John and Jamile decided to take advantage of the long Thanksgiving 2002 holiday and head to Mississippi and beyond. We had great weather, although it reminded us why we chose to live in the South! Every place we visited was windy and COLD.
11/27 & 11/28
We drove to Ashland, MS to enjoy Thanksgiving with John’s mother, Alice Johnson, Geraldine and Larry Lunday and their huge extended families. Geraldine did her usual magic with the vegetables and the rolls (best rolls we have ever eaten!) and Larry produced a fried turkey that was wonderful.
11/29
First stop on our Missouri trek was at New Madrid, MO to stop at a viewing platform on the Mississippi River, and to drive through the area where the U.S.’s worst earthquake took place in 1811 (8.6 on the Richter scale).
Then it was on to Sikeston, MO to have a late lunch at Lamberts, home of “throwed” rolls. Check out this website for details of Lamberts: http://visitsikeston-miner.com/lamberts/. We missed seeing Jamile's Uncle Everett. He sent a picture of himself and his monster watermelon. They both weigh 103 lbs!
After a hearty meal (yes, both John and Jamile caught rolls!) we were on to Dexter City Cemetery to visit the gravesites of Alma and Neal Dennison, and Martha Walker and place wreaths.
That evening we stayed upstairs at The Martin House Bed & Breakfast in Dexter. Our hosts were very accommodating and we had a very nice stay, including a truly gourmet breakfast prepared by Ginny Martin. She served us hashbrown potatoes that had shredded carrots in them and they were terrific. We had 3 rooms and a bath to ourselves – bedroom, sitting room, tea room, and a very strange but wonderful bathroom (be sure to see the picture). Later on in the trip, we found out that the rooms we stayed in were once part of an apartment that rented to a relative, and that Jamile’s mother Alma had once stayed in those same rooms.
Dinner this evening was at the Hickory Log in Dexter. Later, we found out that Neal Dennison was the owner of this fine restaurant in 1951 when it was called the Westside Café.
11/30
From Dexter we went to Neal Dennison’s duplex in Poplar Bluff and met his brother Clifford and his family. Then it was on to lower Poplar Bluff to 105 East Henry street where Grandpa Walker once owned a house. Sorry to report that there was no current street address that corresponded to this one listed on his death certificate.
Next stop was Woodlawn Cemetery to place wreaths on the gravesites of Bailey Walker and his third wife Addie. We looked for his second wife Mitty Sneed, but found nothing. Jamile had been corresponding with Mitty’s granddaughter in California and had agreed to do some looking while at Woodlawn.
From Poplar Bluff we traveled to Rombauer, MO to search for Jamile’s Granny Walker’s house. Jamile told stories about her Grandmother all the way to Rombauer, including the fact that Rombauer was so far out in the boonies that it wasn’t even paved when she learned how to drive a car there years ago. Much to our surprise, in 2002, as we entered Rombauer there was a sign that said “Pavement Ends”. That’s right, Rombauer roads are still not paved. Even though it has been 35 years since Jamile was in this small town, she went directly to her Granny’s house! That poor house is in bad shape and abandoned. There was at least one fallen tree on the house, and daylight could be seen through the roof from both the front and rear of the house. We could see into the front livingroom window and it appeared that the SAME wallpaper is on the walls as was there when Jamile was a small child. Some things just don’t need to be improved.
Jamile's Uncle Lou used to give her a new pair of white socks each time she visited his store.
Sign seen at the church in Rombauer: Pastor's Parking, U Park, U Preach.
From Rombauer we went to The Landing in Rosecliff Lodge at Van Buren, MO. This is a resort lodge on the side of the Current River. There were few people around in November, but this is a resort area that is very busy during the warmer months. Check out the lodge out at www.currentriverlanding.com
12/1
At this point we opted to sleep late and take a leisurely drive to Springfield, arriving mid-day at the home of Vicci and Jim Sweeney, with a police escort! We stopped to ask him directions, he began explaining, then said, "I'll just take you there." Vicci is Jamile’s first cousin. That evening we had dinner at the Sweeney’s, joined by other first cousins Joyce and Bill Hawkins and George and Janet Walker. We talked for hours, as it had been over 30 years since Jamile had seen them all. What a pleasant time we all had; it sure didn’t seem like we had been apart for so long.
Vicci and Joyce took Jamile to see her Aunt Pearl (Vicci’s mom) who lives at an assisted living facility nearby, where they got to visit for a while.
12/2
We had a long day of driving (John’s driving!) from Springfield, MO to Nashville, TN to visit with MaAnna Stephenson, a friend of John’s who he met through work several years ago. MaAnna and her new dog Tullie were the ultimate hosts.
12/3
Tuesday was the final leg of our trip, with our arriving in Douglasville mid-afternoon.