 MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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While girls practice volleyball, upper right, Cullman High volleyball coach Katelyn Quigg, left, works with Tela Lunsford on her arm swing. Katelyn uses Supreme Courts for the 16-and-under national team she also coaches. Jarquis McGuire of Asbury and his family – including 1-year-old son Jarquis Jr. – were at the courts recently watching his older son play basketball. “All of these kids come from all over the place,” he says of the crowd. “I don’t think even Huntsville has something like this.” Randy Gardner of Arab, below right, one of the coaches with Bama Elite Volleyball Club, utilizes the courts for practice and games.
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Jonathan’s 5th-6th-grade Sure Shot Basketball Academy travel team is all about hustle. Addison Hammond, left and top, is exhibit A. At right, Kyndel Gray makes a pass inbounds to Tatum English. Continued from page 59 “Kids in this area needed a place to go and learn and play the game they love.” On any given weekend, dozens of volleyball or basketball teams can be found playing, practicing and perfecting their crafts. Tournaments are held almost weekly, and the atmosphere is competitive and fun. In addition to drawing teams from cities such as Huntsville and Birmingham, they arrive at Supreme Courts from all over the South – Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi – to compete at high levels. Sometimes over 100 teams come through, especially in the summer. “It’s a special experience,” he says, 62
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“for me and for people in this area to see folks come from all over, here to Marshall County.”
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ith the reality of his dream comes hard work – Jonathan is always there, making sure everything goes smoothly. “I started Supreme Courts because I wanted to give Marshall County kids a chance to compete on a high level and against teams they would never have had a chance to compete against before,” he says. “This offers incredible experiences for these athletes and for their families and for this area.”
Before his passion and drive culminated in Supreme Courts, Jonathan worked different jobs, including one at Redstone Arsenal. He met his wife, Stacey, and together, they have three kids, Gentry, Maebry and Darby. And in his children, Jonathan has already begun to see a love and fascination for sports. He and Stacey, when not at Supreme Courts, often find themselves getting to be fans and encouragers for their own children’s athletic adventures. It’s this parental perspective that Jonathan brings to his success at Supreme Courts. And though his natural disposition is that of a coach
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and trainer, he is, in some ways, a fan first and foremost, rooting for local kids to compete and have fun and reach their goals. Local high school teams are going to the state playoffs and winning state championships at rates unlike ever before. Jonathan hopes that through offering local athletes a sanctuary for further developing their skills, the region will continue to draw attention. Most importantly, he hopes the attention will fall mainly to the young athletes he and so many others have invested in and are pulling for. “Part of my vision is to expose how good our local athletes are in this northeastern part of the state…” He pauses a moment to offer instruction to a teenage girl working on her long-range jump shot. She sets her feet a little better, narrows her focus, and hits the shot. “I hope that exposure,” he continues, “gives these kids a chance to go new places and achieve their goals.”
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Son of Diane and Larry Hyde, Jonathan, racked up amazing records for the Guntersville Wildcats. Here he hits a jumper his senior year, 1997, in the semi-finals win over Sumpter County. Insert: Jonathan Hyde’s sophomore photo.
alking along the railing of the upper level at the Supreme Courts gym, Jonathan can view it all from a bird’s eye perspective, a dream shaped with every swoosh of the net and bounce of the ball. There were opportunities to fulfill his goals in bigger cities and other states, but Jonathan and his family wanted to be here and see the shared vision come alive. “What better place?” he asks, “than Marshall County?” Good Life Magazine S YO ERV U IN 19 SINC G 87 ! E
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Michael “Little Joe Cartwright” Landon wears his suede boots, left, now a part of B.B. Hudspeth’s collection. Photos above right and below by Monica Dooley.
B.B. Hudspeth shares his ‘bonanza’ of Old West of memorabilia Story by Steve A. Maze Photos provided by B.B. Hudspeth
I
t’s hardly surprising that Guntersville resident Brien “B.B.” Hudspeth’s favorite actor growing up was Michael Landon, better known as Little Joe Cartwright on the hit television series “Bonanza.” Throw a cowboy hat, green corduroy jacket and pair of suede boots on B.B., and he bears a pretty good resemblance to Little Joe. Actually, B.B. could slide into a pair of boots that Michael Landon wore on the show. He owns them. To say B.B. is fascinated with the Old West would be an understatement. He spent the past 17 years collecting Brien “B.B.” Hudspeth authentic items from the Wild West era, including movie props belonging to the likes of John Wayne and rare memorabilia from “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza.” Many pieces of his valuable collection will be on exhibit at 66
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A prized part of B.B.’s collection is this original watercolor,
which is the only one left of a set painted for use during the closing credits on the long running western TV show “Bonanza.” MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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A timely and whimsical item B.B. has is a huge “wristwatch” once belonging to Mel Blanc, legendary voice on “The Bugs Bunny Show.” B.B., right, stands with Brent Kee Young, whose dad, Victor Sen Yung, portrayed Hop Sing on Bonanza wearing this prop. the Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center from June 2 through August 31. Most of it he got through purchases or bartering, but B.B. says obtaining the pieces had a lot to do with divine intervention. As a youngster, his parents, Bishop Wendell and Jo Ann Hudspeth, moved their family to Guntersville. And B.B. developed a talent for imitating local personalities, including Marshall County radio icon Radford C, as well as characters he saw on TV, such as “The Andy Griffith Show.” “One morning on my way to Carlisle Park Middle School with my dad, I attempted to mimic Gomer Pyle,” he says. “My dad complimented me on my efforts, and that morning I learned firsthand ‘the power of words.’ His encouragement led to my first show a few months later.” 68
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B.B. refined his talent by writing, directing and starring in plays at age 14. He later added cartoon and TV characters to his impressions.
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fter graduating from Guntersville High, he attended Samford University and Maryville College in Tennessee. An athlete at both schools, B.B. went on to earn an MBA from Auburn University. After college, he worked in management at the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation in Birmingham. Then one morning B.B. woke up and wondered if such a career was what he really wanted to do. “Before I knew it, years had passed, and I knew life wasn’t going to slow down, so, overnight, I made a decision to begin working toward my dream,” B.B. recalls.
He decided to pursue voice-overs and attended a six-week workshop in Nashville. One of the perks was the free recording of a demo tape. “I included a number of cartoon characters, TV and movie stars, and politicians in the demo and sent it to talent agents in Nashville,” he says. “A few days later, I received a call from an agent and, like that, my journey as a voice artist began.” In the late 90s, B.B. became more interested in the people behind the voices of the characters, which initiated his desire to collect their personal items. One of those was cartoon voice legend Mel Blanc. “After Mel passed away, I was able to obtain his personal Bugs Bunny letterman jacket from his estate auction, and they also offered an eight-foot Hamilton clock in the shape of a watch
In 2021, B.B. was thrilled to be an executive producer on the movie “Mayberry Man,” a film about an arrogant movie star sentenced by a small-town judge to attend a week-long festival celebrating “The Andy Griffith Show.” Members of the cast and crew with direct connections to the show include Dixie Griffith, daughter of Andy Griffith; Karen Knotts, daughter of Don “Barney” Knotts; and Lauren Hagan, wife of composer Earle Hagan. “The film was in post-production when I joined,” says B.B., who attended the premiere in Danville, Ind., one of three held for the show. “When I saw the trailer for the first time, I was immediately interested in the wholesome movie.” If you watch reruns of “Gunsmoke,” look for the royal flush prop hanging on the wall in the Long Branch Saloon. Buck Taylor, holding the prop at left, played gunsmith-turned-deputy Newly O’Brian in the CBS series. He remembered the prop and was glad to learn that B.B. had procured it. Top photo by Phil Taylor. MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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that I also acquired. I did some research and discovered a 1965 issue of TV Guide with Mel holding the clock,” B.B. says.
I
n 2002, B.B. moved to Nashville and began performing all over the country as an impressionist and speaker. Little did he know that a disappointment would lead to some amazing encounters that would greatly enhance his career. Scrolling the internet in 2004, he noticed where the Ponderosa Ranch, a tourist site at Lake Tahoe that included a full-scale replica of the Cartwrights’ ranch house from the TV show “Bonanza” had closed. “I was immediately saddened that I had never visited it since it had been a desire of mine for years to do so, and I knew the opportunity was probably over,” he says. “I scoured the internet for months for news of whether it would reopen.” During his searches he stumbled upon one of Michael Landon’s revolvers in the collection of a well-known Hollywood memorabilia broker. “I immediately noticed something peculiar about the gun and contacted the broker. We determined her large investment had inadvertently been misrepresented,” he says. B.B.’s assistance apparently impressed the broker. A few months later she called to say Michael Landon’s stunt double and best friend had a pair of tan suede boots for sale that the actor wore in season three through the final season of “Bonanza.” As expected, the asking price was not cheap. “Knowing I would probably never have the opportunity to buy something like that again, I agreed to his price,” B.B. says. The boots were the first piece of western memorabilia B.B. purchased but would not be the last from the show. In fact, he hit a “bonanza” when it came to props and other items. In 2009, B.B. struck gold on the Ponderosa when he and the boots traveled to Lake Tahoe for the official Bonanza 50th Anniversary Friendship Convention. The boots were exhibited for fans, and B.B. served as one of three presenters at the event.
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t that event, B.B. met Chuck Greene, son of Lorne Greene who played Ben Cartwright. Chuck was instrumental in convincing David Duffield – the new property owner of the Ponderosa Ranch, which had been closed for five years – to 70
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allow the anniversary attendees to visit the ranch. “All of the structures and interiors had remained untouched since its closing,” B.B. says. “So I did get to visit the Ponderosa Ranch after all, which was nothing short of a miracle.” He also met Brent Kee Young at the 50th
anniversary convention. His dad, Victor Sen Yung, portrayed Hop Sing, the cook on “Bonanza.” Brent and his family donated Hop Sing’s cap and queue – actually a braided ponytail wig – to the event’s charity auction, and B.B. obtained it. Also among B.B.’s collection is one of the original watercolors used in the opening
Counter-clockwise from upper left ... John Wayne won the best actor award wearing this eyepatch in “True Grit.” B.B. Hudspeth debuted Scrappy Higgins at the Bonanza Roundup in Burbank, Calif., in 2011. His western collection includes the rawhide fringe pullover worn by Arthur Hunnicutt in the movie “The Big Sky.” Hunnicutt, left, was nominated for best supporting actor in the 1952 movie. In the 1980 movie “Tom Horn,” Steve McQueen used a Winchester Model 1876 rifle for his Tom Horn character, top photo. The rifle shown above left was his stunt rifle, constructed of cast rubber over support armature. The stunt Winchester was inside the rifle saddle scabbard that was mounted on McQueen’s horse and used in scenes where he didn’t have to fire his rifle, says B.B. Both are part of his collection and will be exhibited at the Guntersville Museum. and closing credits of “Bonanza.” None of those pieces is believed to have survived, but it turns out David Dortort, creator of the show, had kept one. It’s now one of the rarest pieces in B.B.’s collection. “The ‘written-by’ credit watercolor had been in storage for 60 years when I obtained it,” B.B. says. “It still has the black
gaffer tape placed on it to assist the camera where to frame the piece for production. I am proud our community will be the first to see it in person at the museum exhibit.”
T
elevision’s longest running western, “Gunsmoke,” also captured B.B.’s attention, and several props from the show
are in his collection. One is the trademark belt James Arness wore in seasons five through the final season. “I got that piece for researching and helping recertify the provenance on a Colt .45 revolver that Arness’ character, Matt Dillon, carried on the show,” B.B. says. “It sold in 2014 for $50,000.” He obtained a pair of Arness’ trousers and a favorite cup he used on the set. The actor put his initials, J.K.A., on the bottom of the cup to let the set decorator know not to move it. Also in B.B.’s collection are the faded shirt sleeves from the beloved character Festus, played by Ken Curtis. Wearing the full shirt was too hot while filming, so Curtis tucked the sleeves up under his costume, securing them with rubber bands. B.B. also picked up a poker card display that hung as a prop on an interior wall of the Long Branch Saloon. It’s a royal flush of clubs and was shown in virtually every episode of “Gunsmoke” from season nine through the final season. In 2011, B.B. was invited to the Bonanza Roundup in Burbank, California. Wanting to do something different from the anniversary event, he invented Scrappy Higgins, a character resembling Gene Autry and Roy Rogers’ scruffy sidekick, Gabby Hayes, with a touch of actor Walter Brennan’s voice. Portraying Scrappy at the Roundup, B.B. shared stories about the cast of “Bonanza” as if he had worked with them on the Ponderosa Ranch. Everyone enjoyed Scrappy. Emmy-winning producer David Blocker, son of Dan Blocker who played Hoss Cartwright, commented that he’d like to take Scrappy home and reminisce about the show. Scrappy’s debut occurred right after the birthday celebration of actor Morgan Woodward, who – among many roles – played a record 16 different characters in 19 episodes of “Gunsmoke.” He was at the Roundup, and B.B. obtained one of his personal scripts, which will be exhibited at the Guntersville Museum.
B
.B.’s collection is not limited to just television series. He has memorabilia from the movie “True Grit” – a shirt Glen Campbell wore in the film and one of John Wayne’s iconic eye patches. “John Wayne was required to wear an eye patch in his role as Marshal Rooster MAY | JUNE | JULY 2022
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Cogburn.” B.B. says. “The patch was covered with a screen and gauze, which enabled him to see through it but still photograph solidly.” Some of the stories behind the items in B.B.’s collection are just as interesting as the items themselves, like a single spur owned by John Wayne. Visit the Guntersville Museum for the unusual backstory on that piece. Another big-screen piece B.B. owns is a fringed leather Indian shirt worn by popular actor Arthur Hunnicutt – a southern boy from Arkansas known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He wore the shirt in the 1952 movie “The Big Sky” starring Kirk Douglas. One part of the exhibit sure to generate some excitement due to its Guntersville ties are 100-120-year-old angora chaps that belonged to famed humorist and social commentator, Will Rogers. His great-grandfather was John Gunter, the namesake of Guntersville. Rogers died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post when their small engine airplane crashed in northern Alaska. There is also a special effects buffalo head created for “Dances With Wolves” and used by director Kevin Costner in one of the movie’s most epic, pivotal, and memorable scenes.
ponders. “What if my dad had not encouraged me, or had I not left a secure job to follow my passion, or checked the internet news discovering the closing of the Ponderosa Ranch
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he success of Scrappy Higgins at the 2011 Bonanza Roundup has inspired B.B. to expand his character into other opportunities. “Scrappy and I now travel the corporate trail instilling core messages of hard work, integrity, and pride in a job well done,” says B.B, who moved back to Guntersville in 2013. “Scrappy uses pieces of my collection on stage, which adds credibility and authenticity to his character.” A believer in divine intervention, he feels the chain of events in his life were heavenly inspired. “Without one of those pieces from my life, who knows what would have happened?” B.B.
Will Rogers owned these woolly chaps that have a tooled leather belt. – which resulted in the purchase of Michael Landon’s boots – which led to incredible blessings.” “God gave me the desire, the push and the nudge,” he says. “All I did was follow through.” Good Life Magazine
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Out ‘n’ About Thousands of folks watched HydroFest 2021, and more are expected at this year’s event June 25-26. This is the 60th anniversary of the stillstanding World Speed Record Roy Duby set on Lake Guntersville in 1962 of 200.419 mph. Also this year, the unlimited hydroplanes will race extra laps as they compete for the 118-year-old APBA Gold Cup. Pre-sale tickets start at $20 adults, $10 ages 6-12. and free for 5 and under: www. guntersvillelakehydrofest.com; gate prices start at $30 and $15. Parking is $5 per day; shuttles run 7:45 am-7 pm at Lurleen B. Wallace Pavilion, 2000 Lurleen B Wallace Dr.; Cherokee Elementary, 3300 Ala. 79; Marshall County Park One, 19348 U.S. 431. Photos by David Moore. 74
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When something hurts, it’s nice to know the best place to go is the closest place to home. Excellent healthcare close to home makes all the difference. When life takes one of those unexpected turns that means a trip to the doctor, or even the hospital, it’s good to know you can turn to Marshall Medical for the very best care. From excellent facilities to caring professionals, we offer a level of expertise that might surprise you. Thanks to continuous investment in the latest technology, we stay on the leading edge of healthcare services. That gives you a confident edge when it comes to good health.
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