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AS I SEE IT I
Bruce Barton'
I'll miss "Mister Ralph"
Even though we were close in age (I am 59. "Mister Ralph"
66), I always referred to Ralph Hunt as "Mister Ralph." I suppose
it was the respect I felt for him shining through.
I went to his funeral Monday (Nov. 20) at New Bethel Methodist
Holiness Church in Rowland and listened intently as he was
eulogized by Rev. James Harold Woods and Rev. Grafton Chavis.
And Sheriff Glenn Mavnor gave a few remarks about his mentor,
and mine. "Mister Ralph." I agreed with every remark, and
every song and prayer. Many dignitaries turned out. but most of
us there were ordinary working folk who get up every morning
and work for a living. "Mister Ralph" WAS OUR HERO, OUR
FRIEND, OUR MENTOR. His silences spoke volumes to us
because he never said anything until it was time. His words
were pregnant with meaning when he did deign to speak after
thoughtful deliberation. And he was usually on the mark, including
calling elections complete with estimated figures. He was
uncanny about prognosticating elections, and reading the minds
and intent of his many friends, and his few enemies.
Ralph Hunt and I, along with Tim Brayboy and many former
players, coaches and fans, are involved in remembering Indian
basketball as we practiced it between 1939 - 1967 when the
schools were foolishly segregated. In spite of that, many of us
remember those days with fondness, and we have already organized,
had our first annual banquet, and am now writing a book
about that great sports and social phenonomen in our camp -Indian
basketball. "Mister Ralph" was the first chairman of our
board of directors. I suspect he would be pleased if, in lieu of
flowers, you decided to make a contribution to the Indian Basketball
Alumni Association, P.O. Box 362, Pembroke,
North Carolina 28372. Plans will be announced soon for our
second annual banquet, and plans for the future ... including the
anticipated publication of the "about 80%" competed book.
? ?
As a general thing, people marry most happily with their own
kind. The trouble lies in the fact that people usually marry at an
age when they do not really know what their own kind is.
?Robertson Davies
***
by Altn Nye Oxondine
Again, let's remember to pray tot
all families who ha\e recently lost
loved ones, along with inanv who are
STILL struggling to accept what none
ot us want to even 1H1NK about
hav ing to give up. ahead of time
So many collisions in this aiea m
recent mouths' ("hie of the last to lose
a life in a collision was Harmon
Hunt's wile. Tina llannon is the
brother of Branch St CMC pastor.
I larold 1 lunt Their mother. Janie
Hunt, is one of the daughters of "Miss
l.illie" Jacobs, my "second mother"
during the sixties, and the brother of
Ardell Jacobs, who recently died So
often there is a series of deaths in the
same family! I wonder if that is even
harder to handle than dealing with
two or more deaths at the same time
(I apologize for mis-spelluig "Miss
I.illie's" name last time)
Also the family of "Miss Sallie"
Bullard . whose daughters, (jcraldine
and Hetty. I got acquainted with mv
first year of living and working in the
Pembroke area
And Don Blue, a younger brother
of "Mr Adolph" Blue I remember
the morning (December 1. 1956) I
hurt my back reaching for a rug in the
closet to put over my landlady's
washer. I was living m Mrs. Stubbs'
apartment house near the railroad
track. Three of us. including Don.
were supposed to take a trip to Chapel
Hill for a student meeting there.
Because of my aching back. I ha'd to
call and explain that we would not be
able to go That day. after taking Don
home. I talked with his next-door
neighbor, a senior at PSC. Leon
1
(Kcndwc w ho v\ ason the front porch
fixing the sereeu doot Unlike hi^
\er> piopei senous mood during oui
first eouxeisation in the email college
library. I eon was in one ol his
characteristic relaxed, joking modes,
teasing me about my back, making it
sound like I was just preteuding (I'll
alwavs recall those first two VERY
different occasions It was like talking
to two separate people ) l ater I
learned that Leon had alot of different
facets to his personality
Also, the family of Charies Smith!
one of the nurses \> ho cared for Hrxon
Iocklear after he became paralyzed
Clyde I lateher's mother had also
passed away In 1971 Clyde (as an
undergraduate) and 1 (as a forty something
class member ) were both
studying "neyy" math at PSIJ. planning
to teach All the younger
students in the class seemed to "get"
everything just fine Hut I.ibby
Stubbs( the granddaughtcr-in-la\y of
my former landlady) and I yvere often
m a total state of confusion (Not the
"arithmetic" yye grew up yyith!) Just
recently I learned that I.ibby is also
gone! Let's remember her husband
"Huck" and family along with others,
including the family of Erxvin Jacobs.
yvhose columns I have enjoyed
reading
1 have also been forgetting to
mention that Melvin Oxendine's father
died shortly after his wife did
Another family dealing with a double
burden!
I'm so glad yve have a Creator (iod
who understands and is just xvaiting
to yvrap us in His LOVE!
The Church at the Forks 1
by Envin Jacobs
1 lello folks . It's me again 1 have
apt written much about the ehureb
latch as 1 have been 1 ngrcsscd in
many different activities here in Robeson
Count} Have you uotiecd on
Highway 74 from the Maxton By1'ass
to i-95 I'll let you in on a secret
the reflectors new point jobs that
have been installed'' You can thank
me 1 initiated these projects Also
the eraek down on speeders also road
i age Where did these people get
then license from'7 (iod was on the
scene several weeks ago in front of
West Robeson United Mctholist (
Harpers Fern Road) 1 was shocked
as I traveled back to Maxton that
morning to see the huge 18 wheeler
jaekknifed in the center of 74 A
young lady had hit it head on (she
was entering Hvvv 74 from Harpers
l-cm Road) As 1 passed by on the
shoulders of the road noone could
have convinced me she w as not dead
( I learned ihe next day she had only
gotten bruised from the impact sitting
in the yard at West Robeson
Church Unfortunately 2 people near
lotties was not so fortunate. They
perished in their car after waving in
and out of traffic hitting a local man
and w ife on their way to work. Please
I urge you to be alert and obey the
traffic laws
On Friday afternoon the church
deccnded on the Myrtle Beach.SC
shores for a 2 nights stay at the Land
Mark Motel or Hotel. Many including
myself enjoyed the many pools
and saunas inside the complex. It
was therapy to my right knee which
was damage while I was visiting my
Navy buddy at his ranch in Artesia.
New Mexico I a<k >our prayers for
hun il Is* xery haul on his family Ills
brain was damaged during an operalion
in Roswell New Mexico for
prostate cancel I am so glad Ciod
saw lit for me to usit and help care
loi hun oxer a period of 2 weeks I
got to visit the Space Center and
walked ou the White Sands at the
Stealth Bomber proxiding grounds
before nix return to NC so I could
help out in the I.umbee voting here in
Maxton
At the beach I saw a beautiful sun
rise Saturday morning as 1 xxalked on
the beach front Saw alot of birds
dixing where fish was feeding heading
north near the shores. We had a
very exciting exentng at Dolly
Potion's Dixie Stampede 1 got to
talk to Mr Greg Anderson from
Australlia and pat his stallion Star
Struck in the pre-shoxx in the Dixie
Bell Saloon as he came around greeting
everyone I liked the chickens
and little pigs racing, but the Natax ity
Scene and Christmas Scenes xvere
xxell receixed by exeryone. The food
xx as good as usual hax ing to use your
hands to consume everything from
soup to dessert No utensils are given
so it's greasy finger licking good
little chickens, bar-b-qued pork, hot
biscuit, corn on the cob. potato. All
the bex'crage you can afford to drink
xxithout up setting your kidneys. 1
had the pleasure the 8th to accompany
Mayor I.illie McKoy and 21
other senior citizens to see the rockets
and Christmas shoxx at the palace
theatre. Their shoxx xvas breath taking
especially the natavity part and
the toy soldier march That trip xvas
prox ided by WBTW Channel 13 and
their affiliate radio station. We thank
you for your care, xve enjoyed a tour
on Mr. Briggs nexx charter bus.
Watched the mouse hunt movie and
enjoyed gospel music afterwards there
and back.
The church raised money for the
trip 17th through 19th. We had a
very heart warming service in the A.
Conference Room at 10 am . Sunday
Manx had to leave early to attend
their aunt's funeral from Red Springs,
Mrs. Jacobs Hardin who passed awax
last week. We boast the only church
in the near by surrounding area to
have a food pantry. Enjoy your
blessed holidays and remember to
|ell someone about Jesus and His
Saving Power.
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BMW's enhanced "Virtual j
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The Produce for Better Health ,
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Thank ion
FirstHealth of the Carolinas would like to extend a warm thank you
to everyone who helped to make our Grand Opening Fall Festival a success.
i We are excited to be part of your community and look forward J
i to providing quality health care and wellness to you and your family. M
FsrstHealth
FAMILY CARE CENTER
PEMBROKE
J3-1100-.W980