|Losing a ring is nothing
when compared to the
loss of a son, husband
But life comes
full circle
when ring
comes home
By KYRA ALEXANDER
Staff Writer
Eleven years after her son’s death, Hilda Pasour
of Kings Mountain, was startled with a strange.
item from her past.
In 1972, her.son Derrill Eugene Pasour, gradu-
ated from North Gaston High School.
That same year, while fishing in the mountains,
Derrill lost his second class ring. The first one, he .
misplaced before graduation. His mother had told
him to be careful with the second one. On the
banks of a river, Derrill had set his ring aside so it
would not get damaged. On his return trip home
he discovered that he had left the ring behind.
When Derrill called his mother to tell her he
had lost it, she wanted to know why he had not
gone back to get it. His answer was simply that he
could not even remember where they were fishing.
But losing a ring is nothing like losing a loved
one.
On December 29, 1998, Hilda’s.husband took
his last breath on earth. If that was not enough, her
only son passed away about five months later on
April 25, 1999, at 45 from a massive heart attack.
Derrill left be-
hind twin sons
and two miss-
ing rings. Lit-
tle did Hilda
know, one ring
was on its way
back.
The very
year Derrill lost
his ring, an an-
gler fishing for
trout in Boone
saw something
shimmer in the
water. He picked it up and noticed it was a class
ring. The name engraved on its inside was “Der-
rill Eugene Pasour”. He had a buddy named Der-
ald Eugene, although he was a Sweeney, who
worked at a used car business, and lived in Mor-
ganton. He called Derald up and told him about
the ring. He wanted him to have it.
With the ring in his possession, Sweeney was
drawn to finding its owner. He asked around but
inquiries led nowhere. Although, his search stalled
from time to time, the ring would catch his eye
and remind him of its home.
A friend, Phyllis Helms of Dallas, brought him
an advertisement she saw for an upcoming Pasour
{ reunion.
“This was my first real break,” Sweeney com-
mented.
The main contact for the reunion was Jack Pa-
sour, who teaches physical education at North
Gaston High School. Sweeney called Jack search-
ing for information. Jack said he did not know of
that specific person but would ask around.
Jack got in touch with his cousin, Fred Pasour,
to see if he knew of anyone who could be the
owner of the ring. Fred knew his wife had gradu-
ated with a Derrill Pasour in 1972 and that was the
See LOST RING, 5A
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The ‘Dream’ Lives!
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Minister of Music Avery Jones leads the Mt. Calvary Baptist Choir in a moving rendition at the 10th annual Martin Luther King,
Jr. tribute Monday night at the Joy.
City honors ‘world
- changing’ work of slain
Civil Rights leader
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Dr. Martin Luther King’s voice of
reason kept “the dream alive,” speakers
extolled at Monday night’s 10th annual
community-wide celebration honoring
the slain Civil Rights leader at Joy Per-
formance Center:
Speakers were passionate in honor-
ing the achievements of Rev. Dr. King
at the height of the Civil Rights move-
ment - a tough time in the 1950’s-60’s
filled with terror, racism, discrimination
and hardship that left deep wounds.
The service was attended by the
largest crowd ever and was sponsored
by the Kings Mountain Herald, Corry
Law Firm, The Printin Press, and
Cleveland Headline News 33. The City
of Kings Mountain, 10-year leader of
the service, was presented a certificate
of appreciation from News 33 by
Shelby TV personality Donna Huie-
Brooks who also served as mistress of
ceremonies.
King’s “T'have a Dream” speech at
the 1963: March on Washington, DC
and a moving rendition by Kings
Mountain’s Lester Williams was a
poignant reminder of the spiritual
leader’s words of resonance: “I have a
dream that my four little children will
one day live in a nation where they
‘won’t be judged by the color of their
skin but by the content of their charac-
ter.”
Rev. Lamont Littlejohn, a former
history teacher at Kings Mountain High
School and pastor of Mt. Calvary Bap-
tist Church of Shelby, challenged the
audience to never give up. This mes-
sage, he said, was the epitome of the
King life as a servant of God and the
people. “People still see the color of
skin and fail in this 21st Century to re-
alize that we’re still One Nation Under
God,” he exclaimed. “Somewhere in
this race for life each of us have come:
too far to lay over and play dead,” he
added.
Noting that the struggle for the
American dream for many has become
a nightmare, he said that a family that
prays together stays together and de-
clared that it’s the family responsibility
to raise their kids, not the schools.
“It’s time for parents in 2011 to take
their homes back and nurture and culti-
vate their children, use their minds to
dream,” a lesson from King he said.
Dr. King reminded that there’s good
in the worst of us and there’s evil in the
best of us,” Littlejohn said. “Stand to-
gether with confidence. Build relation-
ships one soul at a time. Love yourself
and love others. Reach out, don’t be
afraid to touch the unloving. Follow
God’s example and help others, and re-
member that life will not always be a
Christmas Day and never, never give
up,” he added in a strong, stirring de-
livery that moved from passionate
speech to exuberant song.
Rev. Howard Shipp, Ward 1 city
councilman, has attended nine of the 10
See DREAM, 5A
We’re cookin’ now
photos by EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Ciera Lowrimore, co- manager 'of the new Center Street Tavern and Smoke-
house in Kings Mountain, serves up lunch on opening day.
Building Confidence.
Building Trust. Building Smiles
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Newly-opened Center Street Tavern &
Smokehouse owner Kathleen Hover said she
never thought she’d open a second restaurant in |
18 months in a sluggish economy. But she found
a niche in Kings Mountain and Tuesday cut the
ribbon on a 2,600-square foot building at 238
Cherokee Street.
Hover said she has hired energetic and dy-
namic people as part of her team to bring the
“welcoming, friendly spirit” that made her
Cramerton Center Street Tavern successful. By
all accounts, crowds of hungry customers agree
with her that they like the new eatery. They have
been turning out in large numbers.
“We already have ‘regulars’,
Nicholas Link, as he along with co-manager
Ciera Lowrimore and Hover donned their aprons
and helped out in the kitchen as Alex Ranucci
+ dished out his award-winning barbecue and other
goodies on opening day, Friday.
Because of the weather last week the restau-
rant staff had to scurry to finalize plans for an of-
ficial ribbon cutting, and Link credited the Kings
iiss
See SMOKEHOUSE, 5A
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ¢ 704.739.5411
www.alliancebanknc.com memser mic
exclaimed
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