with Patsy Nobles Jones
“If my parting has left a void – then fill it with remembered joy.” – unknown
Sympathy is expressed to the families of Tracy Lane Gray (3-25-69 to 8-17-21) – Mars Hill; Hannah Irene Jones Wilkes (11-16-34 to 8-22-21) – no service; and Jere Neal Wamble (7-18-42 to 8-22-22) – Old Friendship.
Our community expresses sympathy to all families suffering death of a loved one. Each week I try to list names. I have not written weekly, so the names have appeared in the obit section of our paper. It does not mean I am ignoring your loss. I love deeply, and I grieve deeply. Memories do that to us, don’t they?
“Perhaps my time seemed all too brief. Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and peace to thee. God wanted me now. He set me free.” – unknown
These seven names are special to me; they are not forgotten. G.W. “Dub” Rush (8-17-1926 to 7-22-2021), father of Debra Connor, a former classmate from the Class of 1969; Mary Jones (2-3-1924 to 7-28-2021) mother of Danny Jones, a former coworker at Chester County Junior High School; Zola Long Kinchen (8-16-1923 to 8-5-2021) neighbor of my grandmother, “Mama Beck” and mother of Phyllis, a former classmate of 1969; Waymon Morris (9-23-1925 to 8-5-2021) my part-time bus driver during high school years. He was welcoming each day with a pleasant smile reaching those gorgeous eyes. At Christmas he was generous with fruit for all. His bus smelled so good. He was a very kind man with a nice wife and family; Geneva Garner (5-18-1932 to 8-5-21) was the last lady I visited at healthcare before the virus hit. Geneva started sharing tidbits with me the day she entered healthcare when Dusty and I delivered her a birthday cake. LaTasha Phillips gave her all of her mother’s clothing when she died in 2012, so Geneva would have many clothes. Geneva had a kind heart, sweet smile, pleasing personality and beautiful jewelry. Her stuffed animals were her family. She kept them in her bed and gently placed them in a hamper each night. She was my next “Pat on the Back” story I was writing for the Independent. She had been on my heart; it shocked me deeply to see her name on the Shackelford Funeral Home site. I am sending a sympathy card to her brother-in-law to express my feelings; Donald Jones (8-15-49 to 8-8-21) a Jacks Creek friend and sweet school boy; and Judy Morris Sweatt (7-21-51 to 8-14-21) a Nobles Family cousin, Methodist church goer sitting beside her twin sister and me on Sundays, Easter egg hunters, movie goers, playmates, and we were from the Class of 1969 at Chester County High School. Judy had been on my heart. I called and reached her, but later when my heart was again heavy thinking of her, there was no answer. I called Mary Curtis to express my concern. Later I learned Judy died. It was sad, but I tried to picture her with her twin, Julia McCoy, in heaven. It did give me comfort.
Jacks Creek friends and communities tenderly remember Murdell Brewer McCall Barker (2-19-1919 to 8-26-2020) gone from our arms a year; and Dr. Kathy Mays (8-23-42 to 1-26- 2015) celebrated her 79th birthday in heaven. God bless families with tender memories in hearts and minds.
Music lovers lost Tom Hall (5-25-36 to 8-20-21), known as the “Storyteller.” We loved his list in the song, “I Love.” The following day Don Everly (2-1-37 to 8-21-21) joined his brother Phil (1-19-39 to 1-3-14) to make music in heaven. A fun memory: WHHM radio station in Henderson with Don Fenemore, Wanda Smith and Mike Whitehed ran a listener involvement. Listen for the cue to call in and name that tune. I heard the cue and called in to identify it. I could not call the name of the Everly Brothers song, “Wake up a Little Susie.” Don came home for lunch in 1970 and told me he and Lloyd King heard WHHM and knew the song I did not know. I did not try that radio stunt again!
Gloria Holiday (Henderson City community writer) and Vickie Ellis (Friendship community writer) covered my 70th birthday very nicely. Thank you for attending my party. It made me tender when I saw the love and effort brought forth from all guests to party planners. Some of the guests really sacrificed to attend. My heart is full of your love. I appreciated Kathy Pounds, Betty Newman and Brenda Hannah tricking ole Pat. Payback is double. I love tricks. I hope the community enjoyed my Happy Birthday balloons displayed in the yard for all to enjoy going on the third week. Sharon Boothe blows at them or me often. I love it. She came early to the party to offer a helping hand, too. It was a wonderful party. I have not called the list yet, but I appreciated all floral arrangements, gifts, gag gifts, serious cards, funny cards and belated cards. The $70 birthday card was a real shock. I feared it was counterfeit from some local royalty.
Then along comes the “Bell of the ball” with those gorgeous dozen red roses that left me speechless. A souvenir rock marked with a cemetery’s name helped me feel age 70! I am using it as a paper weight to remind me of my age and how close I am nearing the end of my journey on this earth. No way can I catch Inez Cash. She is just too frisky! I love people who play pranks. Just how did “rickets” disease start? Ha! A prankster knows what I mean! “Manwell” has not called to wish me a Happy Birthday. Maybe Vickie Ellis will use her influence.
Two tidbits: Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first Asian American woman lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, the first Asian American woman flight instructor to train the US Naval pilots and the first woman Gunnery Officer in all US Armed Forces (https://lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/susan-ahn-cuddy-asian-american-trailblazer); and Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in the U.S., passed away Aug. 20, 2021. His shoe size was 26. He was 7 ft., 8 ins. tall. (https://www.npr.org/2021/08/23/1030502042/igor-vovkovinskiy-who-at-7-foot-8-was-the-tallest-man-in-the-u-s-has-died).
Prayers to those affected by Henri on Aug. 22 on the East Coast; to those in Middle Tennessee where a flood on Aug. 22 killed at last count 22 and many missing; and to those affected by the happenings in Afghanistan. Stay vigil in prayers – our military needs us each hour. Cover their backs with prayers. They covered ours in many wars. God bless the USA and other countries under stress.
