25 YEARS AGO
in the Greensboro Watchman
February 13, 1997
Dr. Ronald H. Clements has been accepted by Vanderbilt University Hospital for a year of fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery. He will complete a five-year surgical residency at Carraway Methodist Hospital in Birmingham on June 23. He is presently chief surgical resident at Carraway.
Dr. Clements has done research projects that have resulted in several articles being published in peer reviewed journals and personal presentations of national surgical societies meetings. This research earned him the Scholar of the Year award at Carraway Hospital.
Dr. Clements and his wife, Kim, have two sons, Ronald H. Jr., (R.J.) 3 ½, and Blake Austin, 1 1/2. Dr. Clements is the son of Spencer and Patricia Clements of Greensboro.
The Hale County School System has received a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts to provide art enrichment activities for K-8 students. Paula Larke, a performer, will be performing and working with students in Hale County schools during the weeks of February 24-28 and April 20-25. She will perform at the WAYS Detention Center and provide a night performance at Akron East High School for surrounding communities during her visit in February.
Clemenceau Williams, niece of Mrs. Jessie W. Bell of Greensboro, has been accepted as a Peace Corps volunteer. Williams, a Tuskegee resident, is part of the first group of volunteers ever to serve in South Africa.
Responding to a historic transition and the request for assistance from President Nelson Mandela, the Peace Corps is sending 33 volunteers to South Africa this month.
As a Peace Corps volunteer, Williams will employ her 38 years of classroom teaching experience to work as a primary education volunteer, developing resources in rural schools and the community.
The Newbern Union Sunday School met Sunday morning with 37 present. Worship services were held at the Newbern Baptist Church. Dr. Paul Reitzer, led the service with a message on the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, followed by the service of communion. Arrangements of magnolia were placed in the church by Mary Tims.
The Newbern Youth Group met Sunday afternoon. They made Valentines for the shut-ins and had refreshments.
Bre James of Orange Beach spent last week with her grandparents, Richard and Charlotte True.
Allen Chasteen was home for the weekend.
Archer and Louise Howell spent the weekend in Dothan with Lucy and Randy Holcombe. They attended a basketball tournament in Enterprise in which Louise’s great-nephew, Chad Lavender, played.
50 YEARS AGO
in the Greensboro Watchman
February 10, 1972
Howard Vise this week was named as Community Sustaining Membership Enrollment Chairman for Greensboro for the Boy Scouts.
Hobson Payne, a Greensboro citizen who has devoted 35 years of his life to Scouting will be honored at a dinner Thursday evening February 24, designated as Hobson Payne Day.
Friends are glad to see Allen Rogers able to be out. He has suffered from serious injuries he sustained several months ago in a fall at his work.
The Greensboro FHA Chapter held its annual initiation for new members recently. The winners were Marilyn McCray, first, Donna Arrington, second, and Samantha Key, third.
The Hale County Homemakers recently elected new officers. They are: president, Mrs. Tom Beasley; first vice president, Mrs. Pearl O. Smith; second vice president, Mrs. Tom Arrington; secretary, Mrs. O’Neal Mayfield; treasurer, Mrs. Paul Owens; parliamentarian, Mrs. George Springer; publicity chairman, Miss Maggie Williams; and health education committee chairman, Mrs. Alice Brownlow.
New postmasters have been appointed in six southeastern states. Among the Alabama appointments was that of Sidney R. Duncan as Moundville postmaster.
75 YEARS AGO
in the Greensboro Watchman
February 13, 1947
Mrs. Louis Spencer entertained a number of friends at a delightful dinner at her home on the evening of the 7th, the occasion being Mr. Spencer’s birthday. A lovely repast was served the following guests: Mr. and Mrs. R.M. English, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Griffin, Dr. L.H.S. Chapelle, Miss Mary King Stevenson, Miss Louise Withers, Mrs. Graham Benners, and Mrs. Annie Christenberry.
Mamie Johnson of Sawyerville, a member of the Senior Class of Greensboro High School, won the county American Legion oratorical contest.
To avoid the substantial expense of printing and distributing new sugar ration books, all sugar stamps made valid on or after April 1 will be good for 10 pounds of sugar.
Newbern News—On last Monday night a burglar entered the store of B. Morgan and made a getaway with about $75 worth of goods.
A group of young ladies met with Mrs. W.K. Johnson and Mrs. Pharis Johnson in the home of Mrs. W.K. Johnson on February 11 for the purpose of organizing a study club for the young ladies in Greensboro. Mrs. John Lowrey was elected president.
The Greensboro Senior 4-H Club met on January 22. A demonstration on “Balancing Your Meals” was given by Betty Harris, Elsie Singley, Carolyn Bynum, Velma Tucker, Lucille Grote, Marion Bayard, and Ollie Mae Holbrook.
Benner’s Diary—Wednesday, February 5:
The Diary for the last week or so has been quite out of tine and omitting much that I should have written had I and the Underwood both been in good order. Death I should have done better by—beginning with George Earl Compton who died February 1 at the age of 69 years. John T. Chapman died January 30, aged 96. Mrs. Irene Pasteur Whatley of Havana, aged 68. I was a guest of the Whatley home many times in bygone years. Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Greensboro, buried Mrs. Whatley in the family burial lot at home.
Telephones are springing up all over the town of Newbern.
It is good to see Dr. Tom Anderson, M.D., up and going after being laid up with a spell in bed.
My, but we had it cold here. The bowl for the birds and bunnies to drink from was frozen into a solid chunk of ice. I had to take it out and put some wet water in its place.
100 YEARS AGO
in the Greensboro Watchman
February 9, 1922
A Masonic Lodge was recently organized at Akron with John C. Rennie of Selma as organizer. The following officers were elected: J.T. Tucker, worshipful master; W.L. Waites, senior warden; C.H. Ramey, junior warden; J.M. Britton, secretary; B.D. Burke, treasurer; A.C. St. John, senior deacon; H.A. Condon, junior deacon; D.R. Ramey, senior steward; E.M. Evans, junior steward.
Married—Mr. Noah Gewin of Cedarville, Ala., and Miss Christine Bowling of Mobile were married in Mobile on the 4th inst. They will reside at Cedarville where Mr. Gewin is in business.
There were 700 poll taxes paid in Hale County up to February 1.
Mr. Albert Parr and daughter of New Orleans are the guests of Mrs. Parr’s sister, Mrs. Edgar Torbert.
Notes from Akron—The ladies of the Presbyterian church are having a drive to secure funds to complete their new church and hope soon to be having services in their new edifice.
Everybody complains of the scarcity of money, but there seems to be no let-up in the purchase of automobiles and the operating of those already on hand.
125 YEARS AGO
in the Greensboro Watchman
February 11, 1897
Mr. Waller has introduced a bill in the legislature to incorporate the town of Newbern, Hale County.
Mr. P.H. Knight has opened a racket store in the Steinhart building on Main Street.
Mr. John Cocke has his recently patented cotton chopper and cultivator on exhibition in front of the Court House.
The Trustees of the Methodist District parsonage of the Greensboro district, after a thorough examination of the old building have concluded that it will be an almost useless expenditure to undertake to repair it and have decided to build an entirely new house.
Mr. Charles A. Sheldon, Greensboro’s oldest citizen, is very ill at his home here.
