Society

Carole Webb and Jeremy Glidewell visit from Franklin, Tenn., while others vacation at the Florida beaches

Carole Webb and Jeremy Glidewell of Franklin, Tenn., were the weekend guests of Vicki and Walter Webb.

Jennifer McMinn and children, Jacob and Hailey, Parker Stephenson, Vicky Farris, Charity Huff and children Hunter, Hailey and Hayes, and Tina Cox and children, Kros and Sarah Grace, returned Tuesday from a week in Destin, Fla.

Nancy and Ki Jones and children, Mary Neely and Jake, and Peyton Stephenson and Thomas Faulkenbery recently returned from a week’s vacation in Sandestin, Fla., where Ki attended the Bar Convention.

Looking all around the town, you see yards littered with political signs. Tuesday, August 2, we all must do our civic duty and get out and vote for the county offices. Absentee voting is now going on, so if you are unable to get to the polls, you can vote that way instead.

Most importantly, you should do your homework on the candidates. Attend political rallies, hear what the candidates have to say. Just listening to what people around town have to say about the candidates is not nearly enough. Get to know the men and women who are wanting to work for you...are they educated? Do they make empty promises just to get in office? Are they morally corrupt or would they give you the shirt off their back if you needed it?

By now, you should know the incumbants and the job they have done for you thus far. Many come to mind who are over-qualified and I am sure, very underpaid. However, they continue to do the jobs they do for us the citizens of Marshall County.

There are a lot of new people running this year. Scope them out and find out their qualifications. Stop in their places of employment - introduce yourself and let them know you are interested in finding out their political interests.

Slander is a dangerous thing and really does nothing to help the voters understand the candidates running. If Joe over here is talking ugly about John, that would make me swing my vote the other direction, even if I did not know squat about Joe’s opponent. Trying to make people look bad just leaves the one slinging the mud gross and in need of not only a water bath, but a spiritual one, as well.

This election is so important for those of us who live in Marshall County. Everyone needs to make a point to get to the polls Tuesday, August 2, to vote. Make your voice be heard! Every vote counts! If you don’t vote, you will have no reason to complain if those you wish to serve do not get elected.

(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 also e-mail your City Personal news to south@dixie-net.com).

Anna Owens

Miss Anna Owens to wed Ross Thompson at Christ Episcopal Church on August 13

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Keith Owens of Holly Springs are pleased to announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Anna Elizabeth Owens, to Ross Harrison Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Tabeling Thompson of Pearl.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Ann B. Douglas of Germantown, Tenn., and Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Douglas, Mrs. Opal Owens and the late Mr. Malcolm Owens, all of Holly Springs.

The prospective groom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James Clifford Campbell and the late Mr. and Mrs. David Maidde Thompson of Bradenton, Fla.

The bride-elect is a graduate of Marshall Academy and currently a senior at Mississippi State University.

The prospective groom is a graduate Manatee High School in Bradenton, Fla. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and his master’s degree in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University. He is presently employed at Mississippi State University as a human resource manager.

The couple will exchange vows on Saturday, August 13, at 7 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in Holly Springs with the reception to follow at Kirkwood National Golf Club.

Mr. and Mrs. Melvin King of Holly Springs are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Melanee D. King of Holly Springs, to Malick Nyan of the Gambia, West Africa.

Melanee is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Percy Scott of Holly Springs, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Oplis King, also of Holly Springs.

She is a graduate of Holly Springs High School and Rust College with a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. She is employed as an admissions counselor with Rust College in Holly Springs.

Malick is the son of Mrs. Amie (John) and the late Alhagie Babou Nyan Nyan of Gambia, West Africa. He is a graduate of The Gambia Muslim Senior School and International Business College with an HND in business/marketing and tourism. He is a research analyst with the National Centre for Arts and Culture.

The wedding was held June 20, 2011 in The Gambia, West Africa. Melanee met Malick while studying abroad in 2001.

Since the existence of Marshall County in 1836, one of the biggest industries has been clay products. The clay soil here made a potter’s paradise of this county and we’ve always made bricks.

Down through the years this has been our most prolific industry. Even the Indians made products of clay.

When I was growing up, there was a potter named Waldo Davis. He had a kiln located on Highway 178 West, on a high hill overlooking the city, close to where Anderson Chapel is now. His beautiful pottery is scattered throughout the South and beyond.

In 1936, Mrs. Oscar Johnson created the Holly Springs Brick and Tile Company as a necessity to get the bricks she needed for renovating the Walter Place. She needed round bricks, square bricks and beveled bricks, which were works of art. She established the brick factory to make the bricks for her and it became our largest industry for decades.

While growing up here, we would go to the jug factory and get clay to play with and create our own sculptures. The jug factory was located on the eastern side of the railroad tracks, south of the Salem bridge.

Today we have an extraordinary potter in our midst -- T. Puterbaugh Gill, who lives and operates in Red Banks.

Surprisingly, it is unusual that no one has ever made china dishes from our fantastic clay. Bricks were very important in the building of the town. After the initial log cabins, which were built in a hurry, came the brick houses. The bricks were from rich clay soil. ( We did not, but some towns built brick streets.)

Basements would be excavated and the excavated dirt would be used to make into bricks to build the house.

Warren Buffet gave us 20,000 bricks at the musuem for an elevator shaft. He owned the brick factory.

In the 1870’s, Albert Herr, the eighth son of the King of Germany, migrated to America and came to Holly Springs. Germany wasn’t as we know it today. It was comprised of provinces. He realized he would never be king, as he had seven older brothers who could precede him to the throne.

The Lord sent him here; he was such a blessing to our community. He took the name “Herr” because in German it means “Mister.” Albert Herr became the town’s mayor. He built a brick home here. His cousins were the Knables, who had migrated to America from Germany before the war.

Mr. Knable took his citizenship seriously. When the War Between the States began, all the men in town were signing up to fight, except Mr. Knable. He was so proud of his new country and he was so fresh from signing those citizenship papers, he felt he couldn’t renounce America for another country. This resulted in his being unpopular.

He was the founder of the clay products industry. The jug factory lasted for decades and gave employment to the townspeople for many years. At the Marshall County Historical Museum we are enjoying “Be-Backers,” who are returning once again.

Some of the visitors today were kin to the Sumner Hill family. They said this museum was the best they had ever been in. Another set of visitors said they had a piebald deer mounted and they are considering giving it to us (a young adult white deer, which accounts for one percent of the deer population in Mississippi.)


Thursday, July 21, 2011
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