Hometown Clinton - Fall 2017

The
way
we
were
Linda and Charles Pope
Elizabeth Bennett
The Popes enjoy sharing some funny stories and memories from their
marriage. “The first meal I cooked for Charles was a disaster! The butter beans
were too salty and the rice was undercooked and crunchy. Charles said the
fried chicken was delicious and he ate the whole meal with a smile on his face,”
said Linda.
One time the Popes were fishing at Costas Lake in the middle of winter.
Linda lost her balance in the boat and grabbed Charles for support and he was
pushed into the icy water. “He was not a happy camper on the way home.
Needless to say, that was the end of our fishing trips together,” said Linda.
“It seems every time Charles had to travel out of state for work, one or
both of the boys would get the stomach virus. Mike would be throwing up in
bed and Matt would run down the hall saying he was ‘growing up’. That was his
way of saying ‘throwing up’. It was lots of fun when your home has shag
carpet!” said Linda.
Charles and Linda have some advice for newlyweds. “If you are not active
in a church, find one and get involved. Take time to learn what makes your
partner happy. Take an interest in each other’s lives. Be willing to overlook
some of the shortcomings and faults in each other. Be patient with each other
and give each other some breathing room,” they said. The Popes emphasize
that both verbal and non-verbal communication is important.
Now, after all these years of marriage, the Popes both work together at
First United Methodist Church in Clinton. “Never in our 43 years of marriage
did we ever think we would be working together!” said Linda. Linda has been
on staff at the church since 2007 and is coordinator of congregational care.
Charles became the associate pastor at the church in 2016. “We both have a
passion for ministry and spreading the love of Christ and now we can do it
together,” said Linda.
There are many things that attract Charles and Linda to each other today
after all these years. Linda appreciates that Charles is a godly man and is
always there when she needs him. “He is fair and honest in everything he does.
I truly feel God put us together,” said Linda. Charles says that Linda is a source
of spiritual strength. “To this day, every time she walks through a doorway, she
still takes my breath away,” said Charles.
Charles and Linda were invigorated by a trip to Israel and Jordan in 2016.
“It was one of the greatest joys in our lives to go on that trip. We were on tour
for almost two weeks. We walked where Jesus walked and saw holy sites that
were beautiful beyond compare. We don’t read the Bible in the same way since
that trip because we can truly visualize different areas mentioned in
scripture,” said Linda. “It was amazing to visit and stand in places that we read
about in the Bible. The scriptures came to life for us. We will never read
scripture the same way again. We drank the water from Jacob’s Well, ate fish
out of the Sea of Galilee, stood along the waters of the Jordan River where Jesus
was baptized and stood atop Mt. Nebo where Moses looked over the promised
land. It was awesome to remind ourselves that we walked, climbed hills and
studied God’s word where Jesus had actually been. We had heard that
Jerusalem was the ‘center of the world’. After hearing the Muslim Call to Prayer,
watching the rabbis as they prayed on the street corners and hearing the bells
of the Christian churches calling people to worship-all at the same time, we
felt that perhaps this is why Jerusalem is regarded as the center of the world,”
said Charles.
“We feel blessed to have lived in Clinton since 1982. We moved here
because of the excellent school system as Mike was starting school in the fall.
Over the years, we have made good friends here and we have lost good friends
here. Clinton is indeed our home and we love living in a small town
atmosphere,” said Linda.
Charles and Linda are proof that you can have a long, joyful marriage
when putting Christ at the center of it all. They are thankful to call Clinton
home after all these years! zx
Linda and Charles Pope have had a long marriage filled with adventure, love,
and faith. They were both born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, and have
known each other almost their entire lives.
They met when Linda was only two or three years old. Charles was best
friends with Linda’s brother, Manuel. They lived next door to each other for
several years in the Broadmoor neighborhood in Jackson. When they first met,
Linda wanted to play with Charles and Manuel, but they wanted nothing to do
with Linda being the “little sister”. Charles has fond memories of Linda chasing
the ice cream truck as a three-year-old.
In high school, there was no romantic relationship between the two. They
just passed each other in the hallways and said “hello”. Linda said, “To Charles,
I was always Bueno’s kid sister. Charles played the drums in a rock band, The
Cavaliers of Jackson, and Linda liked to watch from afar.
After high school, Linda attended Hinds Community College for one year
and majored in secretarial science. Charles attended Hinds Community
College for one year and then transferred to the University of Southern
Mississippi to major in political science. He quit school after his junior year to
work full-time and be married.
After Charles’ first marriage ended in Hattiesburg, he returned to Jackson to
be closer to family. He called Linda’s parents’ house looking for Linda’s brother.
That evening, Manuel was at work, but Linda was at home. Their friendship was
rekindled and after several weeks, Charles asked Linda out on a date for dinner
at Primos. That night began their relationship.
The couple had fun together and shared common interests and their
friendship gradually evolved into love. In July of 1973, while at a family
gathering, Charles nervously popped the question.
The Popes were married on December 21, 1973, at Wesley United Methodist
Church in Jackson where Charles had been a member since childhood. It was a
small wedding with only two attendants and a reception at the home of
Charles’ parents. They enjoyed a honeymoon to the Gulf Coast in the summer
of 1974.
Charles and Linda have three children: Jenny, Mike and Matt. Jenny is
Charles’ daughter from his first marriage. After Charles and Linda were
married four years, their son Mike arrived on the scene in 1977. Their son Matt
was born in 1982. Their days were centered around the children and activities
such as church, work, soccer, basketball, band and voice competitions. “We
were always on the go, always short of money, but always happy!” said Linda.
The Popes are now proud grandparents of 18-year-old Jaron, nine-year-old
Lucy and five-year-old James. Their daughter Jenny is a homemaker in Bay St.
Louis. Their son Mike is the principal of Lovett Elementary School. Their son
Matt is employed by Convention Display Services of Jackson.
“Communication is the key to a happy and long-lasting marriage. In the
beginning, we both had stressful jobs and always seemed to be on the go,” said
Linda. Charles was in the commercial construction industry as an
architectural hardware consultant for over 40 years. Linda worked in the
medical field as a secretary for 40 years. After working for 32 years with the
same clinic in Jackson, Linda joined the staff of First United Methodist Church
Clinton in 2007.
After retirement, Charles began his pastoral ministry as a lay speaker for the
Methodist church for the West Jackson District. This led to a desire and call
from God to do more. He has been a licensed local pastor for several years and
joined the staff of First United Methodist Church Clinton in June 2016.
“Through all the ups and downs of married life, we have always been able to
talk through problems and issues that come up. Our lives have slowed down
now that the children are grown, but we still have wonderful conversations and
enjoy holding hands,” said Linda.
48 • Aug/Sept/Oct 2017
Hometown Clinton • 49