Newspapers / Bertie Ledger-Advance (Windsor, N.C.) / Jan. 25, 2017, edition 1 / Page 3
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BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE JANUARY 25,20171 A3 The fabric of Bertie County since 1832 Continued History From A1 in preserving history for future generations.” Smith decided two months ago that he wanted others to enjoy some of the things he’d collected during his time at Bertie. “1 decided that it didn’t need to be in this office, because no one would ever see it,” said Smith, who currently lives in Buies Creek and has been the color com mentator for the Camp bell University men’s basketball team for the past six years. “Even if only one person sees it, that’s enough.” Smith always visits Bunn’s Barbecue when he returns to Windsor for visits with family and friends. He was in town last week and vis ited the Windsor eat ery. “1 had lunch and spoke with Russ (Rus sell), and he told me about wanting to open a museum in town,” Smith said. “1 said that would be a perfect place and 1 would trust him with this stuff.” Smith’s first basket ball team at Bertie won 24 games. “1 started collecting all the pictures 1 could. 1 kept everything,” he said. The second year the Falcons went 26-4 and finished third in the state. In the summer of 1968, Bertie - which was mostly white - inte grated with the town’s all-black schools. Southwestern and C.G. White. “The world was in turmoil then,” Smith said. “These kids came in and started winning basketball games, and that kind of solidified the county.” Bertie moved to the 3A classification in 1969-70, the year after integration. “We were growing so fast,” Smith noted. “The black kids didn’t know what to expect (that first year) other than their schools were clos ing and they were com ing to Bertie. We didn’t change the school col ors or anything.” The 1969-70 season will forever be remem bered in the annals of Falcon athletics. They beat rival Wash ington three times on their way to the district Harrell From A1 State University. Born and raised in Gates County, Rev. Harrell spent his early years in collegiate edu cation at Shaw Univer sity in Raleigh, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. He continued his educa tion with a master’s de gree and was awarded an honorary doctorate from New York Univer sity. Rev. Harrell became Pastor of Sandy Branch MBC after a member heard him preach a eu logy, and suggested to other members he be considered. Under his watch, Sandy Branch went from a single service each month to meeting Coach Jerry Smith (center) returns with the State Championship trophy. He is joined by the iate Ron Cooke (ieft) and Bing Mitcheii. tournament, then beat Whiteville and Reids- ville to advance to the state championship game against undefeat ed Pinecrest. “This was back when you had to win the district tourna ment to advance to the state tournament, and there weren’t as many teams,” he said. “Not like now, where almost everyone gets to go.” One of the items in his collection is a letter from the Bertie County Schools Superinten dent saying that school would close early so everyone could attend the state finals in Dur ham. Some of the other items Smith is donating include a handmade scrapbook of photo graphs from his 10-year tenure as basketball coach (with help from yearbook photogra phers and others): a DVD containing the state title game as well as the 35th year reunion of the 1970 state cham pions in 2005; a box containing two years of practice schedules, and the 2005 reunion program, as well as several other photos and letters not in the scrapbook. The DVD was culled from old reel-to-reel tapes. “1 am not a technol ogy guru,” Smith said. “But 1 found different people to get done what 1 wanted done.” Smith’s fondness for collecting started when he was a coach at Dunn High School prior to ar riving at Bertie. “1 started a wall of fame, every team, and it just accumulated,” he said. “The kids loved to see that stuff and it meant so much to them. It just grew and grew and grew.” The 1969-70 Bertie team had players from all over the county, black and white. One who didn’t make the team, Thomas Ruffin, told the crowd at the re union that Smith made a compelling statement shortly after integra tion. “He said that 1 said, ‘We’re not black, we’re not white. We are all blue,”’ Smith said. “We had kids from ev erywhere in the county - Windsor, Colerain, Lewiston, Aulander,” he continued. “The com munity really gravitat ed around this basket ball team; it really was a community effort.” Smith even had state championship rings created many years lat er, which were present ed to everyone who at tended the reunion. A former player bought' the rings. “Everyone got a DVD, a team picture and a ring,” he said. Smith said he learned more about integration from his players than he ever taught them. “The kids taught me more about integra tion and dealing with different people than 1 taught them, by a long shot,” he said. “1 grew up in Greene County and went to an all-white school (Walstonburg, which later became Greene Central), “At Bertie, we went from 80 percent white to 80 percent minority by bringing in the oth er two schools,” Smith continued. “It was a heckuva change, but 1 treated them all the same and worked the daylights out of them. Of course, winning made it easier.” Smith said the state championship was all about a group working as one. “It’s all about work and trusting each other and playing together as a team. We worked hard at it, and they taught me that you could work through a hard, tough situation just by com municating with peo ple, setting goals and working to reach them. 1 was not their buddy, 1 was their coach who respected them and their families, and they respected me.” As the team kept win ning, the crowds in creased. “You couldn’t get into our gym,” he said. “1 remember the night we won the state cham pionship...we had a house full of people in Durham. It was amazing the number of cars that drove back to Wind sor.” While Smith moved on in 1977, first to Chowan and then to Campbell, and finally, to several high schools as an administrator before retiring in 2004, these memories are still dear to him, and he wanted to share them with the community. “1 have enough pic tures and memories to keep me fulfilled,” he said. “1 thought the people of Bertie Coun ty needed to see all of this. They were so be hind us; 1 felt like these things needed to be here.” weekly. They also add ed a Male Chorus and began a monthly youth service. In addition, Sandy Branch constructed a sanctuary and educa tion building during his tenure as pastor. During a 2015 inter view with the Bertie Ledger-Advance, Rev. Harrell admitted he had thought of retir ing, but couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the people of Sandy Branch. “They have become like family - almost lit erally a part of me,” he said. Sandy Branch, Roxo- bel, Bertie County and eastern North Carolina lost part of its fabric Jan. 9 when Rev. Harrell passed away at Sentara Obici Hospital. Rev. Harrell is sur vived by his wife, Carla C. Harrell; two daugh ters, Andrea H. Laing and husband Vincent of New York, NY and Gwen Tyler of Patterson, NJ; as well as two God daughters, Doretha Marsh of Bronx, NY, and Alexa Speller of Elizabeth City. He had six grand chil dren and four great grandchildren. He was laid to rest at Lebanon Grove Baptist Church Jan. 12 follow ing a Home-going Ser vice at Sandy Branch Missionary Baptist Church. Prepare youiwK for college. b'r the pamphlel. write U.S. .Savings Bonds. VVtsliington. IX' 20226, .V fiiihiic ilf ItiB mims A mm w BANKRUPTCY STOP Foreclosure STOP Lawsuits STOP Car Repossession STOP Tax Levies and Garnishments Call Allen C. Brown Attorney #252-752-0753 ^ A Debt Relief Agency helping people eliminate debt through bankruptcy ^ 0% - 72 MO. FINANCING ON SELECT MODELS! 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