Saturday, January 31, 2009

Local Soldiers and Belles of the Centennial Celebration

-click to enlarge-

Pictured are some Baldwyn folks getting ready for the local centennial celebration (as stated).

Note that Judy Bryant's name is misspelled. But we all know who she is!
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I'm confused. I suppose that this was the 1976 USA centennial, or which? The uniforms of the civil war era again might mean that this is the second (1964) BCR battle re-enactment? Help!

10 comments:

  1. Carl, I'm sure Carolyn and Judy looked great in 1976 but this is definitely 1964. I was in Germany that year and missed the fun. mc

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  2. What ever happened to Bernis Lewis?

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  3. Bernis Lewis died several years ago.

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  4. I didn't know Bernis had passed away but remember that he later owned a pizza parlor in Columbus.

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  5. I ran into him in Starkville I think in 2001 and he was living there..It was at lunch time and he had people with him and so did I so I did not get to talk to him long..

    Wallis

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  6. Wallis, if I found the right one, I think Bernie passed away May 14th, 2001 in Columbus. He was born Nov 30, 1938. Haven't been able to locate an obit yet. mc

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  7. Milton, let me know if you verify Bernie's death, and I will add him to the blog list. The birthdate you mention sounds correct. I was born in '39 and he was approximately my age.

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  8. Any additional bio on Bernis Lewis? I'm drawing a total blank on him.

    David

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  9. I was hoping someone else would do the bio for Bernis. The first time I saw him was when Billy Joe, Jim G. and myself were picking cotton for the James Elder Richey family and we got into some difficulty for having a war with cotton bolls, not a good way to get along with the farmer. Bernis was there and he played guitar every lunch and weigh in: Wildwood Flower and a couple of others. He was also a good cotton picker, about 250 lbs per day, I believe, although he wasn't much older than us.

    I believe he went to school at either Guntown or Saltillo. He had a brother named Albert?? who also lived in Baldwyn. He dropped out of school early and got married early but was smart and I'm not surprised that he later did well in restaurant business around Columbus, Starkville area.

    Joe C.

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  10. Thanks Joe for reminding me of the cotton boll incident. Do any of you remember a similar incident out east of town when we were chased out of the cotton patch for having a cotton boll war. We walked to the nearest house that happened to be the Garrett house, John, Mose's Parents house. I believe that Jackie Cole, Teddy Love, Judy Bryant and several others were along for that eventful day. I will add a little information that I remember about Bernis... He worked at Tom's Drug Store for a short period. He also played in a band that Lanny, Gibson Lee, Bernard and myself organized for a period of time. Very gifted individual but did not have the same opportunity for success that many of us had. So he kindof made it on his own.

    Jim G

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