Sheriff tapped as Grand Marshal
Marshall County Sheriff Kenny Dickerson will serve as Grand Marshal of the Holly Springs Christmas Parade set for Saturday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m. In downtown Holly Springs.
It is an event that draws families out to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. The community looks forward to the parade each year.
Dickerson grew up in the days when families were poor and sharing what the person had after the crops were in brought genuine joy to children and adults alike.
Born in Hickory Flat, the son of Jesse Alton and Eula Mae Dickerson, he was raised with his two brothers a stone’s throw from Hickory Flat School, where the small family Dickerson farm lay.
“I looked forward to Christmas even in early childhood,” Dickerson said, the son of a row crop and cattle farmer.
The Dickerson children walked to and from school every day and went home for lunch. That was how close his family lived to the schoolhouse.
A close-knit family, the Dickersons looked forward to celebrating the real meaning of Christmas among themselves and with the greater community.
“We didn’t get a lot for Christmas, but we were always thankful for what we got,” the sheriff, a 50-year veteran of law enforcement, said.
He remembers one of his favorite gifts for Christmas was a Radio Flyer red wagon which was used to haul things in.
Afterward, the red wagon bed found use in following Christmases where the children’s fruits and candy and a few new school clothes were laid.
His favorite candy was orange slices. But fresh fruits like apples and oranges were included along with nuts and chocolate drops.
“What fruit and candy we had we shared with neighbors and they shared theirs with us,” he said. “We worked extremely hard year round tending to the cattle and hogs. I started driving early and looked forward to hauling cotton to the gin in the fall. It was hand picked.”
The Dickersons raised around 40 acres of cotton a year in addition to corn for animal feed and gardens. They, like their neighbors, were mostly small subsistence farmers.
“Dad was a good farmer and we were fortunate to have good crops – cotton and corn – every year,” he said. “We had a huge garden and our own beef and hogs. We raised most of what we ate.”
Cokes, also called “Belly Washers” back then, were a nickel a piece. Five pounds of flour cost 35 cents. Gas ran from 25 cents to 30 cents a gallon except during gas wars when it could be bought for nine cents a gallon.
They farmed with mules and had a tractor, too.
His mother sewed a lot and patched and mended all the clothes in the family.
As a child, Dickerson used a horse to pull a slide carrying a plow to break gardens and make up rows. With that job he saved up enough money to buy his first shotgun, the gift most young teenage boys want most.
Bobwhite Quail were abundant and in those days people were allowed to hunt on others land. A neighbor, Mr. Craig, had bird dogs and invited him to hunt. Hunting quail with Mr. Craig is one of his most enjoyable childhood memories.
Later, at age 15 or 16, Dickerson went to Western Auto in New Albany and bought a 20 gauge Browning shotgun, light in weight and with a gold trigger.
“After I got my Browning, I was an excellent wing shot and had good eyesight,” Dickerson said.
The Dickerson family’s first television, when they finally got one was a black and white set. He found he had interest in law enforcement as he watched Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford, who played chief Dan Matthews.
He was a late teen when he first realized he wanted to be in law enforcement.
His first job in law enforcement came with an offer from the Mississippi Highway Patrol after he took the test to become eligible. But that came later after he continued farming for a while, then worked at a local factory. He also served a brief stint in the U.S. Forest Service.
In 1972 (he graduated high school in 1965), Dickerson was accepted into the Mississippi Highway Patrol. He worked first in the New Albany District, then a while in the Natchez Brookhaven District getting his early experience as a patrolman.
Later, Bryant House was promoted to assistant inspector and Dickerson was transferred to Holly Springs to take his place as a uniformed officer. This put him in the Batesville District.
It was his first full year as a patrolman when he answered a call from Highway 4 East where a man was trapped in a burning house.
He said he entered the bedroom of Curtis Pitner, and was carrying him out when, as he stepped over the threshold of the bedroom with Pitner, the ceiling collapsed in the bedroom behind him.
“We were both extremely lucky to get out of the house alive,” Dickerson said. Jimmy Warren Sr., an investigator with the MHP, nominated Dickerson as Officer of the Year and he received honors from the state and from President Richard M. Nixon for his valor in the rescue.
While serving in the Highway Patrol, Dickerson served in the Mississippi National Guard 108 Armed Cavalry and was named Officer of the Year.
Dickerson said he was taught by his parents “it is better to give than to receive.” This motto remains with him today.
“We were a sharing family which carried me into my adulthood and career,” he said. “It really gives me a good feeling inside to help other people, especially people in need.
“The spirit of Christmas goes on year around. I try to carry the spirit of Christmas all through the year and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. We (his 60 employees and staff) are all so thankful to God for leading us and protecting us year around.
“Without God’s help and strength, on several occasions, I wouldn’t have made it. I wish everyday could be like Christmas in my life and the lives of everyone to help us realize the true meaning of Christ and how important it is to have God in our lives.