It was a sad day in Goree. We lost one of our fathers, grandfathers and friend. Billy Don Hutchens was laid to rest this afternoon. A huge crowd gathered to honor his life and say goodbye.
The Latham Family was present for this special occasion. Jackie, Linda, Charley and Dusty were in town for the funeral and afterwards desired to take a walk through their past. Their parents had a café, The City Café, where the current City Hall is located. They lived in an upstairs apartment that is accessed through a door between the City Hall and the garage sale building. The last known use of this structure was for haunted houses, which was apparent when touring the rooms. The remnants of body parts, spiders and fake blood littered the trail. Surprisingly enough, the second story was in fair condition.
What an honor it was for me to join the four of the five Latham kids as they pulled out memories from their childhood. And, I might add, some of that sibling spunk bubbled to the surface. Charley found where he had carved his initials on the door. Dusty remembered baths where water was dumped over his head. Linda was amazed to see the black trim from when her and her sister painted their room pink and black. Jackie claims that when some of her siblings climbed the water tower, she stayed behind. From time to time she would holler for them to come down or she was gonna tell Momma. The park was their personal playground.
After all these years, these folks still care. I think they care about preserving their memories, but they also want those who call Goree home to enjoy making new memories. As a matter of fact, they care so much that they made donations towards the “Going for Greatness in Goree” Campaign. They thanked me for the tour through the building, but I want to thank them! So here goes, thank you for the generous donations and thank you for the tour through your memories and your hearts. God Bless!
The Latham Family was present for this special occasion. Jackie, Linda, Charley and Dusty were in town for the funeral and afterwards desired to take a walk through their past. Their parents had a café, The City Café, where the current City Hall is located. They lived in an upstairs apartment that is accessed through a door between the City Hall and the garage sale building. The last known use of this structure was for haunted houses, which was apparent when touring the rooms. The remnants of body parts, spiders and fake blood littered the trail. Surprisingly enough, the second story was in fair condition.
What an honor it was for me to join the four of the five Latham kids as they pulled out memories from their childhood. And, I might add, some of that sibling spunk bubbled to the surface. Charley found where he had carved his initials on the door. Dusty remembered baths where water was dumped over his head. Linda was amazed to see the black trim from when her and her sister painted their room pink and black. Jackie claims that when some of her siblings climbed the water tower, she stayed behind. From time to time she would holler for them to come down or she was gonna tell Momma. The park was their personal playground.
After all these years, these folks still care. I think they care about preserving their memories, but they also want those who call Goree home to enjoy making new memories. As a matter of fact, they care so much that they made donations towards the “Going for Greatness in Goree” Campaign. They thanked me for the tour through the building, but I want to thank them! So here goes, thank you for the generous donations and thank you for the tour through your memories and your hearts. God Bless!
Myrna (not present on this trip), Charley, Dusty, Linda and Jackie
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