Hometown Brandon - Summer 2017
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volume 4 number 3<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
General Jo<br />
______________________<br />
Making Sweet Memories<br />
______________________<br />
The Big Lap
If something<br />
happened to<br />
the two of us,<br />
who would<br />
be responsible<br />
for him?<br />
WE HELP MOMS AND DADS PLAN FOR LIFE’S CURVE BALLS.<br />
12 Woodgate Drive, Suite F • <strong>Brandon</strong>, MS • 601.724.1870 • palmerslay.com<br />
Christopher P. Palmer chris.palmer@palmerslay.com / Craig L. Slay craig.slay@palmerslay.com
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 3
4 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Publisher & Editor<br />
Tahya Dobbs<br />
CFO<br />
Kevin Dobbs<br />
CONSULTing editor<br />
Mary Ann Kirby<br />
Account ExecutiveS<br />
Dacia Durr Amis<br />
Administrative Assistants<br />
Alisha Floyd<br />
Brenda McCall<br />
Staff Photographer<br />
Othel Anding<br />
Contributing<br />
Photographers<br />
Charla Jordan<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Camille Anding<br />
Jonathan Barnes<br />
Beth Bowman<br />
Kyle Brown<br />
Charla Jordan<br />
James Kelly<br />
Melanie McMillan<br />
Beth Reiss<br />
Cate Rodgers<br />
Suzanne Ross<br />
Layout Design<br />
3dt<br />
Advertising Design<br />
Leah Mitchener<br />
I flip the calendar to June and before I see the highlights attached to that month, I immediately think<br />
of Father’s Day. These men represent people holding powerful influence over their children. <strong>Hometown</strong><br />
Rankin salutes all those special fathers who have invested their most precious gift in their children–the gift<br />
of time.<br />
Right behind Father’s Day comes VBS. What wonderful memories I have of Kool-Aid, cookies, and<br />
getting my turn to carry the Bible or flag during the processional. My thoughts and prayers go with all those<br />
volunteers and young hearts being molded.<br />
June also heeds vacation days and sunburns at the pool. Add snow cones and lots of watermelon to finish<br />
off a full month.<br />
July is flag-waving month, and it’s our honor to highlight the Crossgates<br />
Exchange Club’s special patriotic flag weekend. Mark your calendars<br />
to visit this red, white, and blue experience. Then grill some burgers or<br />
hotdogs and celebrate our nation’s freedom. What a blessing!<br />
The calendar turns quickly for those of us working with deadlines,<br />
but we at <strong>Hometown</strong> Magazines treasure our opportunity to journal those<br />
events that fill our pages.<br />
Thank you, readers and advertisers. We celebrate<br />
you, too!<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
/hometownbrandonmagazine<br />
On the cover: Statue of Steven Power at Shiloh Park<br />
www.HTMags.com<br />
Contact us at<br />
info@htmags.com<br />
601.706.4059<br />
26 Eastgate Drive, Suite F<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>, MS 39042<br />
• • •<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> is published by <strong>Hometown</strong><br />
Magazines. All rights reserved. No portion of<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> may be reproduced<br />
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writers or editors. All communications sent to<br />
our editorial staff are subject to publication and<br />
the unrestricted right to be refused, or to be<br />
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advertisements are subject to approval by the<br />
publisher. The production of <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
is funded by advertising.<br />
In this issue The Way We Were ....................6<br />
Genaral Jo ........................ 10<br />
A Baseball Legacy ................. 12<br />
United We Stand .................. 18<br />
Making Sweet Memories.......22<br />
The Big Lap....................... 26<br />
Black Rose Theater ................ 38<br />
The Value of Rankin County......... 42<br />
The Mississippi Law Journal ...... 48w<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 5
The<br />
way<br />
were.<br />
we<br />
Brigadier General Rebecca Wade &<br />
Command Sergeant Major Sam Wade<br />
“Solid friendships make for lasting<br />
marriages.” That’s what Rebecca and<br />
Sam Wade believe because it’s been their<br />
rewarding experience.<br />
After graduating from high school in<br />
Carthage, Mississippi, Rebecca went on to<br />
earn her nursing degree plus a masters. In<br />
1976, a friend who worked in the ER with<br />
Rebecca joined the military and persuaded<br />
Rebecca to do the same.<br />
Meanwhile, Sam had already begun his<br />
military career after graduating from Central<br />
High School in Memphis, Tennessee, and<br />
enlisting in the army<br />
after a semester at<br />
Memphis University.<br />
In 1982, Sam’s path<br />
crossed with Rebecca’s<br />
during a National<br />
Guard summer camp.<br />
Rebecca was working in the<br />
dispensary, and Sam went there to confirm<br />
that his unit was assigned a medical officer.<br />
Rebecca was not in, but Sam still remembers<br />
how the fragrance of her perfume filled the<br />
room. When he returned, Rebecca was<br />
confronting a young<br />
lieutenant doctor in “military style.” Sam’s<br />
respect was immediate!<br />
Rebecca remembers Sam’s professional<br />
manners and look - “dressed to detail.”<br />
6 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
“I knew we would be friends,” she said<br />
when describing their first meeting.<br />
In the military years that followed, their<br />
friendship grew within the parameters of<br />
army rules which stated that all enlisted<br />
dating was frowned upon. When Sam<br />
retired in 1995, they began dating as they<br />
continued building their friendship.<br />
They recall their long walks in Strawberry<br />
Park in Clinton where their long talks<br />
knitted their hearts more closely. On<br />
October 18, 1997, they sealed their friendship<br />
with vows and wedding rings. In their<br />
pre-marital counseling, Dr. James Street<br />
gave them two keys for growing their<br />
relationship: 1) tithe every payday and 2)<br />
continue to date. They are living testimonials<br />
to his sound advice.<br />
Sam has his own advice for couples<br />
considering marriage: “Become good friends<br />
first; too many people rush into marriage.<br />
It takes time to build friendships.”<br />
Rebecca shared additional advice, “Don’t<br />
go into marriage with debt; be free of<br />
financial obligations as much as possible.”<br />
The strength of Rebecca and Sam’s<br />
bond permeates the room like that special<br />
fragrance that filled the military dispensary<br />
years ago. Her being a “really good listener”<br />
and his exhibiting “true southern gentlemen<br />
qualities” continue to strengthen their<br />
marriage.<br />
Even Sam’s rank of command sergeant<br />
major being lower than Rebecca’s rank as<br />
brigadier general hasn’t been a negative<br />
factor in their relationship. Sam explains,<br />
“I always get the last word, and it’s always<br />
‘Yes mam!’”<br />
n<br />
“I knew<br />
we would<br />
be friends.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 7
8 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 9
10 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
General Jo<br />
Melanie McMillan<br />
Spend a little time in the company of <strong>Brandon</strong> resident Jo Leslie<br />
and you are sure to feel inspired by her energy and compassion.<br />
The 87-year-old brigadier general and retired nurse lives at Peachtree<br />
Village, her caring spirit towards friends and fellow residents a<br />
continuation of a life well lived.<br />
Jo’s story begins near Kosciusko, Mississippi, in the small town<br />
of Thomastown. Jo was the baby of the family and grew up working<br />
on a farm alongside her siblings and sharecropper parents. It was a<br />
hard life, but one she says she wouldn’t trade for anything. It was<br />
during the early years of her life that she determined she would be a<br />
nurse. “From the time I could talk, that’s what I wanted to do,” she<br />
says. “I don’t remember ever wanting to be anything else.”<br />
After high school, Jo enrolled in the Mississippi Baptist School<br />
of Nursing. Her education lasted three years and was very regimented,<br />
her every minute planned for her. As it turned out, it was good<br />
training for what would come later. Upon her graduation in 1951,<br />
she went to work in the emergency department at Baptist Hospital.<br />
Fast forward a few years. The previously all-male Army National<br />
Guard was now allowing women to join, thanks to a law passed by<br />
Congress. There were a few stipulations, however. In order to join,<br />
women had to be under the age of 40, unmarried, and be a<br />
registered nurse. Jo Leslie fit the bill, and in 1959 she became one<br />
of the first women to join the Mississippi Army National Guard<br />
Nurse Corps. She went on to become the chief nurse and achieved<br />
the rank of brigadier general. In 1992, having served for 33 years,<br />
she says, “I called myself retired.”<br />
Retirement didn’t last long for “General Jo”. General Jack<br />
Vance, head of the Veterans Affairs Board in Mississippi, called<br />
Jo one day and requested a meeting. At that meeting General<br />
Vance asked Jo if she would be willing to serve on the veterans<br />
affairs board. Her first inclination was to politely decline, but what<br />
he said next changed her mind. “Jo, the veterans need you.” And<br />
so, the previously “retired” General Jo went back to work, her chief<br />
job being to shape up the veterans nursing homes in Mississippi.<br />
She did just that, working tirelessly for fifteen years, improving<br />
the quality of all four nursing homes in the state. In July of 2013,<br />
the veterans home in Kosciusko was renamed The Martha Jo Leslie<br />
State Veterans Home, honoring the years of service Jo gave to the<br />
veterans of Mississippi. Friends, family, and state and local<br />
dignitaries were in attendance for the ceremony. People Jo had<br />
grown up with were there to celebrate their hometown hero.<br />
“It was a great day,” Jo says.<br />
Although she’s officially retired, Jo still spends her days caring<br />
for others. She and other residents and employees have created a<br />
beautiful courtyard garden, a relaxing place to enjoy a cup of coffee<br />
in the morning or visit with friends on sunny afternoons. For those<br />
residents with limited mobility, Jo is there to help them get out to<br />
the courtyard, believing that everyone should be able to enjoy the<br />
outdoors. The desire to care for others that drove her to become a<br />
nurse is alive and well, and her optimism and cheerfulness are<br />
contagious. “I’ve had a good life,” Jo says, and for those who are<br />
blessed to know her, she makes life good. n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 11
12 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
A<br />
Baseball<br />
Legacy<br />
Beth Bowman<br />
The statue of the little boy<br />
playing baseball is an indelible<br />
mark in the minds of so many<br />
people who have visited Shiloh<br />
Park. This statue is representative<br />
of a special little guy who was<br />
an almost-constant presence at<br />
the Shiloh baseball fields. He lost<br />
his life in a hunting accident on<br />
February 17, 2002 when he was<br />
ten days away from his 10th<br />
birthday. The little boy’s name<br />
was Steven Power and he leaves<br />
a baseball legacy that lives on.<br />
Steven loved to play baseball<br />
and had a gift for the sport. In his<br />
almost-ten years he had played<br />
several positions on his teams; first, second, third, short, and<br />
outfield–but by far, pitching was his all-time favorite position.<br />
His coaches remember him as being hard-working, dedicated<br />
and focused.<br />
Shane King is a resident of <strong>Brandon</strong> and he loves<br />
baseball more than anything–except God and his family.<br />
He had heard about Steven from his wife, Suzanne. She<br />
was a former babysitter of Steven’s and a good friend of the<br />
Power family. Shane’s team had<br />
played the previous month in a<br />
memorial tournament in Jackson<br />
but the next time he passed the<br />
statue he thought, “What if I can<br />
organize a baseball tournament<br />
in <strong>Brandon</strong> that honors Steven’s<br />
memory?”<br />
With that one thought in<br />
mind, and an uncanny ability<br />
to garner support, Shane began<br />
work on the first Steven Power<br />
Memorial Tournament for U-10<br />
boys. Lee Pickett, <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
tournament director, with the<br />
assistance of the City of <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Recreation Department, began<br />
to work alongside Shane to make the dream of a memorial<br />
tournament come true. Their hard work and dedication<br />
paid off as 25 teams registered to play in the two-day<br />
tournament held at Shiloh Park on March 18-19, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
Valerie and Gene Power, Steven’s parents, were on<br />
hand to watch the tournament and Valerie threw out the<br />
first pitch. Before she tossed the ball, she warned everyone<br />
that the ball might be “a little bit outside of the box”.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 13
14 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
The catcher adjusted quickly<br />
to catch the ball off Valerie’s<br />
pitch and the tournament<br />
began.<br />
Several years ago, the<br />
baseball team from the year<br />
Steven would have graduated<br />
from <strong>Brandon</strong> High School<br />
sent cards and letters to the family. One player wrote these<br />
words of comfort, “Life is short, but friends and memories<br />
last forever”. These words and many others have served<br />
as a special reminder to Gene and Valerie that their son is<br />
not forgotten.<br />
More importantly than baseball, Steven left a legacy<br />
of his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. I had the privilege of<br />
being his children’s minister and watch him grow in his<br />
understanding of God’s plan in sending His Son. His parents<br />
investment in his spiritual nurturing, his brother’s example<br />
and his love for the Lord<br />
provided the background<br />
for Steven as he trusted Christ<br />
as Savior at our annual Kid<br />
Kamp in 2001. The decision<br />
to become a Christian gave<br />
Steven the peace of God’s<br />
guidance in his life and the<br />
assurance of eventual home in heaven.<br />
The current plans for Steven’s statue is to move it to<br />
the city’s new fields located on Boyce Thompson Drive.<br />
Shane is currently working to set up a fund at Trustmark<br />
Bank that will aid in the relocation of the statue and serve<br />
as a financial base for the annual event. The fields are<br />
set to open in 2018 and there’s no doubt that the statue<br />
will continue to remind baseball players and their<br />
families of the legacy and heritage of Steven Power. n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 15
16 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 17
United We Stand:<br />
In 2013, the City of <strong>Brandon</strong> began to look<br />
at events that were successful and others that<br />
needed improvement or areas where a new<br />
event could be added. July 4th, Independence<br />
Day, stuck out as a date that <strong>Brandon</strong>, nor any<br />
other surrounding city, truly celebrated. That<br />
is when officials from the City of <strong>Brandon</strong>,<br />
David Prevost of <strong>Brandon</strong> Baptist Church,<br />
and John Clendinning of First Baptist Church<br />
sat down and discussed creating a 4th of July<br />
program that emphasized God and country.<br />
After countless hours of preparation and<br />
practicing, United We Stand: Tribute of Praise<br />
to God & Country was held on July 3rd, 2013,<br />
with <strong>Brandon</strong> Baptist, First Baptist, and<br />
Oakdale Baptist performing the music. As<br />
years have passed, more family fun has been<br />
added like Dunk-a-Chief where participants<br />
can line up at the dunking booth for a chance<br />
of dunking either the chief of police or fire<br />
chief. The Exchange Club of <strong>Brandon</strong> has<br />
passed out watermelon to attendees. 2016 was<br />
extremely special when, under the direction of<br />
David Young, a patriotic orchestra was added.<br />
Every year the 4th of July celebration grows<br />
and last year this event brought over 3,000<br />
to Shiloh Park.<br />
18 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Tribute of Praise<br />
to God & Country<br />
Kyle Brown<br />
This year even more local churches are<br />
participating at the event that will be held on<br />
Thursday, June 29th. Members from <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Baptist, Crossgates Methodist, First Baptist, Grace<br />
Baptist, and <strong>Brandon</strong> First United Methodist<br />
will be present in the chorus. Everyone will enjoy<br />
patriotic music, an opportunity to play games with<br />
local businesses and city departments, over a<br />
dozen inflatables for children of all ages, and a<br />
stunning firework display to end the evening.<br />
One <strong>Brandon</strong> business that has participated<br />
every year at God & Country is McAlister’s<br />
Deli. This year’s event will have an increased<br />
importance to Audrey Coley and the employees<br />
at the <strong>Brandon</strong> store. United We Stand occurs<br />
on McAlister’s Free Tea Day. Audrey and her<br />
staff will help kick off a day of celebrating by<br />
offering free tea, music, and entertainment.<br />
Make sure you swing by McAlister’s before or<br />
after the event.<br />
United We Stand: Tribute of Praise to God<br />
& Country <strong>2017</strong> will begin with registration for<br />
the Black Rose Theater Bike Parade at 6pm.<br />
The bike parade will begin at 6:45 with bikes<br />
judged by the <strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club. The<br />
musical presentation will start at 7:30 and<br />
the fireworks will close out the evening<br />
around dusk.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 19
BRANDON COURT<br />
It was an eventful gathering for <strong>Brandon</strong> Court Nursing Home on April 21st. The staff invited firemen, police,<br />
and city officials to meet and greet the <strong>Brandon</strong> Court residents. The response was gratifying and enjoyable for all<br />
the participants. That familiar adage is true: It’s never wasted or squandered time when we share it with others.<br />
20 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 21
22 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
the Cumbest family
Crossgates United Methodist Pastor Chris Cumbest has lived in<br />
Rankin County for three years, but his story begins in the southeast<br />
part of the state. He and his three siblings were raised by their mom<br />
and dad on a small farm in Cumbest Bluff, Mississippi, off Highway 63.<br />
Chris was called to the ministry<br />
shortly after he and his wife Sheila<br />
married, and pastored his first church<br />
at the ripe old age of 21. After<br />
completing their undergraduate<br />
degrees at the University of Southern<br />
Mississippi, the couple moved to<br />
North Carolina where they both<br />
enrolled in Duke Seminary. The<br />
Cumbests have been in ministry ever<br />
since, serving in churches in North<br />
Carolina and all over Mississippi.<br />
Chris also served for a year and a<br />
half as the coordinator of church<br />
recovery following Hurricane<br />
Katrina, helping those affected by<br />
the storm. Through storms and<br />
times of growth and change, Chris<br />
says he feels like God has shown him<br />
a theme of his ministry.<br />
“If there’s been one thing that’s characterized my ministry, it’s being in the midst of transition or crisis,<br />
and being there to help churches stabilize and see them through difficult times.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 23
For many years now, the Cumbest family has<br />
been involved in a different kind of transition, the<br />
kind that takes a field of sugar cane and turns it<br />
into delicious cane syrup. It began with Chris’s dad,<br />
Otis Cumbest, and his friends Bobby D. Kennedy<br />
and Frank Hamilton. Mr. Bobby D, as he is known,<br />
has long been a craftsman and collector. “He’s<br />
restored all kinds of things. His house and barn<br />
are like a museum,” says Chris. One of the things<br />
Mr. Bobby D collected is a genuine cane mill, run<br />
on old-fashioned horse power. Luckily he also<br />
has horses. With Mr. Frank’s cooking expertise<br />
and sugar cane from the Cumbest family farm,<br />
the three friends began making their own syrup.<br />
The syrup-making venture soon became a<br />
family affair and is now a Thanksgiving weekend<br />
tradition. While others watch football or shop<br />
the sales, the Kennedy and Cumbest families<br />
make syrup. Chris’s dad and Mr. Frank have since<br />
passed away, but their children and grandchildren<br />
ensure that their legacy lives on. Chris and Sheila<br />
have two grown children, Elizabeth and Jesse,<br />
and they, along with Elizabeth’s husband Phillip,<br />
help with the syrup making every year. Making<br />
biscuits for dipping in the syrup, Sheila continues<br />
the tradition begun by her mother-in-law.<br />
Friends and even strangers show up to feed cane<br />
into the mill or just watch the process. Local<br />
musicians have even been known to make an<br />
appearance, and a sing-a-long inevitably ensues.<br />
24 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Although the big event takes place over<br />
Thanksgiving weekend, the work actually begins<br />
in October, when dead leaves are cut off the<br />
stalks. One week before Thanksgiving, the sugar<br />
cane is cut and put on a trailer to dry. It’s then<br />
taken to the Kennedy farm where family and<br />
friends feed the cane into the mill to squeeze out<br />
the juice. The juice is cooked for approximately<br />
8 hours, and takes the cook’s full attention and<br />
plenty of patience. The last year that Mr. Frank<br />
cooked the syrup, he insisted that Chris watch<br />
closely, as though he sensed it would be the last<br />
time. He died the following spring, and Chris, the<br />
willing apprentice, has been the cook ever since.<br />
What began as three friends making syrup<br />
together has grown into a community event, and<br />
the family understands it’s about more than a<br />
few jars of syrup. “It’s about keeping the tradition<br />
and making sure it lives on,” Chris says. No doubt<br />
this family will be making sweet memories for<br />
years to come. n<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 25
26 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
Camille Anding
Jeff Farris<br />
was only six-years old<br />
when his grandfather<br />
and Aunt Jean Farris<br />
ordained Jeff’s<br />
future and career.<br />
His granddad built a family tennis court<br />
at their home in Morton, Mississippi, and his<br />
Aunt Jean gave him his first tennis challenge.<br />
She handed young Jeff a tennis racket<br />
and ball and said, “When you can bounce<br />
this on your racket ten times, I’ll give you a<br />
dollar.” Jeff answered the challenge, earned<br />
his dollar and caught the tennis bug that’s<br />
remained “chronic!”<br />
Jeff reminisces about his middle and<br />
high school years with great fondness and<br />
appreciation. His parents and two sisters,<br />
along with Jeff, moved to North Lake Drive<br />
in <strong>Brandon</strong> during the first year of Jeff’s<br />
middle school. When he walked in his middle<br />
school classroom, the present Learning Center,<br />
he expected to see only strangers. To his delight,<br />
he quickly recognized Jason Townsend, a<br />
Camp Wesley Pines camper that Jeff had<br />
met a summer before and had been writing<br />
as a pen pal. Life was off to a great start in<br />
his new hometown.<br />
Three years later, his family moved to<br />
Eastgate Subdivision on Dawnview Drive.<br />
He describes it as a “fun street.” Members of<br />
his church youth group of Crossgates United<br />
Methodist Church, along with other friends,<br />
lived on his street. Together they made lasting<br />
memories at Crossgates pool, in church,<br />
and fishing and boating on Crossgates Lake.<br />
It was positive small-town life.<br />
The “big lap” was a familiar term among<br />
middle school classmates who participated<br />
in P.E. Every day their instructor would shout,<br />
“Big lap!” That meant running around the<br />
school’s boundaries, including the big hill.<br />
Jeff remembers it as a tough challenge but a<br />
part of the training that he needed for his<br />
budding tennis career.<br />
He recalls playing tennis with an insatiable<br />
desire to improve in the sport that he could<br />
play through a lifetime. Coach Scott Huskey<br />
took over the tennis program Jeff’s senior<br />
year, and Jeff is convinced the new coach put<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 27
<strong>Brandon</strong> High School tennis on the map.<br />
Academics were an integral piece of Jeff’s<br />
tennis plans, and Mrs. Lee Tucker held him<br />
accountable. She was his computer and<br />
accounting teacher who inspired him while<br />
being a “good-listening” friend.<br />
Jeff prizes the special relationship that he<br />
and his dad shared growing up in <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
“We traveled to all kinds of sporting events<br />
together. Seeing the Atlanta Braves win the<br />
World Series in 1995 was a special highlight.”<br />
While they enjoyed sitting together as<br />
sports spectators, Jeff appreciated being<br />
chauffeured by his mom to all the tennis<br />
lessons and matches. “She kept me going<br />
and motivated,” he says of his mom.<br />
A life lesson that Jeff learned from his<br />
dad has been key to making friends. “My dad<br />
stressed the importance of speaking to people.<br />
‘Always shake their hand and speak a kind<br />
word,’” Jeff remembers being instructed. “I<br />
think it’s a big deal,” he continued, “because<br />
we are so caught up in our cell phones and<br />
other technologies.”<br />
When asked what comes to mind when he<br />
hears the word <strong>Brandon</strong>, he said, “<strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Bulldogs, Crossgates United Methodist Church,<br />
Crossgates Lake, <strong>Brandon</strong> Day, <strong>Brandon</strong>’s<br />
own Miss America, and a wonderful town,<br />
rich in history.”<br />
An outstanding high school tennis record<br />
earned Jeff a college scholarship to Delta State<br />
University where he continued to excel in his<br />
beloved sport. He was named the 2001 Gulf<br />
Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and<br />
a two-time All GSC selection as a tennis<br />
student-athlete at Delta State University.<br />
In 2016, he was selected to head the Lady<br />
Statesman and Statesman Tennis program and<br />
also remain as Delta State’s director of alumni<br />
affairs. He continues to play league tennis at<br />
level 5.0 and was recently elected vice-president/<br />
president elect of the Mississippi Tennis<br />
Association.<br />
He and wife, Stephanie (Batchelor) Farris,<br />
have a four-year-old son, Keegan. Their<br />
aspiring offspring already has a tennis racket<br />
just his size.<br />
For all the curious tennis buffs, Jeff’s overall<br />
favorite tennis player is Michael Chang with<br />
Andre Agassi coming in second. The answer<br />
to what’s the difference between a great tennis<br />
player and an average one, Jeff says, “It’s mental<br />
toughness and the fitness level. Both are key.”<br />
It appears Jeff is still on his “big lap” in his<br />
athletic career. There will be some tough hills<br />
and long straightaways, but he’s destined to<br />
make friends along the way and always have<br />
room for a tennis game – plus great memories<br />
of his wonderful hometown. n<br />
28 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
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<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 29
BRANDON PUBLIC LIBRARY<br />
1475 W. GOV. ST • (601) 825-2672 • brandonatcmrls.lib.ms.us<br />
Congratulations to the <strong>Brandon</strong> Public Library<br />
for being named Central Mississippi Regional Library System<br />
Branch of the Year - Large Division - <strong>2017</strong><br />
June-July-August <strong>2017</strong> Events<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> Reading Signup For Children and Adults<br />
Starting May 22 Kids, make sure to get your registration bag with a<br />
reading log, activity dates, and more! Adults, be sure to get your yard<br />
stick when you sign up for summer reading!<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> Reading Weekly Events (organized by days of the week)<br />
Mondays 10:30am <strong>Summer</strong> Library Program Toddler Time Build A Better<br />
World...Read! Stories, songs, and activities for ages 0-2.<br />
Mondays 3pm SLP Teens/Middle Graders<br />
June 5 Electronic Experiments. Let’s see what we can make with littleBits,<br />
snap circuits, and more! For teens and middle graders 10+.<br />
June 12 You bring your imagination, we’ll bring the Legos--and maybe<br />
some other supplies as well! For ages 10+.<br />
June 19 Bridge Building! Can your bridge stand on its own? How much<br />
weight can it hold? Test your might! For ages 10+.<br />
June 26 Skyscraper Food! Just how strong is spaghetti? How good of a<br />
binder are marshmallows? Come find out and build as tall as you can! For<br />
ages 10+.<br />
July 3 Mural Making! Leave your mark on the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library by creating<br />
murals to cover our cement columns! For ages 10+.<br />
July 10 FINALE! Join us for a great hero movie! We’ll bring the snacks and<br />
pizza. For more information and titles, visit our website www.cmrls.lib.ms.<br />
us and click on the Events tab. Location <strong>Brandon</strong> and search for teens.<br />
Tuesdays at 4pm <strong>Summer</strong> Library Program-Kid Connection<br />
June 6 Fun with Electronics – Join us for some electronic experiments<br />
with littleBits and snap circuits!<br />
June 13 Tools – Learn all about tools with the Rankin County Historical<br />
Society!<br />
June 20 Build a Better Sandwich – Come learn how to build a better<br />
sandwich with expert Natasha Haynes!<br />
June 27 Red, White, and Blue Splash Down – Let’s have a water party<br />
with the <strong>Brandon</strong> Fire Dept. Wear your swim suits and bring a towel!<br />
July 11 Constructing Incredible Stories – Enjoy incredible and immersive<br />
storytelling with renowned storyteller Dianne Butler.<br />
Wednesdays at 10:30am <strong>Summer</strong> Library Program-Preschool Storytime<br />
June 1 Build a Better World: Find out about our amazing summer<br />
programs and activities!<br />
June 7 My Home: A Puppet Show – A special show by our Children’s<br />
Librarians just for our preschoolers!<br />
June 14 Community Helpers – Come learn how to build a better community<br />
with the <strong>Brandon</strong> Fire Department and Mayor Butch Lee!<br />
June 21 Building in Our Community – Learn about all kinds of cool<br />
construction equipment during a very special visit from Billy Ray and<br />
Debra Robinson of <strong>Brandon</strong> Rental.<br />
June 28 Building is Fun! Let’s talk about <strong>Brandon</strong>’s playgrounds with the<br />
Parks and Rec department and then use our imaginations to build with<br />
STRAWBEES.<br />
July 5 Building an Animal Home. Learn about animal homes and make<br />
your own bird feeder with Heather Jennings from the Mississippi State<br />
Extension Service.<br />
July 12 Keep Our Community Clean. Lori Redden of M-Dot will show us<br />
how to keep our community clean with fun activities!<br />
Thursdays at 6pm <strong>Summer</strong> Library Program-Family Night<br />
June 8 Dorian the Magician<br />
June 15 Animal Tales at 6:30pm<br />
June 22 Inky The Clown<br />
June 29 Home Depot will bring a fun wood project that you and your<br />
child can work on together and take home.<br />
July 6 Puppet Show.<br />
July 13 <strong>Summer</strong> Library Finale! Carnival Games, Inflatables, visit with a Fire<br />
Truck, snacks, and much more!<br />
Fridays at 1pm <strong>Summer</strong> Library Program-Family Movie Day<br />
June 9 -July 7 Come enjoy a family movie with us. Bring your own drinks.<br />
Popcorn will be sold for 25 cents a bag by the Friends of the <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Library. For more information and titles, visit our website www.cmrls.lib.<br />
ms.us and click on the Events tab. Location <strong>Brandon</strong> and search for<br />
movies.<br />
Beading Class - Mondays, 4 and 6pm - Please register.<br />
June 12 Guitar Pick Pendant - $7 supply fees. Bring your jewelry tools.<br />
July 10 Annual Christmas Ball. $8 supply fee. Must have a bead loom.<br />
Two part class. The second class is Monday, July 17 at 4 and 6pm<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Book Club - Mondays, 10:30am<br />
June 12 Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks.<br />
July 10 My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult.<br />
August 14 Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Rob Dalby.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Quilters - Mondays June 5, July 3, August 7, 6pm<br />
Bridge Lessons for Beginners - Wednesdays, 1:30pm<br />
Harry Black is our teacher. Free. Please register.<br />
BYOP Bring Your Own Project Thursdays, 1pm Weekly crafting group.<br />
CODING CAMP July 24 - July 27, 1 - 5pm Get tech savvy with our<br />
four-day CODING CAMP! Grades 3rd & up. Space is limited.<br />
Registration and permission forms REQUIRED. Call the for more details.<br />
Coin Club - Thursdays, June 1, August 3, 6pm - Tuesday, July 11, 6pm<br />
Join the <strong>Brandon</strong> Coin Club for their monthly meeting!<br />
Computer Classes - Tuesdays, 9am<br />
June 6, 13, 20 Basic Computer Classes<br />
July 11, 18, 25 Word, Excel, Power Point. Free classes. Please register.<br />
Creative Crafters - Thursdays, 6pm Join us as we learn and craft together.<br />
Dulcimer Group - Mondays, 6pm Bring your dulcimer and let’s jam.<br />
Family Night - Thursdays, 6pm<br />
August 24 Back to School Night with Raising Canes<br />
Friends of the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library - Tuesdays, July 18 - August 15, 6pm<br />
Genealogy Club - June 1, July 6, August 3, 10:30am<br />
Genealogy topics and assistance are the topic of the day.<br />
DNA Discovery Group - June 15, July 20, August 17, 10:30 am<br />
Understand the differences in DNA tests and testing companies. Learn<br />
about, discuss and test out different databases to enhance your Family<br />
History research. Bring your laptop if you like. Free. Contact the Genealogy<br />
Department at 601-825-2672 or email brgenatcmrls.lib.ms.us.<br />
Rankin County Historical Society/<strong>Brandon</strong> Genealogical & Historical<br />
Society - Tuesday, July 18, 7pm Join us for History and Fellowship.<br />
The public is invited. Refreshments provided. For more information,<br />
contact the Genealogy Department at 601-825-2672.<br />
Kid Connection - Tuesdays at 4pm K-5 afterschool story and craft hour.<br />
Make a Mosaic Picture Frame - Monday, July 31, 6pm<br />
$10 Supply Fee. Please pre-register.<br />
Painting with Carla Nations - Monday, July 24, 6pm<br />
We will enjoy a seasonal painting. $6 supply fee. Please register.<br />
Preschool Story Time - Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am<br />
Songs, stories, and crafts for preschoolers aged 3-5.<br />
Pottery Hand Building Basics - Friday, June 9, 10:30am<br />
Learn the basics of hand building pottery including pinch pot and coiling.<br />
Supply fee $5. This class is for adults.<br />
Sewing - How to Make an Easy Pillowcase - June 3, 10:30am<br />
Please pre-register. Limit of 15. Must have basic sewing experience.<br />
Must bring your sewing machine, supplies, and a lunch. Complete list of<br />
supplies available at Circulation Desk.<br />
Sign Language Free class. Please register.<br />
Beginners - Saturdays, June 10, July 8, August 12, 10:30am<br />
Advanced - Saturdays, June 24, July 22 and August 26, 10:30am<br />
Solar Eclipse Watch Party - Monday, August 21, 11am<br />
Start of the partial eclipse is around noon. The maximum partial eclipse<br />
will be around 1:30pm The end of the partial eclipse will be around 3pm.<br />
The library will have free eclipse glasses during the party.<br />
Third Thursday Book Club, 6:30pm<br />
June 15 WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE by Shirley Jackson<br />
July 20 THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS by C.S. Lewis<br />
Toddler Time - Mondays, 10:30am<br />
Come join us for stories, songs, and finger plays for ages 0-2 years.<br />
V.V.A. Meeting - June 14 and July 12 at 1pm - August 9 at 10:30am<br />
Video Game Day – Saturdays For gamers of all ages. Please register.<br />
June 17 - MineCraft at 10am and 1pm<br />
July 15 at 12 noon - Smash Brothers Tournament<br />
July 28 & August 19 - MineCraft, 10am and 1pm<br />
Displays for June, July<br />
Lego Display of Lego Free Play Group / The Ark Display of Leon Shank<br />
Services offered at the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library<br />
Black and White and color printing/copying, Scanning, Wireless Printing<br />
Additional services offered by the Friends of the <strong>Brandon</strong> Library -<br />
Free shredding - Notary services available for a fee of $3. Available<br />
10-8 Monday-Thursday and 10-5 Friday. Call to check Saturday availability.<br />
The library will be closed July 4 for Independence Day<br />
______________________________________________________<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Public Library is part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library<br />
System, which serves Rankin, Scott, Simpson, and Smith Counties.<br />
30 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
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<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 31
A Field & Club of Heroes<br />
Camille Anding<br />
Betsy Ross, a seamstress in Philadelphia<br />
in 1776, made it into the history books<br />
as the maker of the first American flag.<br />
However, her actual involvement in its<br />
development is highly debated.<br />
No official records or documents<br />
place her with the first American flag<br />
across her lap, but there’s ample<br />
evidence that the Exchange Club of<br />
Crossgates has honored and celebrated<br />
our national flag and the patriots who<br />
gave their lives for the freedom Ole<br />
Glory represents.<br />
Let me introduce this special club.<br />
The National Exchange Club is the only<br />
service organization that exclusively<br />
serves communities in the United States<br />
and Puerto Rico. Volunteers use their<br />
talents and time to benefit their local<br />
communities and their country. Their<br />
core values are basic: family, community,<br />
and country.<br />
Exchange members are involved in<br />
activities and programs that benefit youth,<br />
promote pride in our country, and honor<br />
military and public service providers.<br />
The Exchange’s National Project is the<br />
prevention of child abuse.<br />
The Exchange Club of Crossgates is<br />
our local chapter and carries out<br />
enormous accomplishments with their<br />
small band of twelve members, men<br />
and women.<br />
Their first major goal was to provide a<br />
park for children close to the community.<br />
They purchased 12.5 acres of land from<br />
Tom Underwood in 1978 to create a<br />
youth sports complex. It is adjacent to<br />
I-20 at Woodgate Drive South. It’s been<br />
the home park for the <strong>Brandon</strong> Soccer<br />
Organization since its inception and was<br />
named after the club’s first president,<br />
Frank Bridges.<br />
32 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Updates to the park over the years<br />
have included a sprinkler system<br />
covering ten acres, field lighting,<br />
a concession building, and several<br />
additional buildings on the property.<br />
To fund these major expenses, the<br />
Club constructed a 50’ long BBQ pit<br />
and have cooked many thousands of<br />
chicken halves to sell to the public.<br />
They eventually turned to the annual<br />
October Haunted House for their main<br />
fundraiser which the club members<br />
begin work on in March. With help from<br />
the Boy Scouts and the First Baptist<br />
Church Youth Group, the Club raises<br />
thousands of dollars to give toward<br />
and fund their various projects.<br />
The project that <strong>Hometown</strong> Magazines<br />
wishes to spotlight is their Memorial Flag<br />
Field. This July 1-3, they will display 500<br />
full-size American flags that originally<br />
flew on the Exchange Club’s first 9/11<br />
Memorial Flag Field.<br />
This Club has hosted two 9/11 Memorial<br />
Flag Fields on their park with over 4,000<br />
full-size flags standing in a uniform grid<br />
that Mayor Butch Lee and Sheriff Brian<br />
Bailey, along with other volunteers,<br />
helped implement and complete.<br />
The flags were displayed with names<br />
and information of those who died in<br />
the attack of 9/11 plus soldiers who were<br />
killed in the following war.<br />
This July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, the 500<br />
flags will be waving on the soccer field<br />
park, reminding I-20 travelers of the<br />
price of freedom. The entrance to the<br />
parking lot is on Woodgate Drive South,<br />
next to the Enterprise Building, for those<br />
who want to walk through the flags.<br />
The memorialized flags will be for<br />
sale with pole and the original yellow<br />
ribbon and a name tag that identified<br />
the fallen soldier associated with the<br />
flag. The cost is only $10. There is no<br />
set program planned, but a concession<br />
stand will be open for visitors.<br />
Louise Pipitone, a forty-year member<br />
along with husband Pat, said about the<br />
flag display, “It’s the most rewarding<br />
thing our Club has ever done. Truckers<br />
have pulled off the interstate all hours<br />
of the night to walk through the lighted<br />
flag field, the largest in the nation. Others<br />
have brought flowers and teddy bears<br />
to leave by the flags.”<br />
A special salute and thank you go out<br />
to this band of patriotic, hard workers.<br />
They need our participation in community<br />
projects and “new blood in memberships,”<br />
Mrs. Pipitone expressed. “We<br />
need parents to teach their children to<br />
volunteer and become active.”<br />
Community involvement in an<br />
organization that promotes Americanism,<br />
patriotism, and youth, would be an<br />
excellent means of commemorating all<br />
the fallen on this July’s Memorial Flag<br />
Field. The Exchange Club members urge<br />
us all to, “Come and show respect.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 33
serving our community<br />
Fireman Bryhn Beck<br />
brandon Fire Department<br />
Why did you decide to be a fireman?<br />
The 24 on 48 off work schedule is what lured<br />
me to the department at first. Then I found the<br />
brotherhood that comes with the job, and it<br />
stuck.<br />
How long have you been with the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Fire Department?<br />
Since January of 2006.<br />
Tell us about your family.<br />
I have a dedicated wife of five years and two<br />
amazing boys, 4 and 9, that are bound to grow<br />
up to be fireman at some point in their lives.<br />
What is the toughest thing you have<br />
experienced in your job?<br />
Doing everything in my power for a family and<br />
it still not being enough.<br />
Share some things you enjoy doing in<br />
your spare time.<br />
I love being on the water. Whether it is at the<br />
sand bar with the family or pulling all night<br />
tuna fishing trips with my brothers, I feel more<br />
relaxed out on the river, lake, or ocean.<br />
What are three things on your<br />
bucket list?<br />
I want to see the northern lights and scuba dive<br />
the blue hole in Belize.<br />
Who is someone you admire and why?<br />
My father. He has pushed, encouraged,<br />
motivated, and disciplined me to become the<br />
man I am today. He never gave me anything<br />
I did not earn.<br />
Where do you see yourself ten years<br />
from now?<br />
I see myself attending college ballgames of my<br />
son’s. I also will be planning my retirement from<br />
the BFD.<br />
If you could give one piece of advice<br />
to a young person, what would it be?<br />
The same advice my father once gave me: Be<br />
careful of the toes you step on today, because<br />
they could be attached to the person you<br />
answer to tomorrow.<br />
What is a favorite childhood memory?<br />
Growing up in small-town Georgetown running<br />
through the woods barefooted chasing turtles<br />
and snakes with my best friend, Jimmy.<br />
What is the biggest mistake you think<br />
young people make today?<br />
Chasing the dollar. I feel young people are too<br />
quick to change their minds to chase a dollar.<br />
Sometimes the grass is not greener on the<br />
other side of the bridge. Stay put and endure<br />
the hard times.<br />
What is your favorite thing about the<br />
City of <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
The growth. I love being able to watch where<br />
the city was when I first came here—and to see<br />
how it has changed and where it will be in the<br />
future.<br />
34 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
BRANDon's finest<br />
Officer Christy Snow<br />
brandon police Department<br />
Why did you decide to be a policeman?<br />
I actually had not thought about being in law<br />
enforcement until a good friend and I were<br />
talking one day about her job being a Jackson<br />
police officer. During our conversation, I decided<br />
that it was something that I wanted to do, so<br />
I went to the Jackson Police Academy in June<br />
of 2000. It wasn’t long after I began working for<br />
the Jackson Police Department that I realized<br />
I had found my calling.<br />
How long have you been with the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Police Department?<br />
Since September 2016.<br />
Tell us about your family.<br />
I grew up in the small town of Sebastopol.<br />
My dad passed away in 2005 and my mother<br />
in 2012. I have two children Hayes and Rylea.<br />
What is the toughest thing you have<br />
experienced in your job?<br />
Having to inform an individual’s family that<br />
someone they love has died in a car wreck.<br />
Share some things you enjoy doing in<br />
your spare time.<br />
I love the outdoors and spending time with<br />
family and friends.<br />
What are three things on your<br />
bucket list?<br />
I would love to experience the Grand Canyon,<br />
and have a long vacation in Hawaii. I also want<br />
to visit Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.<br />
Who is someone you admire and why?<br />
I really admire teachers. Serving as a school<br />
resource officer, I have had the privilege of being<br />
in the <strong>Brandon</strong> schools and have seen, firsthand,<br />
the dedication and hard work of our teachers<br />
serving our students.<br />
Where do you see yourself ten years<br />
from now?<br />
I see myself continuing to serve the city of<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. I want to be able to continue to have<br />
a positive impact on students.<br />
What is a favorite childhood memory?<br />
I have two favorite childhood memories. One is<br />
going to Florida with my family every summer,<br />
and the other is eating my grandmother’s<br />
homemade biscuits for breakfast every morning.<br />
What is the biggest mistake you think<br />
young people make today?<br />
The biggest mistake I see young people making<br />
is not being able to truly understand that the<br />
choices they make today can have a lasting<br />
impact on tomorrow.<br />
What is your favorite thing about the<br />
City of <strong>Brandon</strong>?<br />
My favorite thing about the city of <strong>Brandon</strong> is the<br />
people. It is amazing to me how a city the size of<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> is able to maintain such a small town<br />
feel.<br />
What is your favorite thing about<br />
Rankin County?<br />
It’s a safe and wonderful place to live.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 35
36 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
Celebration<br />
May 3<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Municipal Center
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 37
Black Rose<br />
Theatre Company<br />
Local Actors,<br />
Murder Mystery,<br />
& Comedy<br />
Beth Reiss<br />
38 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Despite the warming temperatures<br />
of late April, it was Christmastime inside<br />
Black Rose Theatre Company in downtown<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. The community theatre<br />
presented “The Games Afoot” by Ken<br />
Ludwig, April 20-23 and 27-30. As the<br />
lights went down inside the theatre, actors<br />
swarmed the stage, some coming from<br />
behind you, up the aisle.<br />
The play is set in December 1936 and<br />
Broadway star William Gillette, played<br />
by Clayton Southerland, is admired the<br />
world over for his leading role in the play<br />
Sherlock Holmes. Gillette has invited his<br />
fellow cast-members to his Connecticut<br />
castle for a weekend of fun.<br />
The set, constructed and decorated<br />
by David and Brenda Black, included a<br />
staircase and hidden room. The mantle<br />
spins to reveal a bar behind it – perfect for<br />
hiding the body of Daria Chase, played by<br />
Paula Herrington. Daria is a theatre critic<br />
visiting Gillette to write a story about him.<br />
But when she’s stabbed, the festivities in<br />
this isolated house of tricks and mirrors<br />
quickly turn dangerous.<br />
The set really comes into play in Act<br />
Two as Herrington brings some of the<br />
biggest laughs of the show. Her dead body<br />
continuously falls out of its hiding spot at<br />
the most inopportune times. Gillette calls<br />
the police to report the murder, and then<br />
changes his mind. But it’s too late as<br />
Inspector Goring, played by Brandi<br />
Southerland, is already on the case.<br />
Much to Inspector Goring’s dismay,<br />
Gillette takes it upon himself to solve the<br />
murder. Gillette assumes the persona of<br />
his beloved Holmes to track down the<br />
killer before the next victim appears.<br />
The danger and hilarity are non-stop as the<br />
mystery unravels and the audience<br />
discovers the masterminds behind the plot.<br />
The rest of the cast is rounded out by<br />
Abbey Goldman as Aggie, Leon Phillips<br />
as Simon, Elizabeth Marsh as Madge.<br />
Thomas Medina as Felix, and Donna<br />
Lewis as Martha Gillette. The show was<br />
directed by Tom Lestrade and produced<br />
by Tempy Murray. Charli Bardwell served<br />
as stage manager and Angela Sellers<br />
operated lights.<br />
_____________________________<br />
Learn more at<br />
www.blackrosetheatre.org<br />
BRTC’s next show is “Boeing, Boeing”<br />
– a comedy set in Paris, France where<br />
a bachelor tries to juggle dating three<br />
airline stewardesses at once. The show<br />
is June 15-18 and 22-25.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 39
andon<br />
Recipes<br />
Strawberry<br />
Cheesecake Salad<br />
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened<br />
• 1 c. powdered sugar<br />
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract<br />
• 16 oz. Cool Whip<br />
• 16 oz. strawberries, sliced<br />
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced<br />
• 12 oz. raspberries<br />
• 3 tbsp. crushed graham crackers<br />
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together<br />
cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until<br />
light and fluffy. Beat in Cool Whip until combined.<br />
Fold in strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.<br />
Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle top with<br />
graham cracker crumbs.<br />
Frozen<br />
Hot Chocolate<br />
Cheesecake<br />
CRUST<br />
• 24 oreos<br />
• 6 tbsp. melted butter<br />
• 1/4 c. sugar<br />
CHEESECAKE<br />
• 2 blocks cream cheese, softened<br />
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar<br />
• 1/4 c. chocolate sauce<br />
• 2-3 hot cocoa packs<br />
• pinch of salt<br />
• 2 c. heavy cream<br />
• 1 c. mini marshmallows<br />
In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they are<br />
fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a bowl, then<br />
add butter and sugar and stir until combined.<br />
The texture should be similar to wet sand.<br />
Grease a 9” pie plate and press in the crust<br />
mixture. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat<br />
cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered<br />
sugar, chocolate sauce, cocoa packets and salt and<br />
mix until smooth.<br />
Add about half of the heavy cream and beat<br />
until smooth. Add the rest of the heavy cream<br />
and beat until very fluffy.<br />
Fold in mini marshmallows. Pour cheesecake<br />
mixture into the prepared crust.<br />
Freeze until solid, about 4 hours.<br />
Peaches n’ Cream<br />
Lasagna<br />
• 8 small peaches, sliced<br />
• 1/4 c. sugar<br />
• 1/4 c. brown sugar<br />
• 1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
• 15 graham crackers<br />
• 2 c. heavy cream<br />
• 1/4 c. powdered sugar<br />
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
• 1/4 c. sliced almonds<br />
Macerate peaches: In a large bowl, combine<br />
peaches, brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon. Toss<br />
until the peaches are evenly coated in the sugar.<br />
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.<br />
Make whipped cream: In a large bowl, combine<br />
heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat<br />
mixture with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.<br />
Assemble lasagna. In a 8” square baking pan,<br />
place graham crackers in an even layer. Spread an<br />
even layer of whipped cream over the graham<br />
crackers, top with macerated peaches then sprinkle<br />
some almonds on top. Repeat three more times.<br />
Chill in refrigerated until the graham crackers<br />
have softened, about 2 hours.<br />
Serve cold.<br />
40 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
andon<br />
Recipes<br />
Drunk & Dirty<br />
Beef Tenderloin<br />
Marinade<br />
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce<br />
• ½ cup bourbon, or other sour mash whiskey<br />
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce<br />
• 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar<br />
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger<br />
• 4 cloves garlic, cut in half<br />
• ½ cup water<br />
Main Course<br />
• 2 pound beef tenderloin (feeds 4-5 easily)<br />
• 2 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper<br />
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper<br />
• ¼ cup vegetable oil<br />
Prepare the smoker for an indirect cook at<br />
225-275 degree dome temperature. Add wood<br />
chunks and/or chips (oak, pecan, or hickory -<br />
don’t overdo it).<br />
Combine ingredients down to the garlic with<br />
1/2 cup water and marinate beef for 2-4 hours.<br />
Remove beef from the fridge, reserve marinade<br />
and cover beef with ground pepper. I don’t measure,<br />
I just completely cover both sides with black pepper<br />
and then add the white pepper not quite as liberally.<br />
Put half the marinade in the refrigerator and add<br />
the vegetable oil to the other half, if planning to baste.<br />
If not basting put all the marinade in the fridge.<br />
Heat the basting sauce to a boil for a few minutes<br />
and keep warm on low.<br />
Put the roast on the smoker and cook until<br />
almost done–1½ to 2 hours, mopping every 20<br />
minutes.<br />
When almost done (120 degree internal temp)<br />
remove from the grill and bring it up to sear temps<br />
(500-600 degrees).<br />
Holding with tongs, place the roast back on<br />
when grill is 500 degrees or so for about 1 minute<br />
per each of the four sides. You’re just trying to get a<br />
nice char but not too much.<br />
Remove from the grill, tent with foil, and let sit at<br />
least 5 minutes (closer to 10 is fine). While resting,<br />
bring reserved marinade to a boil for a few minutes<br />
then lower to low and reduce by about one quarter.<br />
Slice and either drizzle marinade over the slices<br />
or serve on the side for guests to drizzle themselves.<br />
Flat Iron Steak<br />
• 1.5 pound flat iron steak<br />
• Cluck and Squeal ‘Beef Specific’ Rub;<br />
Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning; Montreal Steak<br />
rub; or your favorite steak seasoning<br />
Coat steak liberally with the rub and allow it to<br />
“melt in” for 45 minutes to an hour, while the<br />
steak is coming to room temp.<br />
Prepare the grill for a direct cook at 600+ degrees.<br />
Sear for 60 seconds per side, then remove<br />
while bringing the temp down.<br />
Close the vents down and get the temp close to<br />
400 degrees.<br />
Finish, flipping as needed to prevent<br />
overcooking on any side.<br />
Remove when the internal temp reaches<br />
125 degrees (for medium rare).<br />
Rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against<br />
the grain.<br />
Simple Salmon<br />
• 1 12 oz. skin-on salmon fillet, center-cut<br />
• Dizzy Pig Raging River Rub<br />
• Dizzy Pig Shaking the Tree Rub<br />
• Olive Oil<br />
• Big Green Egg Kodiak River Rub<br />
Pat the filet dry then liberally coat salmon with<br />
the Raging River or BGE Kodiak River rub. Allow<br />
to “melt in” for 45 minutes to an hour.<br />
Prepare the grill for a 400* direct cook (on an<br />
Egg, the grid can be elevated or at the fire ring<br />
level). Add any chips (alder, apple, etc.) just before<br />
putting the salmon on the grill.<br />
If using “Shaking the Tree” rub, add just prior to<br />
placing on the grill.<br />
Oil the grill surface generously with a rag (or<br />
paper towel) soaked in vegetable oil, then place the<br />
salmon flesh down (skin up) on the grid.<br />
Grill with the dome closed for 2 minutes, then<br />
using a thin spatula, flip the filet to skin down and<br />
insert a temp probe, if using.<br />
Grill for another 5-8 minutes or so - until the<br />
internal temp is 120 degrees or until white protein<br />
starts to ooze onto the surface of the fish.<br />
Remove, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes<br />
before serving.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 41
42 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
nyone who has lived in <strong>Brandon</strong> for very long<br />
has likely made a trip down Value Road.<br />
Running alongside the railroad track, Value Road<br />
comes to a four way stop that most <strong>Brandon</strong> residents<br />
are familiar with. Gold Coast is on the right and to the<br />
left...well, there’s a story there.<br />
It begins more than a hundred years ago with<br />
J.C. Atkins, Rankin County sheriff and prominent<br />
businessman. J. C. and his wife Mary owned and<br />
operated a successful mercantile that sat on the<br />
northwest corner of Value Road and Highway 471.<br />
The community around the store was originally settled<br />
in the early 1800s, and by the early 1900s, was thriving.<br />
The nearest post office at that time was up the hill in<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>. Not far by today’s standards but in the days<br />
before automobiles, the trip could be cumbersome.<br />
So in 1913, J. C. Atkins applied to the U.S. Postmaster<br />
General for a new post office to be located inside his<br />
store. His request was granted and<br />
the post office began operation.<br />
Folks in the community could<br />
now shop and send and receive<br />
mail at one location.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 43
44 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
For the first few years, the post office was<br />
the <strong>Brandon</strong> Depot branch, presumably<br />
because of its close proximity to the railroad<br />
depot. By 1916, however, the name had changed<br />
to Value, and the post office and surrounding<br />
community were known by this name for<br />
several decades.<br />
More than one story exists regarding how<br />
the community and post office got their name.<br />
One account is that while shopping in the<br />
mercantile, a man held up an item and asked<br />
what its value was, and the name Value stuck.<br />
Another story suggests that the name was<br />
chosen simply because there wasn’t another<br />
post office in the country with that name.<br />
Whatever the true origin of the name, the<br />
post office inside the store was an important<br />
part of the community. Mr. Atkins served as<br />
the postmaster until his death in 1931, at which<br />
time his daughter, Linda Atkins McRae, became<br />
the postmistress. She and her husband, Jim,<br />
operated the store which became the McRae<br />
Mercantile. Business was good and the post<br />
office and store experienced some growing<br />
pains. To accommodate their customers, the<br />
McRae family built a new store in 1940,<br />
and retained the original building for use<br />
as a warehouse.<br />
Upon the death of Linda McRae in 1941,<br />
her sister, Lillie Atkins Moore, became the<br />
postmistress of the Value Post Office and<br />
served until 1964, when she retired. This<br />
marked the end of the Value Post Office, having<br />
been staffed by only three people, members of<br />
the same family, over the course of 51 years.<br />
The McRae Mercantile continued to<br />
operate until 1975, when the owner Duncan<br />
McRae, son of Linda and Jim, closed its doors.<br />
It served as a warehouse for the Hill Mattress<br />
Company for a while, and then remained<br />
vacant until it was eventually torn down.<br />
The original Atkins store remains, not at<br />
the corner of Value Road where it once stood,<br />
but as part of the Rankin County Historical<br />
Society Museum. Generously donated by<br />
Duncan McRae, the old building takes one<br />
back to a time gone by, when the center of a<br />
community was the general store and post<br />
office. It’s a testament to hard work, family,<br />
and commitment to community service, and<br />
a reminder of the “value” of Rankin County. n<br />
Special thanks to Anne Vanderleest, Genealogy Librarian at <strong>Brandon</strong> Public Library<br />
Sources: ”<strong>Hometown</strong> Mississippi” by James Brieger<br />
”A History of Rankin County Mississippi” by the Rankin County Historical Society<br />
Rankin County Historical Society Searchlight Article, May 11, 1988, Rankin County News<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 45
46 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
Towne<br />
Station<br />
St. Paddy's<br />
Day
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 47
The Mississippi Law Journal, founded in 1928, is the fourth-oldest studentedited<br />
law review in the South. The Journal is funded and operated almost<br />
exclusively through student efforts. Each year, the Journal publishes four to<br />
six books containing articles by legal scholars and practitioners, as well as<br />
pieces by student members. The Journal also publishes a weekly case briefing<br />
service that provides synopses of Mississippi Supreme Court and Mississippi<br />
Court of Appeals decisions.<br />
Cate Rodgers, James Kelly, and Jonathan Barnes have each made extraordinary<br />
accomplishments as members of the Journal. Each has or will soon have articles<br />
published in law reviews. Cate, in 2016, and James, in <strong>2017</strong>, were both elected by<br />
their peers to serve as editor-in-chief, the primary leadership position on the<br />
Journal responsible for overall management.<br />
In <strong>2017</strong>, Jonathan was appointed executive notes and comments editor to assist<br />
new editors in writing legal scholarship and seeking publication. But what each<br />
of these three accomplished Ole Miss Law students agree is most important is<br />
another characteristic they all share: they proudly call <strong>Brandon</strong> home.<br />
Cate Rodgers<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong><br />
Editor-in-Chief, Volume 86<br />
The City of <strong>Brandon</strong> can easily be summed up in one single term–<br />
community. Despite having grown to reach a population of over<br />
23,000, <strong>Brandon</strong> continues to be a place where you run into your<br />
neighbor at the grocery store, or your high school friends while out at<br />
dinner. Being a part of the <strong>Brandon</strong> community has impacted my life<br />
in many ways, the primary way being the support and encouragement<br />
I have received over the years.<br />
My mother and I moved to <strong>Brandon</strong> when I was in the 9th grade,<br />
and instantly I felt that I was a part of the <strong>Brandon</strong> family. My mother’s<br />
family is from Pelahatchie, so until then I had ties to Rankin County,<br />
but now I was an official resident. The <strong>Brandon</strong> community welcomed<br />
us and it didn’t take long for me to begin telling everyone, “I am from<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong>” when asked, “Where are you from?” <strong>Brandon</strong> provided me<br />
with a new church home, new friends, and in all, a new family. From<br />
youth trips with Crossgates Baptist Church, to <strong>Brandon</strong> Day at<br />
Shiloh Park, to the annual Christmas parade, being from <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
has given me wonderful memories and a constant stream of support.<br />
Even though I have been a law student here at Ole Miss for the<br />
last few years, I can always head home to <strong>Brandon</strong> and feel like I have<br />
never left. I am thankful to continue to be a part of a community that<br />
feels like home the minute you take the I-20 exit. After graduation<br />
this May, my new job will take me from Oxford to Washington, D.C.,<br />
but I know the support and encouragement I have received from the<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> community will continue to follow me as I embark on a<br />
new adventure.<br />
48 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
James Blake Kelly<br />
Class of 2018<br />
Editor-in-Chief / Volume 87<br />
I remember when my family first moved to <strong>Brandon</strong> from my<br />
mother’s hometown of Clinton in 1997. It was summertime, and, as<br />
I contemplated starting second grade at <strong>Brandon</strong> Elementary School,<br />
my mind was occupied with the concerns typical of a seven-year-old:<br />
Would I like our new house and neighborhood? What would my<br />
new school be like? And, most importantly, would I be able to make<br />
friends as good as the ones I had left behind in Clinton?<br />
However, my concerns were short-lived. Very soon after we<br />
moved into our house on Eastgate Drive, my brother, sister, and I<br />
were quickly welcomed by a number of new friends who liked to do<br />
all the same things we did, such as riding bikes through Crossgates,<br />
playing at Shiloh Park, and hanging out on the <strong>Brandon</strong> Soccer Fields.<br />
My experience growing up in <strong>Brandon</strong> only improved from there.<br />
I got to attend great schools, which offered caring and committed<br />
teachers and top-notch courses. Whether it was the excellent language<br />
programs, the mind-opening experience provided by Venture, or<br />
outstanding math, science, and humanities classes, I always had the<br />
strongest of educational opportunities.<br />
I feel very fortunate to have been able to grow up in <strong>Brandon</strong>, and<br />
to benefit from the town’s strong and close-knit sense of community.<br />
Now that I am a law student and am serving as editor-in-chief of the<br />
Mississippi Law Journal, I am incredibly grateful for all of the<br />
influential people from my childhood who helped shape the person<br />
I am today.<br />
Jonathan Michael Barnes<br />
Class of 2018<br />
Executive Notes & Comments Editor / Volume 87<br />
With hands interwoven, and in the hush of inexplicable serenity,<br />
Janice whispered her last words in this life to my father and to Christ;<br />
She desired, above all else, that I would be reminded of her love,<br />
raised in a manner consistent with Christ’s precepts, and that I would<br />
mature into a man that loved and served the Lord with all my heart.<br />
Twenty-years later, I see the blessings God has provided on behalf of<br />
her desire. But specifically, I see that our hometown, <strong>Brandon</strong>, has<br />
truly been an answer to my mother’s prayers.<br />
I’m proud to be a fifth-generation <strong>Brandon</strong>ian. When my father<br />
remarried, blessing me with Tammy and Marshall, we joined<br />
Crossgates Baptist Church, and Joseph and I started attending<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> schools. As a family, we thrived in <strong>Brandon</strong>, not because<br />
of ourselves, but because of the way this community loves and<br />
supports each other. Our town has incredible people in our schools,<br />
our businesses, and our government who faithfully follow Christ.<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> is a rich soil, permeated with the Gospel, and has cultivated<br />
a desire within me to follow Christ.<br />
Since starting law school, I’m frequently asked: What type of<br />
attorney do you want to be? Most people know the job outlook for<br />
law-students is bleak, so I usually reply in jest: A paid one. But that<br />
answer is only partially true. Of course I want a good job–but<br />
because of <strong>Brandon</strong>’s impact on my life–I desire, as my mother<br />
did, to be a man with a legal education that’s willing to love and<br />
serve Christ wherever He leads me. My legal education, success in<br />
school, and career don’t define me–that’s because of a great town<br />
like <strong>Brandon</strong>.<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 49
50 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Brandon</strong> Elementary School<br />
Bill-oxi Venture City<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong><br />
City Hall<br />
March 28-29<br />
52 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 53
Everything’s<br />
Coming Up<br />
Charla Jordan / Suzanne Ross<br />
Sharing<br />
Pass-a-long<br />
Plants<br />
<strong>Brandon</strong> Garden Club’s (BGC) April meeting<br />
with its annual plant swap is the perfect<br />
time to share spring-blooming perennials that<br />
were divided last fall and fall bloomers that<br />
may be showing a bit of green as the days grow<br />
warmer. BGC members, even those who swear<br />
that they have “brown thumbs,” look forward to<br />
the plant swaps. No one leaves without a “little<br />
something,” including renewed enthusiasm for<br />
working in the dirt and appreciation for tried<br />
and true pass-along plants.<br />
Plant swaps are a practical way to learn<br />
what works in our neighbors’ gardens and to<br />
try something new and different. Identification<br />
tags give the name of each plant, how much sun<br />
it needs, and other information for successful<br />
planting, plus a BGC member and/or master<br />
gardener provides additional information.<br />
Garden centers or catalogues can have terrific<br />
plants, but many of the plants at the swaps are<br />
noncommercial “pass-along plants” from family<br />
and friends.<br />
In both 2016 and <strong>2017</strong>, BGC member Karen<br />
Crowe has hosted the plant swap meeting at<br />
the house that she and her husband, Ron, built<br />
in Crossgates in 1972. Like most homes in the<br />
subdivision, the house originally had foundation<br />
plantings but little else. Over time, the Crowes<br />
began designing and adding new beds, some<br />
in areas dealing with too much shade or soil so<br />
compacted that even weeds wouldn’t grow.<br />
In 2015 a commercial landscaper redesigned<br />
and replanted the original front flower beds and<br />
made suggestions for other landscaping changes<br />
that the Crowes implemented. They installed<br />
a stone path with individual stones and built<br />
flower beds. They covered the spot where even<br />
weeds wouldn’t grow with a gazebo, where they<br />
can now sit and gaze upon the entire beautiful<br />
back yard.<br />
Karen receives great joy from her passalong<br />
plants and the warm memories they bring.<br />
Whether it is a Texas Star hibiscus from a now<br />
deceased friend, a plant from a garden club<br />
friend in Meadville, irises from her childhood<br />
home in Columbus; or plants received at BGC<br />
plant swaps, the plants bring special memories<br />
and a desire to continue BGC’s plant swapping<br />
tradition. She hopes that the plants that she<br />
passes along bring joy to the recipients as<br />
they watch them grow and attract birds and<br />
butterflies.<br />
Karen loves the easy connections and<br />
friendships generated from a common interest<br />
in sharing our gardens, and her friendships were<br />
strengthened in 2013 when she was diagnosed<br />
with a stage four incurable cancer. Garden<br />
friends became Karen’s prayer warriors as physicians<br />
made plans to treat the cancer. After four<br />
years, Karen’s physician recently told her that<br />
she is now cancer free and will no longer be on<br />
chemotherapy. “I will praise thee, O Lord, with<br />
my whole heart; I will shew (show) forth all thy<br />
marvelous works. Psalm 9 KJV.” BGC is thankful<br />
for Karen’s recovery. Plants and prayers make<br />
for good friends.<br />
Tips for a small plant swap:<br />
• Ask each attendee to bring one plant, either<br />
pass-along or purchased, and label it with the<br />
plant’s name, directions for growing, and a<br />
photograph of the plant in bloom or the site<br />
where it is currently growing.<br />
• Have a display area where plants may be<br />
viewed prior to the swap.<br />
• Choose a method to determine the order that<br />
members choose plants, such as by drawing<br />
numbers.<br />
• Assign a member or guest familiar with plants<br />
to read the labels on each plant, discuss the<br />
best location for planting, etc.<br />
• Encourage members to take extra plants<br />
remaining at the end of the plant swap.<br />
BGC invites you to view our display at <strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Public Library during June as we celebrate<br />
National Garden Week. For information,<br />
visit www.thebrandongardenclub.com.<br />
54 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
Karen Crowe said, “I don’t know why we even painted this arch.<br />
It was completely covered in one season.”<br />
Louisiana irises are a perfect pass-along plant.<br />
They are prolific growers and grow well in areas with poor drainage.<br />
BGC members enjoyed touring Ron and Karen Crowe’s beautiful back yard.<br />
Karen has filled this bed with perennial pass-along plants from<br />
BGC plant swaps and summer flowering annuals.<br />
Mary-Ellen Hester, BGC member and master gardener,<br />
gave plant advice and instructions at the plant swap.<br />
Ron and Karen Crowe enjoy the gazebo built over<br />
the “dirt where even weeds wouldn’t grow.”<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 55
<strong>Brandon</strong><br />
Elementary<br />
Wax Figures<br />
Fourth grade students wrote stories,<br />
dressed up as famous Mississippians,<br />
and lined the halls of the school as<br />
wax figures. Passersby pressed a<br />
button that sprung the figures to life<br />
so they could share their stories.<br />
56 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 57
Camille Anding<br />
The Time Coin<br />
The church grounds were still<br />
shaded by the giant oaks decked<br />
in Spanish moss. The peaceful<br />
bay still rippled along the street that circled<br />
the property, but the newly constructed<br />
worship center dwarfed the original<br />
building that Dan and Evelyn had called<br />
their church home so many years ago.<br />
This day was their yearly visit with the Kratts. Evelyn could hardly<br />
contain her excitement.<br />
The visiting couple pulled into a crowded parking lot and found a<br />
single, vacant visitor’s spot. They waited in the welcome center for<br />
familiar faces and saw a large-framed gentleman, slightly stooped,<br />
walk through the corridor. The years had etched into his frame and<br />
face, but they remembered his servant heart when he worked with<br />
the youth. Dan greeted him and their old friend sorted through the<br />
hundreds of former military families he had known, and he recalled<br />
Dan and Evelyn’s friendships. His broad, contagious smile was the same<br />
that the couple remembered almost forty years ago.<br />
In the midst of their conversation, Mr. Kratt’s kind face caught their<br />
attention as he made his way toward the visitors. Their dear friend<br />
who had provided affordable rent along with godly mentoring in the<br />
couple’s first year of marriage was still smiling and involved in his<br />
church ministry. His ninety-two years weren’t a crutch or excuse but<br />
a reason to give thanks to God.<br />
His eyes still twinkled when he smiled,<br />
and his gentle voice brought back a tidal wave<br />
of wonderful, loving memories. The foyer<br />
traffic was picking up as the first service<br />
emptied through the large doors, but their<br />
reunion wasn’t hampered. They talked about<br />
their families and listened as he shared about<br />
his and the new church facilities.<br />
Mrs. Kratt soon joined them, and their fellowship was sweet<br />
and amazingly close to where Dan and Evelyn had left off a year ago.<br />
As the sanctuary music reminded them of the worship hour, they<br />
followed the elderly couple into the worship center. Mr. Kratt’s steps<br />
were slower, and time was attacking his body, but it hadn’t made a dent<br />
in his spirit. Evelyn’s heart hurt to see how the years were aging his<br />
once-strong frame, but she rejoiced that his faithfulness and servant<br />
heart were continuing to flourish.<br />
As they stood to sing hymns of praise, Evelyn looked to her left at<br />
this ninety-two-year-old friend and his sweet wife. She looked in front<br />
to see a young couple – military looking – a lot like she and Dan were<br />
almost four decades ago. Now, Dan and Evelyn were close to the age<br />
of the Kratts when they first met.<br />
Time is fleeting, “like a snowflake on a river.” It marches on<br />
– sometimes runs, seldom crawls, but it’s always moving. As the hymn<br />
of praise made heavenly background music, Evelyn whispered a prayer<br />
from Psalms: “Lord, teach us to number our days that we may gain a<br />
heart of wisdom.” n<br />
58 • <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
RANKIN COUNTY’S NEWEST VENUE IS NOW OPEN!<br />
Open House • 5pm-7pm • Thursday, July 6th<br />
Please join us • Light refreshments will be served<br />
202 North College Street • <strong>Brandon</strong>, MS<br />
To schedule a tour or to make reservations, call 601.706.4059<br />
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Brandon</strong> • 59
More than 30 practices.<br />
Quick appointments.<br />
One number: 844-MSMERIT.<br />
Because there’s Merit in convenient care.<br />
With more than 30 primary care and specialty practices in four counties across the Jackson and Vicksburg metropolitan<br />
areas, Merit Health Medical Group providers offer quality care for your family with your schedule in mind. From sore<br />
throats and fever to annual wellness visits and more specialized care, we’ve got you covered.<br />
To see all locations and specialties, please visit MyMeritDoctor.com<br />
Call 844-MSMERIT for a provider near you.<br />
Walk-ins are welcome at all primary care practices,<br />
or ask about same-day and next-day appointments.