Potts Camp News - Dale Hollingsworth


Thursday, October 12, 2006
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Potts Camp News
Dale Hollingsworth

Remembering the “million dollar walk for humanity” in 1986

The Marshall County Genealogical Society met Sept. 23 at the Marshall County Library with 18 members present. Jim Power spoke on his research of Thomas Binford Weber. He served as postmaster in Holly Springs for several years and started the Bethel Christian Church at Eads, Tenn. He married Ann Boggan of Byhalia. Johnnie Carter presided at the meeting and led the discussion of an oral history project. Members are invited to share their own family history. Sylvia Akin has done research on it. They will be printed in The Heritage News.

The next meeting will be held Oct. 28 at the Marshall County Library. I always enjoy “The Heritage News; the next copy will be in 2007. In this last copy, James Cortese had written an article about the Memorial Museum in Potts Camp when it was new. Dallas King was only 70 years old. It was a great loss to the town when it was closed.

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Provost of Apopka, Florida arrived Saturday, Oct. 7 to visit her sister, Mary Lois Gurley and family, as well as other family members in Byhalia, Olive Branch, Arkansas and Memphis.

Joan Gurley and Abby Farr hosted a surprise baby shower for Beverly Farr and Georgia Cobbs on Sunday afternoon. Others in attendance were Mary Lois Gurley (grandmother of the honorees), Margaret Hart, Mary Minor, Lisa, Amanda and Keri Murphy, Paula Goolsby, Doris Poole and Alea Gurley, Sue Rowland, Jean Gurley, Jeanette Stone and Nancy Green. Beverly and Georgia received many beautiful and useful gifts.

Don Childers and Margaret Edwards visited his aunts, Mary Lois Gurley and Laverne Provost, along with other family members on Sunday evening.

Thoughts

I. The wonderful gift of the love of Jesus was never intended to be kept to ourselves! People everywhere are hungry for the reality of a personal touch with God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:16

II. As a child of God, we are called to be alert to the lonely, sick, disabled, homeless, grieving or those who need a helping hand.

Poem: When the world falls down around you
And a prayer will see you through
Say an extra prayer for someone
Who may need it more than you

III. Isaiah 61:1 says “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive and the opening of prisons to them that art bound.

(Lindy’s Newsletter)

“The Touch of the Master’s Hand”

It was battered and scarred, and the autioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin but he held it up with a smile. “What am I bidden, good folks?” he cried, “who’ll start the bidding for me?”

“A dollar, a dollar; then two only two? Two dollars and who’ll make it three. Going for three” - but no - from the room far back, a gray haired man came forward and picked up the bow. Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody pure and sweet as a caroling angel sings. The music ceased and the auctioneer, that voice was quiet and low, said “What am I bid for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow.

A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two, two thousand! And who’ll make it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand twice and going, going and gone, he said.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, “We don’t quite understand.” What changed the worth? Swift came the reply, “The touch of the master’s hand.” And many a man with life out of time and battered and scarred with sin is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin. A mess of pottage, a glass of wine, a game and he travels on. He is going once and going twice. He is going and almost gone. But the Master comes and the foolish crowd never quite understands. The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought by the touch of the master’s hand.

Happy birthday to sisters Jerry Vanzant and Doris Goode, friends from Hickory Flat, on Oct. 13. Happy birthday to friends Bobby Smithwick on Oct. 15 and to Iva B. Smith on Oct. 16.

Happy birthday to Danny Hollingsworth, (my younger son) on Oct. 18, also to Claire Edwards Harper on Oct. 18, to Marla Horne, daughter of Janice Canerdy on Oct. 19, to Amanda McKeown on Oct. 19. Happy birthday to Bill Kitchens on Oct. 26.

Jimmy and Martha Hollingsworth of Tupelo visited me on Sunday. He celebrated his birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Prayer list: Roy Foote, Lena Faye Work, Joe McCallum, Joel Clayton, Betty Fincher, Jean Derryberry, Mary Jo McCallum, Gale Goode, Willie T. Wicker, Ollie Mansel, Lucille Hutchens, Donna Marett, Dorothy Foster, Lina Mae Rhea, Jessie Pipkin, Maxine Potts.

Memories of 1986

The most exciting event I remember that year was the “million dollar walk for humanity” by the Habitat group; they stopped in Tupelo, New Albany, Potts Camp and Holly Springs. members of the Potts Camp Civic Club sponsored dinner and a resting place that day for the tired, hungry group of people. At that time, a cool, shady lot was located behind the First Baptist Church of Potts Camp (now it is covered with buildings). We had tables of food and soft drinks ready for them when they arrived and we enjoyed meeting the friendly people from many states.

Millard Fuller had started the “Habitat for Humanity” back in 1976 (10 years earlier). They stopped in 128 towns during the walk from Georgia to Kansas City. Nancy Petry, wife of a former Potts Camp Methodist pastor, Rev. Curtis Petry, was among the group.

I collected the names of the group, and the states where they lived. One nice guy gave me a pin in the shape of his state in the north.

Other events

Also in 1986, two years before our town’s 100th birthday, the City Hall (now the fire department) was used for a food site. Every weekday, lunches for about 75 or more people were sent there; Jimmy Collins drove the bus to pick up the senior citizens who lived in this area. The ladies made a lovely quilt; pictures of some of them appeared in The South Reporter, along with Jimmy Collins. They were the late Jessie Shaw, the late Lorene McClellan, Lucille Pierce (she lived to be 100 years old), Ethel Simmons (who also lived over 100 years) and Inez Jarrette (the only one alive). Others who worked on the quilt were the late Alene Payne, Cora Mann, Reolla Smith and Meritta Walker. Chances were sold and Kay Garrison won the quilt. It brought $400. Jimmy Collins (our present mayor) sold the most tickets. Proceeds went to help the food site.

My special friend, Gladys Wilson, enjoyed eating at the site; she lived nearby. Sometimes I stopped there on Friday when Jimmy Collins took all of their blood pressure.

At that time I was busy making a garden and swing.

The Potts Camp Class of 1936 celebrated their 50th reunion at Linda’s Country Kitchen at Lake Center that year — 1986. Attending were members Lurline Cook, Eugenia Gray, Fred Boren, Jeff (Willard) Overton, Juanita U. Jones, T.M. Stone, C.B. Bennett, and Dale Hollingsworth.

Others attending were Annie R. Stone, C.B. Bennett and daughter, Mrs. Fred Boren and Lurline Cook’s husband (not class members).

Many of us attended church services together at Potts Camp Methodist Church on Sunday morning. T.M. Stone treated us to dinner that day in New Albany.

It was a happy weekend!

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