Saturday, February 25th, Hanson United Methodist Church will host the reknown Dan Schall.
The concert starts at 6:00 p.m. There is no admission charge, but a love offering will be taken.
Hanson United Methodist Church is located on Hwy. 145, 7 miles north of Madison.
Everyone is invited!
George William “Willie” Keeling went home to be with the Lord on February 21, 2012.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Pinetta First Baptist Church with burial at Mt. Horeb Cemetery. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service from 10-11 a.m. at the church.
He was born in Pinetta on June 25, 1925. He was a second generation farmer, and worked at Owens Illinois for over 30 years in maintenance. He was a gifted carpenter, a wonderful husband, Father and grandfather. He was a member of Pinetta First Baptist Church.
He is survived by his son: Joe Keeling (Debbie); daughter: Kay Deerman (Joe) and two grandchildren: Erin Keeling and Wiley Deerman. He was preceded in death by his wife of 49 years: Jonnie Cargile Keeling; parents: Clayton and Florence Keeling.
Donations may be made to Pinetta First Baptist Church, PO Box 117, Pinetta, Florida 32350 or a charity of your choice.
Beggs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements (850-973-2258).
Rufus Crymes, age 88, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on February 21, 2012.
Rufus Crymes was a retired insurance agent for Continental Insurance Companies in Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn., Indianapolis, Ind., and Newburg, Ind. He retired in 1968 and moved to Portland, Tenn., where he farmed until 1992, when he moved in Greenville.
Rufus was the seventh child of a family of ten born in Lauderdale County, Ala., to Oscar Dudley and Mattie Clemons Crymes. He served in the Army Air Corps during Word War II. He was married to Edna Smith Crymes from 1944 until her death in 2002. They had two children, Deborah (Roy) Scott of Greenville and Paula (Tom) Mulligan of Indianapolis, Ind. Rufus have five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Rufus was a member of Greenville Baptist Church and enjoyed attending Sunday School. He served as treasurer for American Legion Post #131 Greenville and attended the Senior Citizens every morning for many years.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, February 25, 2012 at Evergreen Cemetery in Greenville. Instead of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Gideons International, in care of Bob Searcy of Lee.
Beggs Funeral Home, Madison Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
By Lynette Norris
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Add some blue flowers to the traditional red-and-white floral arrangements usually associated with Valentine’s Day, and the results are Valentine bouquets with a patriotic flair.
The Madison Garden Club added the patriotic elements to the arrangements and table decorations for its February/Valentine meeting and proved that the two were not incompatible. In fact, when combined, the effects were quite striking.
From the wall facing the club house entrance, where a row of red hearts rested atop a large flag, and where a mannequin dressed in stars and stripes stood beside a flag-draped table, to the tables inside, to the very, very large flag draped across the back wall of the stage, the result was that of patriotic valentines honoring American veterans who had served throughout the nation’s history, from colonial times to the present.
Each table represented a different period of American history, all of themValentines dedicated to the American Veterans who had served in the war from that particular era. From the American Revolution, to the Civil War, to WWI and II, to the present, each table with its red white and blue flowers, historical silverware, china, candle- sticks and other accoutrements, evoked the colonial era to the modern. There was the rustic look of pansies in a pewter bowl setting the theme at one table and a magnificent three-tiered red, white and blue arrangement of snapdragons and baby’s breath at another.
Then, there was the more austere decoration of the American Legion table, devoted to the remembrance of POWs and MIAs. Set for one, in recognition of the frailty of one prisoner, alone, the empty chair was covered with the POW/MIA symbol, recognizing that the soldier is not there with friends and family. The table also held a single red rose symbolizing shed blood and remembering the families and loved ones who wait; a red ribbon symbolized the red ribbons worn by the many who do not allow anyone to forget; grains of salt on the plate represent the countless tears shed by loved ones; the lemon slice recognizes the bitterness.
Yet there is hope, as symbolized by the light of the candle. There is also the faith represented by the open Bible that keeps hope alive for all those being held in foreign prison camps and for those whose fate is still unknown.
Valentine’s Day, traditionally a day for cherished loved ones to spend together, thus becomes also a day for remembering those who cannot be with their loved ones, those who have sacrificed so much to defend freedom for their families and friends, as well as millions of other Americans. For those who owe so much to the sacrifice of a few, the patriotic Valentines are a visual reminder that freedom often comes at a pretty steep price.
By Kristin Finney
Greene Publishing, Inc.
When it comes to remembering information about Greenville, Johnny Carroll is the man for the job. Carroll has lived in Greenville all of his life. He grew up working on the family farm in Greenville, he raised his family in Greenville and to this day he stays as involved in the community as he can.
Johnny Carroll went to Greenville High School growing up. While most kids now-a-days spend their afternoons laying around, playing video games or watching TV, Carroll didn’t do that. Instead, he had to work on the family farm. “Back then we had to work a lot,” he said. After he stopped working on the farm, Carroll held jobs with a heavy equipment company, driving a school bus for Madison County for 16 years and he also worked at Pepsi Cola, Inc. He retired from Pepsi Cola. Carroll has been a deacon at Sirmans Baptist Church for 40 years. He has also been the song leader (Music Director) for 40 years.
Greenville has changed in many ways over the years. Some of the biggest changes Johnny Carroll has seen are, “We used to have a theatre in Greenville growing up. I went their a lot with friends. We also had a restaurant, Sidney’s Restaurant. I had a lot of friends when I was growing up. We would ride bikes all over Greenville. Back then we weren’t worried about getting hurt or anything bad happening. We also played baseball or softball on weeknights or Sunday afternoons. We even had a town league. We used to play ball at the old ball field in Greenville.” This might be hard to imagine now, since most of these things are no longer in Greenville, but back then there were several saw mills and even a barbershop in Greenville.
When he did have time for fun, Carroll liked to spend his time fishing. He also loved to spend time with his family, a trait he carries on today with his children, two grandchildren and a new great grand child. He also owns a small yard service business. With this business he is trying to help people in the community with different things that they need.
He loves to go to Cowboy football games and baseball games. “I really love people. I like to visit and help people. I attend the city council meetings, I am a part of the Country Christmas Committee and I try to be involved in any other projects here in Greenville. I just really love to help people. Recently, after Jacob Bembry had his incident, I felt like I needed to do something. So, I went and got his dad and family and took them to the hospital to be with him. I just love helping people,” explained Carroll.
“I have seen a lot of changes come through Greenville. There are new rules and regulations. There have also been a lot of businesses come in and go out. I have seen it grow and I have seen people get more involved,” he said.
Anyone interested in being interviewed for this article can call 973-4141 and make an appointment with Kristin Finney, or may drop by Greene Publishing, Inc. any day before noon. Those interviewed must have lived in Madison for a large portion of their life, and be able to recall a few things that have changed since that time.
By Nell Dobbs
Guest Columnist
We are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and souls in order that we might live. Death will come to us all unless Jesus comes first.
The service for Rosalie Russell in the 1898 Sanctuary on the 15th was very touching as the four family members who spoke caused us to smile and be joyous. Niece Rosemary Clark Stiefell told of growing up with her and of her taking credit for her becoming a famous artist. Nephew Harry Rotter told of her special love and support for him. Son-in-law Steve told of her loving him in spite of him being a Yankee from New York and how Ann and he had looked forward to many years together as she’d moved to Sarasota only a month before, but that was not to be. Son Van told of how her faced showed such happiness the last time he’d seen her Thursday. He’d never opened her Bible until after she died and found all the verses she had marked – with the date and her concerns and near the end, wondering what God’s purpose was for her life.
Our hearts are sad about Tommy Greene, who was indeed one of a kind and we pray comfort for his family and many friends. Amen!
Sad with our Hospice worker, Cheryl Register, and her family in the death of her dad, Mr. Mixon, two weeks ago. She preached his funeral. Her mother at Madison Nursing center not well.
Peggy Drummond is very ill at Shands and we pray for her and her family and all the many very ill ones.
Bless W.C. and Frances Copeland and their being in church. Ruby Lee is still ill.
You know I say over and over Dad used to sing the first three of us and the last three of us to sleep. Our favorite was “The Little Gypsy Boy.”
Hearing Preacher Law preach Sunday morning from Philippians about a caring church and how that is not always so. When they lived in Ocala years ago, only one man in their church ever talked to him about why he didn’t go to church for seven years. A Psalm says, “No man cared for my soul.” The song says, “Tell it again, ‘til none can say of the children of man, No one ever the story has told. Tell it again. Tell it again.”
Sunday night in business meeting, it was brought up at Preacher Gabriel Keel, 34, of Louisiana will preach for us on March 11 and will be voted on the 18th and that his heart’s desire is to visit. Amen! And may he be blessed and may we all, too.
Special thanks to everyone who came and supported the Pine Tree Quilters Quilt Show and Brunch on the 18th and made it the success it was! Thanks.
