Billie Simpson and Anita and Chloe Braswell attended a surprise 90th birthday party for Henretta Hale. The party was held at the New Life Connection Center on Nov. 9.
Henretta’s daughter Kim planned the party for her mother. everyone remembers her fondly from the Smithville Dress Shop. Henretta ran the shop for years.
Visitors of Billie Simpson on Saturday were Dallas, Thomas and Michelle Braswell.
Visitors of Mabel Pack were Valeria Mears and Cory McAtee.
Sympathy is extended to the family of Lewis Brown George, he has been sick for quite a while.
Glad Ruby Carter was able to go to her church, Mt. Herman. She hasn’t been able to go for a while.
Wanda Tramel of Crossville spent Friday and Saturday night with Autry Malone. Joyce Wright of Murfreesboro spent Saturday with her.
Douglas, Barbara Ann, Hayden and Katie Roehner, Ryan and Lindsy Winfree, Paul, Tenille and Zack Rowland and Kristin Hanakal, Jonathan, Stephanie, and Landon Rowland, Andrew, Dana and Thomas Park and the Thomas family attended a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by James and Regina Rowland in Gordonsville.
The White Possum was the place for a surprise retirement party for Mrs. Eldon Vanatta. Her former workers met to enjoy the occasion.
She recieved a beautiful plaque for her 44 years of service at the DeKalb Board of Education. She recieved many cards, gifts and money.
She had a wonderful time. Those attending were Barbara Hibdon, Mary Nell Summers, Helen Cantrell, Rita Johnson, Helen Burt, Barbara Vanatta, Connie Haggard, Polly and Sue Arnold and Darlene Conley.
Joining later were her husband Robert and daughter and grandson Kim and Derrick Young.
Visitors of Betty Wilson on Sunday were Faye Adkins, Arson Linn, Betty Byford and Douglas Ervin. Then on Monday Ralph and June Vaughn of Murfreesboro and Peggy and Barbara Self visited.
I want to congratulate my great-granddaughter on her recent ninth birthday.  Ellie Vaughn was honored during a family lunch on Nov. 10 at Memorial Baptist Church following worship services. She received many gifts, and of course Ellie had to blow out nine candles on her birthday cake.
I was talking to Barbara Self this week, and told her how much I appreciated her mother, Ocie Braswell.  Barbara is the daughter of Mr. Foshen and Miss Ocie, who lived in the New Home Community. They were my neighbors.
Miss Ocie was one of the hardest working women I ever knew.  She never let any grass grow under her feet; whether working in the field or walking down the road.
Barbara said that she and her mother would sometimes walk to see neighbors or relatives, and Barbara had to almost run to keep up with her mother.
Miss Ocie and I worked together many times doing farm labor; sometimes cutting and stripping sugar cane and also handing tobacco. She could do almost as much work as any man. 
I told Barbara one story about her mother that she did not remember. At the time, not many people in New Home had a telephone, and the roads were all graveled.
Mr. Clifton (Shorty) Braswell, another neighbor, was having chest pains one night, and thought that maybe he was having a heart attack. Miss Ocie volunteered to walk to Lem Medley’s house near the New Home Church to call for a doctor.
It was late at night, cloudy with no sign of the moon or stars in the sky. Miss Ocie was not afraid of anything, and headed out on foot. She said that she heard footsteps and thought it a little strange for anyone else to be out walking at that time of the night.
Then she saw the image of a man walking toward her.
Unafraid, she spoke up and said hello. The other walker in a grumpy voice spoke back. Both walkers didn’t miss a step and continued on their way. 
The telephone call was made to a doctor in Smithville, but the feared heart attack turned out to be only indigestion. Mr. Shorty thought maybe it came from eating some watermelon that afternoon. 
Miss Ocie never learned who the mystery walker was. Unlike her, I was afraid of my shadow back then.