VOL. 28.
SELMA, N. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1945.
NUMBER 23
MM
mm
Several Townships in Central Part of Johnston
County Report Violent Wind, Rain and Hail
Early Saturday Evening Damage High In
Some Sections.
(By M. L. STANCIL).
Coming upon the heels of one of the hottest days of the year,
a violent rain, wind, hail and electrical storm swept through
central and eastern Johnston County about 8 o clock Saturday
evening'.
The afternoon had been very warm and sultry with a rather
strong breeze from Southwest, without which the heat would
have been more oppressive.
Wind and clouds were from
Southwest and the first warning, DtA D Ai.L AWtm
of rain in Selma was the con-i Batten DrOtHer$
Meet In Hawaii
stant rumble of thunder in a
black cloud that had formed to
the South and Southeast of
Selma several miles away. Thisl T.-Sgt. Robert Cecil Batten and
cloud kept increasing in size and; inamer Batten, a i-,t sons oi Lartun
the blazes of lightning and peals' Batten of Selma met in Hawaii where
of thunder grew more pronounc
ed as the storm increased in in
tensity.
Just about 8 o clock the cloud seem
T-Sgt. Robert Cecil is stationed.
Cecil volunteered for the Army in
November 1939 and has been station
ed in Hawaii since. He received hie
REPORTED KILLED
"I f -c - -;4
ed to take on a more dingy blackness' furlough last spring in the year
across the South and Southwest and 01 iM.vwniie home on furlough ne
in the background could be seen a went to see his brother, Thamer Bat
heavy rift of wind clouds which was ten s 2C. at Camp Perry, Va., where
being driven rapidly before the rami i,,a,"cr imuj n. training,
area. Thamer arrived in Hawaii the first
The storm struck Selma exactly at'0 May and met Cecil the same day
8:10. We viewed its approach from of the same month that Cecil saw
The Johnstonian-Sun office, and as. him at CamP Perry Va a Vear ago.
it struck a violent wind drove the de- The boya were really glad to see
luge of rain down in a swirling fa- each other although they only had a
shion that obliterated much of the. iCW ua8
view on the outside. We saw one
large elm tree blown down across the
power line' about lialf -a block, from
our office, and then all elentric lights
and power went off.
as the storm subsided it was
found that the town was strewn with
broken limbs and leaves from the
trees. Many umbrella trees were ei
ther broken or uprooted, while even
giant oaks and elms had to give way
to the fury of the elements.
Robert Denning, who had, just
drove up to the home of his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Dening, who live
in the old Dr. R. J. Noble residence,
had gone in the house when a large
blackjack oak snapped and fell across
the whole length of his car. crushing
the top badly. This oak has been re
ported to have been 6 feet in dia
meter, but this was an ?rror. The oak
was only about a foot and a half or
two feet in diameter. Large limbs
from another oak just in front of the
car were also broken off by the
storm. Many chimneys were blown
over above the roofs of houses. A'
TWO SELMA BROTHERS
I
s ...
f 1 ,
Mrs. George H. Morgan
Dies At The Age Of SO
Both sons of Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Woodard, CPL, ERNEST V. WOOD
ARD, JR., (left), and CPL. THOMAS H. WOODARD, entered the Army
in 1942. Ernest Jr. is stationed at Fort Bragg, where he has served with
the Reception Center, The Separation Center, and the Special Training Unit.
Tom is in the' 20th Armored Division. He went overseas the first of Feb
ruary, and saw action with the Seventh Army along the Danube River
and at the capture of Munich. His wife, the former Miss Lanie Ruth
Gunter, resides with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Gunter, of Aberdeen.
Health Department and i Local Student Gets
horary Cooperating Reader s Digest Award
The county library summer story
hour program began Monday, June 4
with Mrs. Dorothy Whitley Harris in
charge of the program, announces
Miss Virginia Williamson,
librarian.
... Iris Worley, valedictorian of the
graduating class at Pineland High
School, has been given the Sixth An
nual Award of The Reader's Digest
county. Association for students who by their
successful school work eive Dromise
Miss KTancis Humphries or seima at attaining leadershin in the corn-
conducted such a story hour last munity, it was announved today by
summer which proved to De quite Rev. W. J. Jones, president.
successful in stimulating reading; Miss Wortey will receive an honor-
among the children of the county. - arv subscription to The Reader's
Mrs. Harris, who is the daughter of - Digest for one vear and an engraved
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Whitley of Smith- j certificate from the Editors "in rec-
field,' Route 1 is a graduate of E.C.! ognition of past accomplishment and
u. and taugnt tne past year in tne. in antic nation of unusual achieve-
Hailstorm Loss Is
Farmers in
and Sampson Counties Begin
Replanting Crops
Dunn, May 31. Dejected farmers
trouped back to their fields today to
begin replanting after the most de
structive hailstorm in more than six
ty years beat a path northwest from
Godwin toward Clinton early Sunday
morning, levelling all crops and pre
cipitating a financial crisis.
The destructive storm struck in
one of the richest agricultural sec
tions in the State. Hailstones larger
than a marble were picked up in
abundance in j fields throughout the chapel wninIt-
Mrs. Morgan was the widow of the
late George H. Morgan, who preceded
A Former Citizen of Selma Who
S Dent Her Rist Years TTia
Reported HeaW And Was Greatly Beloved By
r J The Host of Friends Who
Parts of Harnett Mourn Her Passing.
Mrs. George H. Morgan, 90 year
of age on the 14th of last January,
died at .the home of her daughter,
Mrs. C. D. Wood in Wilson on Friday
afternoon, June 1, at 5:40 o'clock fol
lowing a paralytic stroke on the
morning of May 29 about 10 o'clock.
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon at 4 o'clock at the
Smithfield Primitive Baptist church
where she had held her membership
for about 50 years, conducted by her
pastor, Elder Shepard Stephenson.
Interment took place in the family
hurrying ground in the Sander
PFf! THrtMAS r STiPI.INfi noo
targe cnimney mew down on the home reported killed in action in Italy on
Of J. D. Massey here. A large piece April 27. He was with the 361st Inf..
ot piate glass was broken in the Ma- 91st (Powder River) Division. He en
chinery Annex to the Floyd C. Price tered service in February, 1944, and
building on Railroad Street fronting went overseas in July, 1944. Before
the bouth. No hail accompanied the entering service he was employed at
storm here. the Selma Cotton Mill. He is the son
Out at the Eastern Mfg. Co., better 0f Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Starling of
known as the Lizzie Mill some bu'ld-; Selma. His wife, the former Ha Mae
ings were damaged and a large per Reardon, and their daughter, Sandra,
cent of the trees in the village were live with his parents. He has a broth
blown down or damaged. I er, Pvt. Earl H. Starling stationed at
from Pine Level comes news thit, George Field, 111; and a sister, Mrs
many buildings were damaged hv the Lucille Underwood of Selma.
storm, and lare trees hv the dozens
were badly broken or blown over.
Reports from Broeden and Prince
ton tell of considerable h'l with the
storm and that cotton, tobacco and
corn suffered ouite badlv in some
plares. Walter Avery received word from
The storm also Rtmclc MeaW Tn- his son, Staff Sgt. John W. Avery
grams. Bentonville and Smithfield, ,ast Thursday stating that he had
township with great force. A large enough points to get out of the
tree was blown on the Overby Funer- An"y and that he hoped to be home
al Home in Smithfield. knocking a before very long. He is in Germany,
hole in the ton and causing rain to having served in North Africa, Sicily,
do some damage to the interior of the Ita,y and Germany,
building. J Mr. Avery has another son. Pvt.
County Agent M. A. Morgan is Walter E. Avery, who is also in Ger
nuoted as saving the damage to crons many, but he is not certain how long
in some sections of the storm area is he will have to wait before coming
Walter Avery Expects
His Son Home Soon
ouite heavy. Much hail fell in places
but there has been no reports of
completp destruction by the storm in
any section.
Revival To Begin At
home as he has not been overseas as
long as his brother John,
John W. Avery gets the Johnston
ian - Sun and says he greatly enjoys
reading the home town paper,
Princeton school
Mrs. Harris will go with Miss Fay
Emerson, county health nurse and Dr.
ment to come."
Since 1937 The Reader's Digest
Association has presented those
E. S. Grady county lieoUh doctor. onraar(ja pearly ill1 senior high schools
their rounds of typhoid clinics throughout the United States snd
throughout the county. She will tell Canada to the highest honor student
stories and display book collections 0f the graduating class. The awards
which mav be secured from the book-; are Dart of the eductional program
mobile. For the exact date see the
typhoid schedule printed elsewhere in
this issue.
Another Headache For
Our Tire Dealers
snonsoreH bv the Association and
were a logical outgrowth of the wide
use of The Reader's Digest in school
work. With the collaboration of lead
ing educators, a special edition of the
magazine, containing reading im
provement guides and study "helps, is
made available to schools and colleges
as a supplementary iexi-DooK in
Engish and social science courses.
Tho award tn TWlSS WorleV Who 'S
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl
P. Worlev. of 506 Anderson ot., vas
eight-mile wide path of the storm
from the Averasboro Township in
Harnett County to beyond Dismal
Township in Sampson County. Cotton,
corn, tobacco, wheat and potatoes
were destroyed. No crops were left
standing,
George Spell, a farmer of Dismal
township, described the hailstones as
larger than guinea eggs. Hughly Mc-
Phail of near Union Grove Church
said the hailstones in his yard Sun
day morning came to his knees.
The financial loss was estimated at
beyond the half-million mark.' In cer
tain sections the fury of the storm
was so great it obliterated the. rows
and cotton and tobacco. Fruit trees
also suffered in the storm. Roads
throughout the section are littered
with debris.'
IN SOUTH PACIFIC
Raleigh. June 5. OPA District
Director Theodore S. Johnson today
reminded tire dealers in Eastern
North Carolina of three important
dates. Every tire dealer is required made possible through the coopera
te begin keeping records of all trans- tio of ReVi jones and his teaching
actions in Class I on the first of gtaff greeted Miss Worley to
wune. un dune ou, ne musi mane a reroivo th award, desiened to stimu-
complete inventory of tires on hand late gtholarship. citizenship, and con
and of replacement certificates. tinued contract with good reading af-
Between July 1st and 10th he must . eraduation
register with the OPA inventory
branch in New York, on dealers in
ventory registration form which he
will receive through the mail or ob
tain from his OPA district office or
the War Price and Rationing Board,
Johnston explained.
Unless the "reouirements are com
plied with the dealer may not con
tinue to receive or sell tires after
July 10, Johnson cautioned.
- ' J ' j - fJ
her to the grave several years ago.
She was a former resident of Selma
and at .the time of her death she still
owned her old home place on; South
Webb Street. She was well known in
Selma where she spent her most use
ful years and all those who knew her
join the famiy in these days of sor
row and bereavement Her life was
exemplified by her many kind deed
of helpfulness in sickness or sorrow.
She was a good neighbor and a friend
to all.
She had made her home with her
daughter in Wilson for about one
year and a half.
Pallbearers were her nephews, Seth
Hamilton, Clyde Hamiton, Johnnie
Hamiton, Robert Hamilton, Walter
Hamiton and Wayland Daughtry.
Surviving are three chidren Mrs.
Viola White of Wilson. N. C: Mrs.
C. D. Wood of Wilson and G. H. Mor
gan, Jr., of Hampton, Va.; nine
grandchildren, . two great grandchil
dren; two brothers. R. L. Hamilton,
of rOxford.. N. TJ.rB. B."Hamilto",-
Smithfield: and one sister. Misa
Nancy Hamilton of Smithfield.
Revival To Be?in
At F.W.B. Church
A revival meeting will hcvin at the
First Free Will Baptist church of
Selma on Monday night, June 11, at
8 o'clock. The visiting minister will
be Miss Ruth Ketchum.
The meeting is expected to last a
week or ten days. Good preaching and
good singing, the public is invited.
PETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASS
JAMES M. BURGESS, son of Mr,
and Mrs. J. R. Burgess, Route 2,
Selma, N. C, who is serving in the
U. S. Navy somewhere in the South
n T T 1 i .....
; - T I raclnc- ne nas oeen overseas a utue
H H LOWry llOeS 1 0 more than a year. He is 22 years old.
Hospital For Treatment Vacation BibI(, 5,
H. H. Lowry, advertising manager A Colmo Ranticf PKlirrll
nt Tha .Tnhnatnnian-SSun. went to the. . T
Johnston County Hospital Tuesday
for examination and treatment.
His! The Vacation Bible School at the
Army Chaplain Writes
Mrs. Thomas Starling
May 7, 1945.
Mrs. Thomas C. Starling
Selma, N. C.
My Dear Mrs. Starling:
By this time you have received the
official War Department notification
that your husband Pfc. Thomas C.
Starling, 34857749, died of wounds re
ceived in action on April 27, 1945.
This word must have been a severe
shock to you and we, his comrades,
want to express these words of sym
pathy. Perhaps a brief account of the
circumstances surrounding his death
may be of some comfort to you. "
On April 27th Thomas was with
Company F, S61st Infantry Regiment
which was a part of the American
Fifth Army successfully driving the :
Germans from Northern Italy. At the
time Thomas was near the head of
the column which was advancing,
From a nearby strong point some
German machine gunners opened fire
on the column. Thomas was one of
many friends here and elsewhere will . Selma Bapt.st church begar Monday!
gladly welcome his return to Sema morning of this week. Seven-ftve Re wftg to Aid station
and to his normal health again.
I Former Selma Bov
Bethany Church A West Point Graduate
The following announcement ha?
A revival meeting will henrin at
Bethany Baptist church. Route 2.. The clasg of Nineteen Hundred
Tift T I 7 taornmg' June ,fi Forty-five of the United States Mili-
eTij 'j . . 1 tary Academy announces its Gradua-
Saturday and Sunday mornings the tion Tuesday, June the fifth, West
services will be held at 11 o'clock. . Point. N. Y." - - v
Beginning Sunday afternoon Serv- Enclosed with the announcement
ices will be held at 2:30 p. m. and was a card bearing the name of Jesse
8:45 p. m. I H. Johnson, who is among the list of
Wednesdav morni'nr. Jnne 18 tisa graduates. He is a son of Mrs. Jesse forward to getting The Johnstonian-
been selected as the time to clean up ohn3 and ,the Mr. Johnson, Sun so he could get the home news,
, . . - . . ' i formerly of Selma Their son. Jesse, r but during his imprisonment no news-
the church grounds ; and., cemetery., iB a Lieutenant in the U. S. Army papers were allowed in the prison
Albert Shirley Now
Seaman First Class
U. S. Navel Construction Depot
Somewhere In The Pacific Albert
Shirley, of Selma. N. C now serving
at this station has advanced to sea
man first class. His mother, Mrs.
Rena Shirley, lives in Selma.
Pfc. MeivinR. Creech
Home On Furlough
Selma Boy Gets ;
Married In Florida
Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Ryals, of Selma,
had a telephone call Saturday from
their son. Harold D. Ryals. S. 1-C.
who is in the U. S. Navy at the Naval
Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla.,
and others are coming in daily. Any , ,. 6 T
boy or girl who wishes to attend i by our Battalion surge oa . I was pres-
welcome. The hours are from 9 to 11
o'clock in the morning.
ent at the time and had a prayer for
him. He was not conscious at the
time. He was then evacuated to the
nearest United States field hospital
where everything was done to save
his life. Nevertheless he passed away
the same day. He was laid to rest in
a United States Military Cemetery in
Northern Italy. A funeral service was
The final meeting for the year of conducted at his grave by a Protes-
statine that he had iust been married the American Legion Auxiliary will taht Chaplain. More definite informa-
to Miss Virginia Barker, formerly ot be held on Wednesday, June 13 at tion regarding place or ounai win De
American Legion
Auxiliary To Meet
Raleigh, but now of Jacksonville.
Soldiers To Get
Ggarette Rations
Atlanta. Ga., June 4. Six packs
a week will be the new cigarette ra
tion for all military personnel of the
Fourth Service Command which be
gan June 3, as it will be for all Army
stations in i the continental United
States. At the same time, in a fur
ther effort to solit the nation s c-
3:30 o'clock in the assembly room of sent to you by the War Department
the Legion Hut. as soon as security reasons permit. At
The hostesses will be Mrs. Rich ' a later time if you should have ques
Oliver. Mrs. Julius Williamson and tions concerning Thomas' personal ef-
Mrs. Clarence Baiey. The members fects I suggest that you write to The
are ifrged to attend.
A Little More Candy
Is Promised Civilians
Effects Quartermaster, Army Effects
Bureau. Kansas City Quartermaster
Depot, Kansas City 1, Missouri. Per
sonnel overseas are unable to supply
this information.
Any words of sympathy we might
express seem feeble in this your hour
of separation. God alone can give
Atlanta, Ga., June 5. Civilians , that peace which passes all human1
can begin looking forward to munch- understanding. Perhaps there is ad
ing a little more candy now that hos- ditional comfort to you to know that
Pfc. Melvin Rudolph Creech, son of.garette supply equitably between sol- tilities have ceased in Europe. The your husband was a good soldior.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Creech of Route jdiers and civilians, overseas Army in- Quartermaster Corps of the Army highly respected by his officers and
1, Selma is home on a 60-day fur- stallations will adopt a uniform ra-( has on hand a stock of many popular those who served with him. He died
lough from overseas. He spent about tion of slightly less than eight pack-j brands of candy which was earmrked in pursuit of his sacred duty, giving
7 months overseas and was captured . ages weekly. for troops in the Euro pen Theater of his life that others might live, free,
during the battle of the Belgium Ration cards good for six months , Operations. The War Department has from tyranny and oppression. He"ful-
bulge in December. He remained in a j are being issued this week to all men decided to have this stock distributed filled those comforting words of Holy
German prison camp until April 14, and women in uniform who want to Army Exchanges in the United Scripture, "Greater love hath no man
when he was liberated by the Ameri- them. They are also being issued to States, according to information re- than this, that a man lay down his
can Army. He says he always looked dependents of military personnel, but.ceived at Headauarters. Fourth Serv-hfe for his friends.
Everyone interested please help. Air Corps.
camp.
with two, important restrictions: no
more than one dependent in each
family can have a card, and then
only if the -dependent is eligible for
a post commissary card.
: r I nan. il.:- n1 1 i 1
ice vuiiiiiiaiiu. vriuie hub supply lasa, .
it will reduce the Army's .purchases
from . commercial sources, thereby
making more sweets available to
civilians.
May God's Blessing be upon you.
Sincerely,
Dean T. Stevenson.
Chaplain (Capt) USA
361st Infantry Regiment,