“Happy memories and bygone days are never lost…In truth, they grow more wonderful within the heart that keep them.” — Kay Andrew
Prayer requested for Clint Wade and Ethel Wade family; Clint Murley; Lisa King; Vicki Dickson; Linda McEarl Massengill; Wilma Frye; Royce Barker; Lisa Barker Thomas; Dwight Hudson; Mary Curtis; Dan Hodges; Lee Trice; Wanda Williams; Karon Connor Reinmann; Sharon Boothe; and formerly from Jacks Creek Judy Jones now in a Milan Healthcare, daughter of Pudd and Fairly Jones and sister of Debbie Carroll. Also, formerly from Enville are members of Don’s family in need of remembrance – Andrea Patrick McCadams and Tera O’Neal.
October birthday remembered – Chris Campbell (4); Betty Wells (10); Juanita Waller (12); Judy Jones (16); Janice Patterson – in heaven (17); Teressa Nobles Plunk (18); Jason Nobles (18); Lance Bailey (20); Lou Tignor (22); and Don Jones (24).
Jacks Creek residents express sorrow in the death of Bradley Wade Flatt (2-14-83 to 10-13-23). I do not know which lady loved Brad more – his mother, Jane or his aunt, Ann Ballard Hollin. He graduated from CCHS in 2001.
Also, Vickie Lynn Barker Broadwell (3-13-60 to 10-18-23) was laid to rest at Cabo Cemetery with 42 family and friends present. Brent Thomas sang two comforting songs, and Harry Nolan spoke eloquently of being together again someday. Vickie graduated from CCHS Class of 1978. My grandmother, Beulah Nobles, babysat the three Barker siblings – Vickie, Susan and Lisa. She loved keeping the girls due to good manners and easy to please. They played quietly and loved her cooking. They never went home hungry and often small bowls of leftovers went home with Nadine or Bill for supper. Also, Curtis Lee Allen (11-2-43 to 10-22-23) who lived at Green Acres with wife, Leah. Their son, Michael, lives in Germantown. They were Jacks Creek Community Club members. They were a quiet sweet couple.
Don and I and our community expresses sympathy to families of Claud Anderson “Andy” Maness, raised in Jacks Creek, (2-12-30 to 10-8-23) and Charles Royce Webb, our next door Jacks Creek neighbor, (1-12-39 to 10-9-23). The Maness and Webb families were dear friends. Andy and Doris have four children (Roger, Karen, Joey and Michele), and Charles and Ruth had three children (Royce, Tim and Maria). The families shared many meals together. They played chicken foot board games and spent endless hours snacking on homemade goodies by Doris or Ruth on screen porches. All loved God’s creations in nature with all creatures stirring. Keeping lawns attractive with blooming flowers, shrubs or trees were hobbies for both couples. For additional pleasures there were bird feeders, water baths and of course a cat for each family – Jade and Biddy.
In April, 14 of us (Webb, Maness, Whittaker, Thrasher, McPherson, Ellis, Pounds, Jones and friend, Perkins) were all together for a last meal at Bells Drive-In before departing to decorate Maness graves early at Old Jacks Creek Cemetery. Never knowing after taking pictures and going different directions we would never be together until October at a funeral home! That day was special in eating together, talking, capturing pictures and making final memories. Then the departure started.
I drove Joey Maness as we decorated Maness graves. Then on to the old homestead. The childhood home was gone and landscape was different, but still memories flashed to siblings. Just over the field was the Ernest and Biddie Moore Maness homestead. Yes, Andy’s parents lived on actual Highway 22 now across from the Gary and Barbara Scott Rhodes home and next door to Dean Jones. I knew the home well. It was my great grandparents’ home.
Then a quick drive to Unity Cemetery where Andy’s dear aunt, Ethel Ann Maness Dunn and his cousin, Bobbie Faye Nobles were buried next to the shady driveway. It was a final good-bye and shared memories of family members gone. Finally a short trip to Charles and Ruth Webb’s home to gather Doris Maness back into the car with Andy. Poof! They all left for Germantown and Memphis. No one knew it, but it was over being together.
Andy and Doris had moved to Memphis to be near children in 2021. The Webbs and Joneses were sad to see our beloved family and friends gone so far away. It was close driving seven miles and now ninety miles. That meant less time to share. I am thankful for trips to see them and make more memories, but deeply appreciative of our last pictures and strong hugs. Health issues hampered me from gathering more hugs, but Andy learned to message on his cell phone. That was a blessing in months to come. When I needed help Andy would guide me to Book, Chapter and Verses in the Bible. He and Doris loved Matthew 11:28. It still helps me. Thank you, dearest Cousin Andy (maternal side) and Cousin Doris (paternal side). I love those two hugging cousins! They are my connections to Mother and Mama Beck. They loved them. Andy trusted me with three large framed ancestral pictures. I promised they would be at EVERY Maness reunion!!
The Webbs made more trips and enjoyed their dear friends. A most intimate sharing is their last time together. Thursday the Webbs spent time visiting Doris in her new room and visiting Andy in his apartment. A longing sweet wave produced a flashback the following Sunday afternoon. I received a call from family that our dear Andy was gone to Paradise. I can not find words to write my feelings because my heart is crushed. I had just messaged Andy seven minutes earlier before the devastating phone call. After a period of time, I had to call the Webbs. There was no way I had the strength to walk down the hill and deliver this sad news, so I made the call and prayed I could speak without screaming that Andy was gone. The deed was done. I stayed in my own little world to grieve. I could not sleep, so after midnight I went to look toward the Webbs and asked outloud, “Ruth, are you down there looking up toward my kitchen?”
Little did I know sadness in the form of the death angel had knocked on Charles Webb’s door. Double sadness was in the air. Ruth called me early and carefully announced Charles had died after midnight. Can you imagine how the Webb and Maness Families were feeling? It was too much too soon, but what does one do? You go forward and lean on the only real strength you have – Our Father.
In closing this quote is dedicated to Andy and Charles –“Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.” – Andy Andrews
