Overheard, out and about, Mrs. Grundy sees all, tells all

By Mrs. C.R. Grundy (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News

Published Friday, November 6, 2009

Peeping through my Venetian blind, I saw Miss Flora Covington, coming up my walk, bless her, with a basket of sasanqua blooms, that “cousin” of the camellia, which comes a-calling about a month before its highfalutin kin – the state flower of Alabama, you know!

It was good to see Kathy (Thomasson) Futrell at Tabby D.’s for lunch this week, dining with her dad, Esker. She had flown to Pensacola, Fla., from Midland City, Texas, and had been driven up to “the Dimple of Dixie” to visit her mother, Ann, who underwent knee surgery in Opp. Kathy makes one of the prettiest grandmothers I ever saw. She always was a pretty girl. We talked about her children, Kelly (son) and Ashlee, whose daughter, Lillee, has made Kathy a grandmother. I think it unusual that Kathy, her brother Roddy, their first cousins (by their Uncle Charles and Aunt Audie), Rocky, Celia, and Carol, all born here, now all live in Texas. Only their Cousin Cynthia, another child of Charles and Audie, has remained in Alabama – in Dothan. Charles and Esker are brothers.

While in Spanish Fort last week, I took my friends, Terry and Mary Gayle Cole, to dinner at the Original Oyster House on the Causeway into Mobile. We had a grand view at sunset of Mobile Bay, the marshes, and Mobile in the distance with its R.S.A. Tower, the tallest building in Alabama. We sampled flounder, grilled shrimp, cheese grits, slaw, and bread pudding.

Gertrude Nelson and Joe Wingard took a “Halloweiner” supper to Myrtle Ruth (Everage) Welch, 98, in Andalusia Manor October 30. Gertrude took her famous lemonade and potato salad, plus Halloween “treats,” while Joe contributed hotdogs from the Dairy Queen, some baked beans, and a jack-o-lantern. This little party is a tradition among the friends. As the years have passed, the circle has grown smaller until only three are left of the original group.

“Miss Myrtle,” Andalusia High School Class of l929, is, I think, the oldest living graduate of the school.

Seen at Tabby D.’s lunch buffet were Larry DeFilippi, a science teacher at our community college, Maggie Shelley, Helen Philips, Mr. and Mrs. James Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Davis, and Betty Mitchell, “the Travel Queen.”

I learned of a mistake I made. It was not David Philips, but his dad, who sang on stage with the great Caruso, probably the greatest tenor in the history of opera. It was also David’s dad, not David, who played cricket with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and “the Lost World,” which inspired Jurassic Park and its sequels. I am twice pleased – to correct my ignorance and to have the chance to talk again of such interesting subjects.

Gentle reader, please don’t let me get by with mistakes. I do so want to leave a correct record of our times.

I ran into Bart M. Boothe, an Opp attorney, last week. He was with his wife Shanna, a teacher in Opp Elementary School, and their beautiful, little daughter, Katy Claire Boothe, named after her mother’s two grandmothers. Katy Claire made her entrance onto the stage of life Oct. 2, 2009. The Boothes also have two sons, Logan and Cason, who, I trust, will gallantly champion their little sister in the lists of life.

Seen at Off the Square Cafe were Robert and Sheila (Thompkins) Williams (who told me that her visit to Hawaii was the first time she had celebrated her son’s birthday with him since 9-11), Ashton and Katy Sue (Meredith) Wells (once the National Maid of Cotton, a fact to which Andalusians still point with pride), Julian and Bobbie Foshee, Mike O’Neal (from one of the oldest families in Andalusia), Rogerl Reeves, Sir Francis McGowin (who always tips with Kennedy half-dollars), Robert Evers, Ab Powell (from another of the earliest families in Andalusia history), Billy and Marie White (parents of Greg White), Sidney and Polly (Wilder) Waits (Sidney is one of our most important local historians, and both come from prominent Andalusia families), Brenda Selmar, and Jane (Ricks) Wallace, a volunteer with the Covington County Quilters, a group which makes quilts to donate to law-enforcement officers to keep in their cars to use in emergencies.

Hazel Carter was honored for her birthday, Oct. 23, with a supper in the home of Gertrude Nelson. Attending were Tyrone and Althea Courson and Steve and Katherine Sharpe. Gertrude served peas, turnips, her famous potato salad, deviled eggs, barbecue ribs, rice cooked in pork broth, muffins, fried green tomatoes and Seven-Up pound cake.

(I don’t know whose potato salad is more famous – Gertrude’s or Charlotte Thomasson’s.)

The green tomatoes that Gertrude used were plucked from a vine grown by Steve Sharpe. He had tried one of those “hanging tomatoes,” seen on television this season. It had done poorly, so Steve threw the vine up against his house to let it die. Well, it didn’t. It thrived right where it fell. Who would have thought it?

Myrtle Welch, 98, a resident of Andalusia Manor, had this to say about the time change last Saturday, “If they keep running the clock back, I never will die!”

Sunny Moody, a junior at A.H.S., sang “The King Is Coming” in the Sunday-School assembly of the Baraca Class of First Baptist last Sunday. He was accompanied by his piano teacher, Martha (James) Givhan. Sunny has a fine voice and sings with inspired intensity.

It was a special Sunday for the Moodys. Sunny’s dad, Maxwell, was honored that morning with a pre-birthday, breakfast buffet in Adult 3. He turns 75 November 9, Lord willing.

The expansive buffet was mainly prepared by Maxwell’s daughter, Marsha McCarra.

Joining Maxwell and his wife Elaine of Red Level were members of his Sunday-School class and other First Baptist friends, especially his family – Dennis and Marsha McCarra (his daughter) of Red Level; Emerson and Kana Overman (his daughter) of Elizabeth City, N.C.; Elizabeth Jones and Janie Reeves, Maxwell’s sisters, both of Opp; Marsha’s sons, Derek and Nicole McCara and their son Nathan of Pensacola, Fla., and Daniel and Amanda McCara and their son Dylan, all of Pensacola, Fla.; Maxwell’s brother-in-law, Sam Williams of Red Level, husband of Elaine’s sister, Joyce Williams.

Maxwell requested prayers for his great-grandson, Stephen Parsons, now in the military and headed toward Afghanistan.

Maxwell received cards from far and near.

Scott Riley was baptized at First Baptist last Sunday morning by Dr. Fred Karthaus.

Mary (Wright) Hill, the “Belle of Excel,” attended her 6lst anniversary of graduation from Excel High School recently. A member of the Class of l948, Mary was flabbergasted at how many of her female schoolmates had grey hair when she, herself, had none.

Mary and her husband, the long-suffering John, a man of few words, and necessarily so, were guests in Excel of her sister Luverne and her husband Paul Murphy for lunch.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, is homecoming at First Baptist, Andalusia. Dr. Mark Foley is scheduled to speak. Southland is to present a concert. Donna Bush Taylor is to be on hand to sign her book, Coming Home on Highway 84.

I received an e-mail that read, “It’s funny to me to see ‘Hacoda’ mentioned in your column. I grew up there, and my parents still live on the old family farm; and we visit often. Growing up and being asked where we lived, we often got the response, ‘Where is that?’ Our pet name for our little community was ‘hack-a-doo,’ as many mispronounced the word.”

Another e-mail read, “You can’t talk about Andalusia High (or Junior High) without referring to James Arthur Wilson. JAW, as we lovingly referred to him, was a fantastic educator and always put the students first. It is a good thing that we didn’t know his college nickname at the time (Ape). We could have had some real fun with that. We also had Mrs. Bebe Greene (I recall her paddling the entire homeroom one day) and Charlie Norris, who took some of us through all of the high-school maths and then showed up at Troy to carry us through calculus and more – chalk dust flying everywhere. There were so many good teachers at Andalusia, and all were l00 percent dedicated to making us better people.”

Yesterday, Nov. 6, by the way, was the birth date of James Arthur Wilson, who served 36 years at A.H.S., not counting his days there as a student. He still holds the record for having served longest as principal, some l8 years.

College teachers used to recognize the students of Mr. Wilson and his colleague, Miss Clyde Simmons, because they stood out as exceptionally well trained.

Mr. Wilson taught science; Miss Simmons, English.

One of the strengths of the Andalusia High School is continuity, keeping the same, good teachers for twenty years or more. That lends stability and experience to any organization.

Yesterday was also the birth date of John Philip Sousa, the great, American bandmaster, composer of marches, and “March King.” Among his famous pieces is “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” which we hear every Fourth of July. If you have a child or grandchild, get him to listen to Sousa; and he’ll be a better person. Get him away from “sin”copated music!

I have written a letter to Santa Claus about certain youth who will not practice piano. “You’d better watch out!”

Nov. 3 was the birth date of William Cullen Bryant, American poet, famous for “Thanatopsis” and “To a Waterfowl.” Bryant later edited a New York newspaper for some 50 years and helped secure today’s Central Park, bless him. Bless all who leave this world a better and more beautiful place.

In Bryant’s poem, “The Death of the Flowers,” he begins with “The melancholy days are come, the saddest of the year,” a good description of this time of year. Every year the Portly Gentleman quotes that to me and tells of the time that he and old Mr. Robert Albritton went on an autumn stroll. Mr. Albritton, from one of the grand, old families of Dimpletonia, repeated that famous line and also informed the Portly Gentleman, a young fellow at the time, that one “wears a cane.” He does not carry a cane. Ah, halcyon days!

I promised last week to share the names of those who signed in at the A.H.S. homecoming (October l6) from the classes of l980, l990, and 2000.

From l980 (30th anniversary) were Tripp Bass (father of three lovely daughters), Mike Arden, Maurice Foster, Larry Norris, the irrepressible Kent Covin, Lisa Powell McVay, Shawn Godwin Shirey, Dawn (Ryals) Reeves, Leon Hartzog, Deirdre Belton, Elaine Gantt, Bob Horton of Montgomery with his son Nicholas, Jay “the Chair” Hare, Jennifer Hudson King, Cindy Sharpe Kilgore (daughter of Coach Don Sharpe), Vanessa McClain, Pamela Rostick, Marvin Gantt, Anita Williams, Leisa Barton Taylor, Mamie Johnson, Lynne Patterson, Deborah Spivey, Scott Lidh, Shannon Brabham, the handsome John Badley, the cheerful Lester Hamiter (“Bill” is now located in the Heritage Room), Linda Baker Jeter, Mindy Cauley Beasley, Cathryn Wilson Gibson, Beth (Kanaley) Taylor, John Thompson (city clerk), Chuck Dutton, Sally (Salter) Lovelace (still lovely, whether on a sand dune or not), Steve Sikes (ah! a Sikes for sore eyes!), Gary Alexander and his brother, Dale Alexander.

If I misspelled your name, it was because I could not read, with these old eyes, your handwriting. For your 40th reunion, if you can remember, please PRINT your names clearly, as most did. Work on your penmanship. Also, ladies, if you are divorced, print your maiden as well as your married name without parentheses. If you are not divorced, however, please put parentheses about your maiden name. Thank you.

From l990 (20th anniversary) came Mirenda (Robertson) Kirksey (daughter of Coach Richard and Ethel [Miller] Robertson and Mirenda’s daughter, little Kelsey Nichele Kirksey), Tiffanie Eiland Hammett, Thomas Hugghins, Keith Parker, Machelle Johnson, Tracy McClain Simpler, Anita Castleberry Lanford, Catina Curry, Wynette Salter Mitchell, Cheryl (Johnson) James, Lynette Reed, Samantha (McNeil) Bradley, Ann McClain Evans, Christopher J. Long, Joe Hassell, Meri Catherine Bratton, Kim Hagler Ralls, Carroll Mullis, Katie Mount, Michael Wyatt, Bobby Jackson, Denise McGuffee Simpson, Kathy Chappell, Sania Shakespeare, Christy Grissett Rodgers, Lesley McDuffie, Stephanie Cofield Bryan, Dawna Johnson Leslie, Pamela Denise Curry, Sophia Lynne Carter, Badka Jaden, Christine Chandler Carroll, Becky Music Crum, Victoria Rawls Shirey, Sherhonda Jones, Melissa Hall Ellison, Jennifer Watson Page, Dana Day Barefoot, Teresa Parker Albritton, Kim Nichols Cane, Peggy Tatum-Arnold, Brandon Ray, Allison Law Griffin, Katie Johnson, Russell Barnes, Keith Thompson, Kimberly Roy Blocker, Brandi Douglas Cordle, Kevin Kennedy, Shawn Geohagan and Donna Benson Williams.

Again, I apologize for any misspellings. Some names I could not include at all because I could not read them at all.

From 2000 (l0th anniversary) came Ursula Ball Jones, Sarah Wells, Steven Barrow Barlow of New York (Romona, clip this and mail it to your son, please), Mary Elizabeth Hobson Gomez, Katie Fite, Brooke Stokes Clark, Jonathan Parker, Misty (Morris) Parker, Amy (Vaughn) Bozeman, Rochelle (Duebelt) Potter, Sonya (Sowell) Chavers, S. White, Erika Johnson Powers, Alex King, Timothy Stacks, Kim Mullen, Misty Barrow, Katie Finch, Courtney Ramsey Henderson, Russell Thompson, Tameeka Johnson, Kiel Odom (son of “Blue”), Brooke Ward Williams, Chad Owens, Hannah Grimes Martin, L. Chapman Tang, Summer Mullen Reaves, Melissa McCord Amos, Meisha Jackson, Latoya Jessie, Jenny Craig and Shannon Posey.

I want to congratulate the Class of 2000 for having better handwriting than the classes of l990 and l980.

This being Saturday, I want to encourage each of us to be in his place of worship this weekend. Fare thee well