Society

Rowan Thompson of Dallas, Tx., was the guest of Kay and Laura Wheeler last week. He played golf Friday in Oxford and attended the Ole Miss-Auburn matchup Saturday. Sunday afternoon, he enjoyed a game of golf with his great-nephew, Grady, and was later joined by Mary Clay and Gene and daughter, Caitlyn, for a family dinner.

How wonderful it is to see the gates of Hill Crest finally open to the public! After reading the article in the paper last week about the whole gate issue, I decided to give it a test run. I drove our wide truck through the newly fixed gates - no problem. Meandered around the roads inside the cemetery, stopping by to visit a few old friends, and finding my way out to Center Street from one of the openings. Feeling sure of myself and the fact that, even though the front of my vehicle is a little wider than most, I made a sharp left turn and entered another gate on Center Street. Amazingly enough, there were no black iron marks on the sides of the truck, nor truck paint left on the gate opening. Continuing on through the cemetery, I cut up yet another little road and, once again, found my way to Center Street, exiting the cemetery through the last gate. Shaking my head in complete disbelief that my vehicle would actually fit through the “walking gates” of the cemetery, I went on up Center Street.

To think that any of the entrances into our beloved cemetery should be shut off for “pedestrians only” is simply ludicrous! Those gates have been there for years upon years and, if some would actually look at the older model Fords from waaaay back, they were definitely wider than most cars built today, less the Suburbans and things of that nature. Even still, those would escape harm entering the cemetery from any of the gates on the Center Street side.

Those of us who have loved ones in Hill Crest cherish those hallowed grounds. We respect the property inside those gates which some deem too narrow for normal traffic. Having spent a reasonable amount of time in the cemetery the other day, there was time to survey the area for a possible solution. Maybe a ski lift type shuttle should be installed? That would solve the problem of any of the gates having to be used. People wishing to visit their family members and friends could park their cars down near the cemetery office, catch the “air tram” up the hill and hope that they can be dropped off near their family plots.

That makes about as much sense as someone attempting to have any of the gates into the cemetery closed. The best solution would be to leave the cemetery alone - let everyone drive through there in peace and be able to use any form of transportation to do so through any of the gates which are already in place.

(To put your news in City Personals, please e-mail maryclayb @yahoo.com; mail to City Personals, The South Reporter, P.O. Box 278, Holly Springs, MS 38635 or call 662-252-4261. You may email your City Personal news to south@dixie-net.com).

David Lee Waldrop and Virginia Sue Simmons, both of Byhalia, are happy to announce their upcoming wedding.

The bride-elect’s parents are the late Dale Watterson and Tammy Simmons of Byhalia.

She is the granddaughter of Mary Sue Simmons of Byhalia and Anne Arbuckle of Fort Worth, Texas. She is a 2006 graduate of Olive Branch High School and a 2010 graduate of Concorde Career College.

He is the grandson of Donna Boswell and Curtis (Bubba) Parker of Byhalia and Earnest and Eunice Waldrop also of Byhalia. His great-grandparents are Martha Grace of Byhalia, Maebell and the late Clarence Parker of Byhalia, and George and Dorthea Loveland, also of Byhalia. He is a 2007 graduate of Gateway Christian Acadamy and employed with Griffin Inc. in Byhalia. The couple will reside in Byhalia.

The couple will wed November 6, 2010 at Collierville First Pentecostal Church in Collierville, Tenn. at 2 p.m. There will be a reception to follow at the VFW in Collierville.

The couple would like to invite all family and friends to come join them on their big day.

Birth announcement

Stockard

Andre and Kennya Stockard of Holly Springs, welcome A’Dreya Ealecjia Stockard. A’Dreya was born October 13, 2010 at The Women’s Pavillion at Methodist Hospital, Germantown, Tenn., weighing six pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 19.25 inches long.

Grandparents are Lee Andrew and Earlene Stockard, and Johnny and Cornelia Jeffries of Holly Springs.

Polk Place will be on the “Christmas In Holly Springs” tour of homes December 4 and 5. This is our 22nd year for the tour. Proceeds go to the Marshall County Historical Museum.

This beautiful house has seen and lived through much history. It was built in the 1830s by General Thomas Polk, who was the brother of the “Fighting Bishop,” Leonidas Polk, cousin to President James K. Polk. Colly Foster bought these two lots for $1,500. Reverend Foster originated the Episcopal Church here, in this house.

Miss Emily Polk bought the house in 1849 from Foster. She was the guardian for his children. Emily was the daughter of General Polk. He may have built it, then lost it, and his daughter bought it back in 1849.

At the turn of the 20th century, around 1900, Oscar Johnson, owner of Walter Place, (he had married Colonel Walter’s daughter) bought the house as a guest house for his friends. He would have guests come from St. Louis in a special railroad car that he owned. He owned three more guest houses also.

Johnson hired well-known architect Theodore C. Link of St. Louis to put his miraculous artistic touch on this house, making it incredible.

It is an English basement type house, with the kitchen and dining room downstairs and the living room and bedrooms upstairs. Link put a dry moat around the house which is very useful. He designed the English boxwood gardens on the grounds.

The house sits around the circular drive that went to the backside of Walter Place. Owners who have lived here include the J.C. Tuckers, who first named it “Tuckahoe” after their country estate. The Clark Cochrans and the Collier Carltons lived here also.

Jamie Tucker, Harriet Cochran, and Mrs. Tucker were all outstanding artists and the house has an art studio with glass windows facing the west for plenty of sunshine for light.

Tickets may be purchased at the Marshall County Historical Museum, which sponsors the tour as our only fundraiser. We are located at 220 East College Avenue, Holly Springs. Our phone number is 662-252-3669. Tickets cost $15 for groups of 10 or more and $18 for individual tickets. All tickets purchased after November 28 are $22. Get yours soon. This is a good way to entertain and it is so good, people will remember it forever. It’s a good happening in the world.


Thursday, November 4, 2010
Community \| Obits \| Editorial & Columnists \| Society \| Sports \| Education \| Classified Ads \| Calendar of Events \| Features \| Newsbriefs \| Legals \| Archives \| Subscriptions \| Photo Gallery