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Fielder’s Choice
By Barry Burleson Harvey made a difference •
I was stunned Friday when one of the newspaper’s employees got an
obituary via the fax machine and said, ‘Harvey Haggard died.’ I had to grab it and read it for myself. Tears formed in my eyes. Harvey is one of my all-time favorites. I’d
gotten to know him best through our mutual membership in and love for
the Rotary Club. Plus, his wife Edie is a regular contributor to The
South Reporter’s pages. They were a special
couple – so cute together. Their love for each other and their
enjoyment in being together was obvious every time I was around them.
It was always a joy to see them together around town. They could always
make a good day better. Harvey was the perfect gentleman – so very kind. I had the utmost respect for him. And he had a wealth of knowledge about lots of topics and life in general. He was a very smart man. In
retirement here in Holly Springs, he enjoyed volunteering at Strawberry
Plains Audubon Center. He was a tremendous advocate for Audubon and
their many programs. It was his passion – particularly teaching
children about bugs and such. Harvey loved his church – First Presbyterian. A memorial service will be held there this Friday, June 4, at 11 a.m. Harvey
and Edie came to Snow Lake and then Holly Springs in retirement. He did
not sit still after leaving his job with Terminix. In
his years in Marshall County, Harvey, a small man, made a huge
difference in our community. He got involved and helped make his
community a better place. The Holly Springs
Rotary Club has lost two of its most dedicated members in recent weeks
– Ray Smithers and Harvey Haggard. They will both be in our hearts
forever. • Andy and I drove to Hoover, Ala., last
week for a couple of first-round games Wednesday in the SEC Baseball
Tournament – Alabama vs. Auburn and Ole Miss vs. South Carolina. Going to the tournament has become somewhat of a tradition over the years. This
year when we saw young children chasing foul balls or hanging out near
the fence in hopes of a player giving them a ball, I told Andy, ‘That
used to be you.’ Then I asked 16-year-old Andy later what he would do if he caught a foul ball at this year’s tournament. He said, ‘I’d give it to a kid.’ I liked and appreciated that answer. His room is filled with keepsake baseballs. Young and old alike, fathers and sons, grandparents and grandchildren, and yes, wives and daughters, too, enjoy the tournament. This year’s first session shattered an attendance record. It drew 12,514. The
reason for that – Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss – three of the closest
schools to Hoover (near Birmingham) – playing in the opening two games. It was a great day for me – Alabama won 7-1. It was a great day for Andy – Ole Miss won 3-0. I did manage to get sun-burned for the first time in as long as I can remember. But it was well worth it. There’s talk of moving the tournament after 2011. I hear AutoZone Park in nearby Memphis, Tenn., may be in the running. I love AutoZone Park, but Hoover is my traditional favorite.
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