Plantersville School 1959

Pictured are 7th and 8th grade girls in 1959 at Plantersville School. They are: front row, l to r, Linda Mae Yeager, Jean Jutman, Jane Russell; Middle row, Pam Bailey (6th grader), Carole McFarling, Cathy Johnson; back row, Georgia McWhorter, Wanda Alred, Sandy McGaughy, Elaine Alred, Ann Richards, Helen Ruff, Becky Gillentine


Picture courtesy of Cathy Johnson Garrett

History of Plantersville Black School

This history was taken from Judy Borden's book.

Chief of Police

The obituary in the Journal indicated that Mr. Jimmy Stanford served as Chief of Police for Plantersville. Does anyone remember what years? Sympathy to Mr. Stanford's family.

Musings

Several of you are preparing to send pictures which I can’t wait to share with everyone.

I was saddened by the news of Junior McWhorter’s death. When Junior was looking after our land, I used to stop by and visit with him often which was always a pleasure. One day in response to my query about what he was doing, he replied that he arose every morning and rolled up his pants. Ever time I taught T. S. Eliot’s 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' and encountered that line, “I grow old... I grow old/ I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled” I thought of him. Junior and Joe Stovall were friends, and I think for a while business partners.

I also remember when Mrs. Matthews and her family moved to Plantersville living on the Plantersville/Richmond Road. Evie Lou is my age and was in my class. She and her husband, James, live in Mooreville, and I have had the pleasure of seeing them a couple of times in the past ten years.

Thanks to Gloria Temple Holland, Her Honor the Mayor, for sharing information on the progress of Plantersville, and I encourage you, if possible, to help with the boys and girls clubs; the young people living there today do not have the benefit of a Cecil Johnson.

For years I searched for information on the destroyer that Phil Lee served on. I even bought a book which told the story of every destroyer that sank in the war. Thanks to the Internet, I discovered that his ship did not sink but was hauled to shore and eventually repaired. Phil Lee suffered an injury when he jumped into the sea.

I’m about to run out of stories and pictures of Plantersville and look forward to you sharing yours with all of us.

Mrs. Stegall

Someone identified this lady as Mrs. Stegall who taught at Plantersville school in the early 50s. I think her discipline was English. Can anyone confirm this and tell us what years she taught at Plantersville?

Plantersville Report

Mayor Gloria Holland sent the following:

"Last Saturday night the community honored our volunteer fire department with an appreciation/fundraising banquet. The turnout was awesome, community involvement was wonderful and everyone is still talking about it. Our final tally is not in yet, but we know that we raised at least $2,000 for our VFD. Not bad for a small town like ours. Newcomers and lifelong residents came and everyone pitched in to help. This is the restoration of community spirit that I have been hoping for. Other news: we have been awarded $300,000 for a sewer project, and $250,000 for a home buyer assistance grant. In March, two storm shelters will be erected by Town Hall and this is a 75/25 grant from FEMA. We have several new businesses in town, as well as new residents. I am really excited about seeing this town come back to life. Granted, there is still a lot of work to be done, but I do see a lot of progress. The Town Clerk, Norma Chandler, and I are working on establishing a web site for the town and when this is completed I will let you know. Please remind everyone that we are still working to establish a Boys' and Girls' Club (thanks, by the way, for your contribution) and we have 10 months to match the $20,000 pledge from Mr. Walter Fleishacker. "

Phil Lee and Doris

One of my earliest vivid memories is while playing in the back yard, I looked up and saw Phil Lee in his Navy uniform with a duffel bag on his shoulder coming through the gate,arriving home from WW II.

Phil Lee Traylor served on the destroyer Gansevoort which was struck by a suicide plane on December 30, 1944, in the sea near the Philippines.

A Very Young Johnnie Kelly Harris

Mrs. Allie Lee Matthews

Sympathy to the family of Mrs. Matthews. If I'm not mistaken, the Matthews family moved to Plantersville in 1946. Evie Lou was in my class.

Junior McWhorter

Sympathy to the family of Junior McWhorter. His services will be held tomorrow at the Plantersville United Methodist Church. Junior looked after the land we once owned east of Plantersville for me and my mother, and it was always a delight to visit with him. I have wonderful memories of him.

According to the obituary condolences may be offered at holland-harrisfuneralhome@comcast.net


Note from George: So far, I have not been able to log on to the funeral home's site.

1935

According to what is written on the back, this picture of Aunt Grace and my cousin, Ruth, from Memphis was taken in 1935. Note the store in the background. What year was it opened and was Mr. Monts the original and sole owner?

Cows in Plantersville

This picture of Doris holding me was taken behind our house and shows that we kept at least two cows. I'm guessing that I am one or two which would date the picture either 1941 or 2. Doris always had a large garden on the west side of the house and I remember a few chickens in the back yard when I was very young. As I got older I don't remember having any animals around.

After the war, as my friends and I roamed all over Plantersville, I don't remember encountering any livestock. Do any of you remember keeping animals in Plantersville?

Despite its bucolic name, Plantersville in the late 40s and early 50s was basically a suburb, or at least that is my memory of growing up there.

Cathy Johnson Garrett: "surely you remember cows in the pasture behind Cecil’s pecan grove that belonged to Carroll Mitchell. Fred Morgan kept cows in the pasture behind his (and our) house. Boyce McFarling had cows, so did Marlin Morgan, and Charlie Monts had cows and horses. I think Doc Smith had some, too. And all that livestock was in downtown Plantersville. There were some in the pasture on Cemetery Road across from where Roy Harris built his house, too."

Friends and kitties

Vickie, my cousin, again in the center with some of the same girls and kitties. I don't recognize the lady in the picture nor where the picture was taken. The picture is dated August 1961.

Charlotte Diggs: "with kitten over her head is Mimi Towery, Julia Helms, and Margie Towery on the far left."

Plantersville Baptist Church ca. 1947

Compare this picture with one I took this past summer. The church is no longer visible from the house I used to live in.

Elizabeth Kelly and Sarchie

Elizabeth Kelly Langa still lives in Memphis and still teaches music. She has been a member of Bellevue Baptist Church there for over fifty years singing in the choir most of those years.

During this past Christmas, Elizabeth spent time in Plantersville as the guest of Philip and Frances Williams.

I am not certain who the girl in the picture is.

Mrs. Gooch and pupils

From left standing: Burma Ruff Schumpert; Bobbie Gooch Frazier; George Kelly; Jennifer Woods; Jim Woods; Bill Martin; from left seated: Ellen Pettigrew Wall; Mrs. Gooch.

This group met at Estes a couple of years ago. As mentioned before, those of us in the picture except for Bobbie were in the first class Mrs. Gooch taught at Plantersville, and she also taught our class the following year. We were her students in both the fourth and fifth grades.

Small World

Carole took this picture of Jim Woods several years before she and I met. When he was young, Jim and his family lived across the road from Butch, and he and Butch and I had many adventures. Carole wrote a feature story about Jim to go with the photo for a journalism class. If memory serves, the feature was published in the "Daily Journal."

Friends

My cousin is the second girl from the right; she is about seven or so years younger than I am. I think, but am not certain, that some, if not all, of the other girls were from Plantersville and invited by Aunt Grace to visit with Vickie, my cousin; however, I cannot identify any of the girls. Can anyone?

The picture was taken in Aunt Grace's front yard.


Charlotte Diggs: "Right Mimi Towery, Julia Helms, and Margie Towery with Sherrilyn Helms standing behind Margie."

Big Joe and Little Joe

This picture was taken on Little Joe's birthday at Aunt Grace's house. Does anyone know what year Little Joe was born; Mr. Joe served in the army so I'm guessing this picture was taken ca. 1946.

Plantersville in the 20s or 30s

My very young grandparents, Sarchie and John Green, in their front yard. That is the Joe Partlow's house in the background. I do not know whose car Mama is leaning on.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Cedar Hill High School

Mr. Hutcheson's obituary mentioned that he graduated in 1952 from Cedar Hill High School. That's a new one for me. Where was Cedar Hill High School?

Breakfast with Mike

As I have mentioned in a previous post, Jerry Carr, who grew up in Tupelo and graduated from THS in 1957, and I meet for breakfast on Monday. Today, Mike Collier and his wife, Kay, joined us. I hadn't seen Mike in some time. It was great to see and talk with him. It has been too long.

Elmer L. Hutcheson

Sympathy to the family of Elmer L. Hutcheson whose obituary was in today's Journal. Mr. Hutcheson owned and operated Hutcheson Motors in Plantersville for many years.

Jane Parker

Sympathy to the family of Jane Parker whose obituary was in today's Journal.

Plantersville Baptist Church, a History, page two

Plantersville Baptist Church, a History

This history of the Baptist church is from Judy Borden's history of Plantersville published ca. 1990. There is a second page which I will post as well as histories of New Chapel United Methodist and New Zion Missionary Baptist which I also plan to post.

As I mentioned on this site back in the summer, Aunt Johnnie during her illness gave me a list of all the pastors of Plantersville Baptist from at least 1900. Somehow, I have misplaced this list. I'm still searching.