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Road dedicated to Warrens By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photo by Sue Watson
Memorabilia
Armetrice Warren Coleman displays family photos and other memorabilia like a picture of the old Warren’s Grocery and Theatre. |
Alvin
Warren Road was recently dedicated to the memory of the late Alvin
Warren Sr. and his son, Alvin Warren Jr. Relatives, friends, neighbors
and elected officials conducted the celebration. The
segment of Hernando Road leading into Highway 309 honors the legacy of
the two Warrens, who helped keep the road passable when it was a gravel
road and who lobbied to have it paved through their hamlet. “We donated about 18 acres to put this road through here,” Elaine Warren Powers said.  | Photo by Sue Watson
Dedication ceremony
Family members, friends and elected officials celebrate the new portion of Hernando Road named Alvin Warren Memorial Road. |
Three
generations of the Alvin Warren Sr. family were on hand to help
celebrate the dedication. He was owner of Warren’s Grocery and Theatre
where the community bought what they needed in the day when people did
not have transportation to towns. Alvin Warren
Sr. was born in 1899 and Alvin Warren Jr. his son, died in 1996. Their
wives were Robbie Warren, wife of Alvin Warren Sr., and Frances Warren,
the wife of Alvin Jr. The theatre was a place the
community could come to see movies and to dance to live music of the
likes of BB King and Sonny Boy Williams. A lot of local talent also
entertained at the theatre. The late Lurline Warren was a community
writer for The South Reporter where her column included the Warren
Grocery news. At the dedication ceremony, great-grandson Justice Powers read a poem he had written: “Big Daddy and Uncle Junior/ What can I say?/A part of Hernando Road is being dedicated to you Today. “For all your hard work/and the many hour spent/this beautiful road is heaven sent. “I watch all the big trucks/and all the heavy equipment/fly by my window/and not even have a hint. “Of what it took to make/ this fine thoroughfare thru/to get us back and forth/to do what we need to do. “Thank you Big Daddy/and my Uncle Jr., too/ We really appreciate the both of you.” Those
signing in to the event included Sen. Bill Stone, circuit clerk Lucy
Carpenter, tax collector Betty Byrd, supervisors Eddie Dixon and George
Zinn, tax assessor Juanita Dillard, chancery clerk Chuck Thomas, county
administrator Larry Hall, Carl DeBerry, Ordie Anderson, Azzie Lee
Yarborough, Armetrice Warren Coleman, Elaine Warren Powers, Yvonne
Ingram Burns, Monet Autry, Rep. Kelvin Buck, Louise Saulsberry and
Majorie Sise. The area is the homeplace of the Warren, Bell and Ingram families.
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