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Deputy remembered By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photo by Sue Watson
In honor of Carol Scruggs
Showing
respect for their fallen friend and co-worker are (from left) Sheriff
Kenny Dickerson and deputies Jason Mills, David Cook and Jason Gurley. |
An estimated 1,200 friends and family of law enforcement attended the funeral service of “Sweetie” Thursday. Carol
Jean Scruggs, deputy with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, was
laid to rest with the highest honors - music, testimonials, Bible
verses, prayer, singing and outpouring of love. Hundreds
of law enforcement personnel, emergency responders, and employees and
elected officials from far and wide were present to honor one of their
fallen in the line of duty. The funeral was held at the W.A. McMillan
Multi-Purpose Building at Rust College to a full house. Scruggs died
from a vehicle accident when she lost control of her patrol car while
responding to a call June 25. Scruggs was buried in her service uniform, one she wore proudly and kept neat and spotless. “Everything
is going to be all right if you trust God in everything you do, give
God the praise, cry a little bit and laugh a little bit,” one of the
speakers said. “Healing starts after the burial.” Aloys Tucker, president of Sand Hill MB Church choir, said Scruggs “will be missed.” She served as vice president of the choir. “Carol
was born; Carol lived; and Carol has gone to be with Him. Her legacy
has already been made. She would want you to be what God wants you to
be. She would say, ‘Everything that happened to me, God did it. I turn
it over to Jesus,’ ” Tucker said. A tearful Mae
Garrison told stories of how close she became to Scruggs after a rough
initial beginning when Scruggs was correcting her children at a public
event. “Whose children are these?” Scruggs asked. “They are mine,” Garrison responded. From that moment on they became friends. “Sometimes Carol could put her foot in her mouth,” said Garrison, who read a touching poem about friendship. Marshall
County deputy and Rev. LaDaryl Odum preached a short sermon on the
topic “God is Able,’ (Ephesians 3:20-21) after the song title was sung
by TNT. Members of the audience stood, clapped and danced during the
song. Brother Larry Gatewood sang “A Change is
Gonna Come,” written and recorded by Sam Cooke. The interpretation by
Gatewood brought the audience to their feet several times. Psalm
23 (“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...”) and verses from
Psalm 24 (“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof...”) were
read as well as the words of our Lord, “Let not your heart be troubled.
Ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you and, if I go, I will come again and receive you unto
myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” Sheriff
Kenny Dickerson said Scruggs often did the work of three people and
didn’t have to be told what to do. She was a self-starter. “I am a better person for having Carol work with me and for me,” he said. Downtown, the flag was flown at half mast, in honor of the life of Carol Jean Scruggs (March 30, 1962 - June 25, 2010). A
motorcade to Rust College stretched for two miles, according to Sheriff
Dickerson, and included motorcycle patrols and law enforcement
automobiles from a wide array of agencies, including some from out of
state. |
