By Lois Harper

Good morning June 9 wishing you a good week ahead much as possible. Here it is about the middle of June sneaking up so fast. Something else snuck in high, hot temperature, early too.
One good thing folks don’t have to be chopping cotton any more due to the way farmers plant the seed, closer together now.   
We passed by some cotton fields on the senior van and they got a good stand and remembering country days in the past. Just looking and passing by is enough for me. A vivid pain of being stung by a green pack saddle worm is the reason, screaming my head off. Grandpa Hooper was holding me, applying a wad of chewing tobacco from his mouth and assuring me that the pain would go away. Sure enough in a few minutes that nasty stuff eased the pain.
Father’s day is this weekend and my memories of my father are brief, but still know what he looked like. He passed away when I was so young.
Grandpa Hooper assumed the task of looking after us in those depression days. He was granddaddy and a father to my three brothers and me. When he moved, seeking work, he got a house for us too. My brothers were old enough to work in the fields to help out some. By the Grace of God we survived and I write in grateful thanks in memory of Melvin (Bud) Hooper, my grandfather who was a father to us all in love and actions and to my father Oliver Doyle Wilbanks.
Neighborhood Notes
Condolences go out to Mitzie Eagle’s family in her passing last week.
Mary Sauls has been undergoing medical tests recently.
Stephanie Blanton is home for the summer from nursing training.
Tony Hensler is doing well after surgery in the V.A. Hospital.
Glenda and Lee Nelms are both on the sick list.
Congratulations to Josh Ghann upon graduating from college recently.
Cameron Hampton, formerly of Rutledge, now the Fine Art Gallery in Greensboro, has won best in show and award of art excellence and Master Status with the Alabama Pastel Society National Show.
Fran and Cameron wish to thank those friends who have been supporting the Hampton Fine Art Gallery.
Fran and Jerry Hampton will celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary June 10 in the Smoky Mountains. They have just returned from visiting Jerry’s mom who isn’t so well in Alabama for a few days
Steve and Gerann Blanton celebrated their 38th anniversary last week. Many more for you.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Laura Atkinson on the 16, Buddy Greenway on the 17, and later in the month Pat Smith, Ann Moody, Lindsey Partain, Helen Brown, Jules Astin, Sami Bryan, Betty Conner, and Charlie Peterson on the 29. May these days be happy for you.
Also later on these folks will be celebrating wedding anniversaries, Linda and Richard Turk, Mike and Rhonda Roebuck, Robin and Peter Benkoski and Dianne and Sidney Hensler.
Baptist Church Notes
We had good attendance with 21 in the ladies class for Sunday school.
Our large choir was great as usual. Songs selected were “Just a little talk with Jesus,” then further inviting to tell it to Jesus for our problems, to take time to be holy in Sweet hour of prayer. Their special was so uplifting in a Beautiful Life. Our musicians are so great.
Wayne’s sermon was taken from Ecc. 4, topic was “Being a Friend to someone who is lonely.” It could be someone with all the advantages in life, yet needing friends. Be a friend to someone who doesn’t think anyone cares about problems. Pray and befriend someone who is going the wrong way. Instead of putting down people we need to lift them up at every chance. Remember the next time you sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus,” He’s our everything, friend, Savior and judge, later.
A friend loveth at all times like Jesus through good times and troubles.
We are having Vacation Bible school this week.
I’m sorry I spelled Roy and June Rousseau names wrong last week joining our church.
Wishing all dads a happy day June 15th.
Closing with this thought, I recognize that He never ask us to do anything He’s not already done, always ahead of us wherever we go, just wanting a relationship with us.