Potts Camp News - Dale Hollingsworth


Thursday, July 27, 2006
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Potts Camp News
Dale Hollingsworth

Fincher, Work visit Smokies

Molly and William Byers of Big Sandy, Tenn., attended the school reunion at Myrtle school last Saturday. They also visited relatives in the Cornersville area and she stayed overnight with her brother, David Greer Sr. and wife, Betty. (Molly is my special friend.)

Tommie and Gale Goode of Greenwood spent last weekend with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. T.M. Stone.

Jack Clayton of Kentucky arrived on Thursday to spend a few days with his dad, Joel Clayton and Joyce. (Say a special prayer for Joel.)

Betty Fincher and Connie Work drove to the Smoky Mountains last week.

Jimmy and Martha Hollingsworth and daughter, Tracy Pipkin, of Tupelo and Saltillo visited me on Wednesday and brought my lunch. I was glad to see them.

Thoughts

I. Romans 12:18 says, “We shall live peacefully with everyone. If there is peace in our heart we can be a peacemaker.

II. God has the power to answer prayers, forgive our sins, meet our needs and love us. With God’s help nothing is impossible.

III. What God does through us is important. We are only a shinning light drawing our strength from the indwelling “Spirit of Christ.” Our task as Christians is to help others see the glory of His light.

IV. Poem

Take up thy cross and follow me
We hear the blessed Savior’s call
How can I make a lesser sacrifice
When Jesus gave His all?

V. I expect to pass through this life but once. If therefore they be any kindness I can show or any good I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again. (From my scrapbook)

Poem — God bless your life with everything a rich rewarding life can bring, a joyful heart and love to share, family and friends to always care. God bless your life with wisdom, too, strength to see each problem through. The happiness for which you strive, and faith to keep your dreams alive. God’s blessings be with you! (Lindy’s Newsletter)

“Lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5. Without God as our guide through the fog of life, we will wander aimlessly. So make this our motto. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray at the close of each day, I’ve helped someone, somehow, someway. That I’ve not failed by word or deed to lighten the heart of someone in need. Though my talents be few, I pray that you find me a credit to you. For Christ’s sake, amen.

Congratulations to Jamie Overall and David Whaley Jr. on their recent engagement. A bridal shower to honor the couple will be held July 29 in the fellowship hall of Hickory Flat United Methodist Church. Hostesses for the event are Amy Rogers, Norma Rogers and Christy Puryear.

Berniece Beaird, the former Berniece McLeroy who grew up here, called from her home in Florida on Monday. She is a special friend. Her daughter, Cheryl, lives with her and teaches in a nearby college. She sends “hello” to other friends including Annie R. and T.M. Stone.

Happy birthday to Betty Lee Maxey on July 27; to Heather Huff on July 28, also Jon and Jay Rowland and Nikki White on July 28; to Greg Smothers on July 29; to Bernece M. Beaird on July 30; and to Mitchell Gurley and Leland Passons on July 31.

Pray for Elizabeth Williams of Memphis, a former resident of Potts Camp and wife of the late Russell Williams. She is in serious condition in a Memphis hospital. Elizabeth has four children, three girls and one boy. They attended Potts Camp School.

Prayer list: Martha Ross, Lucille Hutchens, Ollie Mansel, Jerry Work, Joel Clayton, Jessie Pipkin, Lena Faye Work, Lina Mae Rhea, Mary Lois Gurley, Jean Derryberry, Joe McCallum, Mary Jo McCallum, Betty Fincher, Gracie McCallum, Adell Hudson, Diane Clayton, and others who are sick. God bless America — we need it.

Memories

Mary Reid, daughter of the first Potts Camp settlers, Colonel E.F. Potts and wife Elizabeth, is a familiar name in Potts Camp. Mary Reid Grammar School and Reid’s Gift Baptist Church are named for her. She also gave land for St. Mary’s Methodist Church and Potts Camp Methodist Church and parsonage (land for both races). She gave land for the Potts Camp Cemetery and the right-of-way for the railroad, so the railroad would come this way.

The only child of Mary Reid and husband Charlie was named Cornelius. She loved her son so much that she gave him a Bible with a poem, “To my dear boy” in it. Cornelius married Mary Lou Anderson of New Albany. I’ve read where Mary Lou and her friends came on the train to spend time at Eagle Springs, so that’s probably where the couple met. They had a daughter, Warrine Reid, who was special to our family; my mother loved her like a sister.

When she was only 7 years old, in 1908, two men came to their door and told Warrine that her dad had died suddenly. She had to go outside and find her mother to tell her that her husband was dead. Mary Reid, his mother, had died three months earlier the same year. Their lovely home was on Church St. (It burned a few years ago.) Mary Lou was remarried several years later to a Mr. Young, who owned a business in town. Warrine worked for Judge Anderson, a relative, in Blue Mountain and received a good education. She married Fred Oakley, a wonderful salesman; they had one lovely daughter, Mary Louise, who was my sister Ann’s age. Fred’s job caused them to move sometimes, so Warrine rented the wonderful historic two-story house on the hill, on Pontotoc Street, to Mr. and Mrs. Lon Halley (her grandmother, Mary Reid, had lived there). They had a daughter, Quinn Halley, who was my best friend. Mr. Halley and his brother, George Halley, owned a large business, the Halley Lumber Co., across the railroad tracks. Because of the deaths of Warrine’s grandmother and dad, Warrine owned large sections of land in the Potts Camp area. We loved her.

When we lived in Aberdeen during World War II, my dad, J.B. Potts, the depot agent, would send Fred to meet Jimmy and me when we rode the train to New Albany or the bus to Hickory Flat. (They were paving the roads with concrete.) The bus went around through Ashland to Holly Springs.

Mary Louise attended college, then married Jack Merril, they live in Germantown. They are my friends. (Fred died young) I remember Warrine, who I visited often for many years, showed me pictures they made of the World”s Fair in St. Louis. I still miss her; she was a dear friend. I wish I could have known Mary Potts Reid, she died 10 years before I was born, she was my aunt Molly (a great aunt).

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