Memories of 2011 Mini Reunion
By Clyde J. Arnold, Jr.
BanCorp South Farmhouse & Golf Events
The recent 1953 Class Mini Reunion was planned and organized by Barbara Cox and assisted by
Johnny and several Hope ladies: Dottie Tabor, Bobbie Sparks, Betty Jo Hays, and Carolyn Purtle.
This group of ladies (and Johnny) did an outstanding job organizing the reunion and providing
desserts. As I have said many times to the guys, “We all married up!”
The meals were great as were the desserts the ladies furnished. Friday night pizza was the best I have
ever eaten. On Saturday night we had an outstanding fish fry with all the trimmings provided by the Hope
Lions Club.
Thanks go to Betty Willis who does the communication by email, web site, and cards regarding the
reunions. She keeps the official attendance records each year and listed below. We had 27 class
members (including spouses) and 2 welcome visitors on Friday at BanCorp South Farmhouse House.
Joel Osborn (’54) comes nearly every year to play golf; Ellis Rothwell’s sister, Gloria (HHS graduate),
attends with him often.
There were nine total golfers listed below. Bernard had had recent surgery, almost lost one of his feet,
and had stents put into his leg. He had been out of the hospital only about four weeks so he is to be
commended for coming! Bernard does love his time with the guys playing “cow pasture pool” and looks
forward to another match next year. His group won the match!
Donnell Bagley
Dean Roach
Perry Easterling
Bernard Dunn
James Willis (‘52)
Joel Osborn (‘54)
Don Fuller (‘54)
Alvin Easterling (‘57)
Jim Easterling (‘51).
I wish I had taken the time to learn this game but tennis is my sport. I have watched golf being
played by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Big Jack Nicklaus, and others for many years so I know it
is a hard game to "master."
Those who attended the pizza party on Friday:
Pat and Perry Easterling
James and Betty Ruth S. Willis
Dean and Pat Roach
Bernard Dunn
Ellis Rothwell and sister Gloria Rothwell Nations
Clyde Arnold
Mary Jo Fincher Curtis
Betty Jo Hays
Johnny and Barbara Cox
Donnell Bagley
Ned Ray and Carolyn Purtle
Johnny and Dottie Tabor
Bobbie Sparks
Francis S. Arnold
Katie Lee Lester
Howard Thornton
Bonnie and Gail Sinyard
Kenneth and Diane B. Stewart
Joel Osborn (’58) Visitor
Total Attendance Friday night: 28
All of the above returned on Sat. for the Lions Club Fish Fry except Bobbie Sparks, Howard Thornton
and Joel Osborn.
On Saturday we had an additional four couples attending:
Johnny "Sammy" and LaJuan Thompson
Nelda T. Doyle and daughter Roz
Phillip and Linda Gilbert
Billy George Thornton and Linda White
Total attendance Saturday night: 33
As usual it was great seeing everyone! As information I have gotten my blood sugar under control so I
had a double pie helping. It turned out the coconut pie I found just lying on the cabinet belonged to
Barbara Cox who let me know it! It was just like what "my mama use to bake" -- perfect and tasty! I pray
she will forgive me, but I did ask the one who baked it if it belonged to anyone and she said, “No."
Ross Family Reunion in Hope
Ellis and I had planned ahead to attend his Ross Family Reunion on Saturday. It was a rather small
group and I knew many of those attending including my second cousin Myra Lee Cox Ross. Also had
known Harrison Ross who died recently. I had also met Barbara Ross (‘51) sister to Vivian (‘55) who was
there as were many of my old friends. Donald Ray Blackwood and wife Marilyn Clark (‘54) were there
and we had a nice time reminiscing about old times. Donald Ray had two brothers who worked at the
Hope Star with me who attended the reunion. He said that he and Jimmy Blackwood delivered The Grit
Newspaper. I remembered Jimmy who was very small at the time. Jimmy lived on South Walnut down
from the Hope Star past East 3rd St. If you go to our web site to the Hope High Band Page, you can see
their home behind the service station on the left looking south.
I was able to visit with some of my grandmother’s neighbors who lived on Mockingbird Lane down past
Winemiller's Store across from Paisley Elementary School. My granny and old bachelor Uncle Irvin
Gleghorn lived between the Tonnemakers (5 girls whose names started with "V") and the Hartsfields who
had names that started with "F." I thought that there were only about eight of them but learned at the
Ross Reunion that there were fifteen in all and the two oldest attended are ages 91 and 89! When I
questioned the 91-year old --who still lives in Hope in an assisted living place-- if she knew my
Grandmother Susan Ann Parilee Brightwell Gleghorn, she answered that she got married in 1937 and
Granny did not move there until 1946 after WWII. I also met a younger brother and a sister who were in
the HHS class of 1955 and ’57. There were twins in the ‘54 class whom I remembered but I did not know
there were fifteen of them. I had a great time at the Ross Reunion with Gloria Nations and Ellis
Rothwell! Good lunch also!
Visiting in Texarkana
I had a lot of great times fellowshipping with classmates and a good time attending church with my sister,
Sylvia, at First Baptist, Wake Village, TX on Sunday. Also I enjoyed spending the night with Sylvia and
Dale Hubbard and hearing about the recent birth of their great grandson
born Jan. 8 at 8 a.m. weighing 8 lbs on his great grandmom’s (and Elvis’s!) birthday-- Jan. 8! I attended
Benja's niece’s wedding in McKinney TX on the 8th.
On the return trip it snowed and iced all the way home. To top that, there was the terrible shooting in
Tucson AZ. A day I will not fail to remember even if I have Alzheimer’s (old timers) in my future!
More Visits in Hope
Upon leaving Texarkana USA on Monday, I spent time at the cemetery with Benja and friends no longer
with us. Then I had one more visit to make with an old friend and neighbor, Ann Gold Thrash Grigg. Ann
now lives out in the country with a Mrs. Bobo who was caring for her since Ann (96) cannot take care of
her own medical and other needs. It was sometime in mid afternoon on Monday that I located the home
where Ann was now residing. I had a great visit with her daughter, Linda, who was there visiting from
Maryland. Also a phone visit with Ann’s son, Larry Thrash. I learned that Ann wanted to stay near Hope
so Larry took care of the finances, and Linda visits every couple of months from Maryland.
Ann is one special lady to me! She was my neighbor and taught many of us to do public speaking at First
Baptist Church at BTU. Ann is also a first cousin to Joella Gold Amour and lived side by side her. I
loved both the Amours and Thrashes and all my neighbors-- the Fullers, the Smiths, and the Greenlees.
The Crosses and our families all owned a crank ice cream freezer. It was housed at our home most of
the time since we were in the center of the families. Those were very good memories. I keep in touch
with most of the families.
Visiting the Messers in Little Rock (and other news)
On the way home I spent the night in Little Rock, AR at a motel just so I could visit with Joyce Greenlee
and Darryl Messer and maybe with John David Whitlow and Polly. John D. had recent surgery for
prostate cancer but was not able to visit because of other plans. Maybe next time. While I was there, I
received a telephone call from Barbara Taylor Burke whose husband Travis is having health issues.
Because of this, they could not attend the class reunion either. She advised me of the death of Barky
and Avis's grandson, Joshua Reams, in a one-car accident on March 5. Somehow we had both missed
getting the information by email but she had heard from a mutual friend of the Fullers at her church. I
had thought that the reason the Fullers were not there was because of the annual horse trail-riding event
which they participate in nearly every year. I called and gave Avis and Barky Fuller my condolences in
the loss of their loved one whom they raised to manhood. Joshua died the day before his 25th birthday
and leaves a wife and two-year old son.
Today is the birthday party of my two-year old granddaughter, Lillian Ruth Brock, so I will shut the writing
down for now and until next year I will say good bye all.
Love in Christ Jesus,
Clyde
March 26, 2011
By Clyde J. Arnold, Jr.
BanCorp South Farmhouse & Golf Events
The recent 1953 Class Mini Reunion was planned and organized by Barbara Cox and assisted by
Johnny and several Hope ladies: Dottie Tabor, Bobbie Sparks, Betty Jo Hays, and Carolyn Purtle.
This group of ladies (and Johnny) did an outstanding job organizing the reunion and providing
desserts. As I have said many times to the guys, “We all married up!”
The meals were great as were the desserts the ladies furnished. Friday night pizza was the best I have
ever eaten. On Saturday night we had an outstanding fish fry with all the trimmings provided by the Hope
Lions Club.
Thanks go to Betty Willis who does the communication by email, web site, and cards regarding the
reunions. She keeps the official attendance records each year and listed below. We had 27 class
members (including spouses) and 2 welcome visitors on Friday at BanCorp South Farmhouse House.
Joel Osborn (’54) comes nearly every year to play golf; Ellis Rothwell’s sister, Gloria (HHS graduate),
attends with him often.
There were nine total golfers listed below. Bernard had had recent surgery, almost lost one of his feet,
and had stents put into his leg. He had been out of the hospital only about four weeks so he is to be
commended for coming! Bernard does love his time with the guys playing “cow pasture pool” and looks
forward to another match next year. His group won the match!
Donnell Bagley
Dean Roach
Perry Easterling
Bernard Dunn
James Willis (‘52)
Joel Osborn (‘54)
Don Fuller (‘54)
Alvin Easterling (‘57)
Jim Easterling (‘51).
I wish I had taken the time to learn this game but tennis is my sport. I have watched golf being
played by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Big Jack Nicklaus, and others for many years so I know it
is a hard game to "master."
Those who attended the pizza party on Friday:
Pat and Perry Easterling
James and Betty Ruth S. Willis
Dean and Pat Roach
Bernard Dunn
Ellis Rothwell and sister Gloria Rothwell Nations
Clyde Arnold
Mary Jo Fincher Curtis
Betty Jo Hays
Johnny and Barbara Cox
Donnell Bagley
Ned Ray and Carolyn Purtle
Johnny and Dottie Tabor
Bobbie Sparks
Francis S. Arnold
Katie Lee Lester
Howard Thornton
Bonnie and Gail Sinyard
Kenneth and Diane B. Stewart
Joel Osborn (’58) Visitor
Total Attendance Friday night: 28
All of the above returned on Sat. for the Lions Club Fish Fry except Bobbie Sparks, Howard Thornton
and Joel Osborn.
On Saturday we had an additional four couples attending:
Johnny "Sammy" and LaJuan Thompson
Nelda T. Doyle and daughter Roz
Phillip and Linda Gilbert
Billy George Thornton and Linda White
Total attendance Saturday night: 33
As usual it was great seeing everyone! As information I have gotten my blood sugar under control so I
had a double pie helping. It turned out the coconut pie I found just lying on the cabinet belonged to
Barbara Cox who let me know it! It was just like what "my mama use to bake" -- perfect and tasty! I pray
she will forgive me, but I did ask the one who baked it if it belonged to anyone and she said, “No."
Ross Family Reunion in Hope
Ellis and I had planned ahead to attend his Ross Family Reunion on Saturday. It was a rather small
group and I knew many of those attending including my second cousin Myra Lee Cox Ross. Also had
known Harrison Ross who died recently. I had also met Barbara Ross (‘51) sister to Vivian (‘55) who was
there as were many of my old friends. Donald Ray Blackwood and wife Marilyn Clark (‘54) were there
and we had a nice time reminiscing about old times. Donald Ray had two brothers who worked at the
Hope Star with me who attended the reunion. He said that he and Jimmy Blackwood delivered The Grit
Newspaper. I remembered Jimmy who was very small at the time. Jimmy lived on South Walnut down
from the Hope Star past East 3rd St. If you go to our web site to the Hope High Band Page, you can see
their home behind the service station on the left looking south.
I was able to visit with some of my grandmother’s neighbors who lived on Mockingbird Lane down past
Winemiller's Store across from Paisley Elementary School. My granny and old bachelor Uncle Irvin
Gleghorn lived between the Tonnemakers (5 girls whose names started with "V") and the Hartsfields who
had names that started with "F." I thought that there were only about eight of them but learned at the
Ross Reunion that there were fifteen in all and the two oldest attended are ages 91 and 89! When I
questioned the 91-year old --who still lives in Hope in an assisted living place-- if she knew my
Grandmother Susan Ann Parilee Brightwell Gleghorn, she answered that she got married in 1937 and
Granny did not move there until 1946 after WWII. I also met a younger brother and a sister who were in
the HHS class of 1955 and ’57. There were twins in the ‘54 class whom I remembered but I did not know
there were fifteen of them. I had a great time at the Ross Reunion with Gloria Nations and Ellis
Rothwell! Good lunch also!
Visiting in Texarkana
I had a lot of great times fellowshipping with classmates and a good time attending church with my sister,
Sylvia, at First Baptist, Wake Village, TX on Sunday. Also I enjoyed spending the night with Sylvia and
Dale Hubbard and hearing about the recent birth of their great grandson
born Jan. 8 at 8 a.m. weighing 8 lbs on his great grandmom’s (and Elvis’s!) birthday-- Jan. 8! I attended
Benja's niece’s wedding in McKinney TX on the 8th.
On the return trip it snowed and iced all the way home. To top that, there was the terrible shooting in
Tucson AZ. A day I will not fail to remember even if I have Alzheimer’s (old timers) in my future!
More Visits in Hope
Upon leaving Texarkana USA on Monday, I spent time at the cemetery with Benja and friends no longer
with us. Then I had one more visit to make with an old friend and neighbor, Ann Gold Thrash Grigg. Ann
now lives out in the country with a Mrs. Bobo who was caring for her since Ann (96) cannot take care of
her own medical and other needs. It was sometime in mid afternoon on Monday that I located the home
where Ann was now residing. I had a great visit with her daughter, Linda, who was there visiting from
Maryland. Also a phone visit with Ann’s son, Larry Thrash. I learned that Ann wanted to stay near Hope
so Larry took care of the finances, and Linda visits every couple of months from Maryland.
Ann is one special lady to me! She was my neighbor and taught many of us to do public speaking at First
Baptist Church at BTU. Ann is also a first cousin to Joella Gold Amour and lived side by side her. I
loved both the Amours and Thrashes and all my neighbors-- the Fullers, the Smiths, and the Greenlees.
The Crosses and our families all owned a crank ice cream freezer. It was housed at our home most of
the time since we were in the center of the families. Those were very good memories. I keep in touch
with most of the families.
Visiting the Messers in Little Rock (and other news)
On the way home I spent the night in Little Rock, AR at a motel just so I could visit with Joyce Greenlee
and Darryl Messer and maybe with John David Whitlow and Polly. John D. had recent surgery for
prostate cancer but was not able to visit because of other plans. Maybe next time. While I was there, I
received a telephone call from Barbara Taylor Burke whose husband Travis is having health issues.
Because of this, they could not attend the class reunion either. She advised me of the death of Barky
and Avis's grandson, Joshua Reams, in a one-car accident on March 5. Somehow we had both missed
getting the information by email but she had heard from a mutual friend of the Fullers at her church. I
had thought that the reason the Fullers were not there was because of the annual horse trail-riding event
which they participate in nearly every year. I called and gave Avis and Barky Fuller my condolences in
the loss of their loved one whom they raised to manhood. Joshua died the day before his 25th birthday
and leaves a wife and two-year old son.
Today is the birthday party of my two-year old granddaughter, Lillian Ruth Brock, so I will shut the writing
down for now and until next year I will say good bye all.
Love in Christ Jesus,
Clyde
March 26, 2011