Remember Buddy Hanson

We have had the most wonderful rains here in our part of the county– a little over three inches in all,  and what a difference it has made.  The pastures are putting out and there’ss more hay to cut, thank the Lord.  I do hope you readers got some good rain in your part of the county also.

With the passing of our classmate, Buddy Hanson, last week, I thought I would tell this really good story about him.  Ironically, none of us classmates had ever heard it either, until  around two months before he passed away.  There was a girl, Johanna Bracken Rogers, who joined our class in her senior year.  Johanna's parents had to work out of the country, so she and her siblings came to live with her aunt and uncle, Tom and Bobbye Gibbs, in Bostwick.  She said she left at Christmas of that year, when her parents got back to the states, and  then came back  again when  school was out in the summer to live up here  again and work here in town, for lack of anything else to do.   Her Aunt Bobbye died last year and Johanna was here for the funeral.    She had to come back the first part of the summer to tend to  some family  business and she wanted to get together with whoever of our class that could come,  for dinner one night at a restaurant.  Well, I think there were six of us who went and I must say it was one of the most delightful evenings I have ever spent.  None of us had had any contact with her from our senior year until now, which was  41 years ago.   But thanks to Facebook, people that have been lost have been found and we can all connect again!  Say what you will, it is a wonderful way of communicating!! Back to my story: Johanna is  now a   lawyer and lives in Pennsylvania.  She travels quite frequently with her company and even goes overseas with her work to oversee business matters.    During the course of the evening she told a  "Buddy Hanson" story:  That summer after high school, she was working in Madison at the "Fabric Shop" that Doris Huff ran here in town.  She didn't really have any plans for college and she sure didn't have any money for college.  She said none of her family had ever gone on to college.  She  told that she didn't really have any plans, she was just working.  She told that one summer evening when she was home, Buddy came to see her.  They were talking about each other's future plans and he told her that she should go to the University of Georgia.  She admits she was flabbergasted and  she  informed him there was no way she could do that; she certainly didn't have any money for college and her family didn't either.  He said, "Yes, you can, Johanna,  and you should, I will go with you over there and we will get you admitted."  Believe it or not, she and Buddy went one day over to the university and he helped her fill out an application and then he took her to the business offices where she got set up with student loans.  She started that fall, she went on to Law school at the university, met her first husband who was a lawyer, and so on and so on, until now she has a fabulous job traveling the world!  Thanks to Buddy!  When she told that story that night, we were all amazed!  Who would have ever thought? That story has been kept quiet all these years.  I was planning on someone, hopefully Johanna, telling the story at our upcoming reunion.  We still might, but sadly, Buddy will not be there to bask in the accolades.  You never, never know, do you?

Frances Brewer enjoyed having her son, Glenn Brewer, of Deland, Fla., surprise her last Sunday down at the Lake Oconee House to spend the day with her, which she thoroughly enjoyed.   On Monday, Blanche Wilson, Irene Paul and Bunnie Schmitt visited with her along with Mary Ellen and John Shannon.  Jennifer Pittman Hunter of Weatherford, Texas, also visited with her last week while here on account of the death of her grandfather, Lloyd Pittman.
Connie Wilson visited with her mother, Mrs. Rucker, in Bowman, on last Monday.

Mary and Frank Eaton are in the process of trying to repair and rebuild what the big tree destroyed and tore up at their house the other week.  I think they are also taking down that tree and maybe another one or two to be safe.  Curtis and Joyce Eaton of Rome came down for a couple of days last week to help their parents out with picking up and packing up from the rooms that were hit, so that recontruction work could begin.  Martha, Sandy, Matthew, and Mary Martha came this past weekend to help some more also.  Franklin, Stacy, Sabrina and Sophia came and spent  Sunday afternoon with everyone.   Matthew is going to spend this week with his grandparents helping them out.  They are thankful to be here and that the main part of the house is still livable!  They had another sad day this past week when their beloved pet black lab, Lucy, had to be put down, who they all loved.  It has been a very traumatic time lately for the Eatons.  Our prayers continue with them.

Gloria and William Crew had all of their children and grandchildren for Sunday dinner after church on Sunday.
Beth and Bobby Bishop and their children as well as others of the Bobby's family have returned from a wonderful trip to Alaska visiting Bobby's relatives.

Sadie, Jake, and Mary Elizabeth Carver of Perry spent some of last week with her parents, the Dan Porters, helping her daddy celebrate another birthday.  They also visited Nell Porter and the Andrew Ainslies while here.  Dan and Sally also lost their beloved pet dog, Chance, on Sunday morning, which we are so sorry about.

Jake and Blanche Wilson enjoyed a visit and dinner out at Bonner's on Friday night with Lillian McElhenney of Eatonton and Eunice Smith of Albany.  Lillian and Eunice are the daughters of the late Belle and Percy Stewart, who were next-door neighbors to Jake and Blanche for years and years.  We have all enjoyed visiting with all the Stewart girls and their families throughout the years.  My brothers,  sister and I would always walk up to their house when  any of the Stewart grandchildren  would come to visit.  We would just walk on the side of Hwy. 441 up to the Stewart's, (yes, it was possible back then without much traffic.)  We had many, many happy, happy times playing together.  I remember eating  up there some.  Stewart would churn her own butter and she would have the best creamed potatoes and biscuits I ever ate; I think it must have been that homemade butter in them!  We want to wish Lillian a very happy birthday as she celebrated her 90th birthday this past weekend.  Happy birthday!   Eunice Stewart Smith was also up to attend her Madison High School Reunion which was held on Saturday at the Madison ChopHouse Grille restaurant.  This was Eunice's 69th class reunion as she was a member of the Class of 1943.  She reported they all had a wonderful time.  Lillian would love to get in touch with some of her classmates; so if any of you read this or know them, just let me know, and I will let her know; you never know.

 We extend our sympathy to Emelyn Wilson in the death of her cousin, Evelyn Adcock of Social Circle, on Sunday evening.  Evelyn was also a sister to Danny Wilkins of Mansfield.  She had been in declining health for some time after the death of her husband, George Adcock, in September of last year.  Emelyn said her children have been wonderful in looking after their mother and have tended to her every need.  We extend our deepest sympathy to all the family at this time.

Antioch Baptist Church will have their annual homecoming on Sunday, Aug. 5 at 11 a.m.  Rev. Jim Bolton will be the speaker at the morning service.  A delicious barbecue lunch will be served afterward in their fellowship hall.  They will continue with revival services on that Monday to Wednesday, Aug. 6-8, each evening at 7:30 p.m.  Rev. Jack Segars, the former pastor of Beacon Heights Baptist Church here in Madison, will be the guest speaker each evening at those services.  They invite all to come and be their guests.

Please remember Bible School at Bethany Baptist Church which will be held this Friday evening, July 20, from 6-8:30 p.m.; Saturday morning, July 21, from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; and the VBS Celebration Service on Sunday morning, July 22, at 10 a.m.  They invite all interested children to come.

Printed in the July 19, 2012 edition