Simpson County News from Mendenhall, Mississippi • 1

DIXIS BINDING CO. 215 SOUTH FARISS Simpson County News Organ of Simpson County Formerly the Westville News -Established in 1872 Oldest Established Business In County Volume 98 Mendenhall, Mississippi, Thursday, January 1, 1970 No. 31 0000000000 ROUND A ND BOUT By R. B. C.

The Simpson County News is being published one day early again this week due to another Thursday holiday. We're glad to see these Thursaday holidays come to a stopping place until next Thanksgiving. It will be nice to get back on regular schedule a- gain. And as to the New Year holiday, most Mendenhall businesses will be closed for the day. New Years Day means that it's Sugar Bowl time and a host of citizens in this area are planning to see the Sugar Bowl game in New Orleans.

Two Simpson Countians are expected to be in the game playing for the Ole Miss Rebels, who will meet the sas Razorbacks. The two Randy Reed of Mendenhall and Wyck Neely of Magee. Here's wishing them the best! Weather forecasts indicate that we'll all see a cold New Years Day. Rains Monday night and Tuesday brought about a change in the unusually warm weather during the weekend and it appears that freezing temperatures will come, as predicted. We hope all of our readers had an enjoyable Christmas.

As for us, we spent it with relatives. We enjoyed having Donnie, Cheryl Lynn, Chris and Chantell with us. Ruth's sister, Faye, and her husband and three sons arrived last Wednesday shortly before noon and spent most of the time at their mother's. They spent Saturday with us. Then my sister, Margaret, and her husband, John Bryant came last Wednesday night and stayed until early Friday afternoon.

A nice Christmas for us. We enjoyed talking with Lt. Col. Billy Berry of Braxton Tuesday when he visited with us. Sale of The Magee Courier announced by G.

0. Parker, Jr. effective Jan. 1 Announcement was made last week that the Magee Courier has been sold by G. O.

Parker, Jr. to Captain and Mrs. Tom B. Dickson, with the sale effective on January 1, 1970. Mr.

Parker has been the Courier's editor and owner for the past 22 years. He announces that Captain Dickson will succeed him as editor and that Mrs. Dickson will assist her husband in advertising and other newspaper duties. Mrs. Dickson is well known in Simpson County, as she is a native of Weathersby and is a graduate of Mendenhall High School.

She is also a Journalism graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. She will be remembjered as the former Betty Riley Patterson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. R.

(Buster) Patterson of Mendenhall. Captain Dickson has served as a jet and helicopter pilot in the United States Marine Corps for the past eight years. He is the son of Mr and Mrs. T. M.

Dickson, Sr. of Jackson, received his school education in Jackson and then received his higher education at the University of Southern Mississippi. While in the Marine Corps he rec- Services held Sunday for Baker infant Funeral services for the baby daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Baker of Jackson were held Sunday afternoon from the Upton Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Macedonia cemetery.

The infant died at the Mississippi Baptist Hospital on Saturday. Officiating minister at the final rites was Rev. Joseph McCain. Survivors, other than the parents, are one sister, Jerrie Lynn of Jackson; the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.

Reitus Yates of D'Lo; and the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Baker of Jackson.

Named "Most Sports- at MSCW COLUMBUS, volleyball!" That's the slogan el, junior Samye Johnson of Mendenhall who captured the title "Most -minded" at Mississippi State College for Women. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Johnson, Samye confessed volleyball was her favorite sport. 4T found something that was never there in any other sport.

I had never played eived 27 awards of the Air Medal for meritorious performance as pilot in command of 540 combat misions and received an individual a- ward of the Air Medal for heroic combat pilot performance. He was separated from the Marine Corps on December 26. The Dicksons are the parents of a two year old daughter, Beth, and plan to reside in Magee as soon as housing becomes available. For the present they are residing with her parents in Mendenhall. Local basketball teams resume play The Mendenhall Tigers and Tigerettes are preparing to resume action on the basketball court after the holiday break.

The two teams will meet Magee in the Mendenhall gym on Saturday night, January 3. The boys teams have met one time earlier in the season with Magee winning, while the girls have played three times, with Magee winning two of the three. Next Tuesday night the Columbia boys and girls teams will meet Mendenhall in the local gym. The Mendenhall girls team holds a season record of ten wins and two losses. TOMMY GIORDANO Named director of 1970 census in 4th district JACKSON State Republican Chairman Clarke Reed today announced the appointment of Thomas (Tommy) Giordano of Pearl as fourth or of the 1970 States Congressional directdistrict, census.

Reed said Giordano, an independent insurance executive, would coordinate census taking in the nineteen counties of the district. Reed said Giordano's "experience in business administration and personal supervision will contribute significantly to the important tasks required in taking the 1970 census. We are confident," Reed added, "Giordano will render the competent service that is necessary to help carry out a successful census." Counties under Giordano's jurisdiction are Noxubee, Winston, Kemper, Neshoba, Lauderdale, Newton, Clarke, Jasper, Smith, Scott, Leake, Madison, Rankin, Simpson, Yazoo, Holmes, Humphreys, Sharkey, and Issaquena. Giordano, a past president of the Pearl Jaycees, is a former state chaplain of the Mississippi Jaycees. An active layman in the Methodist Church, he served as coordinator of over 20 lay witness missions for the Methodist Church during a period.

The young businessman received His academic education at Mississippi State University where he majored in business administration. 910 with behold In the the dawn prospects of 1970, of a a new brighter, day better begins, and future. on the There are horizon chal- we lenges ahead, problems to meet and conquer, difficulties to overhope and full of come. all, we shall there achieve is also a the community, bright and promise a that, world, with richer the in efforts progress and prosperity, inspired by the even greater assets of kindof promise liness potential and that the friendliness. decade Together, ahead holds we for shall realize the great us.

Congressman plans to visit in Magee next Wednesday Rep. G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery will be at the city in Magee at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 7, to talk with his constituents in Simpson County.

The stop in Magee is part of the Congressman's 8-day district tour which will put him in touch with residents in ail nineteen counties of the Vietnam War following his trip to Southeast Asia during the Christmas holidays. "I look forward to visiting with the residents of Simpson County January 7 and hope people will come by to let me know their views on important issues to be debated In the Second Session of the 91st Congress," Rep. Montgomery said. Dixie National to have sale of Junior champions According to an announcement today by the Mississippi State Fair Commission, the 1970 Dixie National Livestock Show will have an Important new addition a sale of the 24 champion animals from the JUNIOR ROUND-UP SHOW. Jim Buck Ross, chairman of the "This State idea Fair has Commission said, the developing stages for sevyears.

Now working out details of the show are members of the Dixie National Sales Committee, composed of representatives from the Miss. Extension Service, the Livestock Council, the State Fair Commission and the Dixie National Advisory Committee. We believe this addition to the 5th Dixie National Livestock Show will be great." The sale will be held in the Coliseum preceding the Rodeo by one hour on Monday, February 16, 1970. A total of 24 animals are to be soldthere will be three champion steers and three reserve champion steers; four champion lambs and four reserve champion lambs; five pion hogs and five reserve champion hogs. Ross stated, "Buyers will be gttting not only structural (Continued on back page) Services held for J.

W. May Jr. Funeral services for J. W. May, Jr.

of Vicksburg were held Tuesday morning from the Poplar Springs Baptist Church with Rev. Vernon May and Rev. Hilton Coward officiating. Interment was in the Poplar Springs cemetery with Upton Funeral Home in charge. Mr.

May, 63 years old, died Sunday in a Vicksburg hospital after having been a patlent there for about one week. He had been residing in Vicksburg for about twenty-five years and was a member of the Highland Baptist Church He was a native and was reared about two miles north of Mendenhall. Survivors include his wife Mrs. Grace Patrick May of Vicksburg; three sons, James May, Steven W. May and Benny May, all of Vicksburg; two grandchildren; one sister, Mrs.

Lillian Rankin of Mendenhall; six half-sisters, Mrs. Carrie Sanford of Raleigh, Mrs. Wilmer Polk, Mrs. Beatrice and Mrs. Grace Lewis, all of Pascagoula, Mrs.

Ruby Lee Bunch of Waynesboro and Mrs. Hazel Grubbs of Jackson; and four halfbrothers, A. D. Mendenhall, Junior of South May Carolina, Joseph May of Magee and Earl May of Mississippi City. Services held for F.

Bridges Funeral services for A. 1 F. Bridges of Mendenhall were held Tuesday afternoon from the New Zion Baptist Church with Rev. Valentine and Rev. Fuller officiating.

Interment was in the New Zion cemetery with Upton Funeral Home in charge. Mr. Bridges, 54 years old, died Sunday at Simpson General Hospital after a lengthy Illness. He was a lifelong resident of Simpson County and formerly resided in the New Zion community. Survivors include his wife, Mrs.

Elizabeth Bridges of Mendenhall; one daughter, Miss Kathryn Bridges of Mendenhall; his father, O. F. Bridges of Mendenhall; one brother Burnice Bridges of Monroe, and one sister, Mrs. Beatrice Martin of Mendenhall. 1969 fades away after leaving many events to be long remembered The fading away of the year 1969 at midnight Wednesday concludes a year to be long remembered by Simpson Countians and Mississippians alike.

An Associated Press poll 1s reported to show that the Top 10 events during the year in Mississippi are: 1. Hurricane Camille. 2. School desegregation orders. 3.

Special legislative session. 4, President-Vice Presidential visits. 5. Laurel propane tank explosions. 6.

Hazlehurst tornado (which also struck heavily in Simpson County). 7. State Insurance Commission problems. 8. Fayette politics.

9. Hinds County jailbreak. 10. Tarrants escape and capture. Several of these events touched heavily on Simpson County families.

Many of them have relatives living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which suffered devastation from Hurricane Camille. Effects of the hurricane suffered in Simpson County with property damaged heavIly in some instances. The tornado on January 23 struck first at Hazlehurst and then swept across Pearl River and left a path of destruction from south of Harrisville to Puckett. A total of 12 persons in Simpson County were killed by this tornado and another was reported to have died later from injuries. The school desegregation orders were received by Simpson County school officials about the middle of December and further plans for county schools have not been announced.

Simpson Countians especially felt the Hinds County jailbreak when one of the esAlbert Kenneth Bancapees, kston, fled into this county and made his way to the of Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. home Little near, the Rockport bridge and the Littles aded him to let them call Sheriff Draughn Magee and surrender when he there. The sheriff then brought Bankston to Mendenhall and turned him over to the Hinds County sheriff.

Among local events of spec- ial interest during the year was the decision by Simpson County voters to abolish the legal sale of liquor in a special election held on November 1. The county had been under legal sale of liquor for slightly more than three years. A event which occurred after much concern by residents in the southern part of Mendenhall was the beginning of construction of a new bridge on South Main Street across Sellers Creek. Still another was the completion of a spacious educattonal building annex at the First Baptist Church in Mendenhall and remodeling of the entire church plant. A new Field House was constructed at Mendenhall Attendance Center with financial assistance from more than one hundred local citizens.

One event of world-wide Interest was the visit on the moon by four human: during the year- two men each on two different occasions. Now that 1969 is almost gone, we can say that it will not soon be forgotten. Services held for Andrew Bishop Funeral services for Andrew E. Bishop of Magee were held Sunday afternoon from the Mims Mitchell Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Robert Yates and Rev.

Harper officiating. Interment was in the Sharon cemetery with Mims Mitchell Funeral Home In charge. Mr. Bishop. 68 years old, died Saturday at Simpson General Hospital after a lengthy Illness.

He was a native of Smith County and was a longtime resident of the Magee area. Survivors Include his wife, Mrs. Mae Bishop of Magee; one son, Clinton Bishop of Jackson; four daughters, Mrs. Mims Bishop, Miss Lols Bishop and Mrs. Lavelle Williamson, all of Magee, and Mrs.

Garland Walker of Jackson; fourteen grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; one brother, Lige Bishop of St. Petersburg, and four sisters, Mrs. Mattie Cockrell of Magee, Mrs. Ada Russell of Jackson, Mrs. Genie Jackson of Sumrall and Ming Tela Bishop of New Orleans.

ball before I came to MSCW, and it has given me something to work for." In the 7th grade, Samye named herself "Sport" saying, "I decided since I didn't have a middle name I would name myself Sport, because I loved sports so much." Asked how she became interested in sports. Samye attributed it to "Mom and Dad, who are both athletic. They have installed this in me. (Continued on back.