John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship

The children and grandchildren of John and Flo Davis have established an education scholarship fund for deserving students in memory of our parents and grandparents. Both Jay and Flo believed in the youth of our nation and have a long list of young people they have helped in various ways including monetary donations.

For these reasons, at Flo's homegoing on August 26, 2008, her 87th birthday, we have established a memorial fund in their honor with the Education First Federal Credit Union in Beaumont, Texas. Donations can be made directly to this fund at any Education First FCU office or by mailing them to the John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship, Post Office Box 323, Port Bolivar, Texas 77650.

A board of directors has been appointed and will serve as administrators of the scholarship fund. Complete disclosure of all receipts and disbursements will be made available twice yearly.

We believe that both Jay and Flo would be honored by this idea. Kelly Nolan, one of Flo's faithful caregivers and friends, will be helped immediately to continue her pursuit of a nursing degree at Lamar - Port Arthur.

Mother is home in heaven now...

Flo Ella C. Davis, 87, formerly of the Atlanta area, died Tuesday, August 26, 2008 in CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas after suffering a massive stroke caused by a cancerous brain tumor 13 days prior to her homecoming.

Flo was born August 26, 1921. She was the daughter of the late Marshall E. and Lena Darby Cole. Flo, a graduate of Avondale High School, married her school sweetheart, Robert Henry Cannon, who was killed in action in World War II. Her husband, John C. (Jay) Davis also preceded her in death. Flo was a tireless community volunteer and loved life and lived it well. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Survivors include her two daughters and sons-in-law, Brenda Cannon and Ted Henley of Port Bolivar, Texas; Paula Davis and Eric Bonner of Monroe, Ga.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. John F. and Pat Davis of Jackson, Ga.; James L. and Connie Davis of Monroe, Ga.; 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; two sisters and brother-in-law, Anna Lee of Stone Mountain, Ga.; Minnie and Donald Baughcum of Conyers, Ga.; one brother-in-law, Bill Talton, wife, Dot, of Chipley, FL; one sister-in-law, Ellen Speir of Jackson, Ga.; as well as a host of friends both in Georgia and Texas.

A memorial celebration of Flo's life will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 11 a.m. at Val Verde Baptist Church in Groves with visitation with the family following the service. Dr. Brent Stancil, Flo's grandson, will officiate.

A memorial celebration of Flo's life will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 11 a.m. at Wages Funeral Home in Snellville. The family will receive friends from 9:30 until 11a.m. at the funeral home. Officiating will be Dr. Alan Baughcum, Dr. John Davis and Dr. Brent Stancil.

The family is asking in lieu of flowers, any memorial contributions be made to the newly established education scholarship fund in honor of Jay and Flo. All gifts should be made directly to the fund, John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship and mailed to Post Office Box 323, Port Bolivar, Texas 77650. Mother had been helping several deserving young people and we believe she would be happy to know that her work continues in this manner.

Wages Funeral Home of Snellville is in charge of arrangements.

Monday, August 25, 2008, from St. E Hospital in Beaumont

Thanks to each of you for your love and concern at this difficult time. Mother remains in a non-responsive condition here at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Beaumont since the massive stroke that hit on Wednesday, August 13.

We have since learned that along with the stroke, she suffered a heart attack and 12-14 ensuing seizures, all caused by a large brain tumor that no one knew she had. The tumor has been identified as a GBM, Stage 4 and has already grown a secondary tumor. The team of doctors have said that no one could have survived the impact it had on her body as all systems were shut down. Surgery or treatment was not an option even for a much younger person.

Mother had very clear instructions including a strong DNR and living will and would not want to be kept alive in this state without hope. She loved life and had lived it well and was active and busy up to the exact time the stroke happened.

We have been by her side for this 12 long days she has lived without the aid of machines or medicine except for the extreme pain caused by the tumor. She was placed into hospice care last Monday and everyone is literally amazed that she is still breathing.

The family has today created the John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship to help deserving students obtain further education. Mother was very attuned to the needs of young people having been widowed with a child to rear before she was 21 years of age. We are asking our friends and family members to donate to this scholarship, which we believe will make Daddy and Mother both very happy at the appropriate time in lieu of flowers. Further details will be forthcoming as soon as the legal paperwork and bank account has been set up.

Tomorrow is her big 87th birthday and we all know Mother loved to celebrate every occasion, so I have personally come to believe that she is hanging out waiting for the day and I would not be surprised at all if she went home a little after midnight. After all, it would be pretty cool to go home on the same day you came into the world, don't you think? Mother always liked a little excitement.

Please pray for us. It has been a difficult journey and the feeling of helplessness is overpowering at times.

We love and appreciate you.

Until the next page turns,

Brenda

Monday Morning, August 25, 2008 from St. E Hospital in Beaumont

Mother continues to fight her battle, but is losing ground hourly. She has been 12 days today in a severely non-responsive state from a massive stroke following prayer meeting on Wednesday evening, August 13. The stroke, heart attack, and the 12-14 seizures she suffered were all caused by a large cancerous brain tumor that no one had any idea she had. Her doctors have now told us that it is a GBM, Stage 4, very aggressive tumor that could likely not have been stopped in a much younger person. The first large tumor has also spawned a second smaller growth and no surgery could be done because of age and various complications. Every system in her once lively body were shut down by the massive stroke.

Tomorrow is her 87th birthday and she does love to celebrate any occasion, so I have personally come to believe she might be waiting for that day to come. She has been 12 days without one bite of food, not one drop of water and no one here has any idea of how she is still breathing.

She had very clear DNR instructions, a good living will and all of her family had been told numerous times she did not want to be kept alive by machines, so we have done our very best to honor her wishes. It is very difficult to stand by and watch while fighting feelings of extreme helplessness. It is hard on the children who simply feel she should be fed and given water. Her medical team has stated clearly that either would kill her immediately because her brain can no longer tell her body how to process intake, so we wait.

Thanks to each of you for your heartfelt expressions of love and support. We appreciate the food, cards, emails, calls and visits and have once again felt the value of friendship and love. Today, we have created the John and Flo Davis Education Scholarship to help deserving students obtain funding for school. Mother loved young people and was very busy helping several students at the time of her illness. We are asking that family and friends kindly help the children and grandchildren with that project in lieu of flowers now or in the coming days. More information will be posted with complete details.

Thank you for your interest and concern.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Sunday, August 24, 2008

My mother, Flo Davis, continues to surprise everyone including her doctors, the hospice team and the family members, by continuing to fight for her life. This is the 11th day in CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital after we were told initially that she would not live 6-8 hours after suffering the massive stroke on Wednesday, August 13.

She has now lived 11 days without any food or one drop of water. She is only breathing and nothing else appears to be working correctly. The doctor said the stroke, caused by a large cancerous brain tumor that had been growing for quite some time, also caused a heart attack, 12-14 seizures and the complete shut-down of her body.

She is totally non-responsive and has been in hospice care since Monday. We can only wait and sit with her.

It is a very difficult situation because she was so full of life and has lived her 86 years well. She will be 87 on Tuesday, August 26 and was looking forward to a bang-up birthday celebration.

Thank you for your many calls, emails, text messages, cards and visits. One can only know how many friends he or she has at a time like this. It is very difficult for my mother's two sisters, back in Georgia, Aunt Anna and Aunt Minnie and for my brothers, John and J, L. and my sister, Paula, who are also in the Atlanta area.

Please keep on praying for each of us at this very difficult time in our lives. She is getting excellent care and was homesick for heaven since my dad died some six years ago now.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 from CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital

My mom, Flo Ella Cannon Davis, had a massive stroke after prayer meeting last Wednesday and was rushed by ambulance to the trauma emergency room of St. E's here in Beaumont. We later learned that along with the major stroke, she also had a large brain tumor (cancerous) that had been growing for quite some time. She also has a secondary tumor on the brain and suffered a heart attack at the same time the tumor's growth caused the first stroke. She has now had some 12-14 seizures (again caused by the tumor) since being here.

The doctors met with us on Sunday and gave us the results of the battery of tests she has undergone and because she is 86 years of age and has multiple problems, they do not feel she can survive any surgery and they insisted that the damage from the stroke has already been done. She has not been able to eat any food or drink a drop of water for a week today. Swallowing, chewing, balance and so many other things were destroyed by the stroke. The tumor is a GBM, stage 4, very aggressive cancer.

We were moved from the 2nd floor to the 4th for comfort care. No medical procedures or programs are being administered. She had a strong living will and a clear DNR order on file. They told us on Sunday that she had about five days to live if all remains the same.

She was placed into Hospice care on Monday, but we were able to remain here in St. E's because the projected time is so short.

She is non-responsive much of the time and she sleeps many hours, but does awaken from time to time and asks for a particular person, talks about an event in her life, sees her husband who died six years ago, my grandmother and grandfather and others who were/are important in her life. Her husband and my dad for most of my life died in Hospice care and we have nothing but good things to say about it. Some of us are with her at all times.

Please pray for my mom and for my family during this time in our lives.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Coming to Atlanta...soon

I am so excited today! Ted and I will be traveling next to the Atlanta area in early September to attend the rehearsal dinner and wedding for my nephew, Jonathan Gravitt. My sister, Paula, has kept me posted on all of the details and we can't wait to meet everyone there.

Jon is marrying Jenny Coffer of Tucker, Georgia.

Ted and I are staying with Millie Jones Pincus in her lovely home in Lawrenceville and she promises that several of my school classmates and friends will be coming over for some get togethers. We must get busy on serious planning for our big 50th class reunion in 2010.

Note to best buds...Let me know when you are free to visit.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Still have tons of photos and mementos from recent trip to West Texas, Amarillo, the High Plains and other points west as soon as I can get caught up again.

"Ginger, do you remember this?"

While visiting the amazing Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas, (which, by the way, is one of the finest museums I've ever visited), the grandboys discovered a section of old cars that helped to form our lives as young people.

Ginger, do you remember my fine old "Miss Tess" as I do your marvelous "Miss Maude?" It was like stepping back in time!

Enjoy the old memories and let's not forget the old paths we've trodden.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Wednesday, August 6, from the beach...

Hello Friends and Family,

We arrived back at the beach from our month long visit to Amarillo and points between and Steven and Brendan had a few fine days on the beach before going home to the Nashville area.. On Friday, we drove them to Nashville where they had to begin 6th and 8th grade today. Ted and I returned to Bolivar Peninsula just in time to welcome Tropical Depression/Hurricane Edouardo, which turned out not to hit us hard this time. We had high winds of about 50-60 mph here on the beach and some rain, but nothing like the destruction caused by Rita, for which we are very happy. Thanks sincerely to each friend and family member who called or wrote to check on our welfare.

Ted and I ventured out yesterday afternoon and drove along the Peninsula and other than water gathered in some ditches, we only saw two poles down with one live wire and a few outbuildings toppled over due to the storm. The predictors were fearing a storm surge of sea water, but as far as we know, that did not happen here. The storm made landfall at High Island on our beloved Peninsula, but Port Arthur and Groves also got some wind and rain out of it, along with some power outage as well. Thank God, we missed the bad brunt of this one. Hurricane watching is the price we pay for living on the beach year round.

We have many new photographs to post and lots of reports on our travels as soon as time permits.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

My son, Dr. John Stancil (Brent) is speaking in a revival service at Rosebud Baptist Church in Loganville, Georgia this week. Attached is a picture of dear old friends, Kay Hicks Daniell, DeAnna Stancil Davis, my daughter, and Pam Hicks Gresham, who were there for the services.

Fuel for the Fire for August 2008

By Brenda Cannon Henley
Senior Correspondent for The Examiner

August 1 – “I was told I could be anything I wanted to be if I wanted it badly enough. I believed them.” - Barbara Jones Slater

August 2 – “Hard work gives life meaning.” - Oseola McCarty

August 3 – “Everyone needs to work hard at something to feel good about themselves.” - Oseola McCarty

August 4 – “Every job can be done well and every day has its own satisfactions.” Oseola McCarty

August 5 – “Average is your biggest enemy.” - Pearce “Rocky” Lane

August 6 – “If there are not great values behind great victories, the victories are pointless.” - Greg Sgrosso

August 7 – “Life is tons of discipline.” – Robert Frost

August 8 – “If a man does his very best, what else is there?’ - George Patton

August 9 – “You build a successful life a day at a time.” - Lou Holtz

August 10 – “Let perseverance by your engine and hope your fuel.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

August 11 – “As a coach I tell kids that whether you win or lose, act like a winner. Hold your head up high. Winning isn’t everything, but trying to win is everything.” – Pete Cava

August 12 – “All the acts of generosity and kindness that we extend to others eventually makes a circle and comes back to us. The Bible reminds us, ‘as we sow, so shall we reap.’” – Lucinda Williams Adams

August 13 – “If you take one step, God will take two.” - Lucinda Williams Adams

August 14 – “My words of wisdom to young people go like this: If you’re going to work at something, no matter if it’s cleaning out a trash can or running a race, do a god job. I can’t imagine doing anything and not doing my best.” – Betty Vosburgh

August 15 – “We’re never to old to learn new skills and polish the ones we have.” - Betty Vosburgh

August 16 – “My coach said, ‘Believe in yourself. Run with heart and put the rest aside.’ It’s amazing how your body responds to your thoughts.”

August 17 – “The importance of winning is not what we get from it, but what we become because of it.” - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

August 18 – “Champions learn how to reach down deep for that extra reserve of spirit and pride in what they are doing.” - Carlette Guidry

August 19 – “People complain all the time about how busy they are, but there is time enough for all the things that a person really wants to do.” - Oseola McCarty

August 20 – “We are responsible for the way we use our time on this earth, so I try hard to be a good steward.” - Oseola McCarty

August 21 – “Usefulness often outlasts style.” - Oseola McCarty

August 22 – “A smart person always plans for the future.” - Oseola McCarty

August 23 – “I know people who don’t know God just can’t understand that He’s real.” – Oseola McCarty

August 24 – “The greatest lesson of faith that I know is that you have to be willing to grow in grace. You have to be willing to start at the beginning and become like a little child.” – Oseola McCarty

August 25 – “You have to accept God the best way you know how and then He’ll show Himself to you. And the more you serve Him, the more able you are to serve Him.” - Oseola McCarty

August 26 – “I believe the way we live matters, not just for now but for always. There is an eternal side to every single thing we do.” – Oseola McCarty

August 27 – “My mother lived her life as an example before me and taught me the difference between right and wrong. She also taught me the consequences of misbehaving.” - Oseola McCarty

August 28 – “Most of the children we see take their habits from the mother and father.” – Oseola McCarty (What are you parenting to your children today?)

August 29 – “It is important to make special memories with the people you love most.” - Oseola McCarty

August 30 – “Teachers can give children something to hold onto or a new way of seeing the world.” – Oseola McCarty

From our Amarillo visit...

We are continuing to have fun here in Amarillo and in this part of the wonderful Texas High Plains. I am constantly amazed at the new discoveries we make each day and I have added a lot of information about the rich Texas history to my reserves for future writing. I admit I am becoming addicted to the wonderful stories of western heroes, including the strong and wild frontier women, who settled here along with their men. We've seen the big buffalo, wild deer, which we petted and fed, wild turkeys, visiting a prairie dog town, guessed about which big birds were flying over us and played in the wild Canadian River as well as crossed over the Red River several times on our excursions.

I have read seven or eight books filled with Texas history and made a good study of Charles Goodnight's life story. We have also watched the entire Lonesome Dove series with the boys and several other westerns to boot. The boys are getting into the hisotry and hopefully it will whet their interest for future study.

Goodnight was very instrumental in the settling of this area including the Palo Duro Canyon where we took grandsons Steven and Brendan for three days of exploring. We stayed in the cabin on the rim of the canyon that bears Goodnight's name and learned even more about him in the High Plains Panhandle Museum, which is one of the finest in the world. There is a small Texas town named Goodnight in his honor also, which we plan to visit on our way home.

Ted's son, Darrell, took the boys climbing (I held my breath believe me) and they both slide down the wild, 360-feet high Devil's Slide several times. They also went caving (exploring the dark big holes in the sides of the canyon walls) and we saw the exciting musical "Texas" performed in the huge outdoor amphitheater. The play has been done for some 43 years and gives a good depiction of the rough and tumble Texans who settled this country. (They really do believe it is a country and not just a state, too, and if outsiders question natives, it might just turn out to be an old fashioned brawl.)

We enrolled both grandsons in the wonderful reading program provided by the Amarillo Public Libraries. For each hour of reading, they got to mark a spot on a colorful sheet to turn in each week as we checked out books and movies to enjoy — all for free, too. When we entered the library last Friday to turn in some material, Pat, the excellent teacher over the children's programs, called out to Steven, "Hey, guys, I'm glad you're here. The numbers you left were all long distance and the city frowns on us calling too many long distance numbers." Pat had helped both boys choose and check out books of interest to them.

Steven had read 25 hours and was signed up for the huge drawing for the Extreme Read Program. Pat went on to share with us that it was Steven's name that had been drawn from the basket naming him the winner. He was given a lovely package of $20 in free movie passes, a new Batman movie and a new novel to read, along with some other goodies. He is also now entered into the drawing for the end-of-year big gift certificate to Best Buy in the amount of $100. In his mind, he has spent that $100 ten different ways!

Parents - If you have not enrolled your child in your local library programs, do so right away. There is so much good and fun information there for the sharing. Amarillo's libraries are among the finest in the nation and we've truly enjoyed going several times each week. With the high costs of books and movies, it is a Godsend to parents and grandparents, as well as teachers. The friendliness of the staff goes a long way toward making for a pleasant experience.

Brendan has learned a lot about building from his Papa Ted. Together, they have constructed a new front porch on our home here in Amarillo. Brendan has learned the seriousness of welding and helped to make some joinings of heaving metal as well as learned how to operate the drill and other tools. He particularly loves to hammer (loudly) and to dig holes in this crazy dirt.

On Saturday night, we visited an old fashioned drive in movie theater and saw the fabulous Hancock and The Incredilbe Hulk, both of which were very good I thought. We also sampled the hot dogs and other treats at the concession stand.

Have lots of good photos to post when time permits, but suffice it to say, this has been a wonderful Texas size adventure for all of us. When night comes and I finally get to my bed, I am exhausted, but very happy.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Fuel for the Fire for July 2008

By Brenda Cannon Henley
Senior Correspondent for The Examiner

July 1 – “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost pars of the belly.” (Proverbs 26:22)

July 2 – “As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.” (Proverbs 26:21)

July 3 – “Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.” (Proverbs 26:23)

July 4 – “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.” (Proverbs 26:28)

July 5 – “Faith gives us an anchor in a raging sea, calm in the midst of chaos, vision to know right from wrong, and the courage to express it.”

July 6 – Together, you and God can do anything!

July 7 – “We have this hope as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19 NIV)

July 8 – Take heart --- the Lord is with you.

July 9 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV)

July 10 – Isn’t it wonderful to come to the realization that God’s unconditional love never changes for you and for me?

July 11 – “Your Father in Heaven knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8 NASB)

July 12 – Once in a while a person touches our lives with words and actions so special that they change us forever. Take time today to thank someone who has been a blessing to you.

July 13 – Some folks still practice the quest for personal excellence and have a sincere commitment to noble values.

July 14 – Heroes live exemplary lives to help teach us the benefits of persistence and commitment.

July 15 – Heroes personify the best of what we want to believe about ourselves and offer proof that our grandest goals are achievable.

July 16 – There is something in our spirit that longs to be elevated to new heights of purpose.

July 17 – Extraordinary achievements never fail to inspire us to raise our own sights and to color outside the lines.

July 18 – The celebration of our heroes, we discover, is ultimately the celebration of our potential.

July 19 – Wherever you are on your life’s journey, you are never alone. That is a promise from God in His Word.

July 20 – “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” - George Halas

July 21 – “A winner never stops trying.” - Tom Landry

July 22 – “I never blame fortune — there are too many complicated situations in life. But, I am absolutely merciless toward lack of effort.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

July 23 – “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

July 24 – “There lives in each of us a hero awaiting the call to action.” - H. Jackson Brown Jr.

July 25 – Every great achievement is the result of a heart on fire.

July 26 – “I’m very determined and stubborn. There’s a desire in me that makes me want to do more and more, and to do it right.” - Mary Lou Retton

July 27 – “Each of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.” - Mary Lou Retton

July 28 – Scorn mediocrity in everything. Embrace excellence in all things.

July 29 – “Last, but by no means, least, courage — moral courage is the courage of one’s convictions, the courage to see things through. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It’s the age-old struggle — the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other.” – Gen. Douglas MacArthur

July 30 – Every day, try to help someone who can’t reciprocate your kindness.” - Coach John Wooden

July 31 – “We can ask for more opportunities or we can decide to make the most of those we already have. The latter course always produces results.” - Barbara Jones Slater

Writing from Amarillo, Texas...

Grandsons Steven and Brendan joined Ted and myself as we drove to Amarillo on Wednesday. We picked Brendan up at the Houston airport and began our adventure stopping in Huntsville, Texas, to spend the first night. Swam for a while in the motel pool, ate a good meal, and hit the road again on Thursday, arriving here around 6 p.m.

We are having great fun and it is wonderful to see things through the eyes of the children. Have been touring the local spots, including a trip or two down the old Route 66, which runs through Amarillo. The old shops and storefronts are interesting and harbor many vintage items from the past. Everything is so "flat" here compared to Georgia and even our area of Texas.

We are heading to the Palo Duro Canyon for our big experience there on Monday, July 7. Will post new pictures from that leg of the trip.

Today we toured a great Mexican tortilla factory, saw the workers busily making the product, and ate some wonderful food. Have also taken the boys to enroll at the local city library, which is very good in this city, and checked out books and movies and signed them up for the summer programs there. Each is sporting a brand new library card of his own. We have played the Wi game and bowling is our favorite. The boys are into a heated checker game now and we play Rummy and other board games. Both boys are very good at Scrabble and we've been shopping, too. Can everyone with teens or pre-teens say "GameStop?"

Went to a wonderful smaller church in the neighborhood on Sunday, which we all enjoyed. And, we've visited with Ted's son, daughter in law and grandchildren, David and Rebecca.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Fuel for the Fire June 24 - 30, 2008

June 24 – “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” (Acts 1:7)

June 25 – “But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

June 26 – “As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool.” (Proverbs 26:1)

June 27 – “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.” (Proverbs 26:4)

June 28 – “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.” (Proverbs 26:12)

June 29 – “As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful (lazy) upon his bed.” (Proverbs 26:14)

June 30 – “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” (Proverbs 26:20)

On the road again...making music with my friends (and having fun)

We've had fun creating a brand new blog spot for the Clarkston High School Class of 1960 where every member of the class can post their thoughts, ideas, suggestions, helpful hints and photographs — lot of photographs, old, new and in-between.

Have heard from several member of the class over the weekend and we are beginning to gear up for the planning of our 50th class graduation in 2010. The two Millies, along with Marie, and Ginger, have formulated some good ideas and we are looking forward to some input (not to mention hard work) from others in the class.

If you'd like to visit our class blog spot, it is chsclassof1960.blogspot.com. Blogging is fun and easy and oh, so helpful. Saves writing hundreds of emails to individuals when you can post one message and all can read. Classmates, please get in the habit of checking our site every few days to see what's new or who has written.

Also, we're trusting that some updated email addresses will be sent to us so that we can include everyone in the class. Check the list we sent out to see who is not on there that should be, please.

Just in case you have forgotten, here's what Ginger Bragg Doster and I looked like in 1959 at Pine Lake where we lived and hung out most of the time.

Ted and I are traveling again. On our way to Amarillo to take Steven and Brendan to visit the area and especially Palo Duro Canyon, but I have my trusty MacBook computer with me.

Until the next page turns,
Brenda

Every once in a while a real treasure falls into your hands...

It is no secret that I love old book stores and shops and that usually in every city my husband and I visit, I try to make the time to get into at least one or two. People who have a profound love for books share a kindred spirit in that they’re always willing to help point you to their favorite bookshop or to tell you about the last great book they’ve read. Many of these shops are obscure little places tucked away in busy shopping centers and off the main highways and byways of our nation.

I have friends in several cities now, such as Coyce V. Wilkinson, a kind, gentle man who owns and runs Books & More in Amarillo. He is a true book lover and always has several open behind his counter in his shop. He helped me to complete my collection of Hemingway novels and to acquire the latest in the James Patterson series. It is also no great secret that books are expensive and that any way you can find to purchase them at reduced prices is worth checking out in earnest. I’ve found estate sales, Goodwill stores, The Salvation Army stores and sometimes individual garage sales are good places to scoop up good literature. The Internet shopping services are also good ways of obtaining particular books as long as you know the title and author you want. I long ago got over being proud when it comes to book shopping, and the better the deal, the happier I find myself.

I also have friends who share their used books with me, and I likewise, return the favor. There’s always a bag of books somewhere in our home waiting to be delivered to a friend’s house or taken to one of the shops to be exchanged for new reading material.

While shopping in a little bookstore recently, I chanced to come upon a small book, “Simple Wisdom for Rich Living,” the life story of a Hattiesburg, Miss. woman, Oseola McCarty. Miss McCarty was an African-American washerwoman who lived a simple, but profound life in the old south, and left a legacy in education for which she will be long remembered by many. The first thing I noticed about the book was that it was an original printing signed copy by Miss McCarty and I found it had enjoyed several printings by Longstreet Press in Marietta, Ga. since that time. I read it in one sitting and found it to be inspiring and exciting. After reading the book, I began a one-woman campaign to verify its contents and to find out whatever I could about this amazing woman.

The more I read and discovered, the more enamored with Oseola McCarty I became. Her selfless story is a remarkable one that bears witness of what one person can do in a lifetime. The words bear mute testimony to a lifetime spent washing and ironing other people’s clothes so that the simple woman could donate $150,000 in education scholarships to The University of Southern Mississippi, a place in her hometown she had never visited, but had heard about in the news.

When Miss McCarty decided to make her gift to the university, her neighbors and those that thought they knew her well were astounded. Customers who had brought washing and ironing to her modest frame home for more than 75 years read like the social register of Hattiesburg. She has done laundry for three generations of some of the families. In the beginning days, she said she charged $1.50 to $2 for a bundle, but with inflation, the prices increased some over the years.

“When I started making real money — $10 a bundle, I commenced to save money,” said the articulate speaker. “I put it in savings at the local bank. I never would take any of it out. I just put it in consistently and it just accumulated over the years.”

Miss McCarty was born in Wayne County, Miss., on March 7, 1908 and was reared by her mother, Lucy, grandmother and aunt who moved to Hattiesburg when Oseola was very young. Even as a young child of eight, Miss McCarty worked after school helping the women of her family wash and iron. “I’ve always loved to work,” said Miss McCarty. “Good honest work keeps a mind and hands busy.” When Oseola was in the sixth grade, her childless aunt had to go into the hospital and when she was released, she needed someone to care for her. Oseola left school to take on that responsibility and never got to return to her classes.

Her grandmother died in 1944, her mother in 1964 and her aunt that she took care of in 1967. “I’ve been having it by myself since then,” said the kindly lady. In 1947 her uncle gave her the home in which she frugally lived and worked.

During the latter years of her life, bank personnel, realizing that Miss McCarty was accumulating sizable savings, advised her to put her money into CD’s, conservative mutual funds and other accounts where it would work for her, including a trust for her care should she need it. In the meantime, Miss McCarty continued to do the laundry of her customers until arthritis forced her to retire in December 1994 at the age of 86.

Paul Laughlin, assistant vice president and trust officer of the local bank, along with an attorney for whom the laundress had worked, explained to Miss McCarty what she had accumulated by using dimes and slips of paper. She divided her savings between her church, three living cousins and the University of Southern Mississippi so that other young people could obtain the education she never received. “She placed one dime on the slip of paper marked for her church, one dime each for three living cousins and six dimes for the university gift,” said Laughlin. “It was totally her idea and her choice of the distribution.”

At age 87, Miss McCarty donated $150,000 saved from her 75 years of doing laundry to the University of Southern Mississippi out of her total savings of some $280,000 and continued to live her quiet, unassuming life until word got out of her sacrificial gift. Stephanie Bullock, an 18-year-old African-American Hattiesburg High School honor graduate, became the first Oseola McCarty Scholarship recipient.

She then had offers to appear on ABC, CNN, NBC, BET and MTV, which she did with quiet aplomb. Miss McCarty was also a big read in Newsweek, The New York Times, People, Life, Ebony, Essence and Jet. Her numerous national and international awards include the Presidential Citizens Medal presented to her at the White House by President Bill Clinton, the second highest civilian honor in our nation, the Wallenberg Humanitarian Award and the famed Avicenna Medal from UNESCO. She was also featured as one of Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People in 1995 and was the recipient of an honorary doctorate of letters from Harvard University.

The sudden fame did not change this humble, hard-working, thrifty woman. She continued to live in her modest home, tend her flowers, cook her own meals and walk everywhere she went other than in latter years when transportation was provided to her. One interviewer noted that Miss McCarty’s old, worn Bible was held together by strips of Scotch tape. The entire Book of Corinthians was taped into the worn leather cover. Miss McCarty’s death was mourned by thousands on Sept. 26, 1999 when she died of cancer of the liver. Her principles and exemplary life inspire others and leave a rich legacy that has spread far from Hattiesburg.

I have included some of the quotes from Miss McCarty’s book in The Examiner’s Fuel for the Fire in coming weeks.

Fun things to do with kids during summer months

I shared last week’s column with some of my friends to get their feedback and I was pleasantly surprised at what I learned. Adults really must work at having fun and educational things planned to do with their children and some families really are getting good at improvising.

It amazes me that the very people we love the most often get our least attention, resources and time. With rising gasoline costs and expensive airline tickets, many of our family members and friends are finding themselves staying home for the balance of the summer and making do with cost efficiency entertainment and outings. Along with the four ideas I listed last week, here are six others that might give families ideas for summer adventures and wonderful memories.

I mentioned turning off the TV for an entire evening, and even though that will strike some as a novel idea, it is a good one. It is frightening how important the television and video games have become in some families. Every room has its own TV and every child has one or more game machines to play day and night. Sitting and watching TV is entertaining, and sometimes educational, but it doesn’t foster quality together time and interaction. I know of at least five families who have planned what they term “family night” once each week when there are usually no guests or outsiders in the home. The concept is growing. Some families choose to play board games, others cook together and share the meal with each member leading the team for one night. The leader chooses the menu, helps to buy the groceries, sets the table and cooks what can be done practically.

Other families choose somewhere in the local community to go together. A friend’s family went to the local water park last week and took a planned picnic dinner to share after the kids tired of playing in the various fountains and water toys. Every member of the family went on this adventure and enjoyed themselves, including the pre-teens and teens.

Here’s an idea that all may not have the opportunity of participating in because of where you live. Two years ago I covered the story in Beaumont of an inner city group growing a simple fruit and vegetable garden on a small plot of land on a busy street. The kids decided to share the bounty with senior citizens who lived in the neighborhood. According to the sponsor of the project, the kids had such fun and the adults who received the fruit and vegetables were thrilled to be included. The kids took real pride in their work and kept the entire area free of weeds, watered and harvested as needed. I went over and took several photographs of the kids with their cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, beans, squash and a watermelon or two.

While they worked to grow the garden, they learned a lot about life. The kids also shared team building skills, responsibility and the beauty of sharing.

If you’ve never taken the time to take your daughter or your son fishing, now is the time to do it. Purchase an inexpensive rod and reel, some bait and pack a cooler with chilled drinks and head to the nearest stream, lake, bayou or the Gulf shore to have the fun of a lifetime. It is not about the number or kind of fish you catch. It is not even about keeping the ones you catch. It is about the wonderful excitement of fishing together. It is an adventure pitting the fisherman against the fish, not to mention the crabs, eels and other unusual things you will land in the Gulf waters. Here at our house, we practice the “kiss and release” rule for most fish, but there are a few that make for good eating if you have someone willing to clean and fillet them for the table.

My husband, Ted, and I took Callie Grace, my nine-year-old granddaughter who lives in Groves, and Steven, who lives in Orlinda, Tenn. fishing in our boat on the Intracoastal Canal last Saturday. We had such fun with our picnic and cold drinks from the cooler on board. Callie wanted to catch fish, but she did not have an extreme amount of patience at first. She thought that as soon as you dropped the line in the water, a fish should bite the bait and let you catch it.

When she did catch her first fish, it was a fighting gafttop that did not want to be caught. It fought, twisted and turned all the way to the side of the boat. Callie was doing the best she could to contain her excitement, but she finally said, “PaPa Ted, hurry and take this fish off my line. He is walking all over the water.” We all had a good laugh at Callie’s description of the fish’s behavior. She was proud of her fishing skills and couldn’t wait to tell everyone at church what she’d done.

The kids will never forget the summer adventures and neither will the adults involved.

One thing that is more difficult for families to accomplish in the busy summer months is simply eating meals together. How many homes use the dining room or kitchen table to store everything from incoming mail, catalogs, hats and sports equipment, raincoats and umbrellas, flower pots to books and tapes? One family I happened to visit recently said that they had not eaten a meal together as a family sitting at the kitchen table in months. I thought that was a sad fact.

Mealtimes are good times to share the day’s activities, who’s doing what and when, things learned and dreams to reach. I fondly recall meals around my grandmother’s kitchen table when everyone took the time to catch up on each other’s lives. Big decisions were made around those pieces of wood and great investments were made in the lives of those gathered around for a meal. Take time to cook and eat together, even if it is only one meal a day.

As much as quality group family time is needed in the day and age in which we live, special one-on-one time is also needed with each person. Plan those valuable moments to share with one child at a time when at all possible. If you are having several grandchildren visit during the summer, try to plan the visits so that each child has a day or two of alone time with the grandparents. You learn secrets, fears, goals and dreams of each child and can have a very special time to store for your own memories.

Make those summer investments very carefully for good long-term results.

Beating the "I'm bored" and "What's To Do?" summer questions...

School days have been over long enough now for the kids around the house to be using the age-old “I’m bored” and “I have nothing to do” or “What can we do today?” conversations. I’ve always taught that busy kids are better kids and that boys and girls with nothing constructive to do get into more trouble than kids whose families plan fun things to do.

Same thought pattern is true with church and school environments. If teachers are prepared and have enough lined up for the kids to do to keep their interest, chances are that the classrooms on Sunday and through the week will be active, fun, learning places instead of places where bad behavior flourishes. For several years, our staff had more than 3,000 kids in our children’s church in Atlanta and we used the concept of “team-teaching,” where one adult would quickly take over from another to provide visual, musical, interactive concepts to keep the kids on their toes. What did it cost? The answer includes a lot of work and a lot of prayer, but not necessarily a lot of money. We always operated on a tight budget in the work of the church.

We demanded the top in musicians and teaching personnel. Our pianist and organist were among the very best the large church had to offer. No one, including the adults, came into that large auditorium to play. No one worked in Super Church because they simply wanted to avoid going to the regular services of the growing church. The volunteers came to work, to provide interesting teaching and a fun-filled day long to be remembered by the church kids who came to the services with their parents and the bus kids who rode in on one of the 53 bus routes all over the Atlanta area. We saw remarkable results with the lives of children being changed, which automatically saw the lives of the moms and dads become different. The child was the ticket into the home to deal with the parent who did not have an interest in spiritual matters.

The same is true in our homes, and believe me, I am writing this column from experience today. I have reared three children of my own and have some seven precious grandchildren whom I keep just as often as I can arrange to do so. And, that’s not counting my years of working in Forrest Hills Baptist Church and in a national ministry where we put our practice into teaching other church workers how to motivate and train children.

Steven, my eldest grandson is now visiting from Tennessee and Brendan will be arriving in the next few days from Georgia. Callie Grace, a local Groves resident, was here last week for three days of fishing, swimming and playing on the beach. I do admit I have a huge resource by living on the Gulf of Mexico, which provides hours of playtime with little money involved other than food and cold drinks to share. The packing of the picnic basket and cooler each day is only one of the happy chores we share before leaving for the beach.

Even if you don’t live on the beach, spending a day in its relaxing atmosphere can change not only the lives of the children in your family, but the lives of the adults as well. Everyone needs a break from the office or plant and from the work of the home. Don’t forget towels and sunscreen and come and share our fun. The biggest expense you’ll likely encounter is gas for the car and food for the stomachs. But, oh, what memories you’ll be making for a lifetime. Don’t forget to include the camera to record your adventures and a pail or bucket for all the things you’ll catch in the surf. Steven and Callie caught a collection of crabs of all sizes before they released them at the end of the day.

What are some things you can do with your kids, neighbor kids or relatives during the summer hours especially? Have you thought of gathering them around you and telling them a story? Younger children especially loved stories and older family members really do have a yearning to learn about their family history. Throw in a few photographs and a few collected artifacts and you’re set to go for a good couple of hours. Every adult has the potential to be a really good storyteller if they only practice their craft. You can also take advantage of free story times at the local libraries. Choose a visual to really cap off the time together. No cost involved here with this fun-time treat.

Plan a simple picnic. We have to eat anyway, so why not make it something special? The food choices do not have to be elaborate. Make a few sandwiches or a good salad, some cookies and plenty to drink and head out to a local park, the side of a stream. Half the fun is packing the picnic basket and cooler, spreading the colorful cloth and simply being together. If you find you’re in a really big hurry, stop by a fast food restaurant and pick up the treats to share.

Here’s an idea I caught in a television program the other morning. Plan a fun “stay-cation” for your family. With the high cost of gasoline, much of our travel will be eliminated for this summer. Rather than “vacate,” your home or lawn, plan to stay there and enjoy a special event. Decorate one room or a patio or porch with a theme, make some food to go along with the idea and gather the family for an outing without leaving home. I have in mind a summer luau on the back deck with leis for each neck, some fruit from the islands, music from our stereo and decorations I have on hand from another event. Take pictures and make a photo album together to ensure the kids don’t forget the stay-cation together.

This idea might not go over so well at first, but after you’ve tried it once, the family will likely come around to your way of thinking. Turn off the TV for one night and do something together as a family. Play a board game, a round of cards or listen to music. Choose questions from a prepared stack and let each family member or guest answer the one they pick. Play an old fashioned game of charades. Use a theme to make it more interesting. For instance, I made a group of nursery rhyme characters to use in charades and each family member and guest has to act out one or more the choices. What fun we had playing charades and no cost was involved at all since I used the backside of cards I already had.

Plan quality time to spend with your children. It is far better to build boys than to mend men. Works for girls, too.

Happy Birthday, America - We thank God for all who've given to make it free...

“When the nation was in need, he inspired them to give us hope.” – Dr. James Farmer Jr. writing of Melvin Tolson, his English professor and debate team coach

As we get a little older we realize so many different people fought for and won the freedom that so many of us take for granted every day. We think first of our military to whom we say a huge and sincere thank you for their service. The families of the men and women serving in the United States Armed Services should also be up there on the list of those we owe appreciation and gratitude. These family members give more than most will ever know and they give it every day of the year, and in many cases, forever, when their loved ones are killed in active duty or by friendly fire.

When thinking of the military contributions, we should also add the medical personnel who often fight on the front lines or near the most active of hot spots taking care of the injured and treating the wounded. These men and women who train hard and long to get the necessary medical knowledge are often overlooked as are the nurses and doctors who staff our local hospitals and emergency rooms in our towns and cities. They, too, pay a price for education and service.

We also think of the great responsibility our elected officials bear on their shoulders. With all of the unpleasant, unkind, frightening news stories we hear each day and with every public servant who messes up in life, there are hundreds of them who don’t. These men and women pay a price to serve their communities, cities, states and nation and many do it with the proper motive and in earnest sincerity. They honestly want to contribute to the good of society. Could we take time to send a note or an email to one of these public servants who is trying to help?

Our police officers and fire fighters are heroes in the lives of the citizens whom they risk their lives to help on a daily basis. Every time an officer or member of a fire fighting team puts on his uniform to go to work, he is laying his life on the line. When was the last time we said “thank you” to one of these local people?

I’ve named some of the more public figures that come to mind on this particularly American holiday, but there are also local individuals in every community who have stepped up to the plate, put forth time, energy and effort and made a lasting difference for not only themselves, but for others as well. Some particularly bright innovators are in the field of education. It is encouraging to find out about them as we go about our daily lives and to remind folks that every individual does have the opportunity and the right to be different and to make change that counts for something.

One group of young people who helped encourage freedom for all that I’ve enjoyed learning about recently was from a small Methodist college in Marshall, Texas. The debate team there in the early 1930s certainly made change an operative word as they did what no other African American group had done before them. I first heard and saw their story in the movie, “The Great Debaters,” produced and directed by Denzel Washington. The powerful movie, inspired by a true story, chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson (played wonderfully by Washington), a brilliant, but volatile, debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from small African-American Wiley College in the deep south into a historically elite debate team. A controversial figure, Professor Tolson challenged the social mores of the time and was under constant fire for his unconventional and ferocious teaching methods as well as his radical political views.

Some critics faulted the movie for its historical inaccuracies, but for the most part, the movie won rave reviews and several of the actors and actresses, including Washington, were name as outstanding in their roles.

Tolson accepted a position as instructor of English in 1924 at the small religious-based school in Marshall. While at Wiley, he taught, wrote poetry and novels, coached football and directed plays. In 1929, Tolson coached the Wiley debate teams, which established a ten-year winning streak beating the larger black schools of its day like Tuskegee, Fisk and Howard. After a visit to Texas, Langston Hughes wrote, “Melvin Tolson is the most famous Negro professor in the Southwest. Students all over that part of the world speak of him, revere him, remember him and love him.”

According to James Farmer Jr., a famed black civil rights activist who was in reality one of the debate team members, Tolson’s desire to win, to eliminate risk, meant that his debaters were actors more than spontaneous thinkers. “Tolson wrote all the speeches and the debate team memorized them. He drilled them on every gesture and every pause. Tolson was so skilled at the art of debating that he also figured out the arguments that opponents would make and wrote rebuttals for them before the actual debate,” said Farmer.

It is interesting to note that Farmer went on after his years at Wiley to become one of the “Big 6” leaders of the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He also founded the Committee of Racial Equality, later known as the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). His father in the movie, Dr. James Farmer Sr., was the first African American in Texas to earn a PHD and was played brilliantly by Forest Whitaker.

In 1930, Tolson pursued a master’s degree in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and began to write the “Cabbages and Caviar” column for The Washington Tribune. He also helped to organize sharecroppers in South Texas and to urge the citizens to strive for equality in all walks of life.

In 1935, Tolson led the Wiley Debate Team to the national championship to defeat the University of Southern California before an audience of eleven hundred people. In the movie version, the team from the small school in Texas went on to defeat the prestigious debate team of Harvard University, but historians say that never happened. The big win was against Southern California. However, Harvard did allow the movie to be filmed partly on its campus, the first to be done there since 1979.

Other interesting anecdotes from the movie include the fact that the diploma hanging in Dr. James Farmer’s study is an authentic copy provided by the art department of Boston University.

Jurnee Smollett played the role of the first female to serve on the debate team of Wiley College convincingly. The Samantha Booke character was based on the life of Henrietta Bell Wells, who currently is 95 years old living in the Houston area. After seeing the movie for the first time, Wells said that it was accurate and insightful.

Wiley College continues to educate students today and is located in Harrison County on 63 acres of land west of Marshall between Dallas to the west and Shreveport to the east. The college is currently affiliated with the United Methodist Church. On December 19, 2007, actor Washington announced a $1 million dollar donation to Wiley College so they could re-establish their debate team.

Fuel for the Fire

June 13 – “It is not the fish we catch that counts, for they can be had for mere silver. It is the break of the waves, the joyous rush of the brook, and the contemplation of the eternal rush of the stream.” - Herbert Hoover

June 14 – “Find the journey’s end in every step.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

June 15 – “Your headiest success as a true angler begins when you start caring more about fishing than the fish.” - Arnold Gingrich

June 16 – “Why do I fish? The easiest answer is that my father and all my ancestors did it before me.” - Former President Jimmy Carter

June 17 – “Experience usually is what you get when you don’t get what you want, but if there were no such thing as optimism, there wouldn’t be any such thing as fishing.” -Michael McIntosh

June 18 – “They are able who think they are able.” - Virgil

June 19 – “The music of angling is more compelling to me than anything contrived in the greatest symphony hall.” - A. J. McClane

June 20 – “In its deepest self, fishing is the most solitary sport, for at its best it is all between you and the fish.” -Arnold Gingrich

June 21 – “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

June 22 – “Never cut what you can untie.” - Joseph Joubert

June 23 – “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.” (Acts 1:14 – Five times in the first five chapters of the Book of Acts we are told the disciples of Jesus were ‘of one accord.”)

Fuel for the Fire for June 8 - 12, 2008

June 8 – “Try to put the uncommon touch on even the most common task.”

June 9 – “We may never have the opportunity to do great things in a great way, but we all have the chance to do small things in a great way.”

June 10 – “There’s truly no limit to what you can achieve if you don’t mind who gets the credit.”

June 11 – “Reach for the stars. You might not get them, but you won’t win up with a handful of mud either.”

June 12 – “To get more out of life, give more of yourself.”