Our South Christmas 2019

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7 CONTRIBUTORS

ON THE COVER:

Christmas is the most

magical time of year. This

edition is our devotion to the

season .. and the reason for

it. Merry Christmas from

everyone at Our South.

11 OUR SOUTH LOCATIONS

If you’re ever looking for a spare copy,

you know where to find them!

12 KK BUTEAU

KK Buteau, a talented entrepreneur in the

Jackson area, has worked tirelessly to develop

her business and her craft.

16 CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS

Christmas trees are a timeless tradition all

around the world. Despite this, Christmas tree

farmers face a unique challenge in their business.

22 HOMESTEAD FOR

THE HOLIDAYS

Take a step back in time to the 19th century to

experience what Christmas was like before

the commercial hustle and bustle of the

modern Christmas tradition with Homestead

for the Holidays in Jackson.

44 CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL

Kathy Sowell shares with us her first memory of

celebrating Christmas.

49 RETURN OF THE TOYS

In the rerun of this article from a 2008 edition of

Our South, we remember our dearly departed

friend Billy Neville.

56 A CHILD IS BORN

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ as told in Luke 2.

59 PEARL’S

Miss Pearl serves us some of the best scratch-made

southern food in the region!

24 DEER CREEK CHRISTMAS

This long-standing Leland, MS tradition brings a

festive display of lights and a cheerful date with Santa.

27 DEBORAH MCKAY

TUCKER’S HOME

Deborah has loved Christmas so much for so long

that she has earned a reputation for having the

most decorated home in the Brandon area.

35 THE UGLIEST TREE IN TOWN

Averyll Kessler reflects on a fond memory.

38 GOD WITH US

Sherye Green reminds us that God will make

Himself extremely real this Christmas season, and

will draw close to us as He has never done before.

2 … OUR SOUTH

ALL THINGS SOUTHERN … 3

ARTISAN – 12

KK Buteau

TRADITION – 16

Christmas Tree Farms

SPIRIT – 27

Deborah McKay Tucker

DEVOTION – 38

God With Us

CHRISTMAS – 44

Kathy Sowell

LUKE 2 – 56

The Birth of Jesus

4 … OUR SOUTH ALL THINGS SOUTHERN … 5

Publisher

James Arrington Goff

Executive Editor

Analyn Arrington Goff

Systems Administrator

Anna Goff

Graphic Designer

Anna Griffing

Advertising

Lillian Thomas

lillythomas@bellsouth.net

Contributors

Jacque Rogers

Jeannie Arrington Gooch

Sherye Green

Susan Marquez

Gwen Keys Hitt

Cille Litchfield

Nelda Mitchell

Barbara Hamilton

Carolyn Walker

Jill Deakle

Andrew Welch

Elizabeth Jonson

Circulation

oursouth@att.net

Our South is published four times a year by

Our South Publishing, LLC.

P.O. Box 1899

Collins, Mississippi 39428

Single copies of Our South are available at

fine stores throughout South Mississippi.

The cost for a one-year subscription is $25.

© Our South Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any

manner without written consent from the Publisher.

Our South cannot be held liable for any errors and omissions.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

CONTRIBUTORS

SHERYE GREEN resides in Jackson. She and her

husband, Mark, are both graduates of Mississippi

State University. A former Miss Mississippi, Sherye

has enjoyed two careers – one in business, the other

in education. Her first novel, Abandon Not My Soul,

was released in 2012. Her second book, Tending the

Garden of My Heart: Reflections on Cultivating a

Life of Faith, made its debut in 2017. Sherye’s work

has appeared in various Mississippi magazines and

newspapers. The Greens have two grown children, a

son and a daughter, who are both married. They also

have four grandsons.

SUSAN MARQUEZ has an inquiring mind,

with a strong curiosity about all things Southern

-- from its people and places to its culture, history

and potential. She’s been writing professionally

since 2001, and splits her time between homes in

Madison, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana.

She and her husband, Larry, are empty-nesters,

except for their two anxiety-ridden mixed-breed

rescue dogs.

JASON NIBLETT, of Laurel, loves to write about

the places to visit in Mississippi. He enjoys spending

time with family, friends and his Labradors, Bella

and Stella.

Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Jimmy Goff

2008 - 2014



HATTIESBURG

Hattiesburg Clinic

Hattiesburg Visitor’s Center

Lake Terrace Convention Center

McKenzie’s on Main

Main Street Books

Forrest General Hospital

Forrest General Hospital

Cancer Center

Plastic Surgery of

Hattiesburg Clinic

Women’s Pavilion of

South Mississippi

The Healing Touch

Wells Fargo

McB’s

Newpointe Pharmacy

Cheryl Cranford, Realtor

Delois Smith Real Estate Team

Bellevue Florist

Columbia Block and Brick

Anderson Carpet One

Anderson Rug Market

Accents

Jewelmasters

Randy Price

Talbots

Turkoyz

The Studio

Nebletts

Eden Spa

Blooms

Connections Clinic

Guess Gallery

The Oral & Maxillofacial

Surgery Center

Calico Mall

COLLINS

Clayton’s Drug Store

C&C Drugs

Covington County Hospital

Covington County

Chamber of Commerce

The News-Commercial

Collins Antiques & More

JACKSON

Lemuria Books

Albriton’s Jewelry

SEMINARY

Cranford’s Drug Store

Sole Sisters

MOUNT OLIVE

Powell Drug Store

Mimi’s Restaurant

MAGEE

City Florist

BB’s Salon

Magee Chamber of Commerce

Insurance Associates

LAUREL

The Rusty Chandelier

The Laurel Leaf

The Mercantile

Adam Trest Home

Flowertyme Florist

PETAL

Petal Chamber of Commerce

STAR

Heartwood

WAYNESBORO

Hutto’s Furniture & Gifts

LAB Discount Drugs

L&Co.

10 … OUR SOUTH


ARTISAN

Betty <Kinchen’s Quilts

KK Buteau

ARTISAN

Story by Susan Marquez

KK Buteau prayed about creating a garden for her

first jewelry line, but she wasn’t sure what that would

look like until she discovered someone who preserves

orchids, hydrangeas and daisies as well as butterflies.

“I found him at the market in Tucson where I buy my

beads,” says KK. The delicate flowers and butterflies

(which died naturally) are dipped in acrylic which

perfectly preserves them. KK then fashions the pieces

into beautiful statement jewelry. “And before I knew it,

there was my garden! That has been the signature look

of my brand since the beginning.”

KK went to Jackson Prep in

high school where she performed

in the school’s

show choir. She

attended Ole

Miss where

she earned her

degree in marketing.

“I have

been creating

my whole life,”

she explains. “I

have always loved

fabrics and clothes.

12 … OUR SOUTH


ARTISAN

KK Buteau

KK Buteau

ARTISAN

In high school, I had my own petit four business to

earn extra money. In 2015 I tried my hand at making

jewelry and really liked it.” Spending summers during

college working at JH Ranch in California, she would

travel to Oregon where she discovered a bead shop.

“I began making bracelets with words, like peace.

The words, as it turned out, were often significant in

people’s lives and I realized that could be something I

could do to make a difference.”

After graduation, KK got a job in retail so she

could learn how a retail business was run. After a year

and a half she quit so she could focus all her time to

her new jewelry business. “I spent from October to

February researching and doing product development.

I spent some time at Village Bead in Ridgeland, where

I told a class on simple jewelry-making skills. I found

the flower guy in January, and in February 2018, I put

out my new line.”

She started with a trunk show in the home of

her mom’s friend. She followed it up the next week

with a show at the Bridgewater Clubhouse. “I started

emailing retail stores, and the first person to pick up

my line was Kim Duease Designs in Madison.” The

KK Buteau line can now be seen in such stores as D

Squared in Jackson, Oxford and Nashville, Hemline

in Ridgeland, Amy Head Cosmetics in Ridgeland and

Oxford, and Threads in Oxford. KK also does pop-up

stores within other retailers all over the south.

KK says her line is constantly evolving. “I’m going

to be phasing out the butterflies, but they may reappear

in a different way down the road. I just really

want to keep my line fresh.” Pointing to a necklace

with multiple layers, she says, “this is the direction

I’m moving.” The necklace is made using leftover

links of chain along with rough diamonds, opals and

other natural gemstones. “I’m constantly trying to find

newer and better ways to assemble pieces.”

In her cheery studio located in an alleyway on

Depot Drive, off Main Street in Madison, KK is surrounded

by necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Her

showroom walls hold her collections while the back

side of the space is where she creates her jewelry. “I

feel like I’m very West Coast inspired,” she says, “particularly

in the way I dress and the things I’m drawn

to. I feel the most beautiful when I am wearing something

crazy and unique, which is why I like most of

my pieces to reflect that uniqueness with some element

of fun or drama!” The studio is open by appointment.

Simply send her an email at kkbuteau@gmail.com.

One of the special things KK does is to create

custom jewelry for brides and bridal parties. She’ll

schedule a consultation and discuss the design of oneof-a-kind

pieces that will one day become heirlooms.

“Whether it is a rare gemstone, a rough diamond, or a

piece of an old building that was turned into a bead, I

like my jewelry to tell a story.” … OS

IN HER CHEERY

STUDIO LOCATED IN

AN ALLEYWAY ON

DEPOT DRIVE, OFF

MAIN STREET IN

MADISON, KK IS

SURROUNDED BY

NECKLACES,

BRACELETS &

EARRINGS.

14 … OUR SOUTH


Christmas Trees

TRADITION

In a time when “biodegradable” and “environmentally

friendly” are common terms, it just makes sense to choose

and cut your own Christmas tree. Throughout the year,

Christmas tree farmers across the state work to prune their

trees and treat them for dreaded fungus and mold. Their

hard work pays off for the thousands of folks who are

trying to find the perfect Christmas tree. The Mississippi


WHEN YOU BUY FROM ONE OF MISSISSIPPI’S

CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS, YOU’RE SUPPORTING

THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

Department of Agriculture and Commerce says there are

26 Christmas tree farms in Mississippi. Those farms grown

not only thousands of Christmas trees, but they provide a

festive atmosphere were families create fond memories

and start treasured family traditions. When you buy from

one of Mississippi’s Christmas tree farms, you’re supporting

the local economy and the environment.

According to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture

website, Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide

and dangerous toxins from the air. Each acre of growing

Christmas trees produces enough oxygen daily for

18 people. The more than 500,000 acres of Christmas

trees farms in North America produce enough oxygen

for nine million people! And while they are growing,

they protect water resources, prevent erosion and

provide habitat for wildlife.

It takes four to five years for a Christmas tree to

mature. Those wanting to get into the business must

plant the trees and wait at least four years before they

can sell their first tree. In order to make extra income,

many Christmas tree farmers plant pumpkins between

the trees and host fall pumpkin patches and harvest

festivals.

Lowell Worthey, owner of Worthey Tree Farm in

Amory, hosts a pumpkin patch each year. He started

growing Christmas trees in 2007 and sold his first trees

in 2011. “We’re a choose and cut farm,” he explains.

“Folks will drive from a two-and a half-hour radius to

come to our farm for their Christmas tree.” The farm

grows Leland Cypress, Murray Cypress, Carolina Sapphire,

and a few others. In addition to selling trees, the

farm offers a full gift shop and sleigh rides. “We have

a staff of ten folks who help bale the trees, tie them

onto cars or load into trucks and they’ll even flock

trees. We’ll probably flock around 125 trees

this year.” Worthey says live wreaths and

garland are made at the farm and sold

in the gift shop.

At the other end of the state in

Chatawa, near the Louisiana border, Ron

Wilson of Timber Hill Tree Farm says

the farm started in 2005. “We grow

Leland Cypress, which is very

forgiving, and a few Virginia

Pine, which I refer to as

old

fashioned Christmas

16 … OUR SOUTH


TRADITION

Christmas Trees

18 … OUR SOUTH


TRADITION

Christmas Trees

THE CHRISTMAS TREE HAS BECOME THE CENTER

OF THE HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS, WITH THE

TRADITION OF GATHERING AROUND THE

TREE DATING BACK TO THE 1500S.

trees, as well as the Carolina Sapphire, which is a light

blue-green color that has become very popular. It looks

like a fir tree, but we can’t grow those this far south.”

Timber Hill is also a choose and cut farm. “We provide

saws and folks go hiking among the trees to find

the one they like the best, then they cut it and drag it

in, and we’ll bale and load it,” explains Wilson, whose

uncle owns the farm. “Weekends are my favorite time

here. We have live music, vendors selling handmade

items, and Santa makes an appearance each weekend.

We have a gift shop where we sell things like wreaths

we make on site and ornaments.”

The Christmas tree has become the center of the

home during the holidays, with the tradition of gathering

around the tree dating back to the 1500s. As folks

yearn for simpler times, the act of cutting their own tree

has become more appealing than ever. “So many folks

live in the city and have such busy lives,” says Worthey.

“I want to provide a good place for families to get

away from it all, where they can be outside in the fresh

air for a while and enjoy each other. This is the way

families make memories together. We do things to keep

them here a little longer, like provide concession items,

children’s activities and train rides. Santa visits here

each weekend. We love that this is a family business.

Our 19-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son are both

involved with the farm. It’s our hope that they’ll want to

carry on the business into the future.” … OS

20 … OUR SOUTH

Homestead for the Holidays

EVENTS

FOR THE


Before shopping malls, before the internet, and especially

before Amazon began delivering to your doorstep,

life was simpler. The holidays weren’t a busy whirlwind

of activities, but rather a time to slow down and enjoy

the company of friends and family. Gifts were heartfelt

and more often than not they were handmade. A glimpse

back to that time, back to the late 1800s, takes place each

year at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum

on Lakeland Drive in Jackson. This year, the Homestead

for the Holidays event will be held December 12 and 13.

Visitors can take a stroll through Small Town to watch

live demonstrations and visit the Fortenberry-Parkman

Farmstead to experience what a late 1800s Christmas was

like for children and adults alike.

The event takes place from 5:00pm to 8:00pm both

Thursday and Friday. Admission for the event is $6 for

adults, $4 for children, and those making a canned food donation

at the door will receive half-off the admission price.

Visitors to the event will enjoy a sampler breakfast

platter for supper, as well as story time with Mrs. Claus

and a photo op with both Santa and Rudolph. Children

can write a letter to Santa on limited-edition postcards

printed in the Small Town Print Shop. A visit to the

General Store will take folks back in time to the days of

Coca-Cola in glass bottles, Moon Pies, penny candy as

well as unique Mississippi-made products, crafts and gifts

plus a wide variety of stocking stuffers. “We’ve gotten in

some great nostalgic products and locally produced food

items in our General Store recently,” Summerlin says.

Hands-on historic crafts will include garlands made of

paper, popcorn and dried fruit along with “reindeer food.”

Demonstrations and live music will take place throughout

the grounds. “We’ll have musicians in the main hall, in

the chapel as well as strolling carolers.”

The classic carousel, built in 1928, will be running

and available for rides. The carousel features horses made

of cast aluminum with unique painted scenes on each

saddle. The carousel was retrofitted with 144 lights and

12 mirrors when it was installed at the Museum in 1988.

Train rides will be available around the Museum as

well in the fully renovated train cars. “We are very proud

of our little train,” says Emily Summerlin, Marketing

and Events Specialist for the Mississippi Agriculture and

Forestry Museum. “Each car has been repainted and there

is a new engine. Volunteers from the Central Mississippi

Model Railroaders Association helped oversee that

project.” The same group has a permanent model train

exhibit where the state’s railroad history is laid out in 520

feet of model track in the main hall at the Mississippi

Agriculture Museum. It depicts railroading in the 1960s

and ‘70s, when diesel engines started to replace steam

locomotives. There’s a replica of the old Avery Loop, a

privately-owned railroad Illinois Central-operated line

that serves industries in Jackson, Flowood and Pearl.

There are also displays of old logging camps, rural towns,

an urban area, catfish ponds and a production agriculture

display that feature cotton gins and sawmills. The trains

are maintained and operated by volunteers called “the

Red Caboose Crew” of the Central Mississippi Model

Railroaders Association.

“We hope folks will join us for this wonderful

time of community and coming together and enjoy the

warmth that an old-fashioned holiday celebration creates,”

says Summerlin. … OS

For more info, call the Museum at 601.432.4500 or

1.800.844.8687, visit www.msagmuseum.org, or “Like” the

Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum on Facebook.

22 … OUR SOUTH


Deer Creek

FESTIVITY

On the banks of Deer Creek, in the late 1930s and

early 1940s, a young lad named Jim Henson explored

the flora and fauna from Leland to Stoneville. He was

sometimes joined by his pal, Kermit Scott. It was the

experiences the boys had along the banks of Deer Creek

that spawned that timeless creation, “Kermit the Frog,”

the original Muppet fashioned by Henson. Today, folks

gather each December along the banks of Deer Creek in

Leland to experience the joy of Christmas, many from the

Rainbow Connection bridge, built in Henson’s honor.


Deer Creek is a lengthy tributary of the Yazoo River,

and its soil is said to be the most fertile in all the world.

An agricultural-based Indian culture thrived along the

creek as early as 1200 AD. In later years, the creek

became the centerpiece of the community of Leland,

with beautiful homes built upon its banks. Former Leland

newspaper editor Mac Gordon once observed that

“surely there is no place like Leland at Christmas time,

unless it is Bethlehem itself.”

In 1934, the Jaycees sponsored the stringing of

thirty sets of colored lights across the principal business

streets and the placing of the community Christmas

tree at the corner of Third and Broad Streets. In 1937,

Lelanders included Deer Creek in the annual Christmas

decorations for the first time.

In 1964, Leland’s city leaders had the idea to create

a Christmas event on Deer Creek. Christmas trees

were erected on the creek, and at night they lit up, with

lights reflecting in the creek’s water. Over the years the

display grew to include more trees and floats. “I didn’t

grow up in Leland,” says Mary Anne Brocato, the

director of the Leland Chamber of Commerce, “but I

remember my parents driving to see the Christmas display

at night. It was a magical sight that I never forgot.”

Bracato taught school for 36 years before transitioning

into a second career as the Chamber’s director. “I’m at

the end of my first year,” she says. “Last year was my

first year to be actively involved with the celebration,

and I learned a lot.”

One thing she learned is that things were done the

way they’d been done for several years. “It was good,

but I knew it could be better.” Bracato also noticed that

there wasn’t a lot of traffic around the creek last year.

“I remember a time when there were lines of cars every

night, but last year, the traffic just wasn’t there.” She attributes

that to the spectacular light show in Cleveland.

“They have grown their light show for the past several

years, and it is very impressive. But I still think our

creek is so pretty lit up at night.”

The Christmas at Deer Creek event begins on

November 30. “That’s our big kick-off event,” says

Bracato. “We typically have the same 25 communitysponsored

lighted floats each year, but this year we are

introducing at least three, and possibly five, new floats.

We also had new trees built and we are trying to install

19 new trees in the water. Between the high water and

the alligators coming in, we’ve had a bit of a challenge,

but we are determined!”

24 … OUR SOUTH


FESTIVITY

Deer Creek

Santa will make his appearance at the kick-off, riding

down the creek in a motorized float. “He’ll make his way

up the creek bank just after the inaugural children’s parade.”

The children’s parade is a new event this year, and

Bracato says children twelve and under can participate

with decorated strollers, tricycles and bicycles. Santa will

be on hand for photos, and there will be live Christmas

music by the Leland High School choir, a local band

called Smoking Gun, and a singing Methodist preacher

named Tony Proctor along with local George Graves.

The creek will be lit with holiday lights the entire

month of December. “One side of the creek will be the

story of the birth of Christ,” explains Bracato, “and the

other side will be decorated with holiday motifs such as

snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus.”

Once named one of the Top Twenty Events in the

Southeast, Bracato says she is working hard for the

event to have that same status again soon. “We are doing

all we can to keep the same charm the event has had

all along, but we also want to take it up a notch. It’s a

beautiful event and the community loves it. I’m proud

to have a part in this wonderful tradition.” … OS

CHRISTMAS TREES WERE ERECTED ON

THE CREEK, AND AT NIGHT THEY LIT

UP, WITH LIGHTS REFLECTING IN THE

CREEK’S WATER. OVER THE YEARS THE

DISPLAY GREW TO INCLUDE

MORE TREES AND FLOATS.


26 … OUR SOUTH


Museum Trail

COMMUNITY

While her birthday is December 23, Deborah

McKay Tucker says she has never resented having her

birthday fall so close to Christmas. “Some people may

feel they get cheated, because often birthday and Christmas

gifts are rolled up in one. But I never felt that way.

I have always loved Christmas!”

Deborah has loved Christmas so much for so long

that she has earned a reputation for having the most

decorated home in the Brandon area. “I’ll admit, I go a

bit overboard, but I can’t help it. It’s my creative outlet.

My kids have asked if we can maybe have a ‘normal’

house with a wreath on the door and a tree in the living

room, but that’s not possible for me. Besides, I do it for

everyone else.” During the holidays, Deborah hosts a

large Christmas open house as well as smaller Christmas

parties. She also accommodates drop-ins who were

unable to attend the open house for whatever reason, but

they still want to enjoy her beautiful decorations.

Decorating comes naturally for Deborah, who

has worked as a floral designer, and she’s owned and

worked in Christmas shops. She’s a collector by nature,

and because her friends know what she collects, they

give her even more.

The process of decorating her home begins the day

after Halloween. “I have literally truckloads of boxes

that are stacked up on my front porch,” Deborah says. It

takes about two weeks to complete the decorating. “It’s

like moving,” she explains. “I change out all the bed

linens, some of the window treatments, the artwork, the

dishes and more. Then I start decorating. I have lots of

DEBORAH HAS LOVED CHRISTMAS

SO MUCH FOR SO LONG THAT SHE

HAS EARNED A REPUTATION FOR

HAVING THE MOST DECORATED

HOME IN THE BRANDON AREA.

28 … OUR SOUTH


SPIRIT

Tucker Home

Tucker Home

SPIRIT

Christmas trees. Every room in the house is decorated.

Some nights I’m up to three or four in the morning, but

I get the most done that way, because there is no phone

ringing or children calling my name. I promised my

husband that if we ever win the lottery, I’m going to

have a separate Christmas house!”

The decorations are different each year. “Last year

my room was filled with angels. This year it will be

snowmen from my collection. The artwork is a mixture

of original art and things I’ve picked up here and there

over the years.”

Deborah stresses that the decorations are far from

perfect. “I live in the house my grandparents bought

in 1945. My parents then lived in it, and we lived in it

and our children lived in it. It’s located on what we call

McKay Hill. My oldest daughter renovated my grandparents’

home, and my youngest daughter has renovated

30 … OUR SOUTH


SPIRIT

Tucker Home

Tucker Home

SPIRIT

my mother’s home, and my mother is now living with

us. We call it the compound, but some days I call it the

funny farm! There’s now even more family around us.

My sister lives just a mile away through the pasture, and

I have five grandchildren next door!”

While she loves decorating for the holidays, it’s

the couple of weeks that follow Christmas that are

Deborah’s favorites. “It’s kind of quiet and relaxing.

I can sit back at night and just enjoy all the lights. It’s

comforting to me. I never get to truly relax, but that’s

when I come closest to it. It seems like there’s always

something to do, but I find a quiet moment here or there

and take in all the decorations and lights. It makes it all

worthwhile.”

But all good things must come to an end. “I usually

get a call from a friend who will tell me it’s been long

enough. I stretch it out into January as long as I can, but

usually by the end of the second week of January I start

packing it all up for next year.” … OS

32 … OUR SOUTH


SPIRIT

Tucker Home

WHILE SHE LOVES

DECORATING FOR THE

HOLIDAYS, IT’S THE

COUPLE OF WEEKS

THAT FOLLOW

CHRISTMAS THAT

ARE DEBORAH’S

FAVORITES.

Story by Averyll Kessler & submitted by Susan Marquez

“A southern writer can collect more stories from

a back-porch conversation than from hours of creative

writing or a ten-day cruise through the Panama

Canal.” So begins the essay So, I Listen, by Averyell

Kessler of Jackson. Kessler has always loved to write,

but until recently, her writing was primarily for school

or work. She lived in the Belhaven area of Jackson until

she was in the seventh grade. “Our family moved to

Avery Gardens, a development off County Line Road,”

she says. She attended Murrah High school, where she

was the editor of her school newspaper. After graduation,

she went to Converse College in South Carolina,

but determined it wasn’t a good fit, so she transferred

to LSU. Kessler was in the first class of the Mississippi

College School of Law. “There were only four other

women in our class.” Later in life, she joined husband

William Kessler to promote traveling Broadway shows

in Jackson.

A few years ago, Kessler began posting memories

on a Facebook group that shared memories of growing

up in Jackson. “I started writing here and there, and

got a good response,” she says. “So I began memories

for both pleasure and to hone my skills as a writer.

Posting each Thursday gave me a self-imposed deadline.”

Kessler sends her weekly writings via email,

and she also posts on Facebook where posts are

frequently shared many times. “With so many

harsh things going on in the world, I think it’s

nice for people to have something that is pure

chocolate pudding. I hope my writings are a

treat for those who read them.”

34 … OUR SOUTH


BC.qxp_Layout 1 3/23/18 10:17 AM Page 1

MEMORIES

The Ugliest Tree

The Ugliest

Tree in Town

By Averyll Kessler

I recognized it immediately,

a small scrap of a tree,

minus a few branches, a host

of needles and leaning left as

if it had grown sideways on a

steep, mud-caked hill. When I

came home from school, it was

standing in our den, a bleak,

second tier companion to the

Averyll Kessler

fragrant Avery Garden’s cedar

in our living room. But that

would change. My mother bought it, as she always did,

from the few remaining Christmas trees available at the

Belhaven Jitney. She did it every year. I suppose the

conversation went something like this:

“Are you sure you want this tree, Lady?”

the clerk asked.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“It’s kinda skimpy. We got better ones in back.”

“No,” Mama replied. “I want this one.

It wants me too.”

“Load it into your car?” he asked, quite

sure he was staring at a loony bird.

“Yes. Absolutely.”

My mother was a Christmas person. The moment

the turkey bones were tossed into a bubbling soup pot

and our sumptuous pan of cornbread dressing had been

scraped dry, she began. It was as if an internal Santa-like

voice shouted in her ear. “One for the money, two for the

show, three to get ready, now go, Paula, go!” In an instant,

she became a scampering elf, a flying reindeer, and

a woman who could put Mrs. Santa Claus to shame.

Our annual ugly tree was an important part of

Mama’s Christmas tradition. She spent hours decking

it with ropes of silver garland, sparking bubble lights,

shiny glass balls, and a flock of red cardinal ornaments,

until it glowed like a fairy princess. After a few days, a

dose of water in the tree stand made our crippled tree

stand upright again, and no one noticed that a few critical

branches were missing. As Christmas approached, it

was just as merry as the fat cedar in the living room.

During her last years, the ugly tree tradition continued,

even after she moved into to my home in Fondren.

One day, during our morning walk, we found a graceful

branch lying by the curb on Oakridge Drive. “That’s it,”

Mama said, pointing to a castoff limb waiting for garbage

pickup. We took it home, set it in a tree stand, and

welcomed a stark, leafless tree left for dead. When we’d

covered it with white lights, red balls and her traditional

flock of cardinals, it became a beautiful and artistic addition

to our decorations.

“How unusual,” my friends mumbled, as they

inspected our lovely branch. “I thought it might be a

sculpture.” Mama smiled, because she’d done it again.

My mother’s ugly tree taught me a significant

lesson. Every year, I watched as she searched for an

unwanted, bedraggled tree, brought it home and treated

it with all the love in the world. Suddenly, a transformation.

Our tree wasn’t ugly at all. Loving the unlovable

can produce unexpected results.

Perhaps the best Christmas gifts are not tangible,

but things we experience. Perhaps they are lessons of

love that soak into our hearts and remain there, strong

aromas of the past that linger in our memories, like

fresh cut cedar and gingerbread. They are an echo of

long-ago laughter, and absent voices ringing like harness

bells. New voices too; the giggles of a two-yearold

or a fifth-grade choir singing Away in the Manger.

The best gifts wrap us in warm coats of joy, keeping us

snug all year long. Perhaps, they even give an unwanted

tree a second chance.

Sigrid Undset, a Norwegian novelist, wrote the following

about the best gifts. It’s one of my favorites.

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in

His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun

and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests

and mountains and oceans – and all that lives and

moves upon them. He has given us all green things and

everything that blossoms and bears fruit – and all that

we quarrel about and all that we have misused – and to

save us from our own foolishness, from all our sins, He

came down to earth and gave us Himself.” … OS

Stella Shoemake,

daughter of Morgan

& Roman Shoemake,

from Christmas 2013

36 … OUR SOUTH


God With Us

DEVOTIONAL

Story by Sherye Green

A favorite holiday tradition is the reading of the

Christmas story. This age-old drama, conveyed in

the gospels of Matthew and Luke, shares the events

surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. Have you ever

considered what a mess this world would be in had

the characters gone off script?

What if Mary had not believed the words shared

by the angel Gabriel? What if Joseph had chosen to

divorce Mary, possibly leading to her death by stoning,

instead of taking her as his wife? What if the shepherds,

at the appearance of another angel of the Lord,

had either given in to their fear or chosen to believe they

had lost touch with reality, and had not gone to find the

Christ Child in the manger? What if the Wise

Men had not set out on the pilgrimage to find

the One whose star they had seen in the

east? And, what if after finding Jesus, they

had hurried back to King Herod to give him

details of this new baby’s birth?

Hundreds of years before Matthew, Mark, Luke, and

John penned their accounts of the life and ministry of

Jesus, the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of our Savior.

His prophecy explained that the mother of this child

would be a virgin, that the baby would be a boy, and that

His name would be Immanuel, a name to be given to

Him by His mother.

Names of Bible characters always have a meaning,

often containing in them a glimpse into the very nature

and character of the persons described. The Hebrew

translation of Immanuel literally means “God with us.”

As God is God and also the consummate wordsmith, He

could just as easily have selected a word to describe Jesus

that meant “God far from us” or “God doesn’t really

care about us.” Instead, God chose to send to each of us

a very special message — “God with us” — through the

name of His only begotten Son, Immanuel.

Immanuel, God with us, is also a statement of the

incarnate nature of God. God could just as easily have

sent a royal messenger to earth, one that would relay

to the human race, in a distant and impersonal manner,

statements from the heavenly realms. Instead, God

chose to send His only Son, wrapped in the vulnerable,

helpless form of a newborn baby boy. The first cries

of Baby Jesus that filled the nooks and crannies of the

smelly stable in Bethlehem contained in them the cries

of God’s own heart.

The Christmas story is encouraging to me for

several reasons. First, it is a story describing the lengths

the sovereign God of the universe went to so that the

human race, made in His own image, would know how

much He loved them. God brought Himself to us in

plain sight, with no subterfuge or attempt to mislead us.

He delivered Himself in a form through which He might

be recognized and understood, that of a little child.

Second, the characters in the story had fears and

doubts, but chose instead to put feet to their faith. Mary,

a girl barely into her teen years, must have been very

confused and frightened by the personal visit from the

angel Gabriel. Yet, her response was, “I am the Lord’s

servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May

everything you said come true” (Luke 1:38). Joseph, once

learning that Mary was pregnant and knowing that the

baby wasn’t his, chose to obey the revelation of God to

marry her, which came to him in a dream, and “did what

the Lord’s angel had told him to do” (Matthew 1:24).

The shepherds tending their sheep through the dark

night, although “terribly frightened” by God’s glory

which filled the skies above, said to each other, “Come

on! Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful

thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us

about” (Luke 2:15). The wise men, after leaving their

audience with King Herod, followed their collective intuition

that the ruler was not as altruistic as he appeared

to be. They obeyed the warning of God which came to

them in a dream, instructions to depart for their country

“by another way” (Matthew 2:12).

Third, the Christmas story speaks to me of the very

personal ways in which God makes Himself known

to each of us. Again, God could have chosen to utilize

only one means of communication with human kind.

Instead, He personalizes the method of delivery for

each one of us.

Speaking audibly to us as He did “face to face” with

Moses. Reaching out in quiet whispers heard in our

hearts. Bringing alive the truth of the Bible, His love

letter to us. Guiding us through careful, considerate study

of Jesus’ life and ministry. Speaking to us through dreams

and visions. The leading of the Holy Spirit, God’s counselor

shared with each of His children. The sharpening of

our own iron through the influence of godly friends.

MARY, A GIRL BARELY INTO HER TEEN

YEARS, MUST HAVE BEEN VERY CONFUSED

AND FRIGHTENED BY THE PERSONAL VISIT

FROM THE ANGEL GABRIEL.

38 … OUR SOUTH


DEVOTIONAL

God With Us

God With Us

DEVOTIONAL

The baby born in Bethlehem’s manger grew up to be

the Savior of the world. This Christmas season, let His

words lead you to the relationship that satisfies above

all others, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one

can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

If Jesus is already the Lord of your life, may you be encouraged

and drawn even closer in your walk with Him.

It’s all too easy, in this hustle and bustle world in

which we live, to buy into the misconception that God

is not at all interested in the affairs of your life or mine.

That He sits on high and looks down from a great

distance, watching us as one might observe a colony of

ants marching along the ground. If you’ve fallen into the

trap of thinking this same thought, as I sometimes do,

my prayer for us is that God will make Himself extremely

real this Christmas season and will draw close

to us, as He has never done before. The good news that

God is with us is the best present any of us will ever

hope to find under our tree. … OS

THE BABY BORN IN

BETHLEHEM’S MANGER

GREW UP TO BE THE

SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

40 … OUR SOUTH



CHRISTMAS

Kathy Sowell

Kathy Sowell

CHRISTMAS

Story by Kathy Sowell

44 … OUR SOUTH


CHRISTMAS

Kathy Sowell

Kathy Sowell

CHRISTMAS

My first memory of celebrating Christmas was about

age 4. Daddy was no longer a share cropper but had

bought an 80 acre farm and built a little three bedroom

house for our family of seven. That was three bedrooms

for two adults and five daughters!

December was an exciting time as we anxiously

waited for Santa Claus to fill our stockings. We were

a family that always went to church but we didn’t talk

about God or Jesus. I don’t know why. That is just the

way it was. Greedy child that I was, I was only interested

in what Santa would bring me! We were very poor so

Mama told us that they had to pay for everything Santa

would bring. We were to be careful what we asked for.

As the big day drew closer, we were eager to get

the Christmas tree. Daddy would hitch up the horse to

a slide, go up into the pasture and find a nice big cedar

to fill our little living room. (When we were stationed

years later on Cape Cod, I made my husband go and

find me a cedar tree! He found one on a farm and went

to ask the farmer if he could have it. The farmer even

cut it down for him!) The big girls would decorate the

tree and the room. I remember that there was a large

crepe paper bell that fanned out. It was hung in the

center of the room and crepe paper streamers were

stretched out to the four corners. Simple ornaments

were placed on the tree and the ever popular icicles

were hung carefully on the branches. We were ready for

Santa! My mama would hide things, destined for stockings,

in the pantry. One day, when she headed out to the

barn, I snooped in that room for a peep when I heard her

say,”Katherine, get out of that pantry!” I knew she had

eyes in the back of her head!

One year on Christmas Eve, I had the most remarkable

dream. My little sister and I shared the middle

bedroom with one window looking to the west. Just to

the west of us and over the hill was where my friend,

Donald, lived. I dreamed that I heard a noise on the roof

so I got up (in my dream) and looked out the window.

There was Santa with sleigh and reindeer flying through

the air toward his house! It was an awesome sight that I

will never forget as long as I live.

I still have the dolls that Santa brought in those early

years. We played with those dolls and put them in our

baby buggies, pushing them all over that red clay hill.

Those were happy days but I can’t help regretting that

Jesus was not in the picture. Years later, after accepting

Jesus as my Savior, I made sure that my little ones

understood that Jesus was the reason we celebrated

Christmas at all.

Many passages in the Old Testament foretold the

birth of one who would be the Savior of the world. In

Isaiah we read that he will be called:

I was lost but Jesus came to me, speaking in a still,

small voice, saying, come to me. Be saved. And I became

as a little child accepting this most precious gift. It

cost me nothing. I didn’t have to pay for it like we had

to pay Santa. It was a free gift from the Father above

who gives freely. He says simply, come! Come to Jesus.

He will save you.

This Christmas, like the past 64 years we will

anticipate the birth of Jesus and on Christmas Eve, we

will gather around the table for steaming bowls of New

England Clam Chowder. (This tradition came from our

days spent on Cape Cod while in the Air Force.) Then

we gather around the family Bible to read once again the

story of Jesus’ birth. My husband is with Jesus now. His

place at the head of the table is empty but we rejoice that

he is with our Savior. We share memories of past holidays

but always Jesus is the centerpiece of this season.

Won’t you accept this incredible gift of salvation?

What better gift could we receive this Christmas! Oh,

how He loves you and me. Rejoice with me this year

as we celebrate the joy and wonder of Christmas. Sing

carols! Give gifts! Make cookies! Give them away! No

matter what you do, celebrate Jesus!

“Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.”

In Luke we read the beautiful story of Jesus’ birth.

In the fullness of time Mary delivered this precious

child in a stable of all places. (Makes the fact that I was

born in a share croppers cabin not so bad!) The angels

announced His birth and the shepherds came to see. The

Wise men came from a far country to bring gifts to this

child who would be King of the Jews. God in the flesh!

Emanuel! God with us! King Herod was afraid of Him.

He could not kill him as a baby although he tried. This

baby born in Bethlehem would grow up to be the Savior

of the world. He healed the sick, made the blind to see

and the lame to walk. He even healed ten lepers and He

even healed me.

I WAS LOST BUT JESUS

CAME TO ME, SPEAKING

IN A STILL, SMALL

VOICE, SAYING, COME

TO ME. BE SAVED. AND

I BECAME AS A LITTLE

CHILD ACCEPTING THIS

MOST PRECIOUS GIFT.

46 … OUR SOUTH


BC.qxp_Layout 113/23/18 10:17 AM AM Page 11

of

William (Billy) Neville III

August 17, 1940 – October 7, 2019

ef

Turn the page to relive the story Return of the Toys from the Christmas 2008

edition of Our South Magazine in honor of our friend, Billy Neville.

48 … OUR SOUTH


holiday

RETURN OF THE TOYS

Return of the Toys

T

he toys have come

home.

That’s the way Billy

Neville of Jackson describes

his family collection of antique

toys.

Neville tells the story of

another era remembering his

father who had yearned to

work with wood.

“My dad, William (Bill)

Neville, Jr., was a banker, insurance

man, and community volunteer

in McComb,” said

Neville.

Hidden back in the back of

the family business, was

Neville’s father’s woodworking

shop - a place

where he

would escape.

“His toys

really started

out as a modest

effort for

family and

friends,” said Neville, “then he

made some for regional department

stores.

The toys form a jolly parade

of elephants, horses and other

circus animals, pieced together

from mismatched sheets of plywood

and secured with wooden

dowels.

“All the major manufacturing

Story & Photographs by Joanna Holbert

materials went to the war

effort,” said Neville of t he

Neville Manufacturing

Company his father operated

from 1939 to 1944.

The Neville Manufacturing

Company employed 200-300

workers and, through Illinois

distributor Stanton Dennis,

sold thousand of toys in 46

states.

Neville’s father lost his nail

contract, and had to buy secondhand

products from an old

plywood company.

During that short time, the

toys were so successful that

they ended up on shelves at

the famed FAO Schwarz in New

York City and Marshall Field’s

department store in Chicago.

As Neville’s father returned

fully focused on the bank, the

toy business faded.

“I’d ask him, ‘Did you save

any toys?’” Neville said. “And

he said, ‘No.’”

Almost four decades later,

while in New York City, Neville

was in the famed Greenwich

Village when he came upon an

antiques shop. Inside he found

several wooden toys. For a

moment, the thought came to

mind that they might be some

of his father’s toys.

“I bought one and took it

home,” he said. “With a lump

in his throat, my father looked

at me.”

Once Neville realized what

he had found, he returned to

New York determined to but

the rest. He made his way

back to the dusty old antique

store, but the business was

closed. That didn’t stop

Neville from continuing his

search. Thro ugh calls and

determination, he found the

woman who’d supplied the

New York store.

“She had about 50 of my

dad’s toys, an it was some kind

of celebration,” said Neville,

who bought the lot. “I put a

set together and gave them to

my dad for his 75th birthday.”

Now, with his treasure in

hand, Neville placed an ad in

an antiques journal to locate

the final, missing toy - a toy

wheelbarrow.

Meanwhile, a Nebraska

wom an had bought her young

son the tiny wheelbarrow

made by the Neville

Manufacturing Company. After

her son died in the Korean

War, the mother placed the toy

in her church where she lovingly

decorated it each holiday

season. She spotted the photograph

of the wheelbarrow in

an antiques magazine.

Underneath, the words

described a man who loved to

work with wood and a son

looking for his father’s works

of art.

T he woman wrote to Neville,

explaining that she couldn’t

give up her tiny wheelbarrow.

Neville said he understood.

“Then one day I received a

box in the mail,” he said.

Inside was a note which

read, “This toy needs to come

home,” along with the wheelbarrow.

The toys are now at home

for children young and old to

admire.

“Everything has come full

circle,” said Neville. “It’s really

something to watch a whole

new generation discover my

father’s work.”

64 OUR SOUTH

50 … OUR SOUTH


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52 … OUR SOUTH

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The Birth of Jesus

As told in Luke 2:1-20

New International

Version (NIV)

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree

that a census should be taken of the entire Roman

world. 2 (This was the first census that took place

while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And

everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth

in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because

he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He

went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be

married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they

were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and

she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him

in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was

no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields

nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An

angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of

the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I

bring you good news that will cause great joy for all

the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has

been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This

will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in

cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host

appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth

peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into

heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to

Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which

the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When

they had seen him, they spread the word concerning

what had been told them about this child, 18 and all

who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said

to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things

and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds

returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things

they had heard and seen, which were just as they had

been told. … OS


OF THE CRESCENT LINE

Story by Jason Niblett

For decades 330

South Magnolia Street

in Laurel was known

as Burton’s – one

of the finest jewelry

stores in the south.

Then, several years

ago, the shop closed,

creating a void in a beautiful

building downtown.

It just so happened there was

a void of a great meat and three

restaurant in downtown, and the timing

couldn’t be better as a spunky 70-something woman

was hoping to return to her hometown.

Pearl Campbell, known affectionately as “Miss Pearl”

to most folks in Laurel, wanted to be sure her place was

something special, and not just as a place of nostalgia and

beauty. Sure, the building

was transformed into a

diner setting one would

imagine from the lively

1940s or 50s in Downtown

Laurel, but the

food had to be amazing,

something like one would

have at grandma’s house

for Sunday lunch.

Miss Pearl was no stranger

to interacting with the public, providing

great service in whatever industry

she was employed. A graduate of the famous Oak

Park High School, she would become a teacher at Mize

in Smith County. She’d later move to Ohio, and then to

Indiana. That’s where she started tested the waters with

the restaurant business.


CUISINE

Pearl’s Diner

Pearl’s Diner

CUISINE

Time would move along, and she moved back to

Jones County to care for her father. She partnered with

some folks who happened to be affiliated with HGTV’s

“Home Town,” and the plan was set in motion. Now,

Miss Pearl serves some of the best fried chicken east

of the Mississippi River, complete with scratch made

mac and cheese, turnips, and other sides found at a true

southern table. There are also specials every day to

tempt the diner.

The food is great for a reason. Miss Pearl wants

garden fresh produce and the best ingredients to serve

her guest. That’s because she and her family treat each

of her customers as a family member, whether it’s a first

trip or 20th.

Although the restaurant is a decent size, plan a trip

early. The lunch crowd packs the tables and chairs quickly,

and homemade dishes can take some time to cook. They

are also offering a fantastic breakfast menu on Friday and

Saturday mornings from 7 until 9 a.m. … OS

60 … OUR SOUTH



Our South Christmas 2019

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