Precious Memories, How They Linger

    I had the privilege of reuniting two fine Central ladies that grew up together in the City of Central and still reside here today. Mrs. Iris Walker (bottom photo, left), born Iris Elaine Shaffett and Aunt Boots Graham (bottom photo, right), born Rema Lee Harrington, reminisced and shared their stories. They took me on a walk through the City of Central that few residents of Central today have seen.
    What time was it? It was a time when there was no electricity, only four telephones citywide, you could smell the kerosene burning in the lamps, and in the kitchens the aroma of anything fried in pure hog lard filled the air. Sundays were very busy: Sunday school and church in the mornings, the afternoons were spent at someone’s house making ice cream, peanut brittle, or fudge, and then there was church Sunday night. This was a time when Bro. Hopper was the pastor at Zoar Baptist Church and when Christmastime approached Aunt Boots’ father would clean out his ice truck and take young people Christmas caroling.
    All these things and more I learned on Friday, April 4, 2014, as these two lovely ladies came together for the first time in 40 years. Our journey took place on Aunt Boots’ lovely back porch along with her son Buster and his Border Collie, Jake lying at our feet. Boots and Iris painted a picture with their stories most of us have only seen in movies. As Aunt Boots opened her old photo album, I learned there were two other ladies, Yvone Pray Claton and Joice Graham Judge, that filled their adolescent memories. An old photo (top photo shown) showed the four girls sitting on a lawn wearing full skirts, blouses, shoes, and socks all identical to each other. They told us stories about how they would often make their own clothes to look alike.
    They all graduated together from Central in 1946, from what was then the 11th grade. Iris’ father sold insurance door to door. Boots’ father was Central’s Ice Man and when the river was up he caught large buffalo fish and sold them for $1.00 each. I found it amazing that Aunt Boots lives less than 100 feet from the house she grew up in on the corner of Sullivan and Lovett and Mrs. Iris lives right across the street from the perfectly preserved home that she was born in, located next to Urgent Care on Hooper Road.
    Precious memories, how they lingered that afternoon. I am honored that I had the privilege to share this reunion with these ladies. I would love to have the opportunity to reunite all four of the childhood friends. After spending the afternoon with these ladies I know their most important reunion will reunite them forever where they once again will be clothed alike. Revelation 3:5, 7:9.
God Bless, 
Jay Gorden