with Patsy Nobles Jones
“We’ll say bye for now; and we love you.” – Harry Brown, WWII Veteran from Jacks Creek
Our community expresses deep sympathy for 10 families. Jacks Creek claims the first three – Billy Eugene Dickson (2-16-51 to 12-25-20) beloved husband of Vicki Ross Dickson – Roby; Marguerite Joette Attaway Galloway (7-18-54 to 12-27-20), daughter of the late Merle and Mary Sue Dodds Attaway and sister of the late Cynthia Pusser. Marguerite and Cynthia were pretty and had vivacious personalities that drew Jacks Creek School friends – Roby; Geneva Lee Ridley Perry (7-28-25 to 12-28-20), beloved mother of Donna, Julie, Keith, Darryl and the late Polly and sister of the late Violet Bailey – Bailey Cemetery; David Gayle Sutherland (5-31-52 to 12-23-20), served in the USAF – Floydsburg in Crestwood, Ky.; James Herron Rushing, Sr., age 82 (12-24-20) was a 1956 graduate of Northside – Rushing Family Cemetery in Jackson; Kathleen Matthews Kilzer (4-16-41 to 12-24-20) – Pleasant Springs; Deborah Lyn Morgan Holman Flatt (12-22-49 to 12-25-20) – Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge, Ill.; Mary Sue BeeneBurgund (4-10-34 to 12-25-20) – Memory Gardens; Logan Thomas Clayton age 24 (12-24-20), beloved son of Denny and Myra; and Halley Brooke Stanville (1-2-98 to 12-23-20) – Scotts Hill Cemetery. About 239 obits for 2020.
Call Martha Bell Phillips for Happy 87th birthday. She is counting her calls – 731-614-4858.
Geneva Perry always had twinkling eyes with a smile followed by laughter. She asked if I wanted walnuts. Did PJ ever! We picked all I could carry to the car for my squirrels (didn’t share that little tidbit with her). Pauline Holmes and I went to Lester and Geneva’s home on Halloween. We were in disguise – a tiger the other a bird brain. We yelled “Trick or Treat.” He was a little hesitate when we pulled out our 33 gallon garbage bag. He carefully tossed in two pieces of candy. I used a deep voice saying, “We want more.” Lester screamed G-E-N-E-V-A and disappeared. She came to the door asking what was wrong. He peeped from behind her back saying, “They want more.” Pauline told Geneva who we were, and we were invited in, but Lester still hid. Geneva was a beautiful soul with gorgeous white hair, pretty makeup and much knowledge to share.
Billy Dickson was a talented woodcraft man and “Jack of all trades.” When Geralene Thompson lost her cat, Menu, she called Billy. He built a coffin and came in freezing weather to bury Menu. He added our home’s addition and did projects with Don. Billy and I worked together at Chester County High School. Billy was good to students; they respected him. A teacher, Sherry Henson, wanted a particular mantle seen in Selmer. Billy took a trip, got measurements and made pictures and diagrams. Sherry got a masterpiece from a master carpenter.
Billy’s 1969 classmates had a 50th reunion in 2019. Since Oct. 2019, five 1969 classmates died – Julia Morris McCoy, Tomi Thomas Harrold, Bud Ward, Keith Lowrance and Billy. Billy’s death makes four from the original class at Jacks Creek – Patsy Rushing, Linda Lott, Jeanette Johnson and Billy.
Billy attended Jacks Creek Elementary School from grades first- eighth. We started Aug. 1957 in the OLD JC School. After Christmas we were in the NEW JC School; and finished eighth grade May of 1965. Those years were the best of our education. Billy’s elementary school family were (girls) Patsy Nobles, Kathy Tignor, Betty Scott, Jeanette Johnson, Sandra Jones, Carolyn Essary, Susan Richardson, Linda Lott, Loyce Cothren and Patricia Barrett (came grades second-fifth); Jenny Jones left at fifth grade while Phyllis McEarl entered fifth grade in 1961. The boys were Billy Dickson, Tracey Pusser, Dwight Jones, Ray Pierce, Michael Mooney and Billy Barrett (came for grades third-sixth). Split class names are harder to list, but Tim Hudson, Jimmy Liles and Stanley Hopper were there. Small county schools split, so from Roby came Sherry Tucker, Patsy Rushing, Guy Wright, and Freddie Rainey for grades six through eight. Christine Carrol and Joyce Brantley came briefly then left for Enville.
We had excellent loving teachers – Mae Rhodes, Clara Johnson, May Wheatley, Margaret Bingham and Ruth Wells. Ruth Wells was proud to present the prizes for the “Easter Lucky Egg.” Billy won a silver dollar and king-sized Baby Ruth. He quietly placed them in his locker.
During recess Billy was chosen soon in relay races – he was a jet. Few girls dropped the hanky behind Billy – he’d catch ‘em! He was good at sports, did his homework, made good grades and was polite. He thanked me for his Christmas hanky; he was proud of it.
His mother, Lela Hart Dickson kept Billy’s clothes clean and pressed. He’d bring candy straws to school (two for a penny), but Billy sold them a penny each. He was adding income to help his mother who publically sewed. Billy lost his daddy, Lester, in Sept. 1973; I lost Mother Dec. 1973. His mother died Aug. 1990. There’s no place like home. Now our dear charming Billy joins his heavenly family. No pain or sorrow. Vicki, Kami, Keisha, Victor, Alex, Aiden, Peter and Brendan will find comfort in that.
VISION 2020 — “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference.”
