THE ZEBULON RECORD
__ y a ; ; ‘ _________ .
Volume XXXIV. Number 50 Zebulon, N. C., Thursday, January 7, 1960 Theo. Davis Sons, Publishers
New Masonic Head '
Ruric Gill, Jr. Master
i
RuricMjrill, Jr. and other officers
of Zebulon Masonic Lodge, No.
609 for 1960 were installed Monday
night by District Deputy Ralph
Bunn. 't.
The installation ceremonies were
held in the lodge building on East
Horton jBtreet.
Gill succeeds Horace Smith
as the new Master of the lodge
here. He was born January 3,
1930, and is one of three children
bf Mr. and Mrs. Ruric Gill, Sr.
After graduating from Wakelon
High School in 1950, he became
associated with his father and un
cle, Dabney Gill, at Gill Buick Co.
He holds a sales position with this
company. Since he has been with
the company he has received addi
tional schooling and training in
Flint, Michigan, with the Gener
al Motors Institute and has a cer
tificate for business management.
He spent year in the Air Force.
Gill becfeme a member of the
Zebulon lodge in 1952. He also
is a 32nd degree Mason and a
Shriner, folding membership with
the Wilmfngton Consistory.
He is a member of the Zebu
lon Baptist Church where he serv
ed on the Junior Board of Dea
cons.
He is a member of American
Legion Post No. 33, and Wakelon
School PTA, where he serves on
the Ways and Means Committee.
The new Master is actively asso
ciated and interested in Masonic
work. He said he considers it a
“great honor” to head the local
Masons, and he forsees a “very
successful year.”
During his tenure he hopes to
see the lower floor of the lodge
completed with banquet tables and
kitchen equipment.
His hobbies include boating, out
door camping and \yater skiing,
his first love. On weekends dur
ing the summer he and his fam
ily, and ofttimes friends, take to
the lakes and seashores.
Gill is 5-10, weighs 185 pounds,
and has light brown hair and hazel
eyes.
He is married to the former
Mary Sue Long, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. L. E. Long of Zebulon.
Their marriage took place July 15,
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150 Telephones Are
Gained In This Area
Telephone growth in the Zebu
Ion area for 1959 showed a gain
of approximately 150 telephones.
Southern Bell added that num
! her here to keep pace with the
I area’s continued growth and prog
ress, Ned Huffman, District Mana
ger, announced today.
To expand and improve service,
an average of over $172,000 was
spent every working day of the
year on telephone construction in
North Carolina, Huffman said.
In meeting the state’s telephone
needs the company gained more
telephones in 1959 than in any pre
vious year, adding approximately
53,000 phones. This is an in
crease of nearly 10 per cent over
1958.
Southern Bell’s total outlay on
construction and expansion in the
State was over $28 million in
1959. The payroll for its approxi
mately 5,500 employees in the
State amounted to over $26 mil
lion.
Over $1 million was spent in the
Raleigh area with approximately
$45,000 being used to add addi
tional telephone facilities in the
Zebulon area.
Garden Club
Mrs. John Mattox of Wendell
will discuss evergreens—indoors
and outdoors—at the Carmen
Flowers Garden Club when it
meets Monday night at the home
of Mrs. Theo. B. Davis, with
Mrs. Ferd Davis co-hostess.
A prize will be offered by the
club at this meeting for the best
bird house or feeding station
built by a school child. These
projects by the children will be
on display.
Zebulon Methodist
Church Will Be Host
To Sub-District
The Methodist Youth will be
host on Sunday afternoon at 4:00
to the MYF’ers of the Louisburg
Sub-District. The Zebulon young
people are expecting some 75
MYF’ers to be present. The Sub
District Rally is a quarterly event
for the Methodist youth and Meth
odist Churches in east Wake
County, Franklin County, and
from Middlesex, Mt. Pleasant, and
Bailey Churches in Wilson Coun
ty will be represented.
Inspector Condemns
Middlesex School's
Gymn, Ag Building
Tractor Workshop
A tractor workshop has been
planned for the farmers in the
Wakelon School district, it has
been announced by C. V. Tart,
Wakelon agriculture teacher.
These classes will be held in the
agriculture department and will
consist of classes each evening at
7:30 o’clock. On January 11, trac
tor and tune-up care; January 13,
calibration of equipment; and Jan
uary 14, trouble shooting—de
termining what is wrong with a
tractor.
Each farmer is invited to attend
these meetings and other classes
that will be announced in the fu
ture.
Neighboring ABC Store
Looted of Best Liquor
Burglars took liquor valued at
$442.55 from Middlesex liquor
store last week.
The break-in occurred the night
of December 31, according to store
manager Pet High, who discover
ed the theft when he went to work
Thursday morning.
Some of the best liquor carried
by the Middlesex store was taken,
High said.
According to the manager, the
thieves gained entrance through
the back door. The metal door
was beaten in at the bottom with
Mrs. Repsie McGee
Life Has Been Real Test of Courage
Life hasn’t been a crystal stair
for Mrs. Repsie McGee.
But this widow of 23 years says
it hasn’t been all bad, either. She,
indeed, has seen and suffered
through many trials and tribula
tions, has had the bitter mixed
with the sweet, and has had dis
appointments and disillusion
ments.
It has been a test of courage
for her, a test she has weathered
most successfully, first in marri
age and then in widowhood.
Mrs. McGee, who radiates a
pleasing, pleasant personality, was
born Repsie Syvonne Liles June
5, 1902, near Thanksgiving Church
in Johnston County. She is one
of 14 children—seven boys and
seven girls—of the late Louis and
Cairie Creech Liles.
The children of the late couple
are Estelle (dead), an infant who
died, Melvin Liles of Jacksonville,
Fla., another deceased infant, Clar
ence (dead), Jim Liles of Rich
mond, Winona (Mrs. W. Bailey of
Concord), Viola (Mrs. Fred Hales
of Zebu Ion). Weldon Liles of
Smithfield, Jtipsie, Flonnie (Mrs.
Dee Ellis of Route 1, Wendell, Ol
lie (dead), Wilson Liles of Wil
son, and Melba (Mrs. Julian Wil
ford of Raleigh.
The big farm family was a hap
py one, according to Mrs. McGee.
Being a big family there was much
work for each to do. But there
was a lot of fun and frolicking,
too.
Mrs. McGee began her educa
i
tion in old Corinth school. Her
father had moved his family from
the Thanksgiving section to the
Corinth community when she was
old enough to start to school.
Then there was the old EaTpsboro
school for a while. She completed
the seven grades, all that was
necessary at that time.
As soon as she finished school,
she married. Her husband was
Wiley McGee, a Wakefield native
who died July 14, 1936, of a brain
tumor. The couple met at Cor
inth Church when he was visiting
the church for services on Sun
day.
This woman with flashing gray
eyes framed with glasses said:
“It certainly was love at first sight.
He was the most handsome man I
have ever seen, and with kind,
gentle and Christian qualities.”
They were married when she
was sixteen in the home of her
parents. The Rev. Theo. B. Davis
performed the ceremony April 15,
1918.
The couple lived for a year with
his parents and then branched out
on to their own. With the setting
up of housekeeping came children.
Eight of them in all.
The first child died, then there
is Elizabeth (Mrs. Bennie Wrenn
of Raleigh), Dorothy (Mrs. Walter
Mattox of Spokane, Washington),
another infant who died, Fola
(Mrs. James Eason of Asheville),
Hilda (Mrs. Vernon Fair of Nor
folk), Bobby Truett McGee of
Route 2, Wendell, and J. L. McGee
of Middlesex.
Always a religious and church
going woman, Mrs. McGee instill
ed religious principles in her chil
dren. From the time they could
toddle they were taken to church.
She saw to it, too, that they
were mannerly and well-behaved.
Not that she had model children,
she admits, by any means. But
she tried and when disciplinary
action was necessary she didn’t
spare the seats of their pants.
The rearing and support of her
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a crow bar and 2x6 wooden bar
so the thieves could reach through
and dislodge the bar across the
door.
Taken were two cases of Ken
tucky Gentleman, two cases of
Mill Stream, one case of Ancient
Age, all bourbon; 23 pints of White
Horse scotch, three fifths of House
of Lord scotch, 8 fifths of Ballen
tine scotch, and 8 bottles of mixed
liquors.
Much of the liquor was taken
from the shelves, High said. The
store was lighted brightly with a
night light.
The bar across the door was sent
to the City of Rocky Mount Identi
fication Bureau for fingerprints.
High said the prints were so bad
ly smudged that no creditable
prints could be taken.
High said it looked as if after
the burglars had taken the cases
of liquor they went by other
cases and quickly snatched them
open and grabbed a bottle here
and there, thus accounting for the
bottles of mixed liquor.
The liquor store is located on the
highway.
Nash Sheriff’s Deputy F. D.
Brown and Middlesex Police Chief
Russell Gilliam investigated this
incident. At present there are no
leads.
This is the second break-in of
the store. Last April thieves en
tered the store and took $60 worth
of merchandise.
Middlesex citizens and school
populace are highly disturbed over
the condemnation by the State
building and fire inspector of the
school’s gymnasium and agricul
ture building.
Loss of the two buildings will
mean the school will be hampered
in both its curriculum and athletic
programs. ,
The gymnasium houses the
lunch room and commercial and
science departments.
The basketball team was sched
uled to meet the Wakelon team on
the Middlesex hardwood Tuesday
night but had to be rescheduled
for play at Wakelon.
Permission has been granted to
use the lower floor of the two story
agriculture building.
The action by the inspector came
about as a result of a recent
change in the code ruling, an in
formant said.
One source said the citizens and
patrons of the school could not
understand why the condemnation
information had just now “trick
led” down to the local school board
and county sources.
The two school properties un
derwent the inspection last August
before the opening of school.
News that the gym had been
condemned for athletics was re
vealed Monday. The news of the
condemnation of the agriculture
building was told two weeks ago.
At a meeting of the County
Board of Education with the Nash
County Commissioners Monday,
the Board recommended an emer
gency appropriation of $200,000 for
the construction of a gym and
classrooms.
No action was taken on this rec
ommendation, one person said.
All the school monies have been
ear-marked for the year, and if
money is secured for the buildings
re-channeling of appropriations
must be taken.
Several of the citizens said they
(Continued on Page 4)
Hot Plate Wanted
If there’s an old unused hot
plate around your house that’s
in good condition, then the wom
en of Wakefield Home Demon
stration Club would like it.
The hot plate—in case some
good soul donates one—would
be used to heat coffee and other
things on. The club doesn’t own
one now.
Call Mrs. Harold Green, AN
9-9269, club president, if you
want to give the club a hot plate
and do a real service for the or
ganization.
Who Is to Be Town's
Man, Woman of 1959?
The Zebulon Record is searching for the town’s Man and Woman
of 1959.
List your preference in the space below for both Man of the
Year and Woman of the Year. Persons named must reside within the
city limits of Zebulon.
All entries must be mailed to the Record no later than January
21.
Man of Year
Woman of Year